Wings Over Persia (British Ace Book 7)

by Griff Hosker

  “Rainy season. You will be heading north tomorrow. I will come with you. I am glad that we have a squadron based there now. We have just been using it to refuel and rearm.”

  “I was not certain if there was a working airfield. It was a bit sketchy in Heliopolis.”

  “The chaps did a fine job of building it under difficult circumstances. There is still work which needs to be done but your fellow can do that. At least you will have barracks, a mess and a wire. Believe me you will need all three.”

  “And we have a new big chief I hear?”

  “Yes, an Air Vice Marshall, Sir John Salmond. Do you know him?”

  “Heard of him. More of an organizer than a flier but then that is what we need eh? Old warhorses like you and I can do the flying. Let someone else count the paperclips.”

  Having done the job, I thought he was being a little disparaging. “I think there is more to it than that. Anyway, we have barracks for you. At the moment one of the squadrons is based up at Kirkuk but we need the Vernons back here. We have a second squadron arriving soon and in two or three months another squadron of Ninaks.”

  There was a lively atmosphere in the mess that evening. The deaths had been forgotten as new faces and news from home filled the mess with hope rather than despair. The rains had stopped and the brighter weather lifted the spirits of everyone.

  With the arrival of the new commander imminent I had everyone sprucing the place up. Sergeant Major Davis set the men to repairing all the damage from the riots and the mechanics and riggers worked on the Snipes. I took off with the Bristols and led them north. The convoy, escorted by two armoured cars, followed up the road. There had been no sign of rebels for a couple of days and I deemed it safe. Landing at Kirkuk I saw the signs of the violence all around me. The airfield itself was without damage but there were shell holes between the field and the town. The town had been damaged.

  Sergeant Major Hale and Sergeant Major Robson were pleased to see me and even more delighted that they would soon be relieved. While Squadron Leader Barnes settled in I sent half of the Vernons back to Baghdad. The rest would be used to take my men back once the new squadron had settled in. A car drove up as I was watching the Vernons take off. It was Lord Randolph Palmer and his sister.

  I noticed that there were two armed soldiers with them. One looked incongruous as he held a parasol over Lady Isabel to keep her from the sun. “An unexpected pleasure your ladyship, my lord.”

  “I just wanted to thank you in person, Wing Commander. I am not certain if we could have held out without the aeroplanes you sent to help us. We might have suffered the same fate as Sulaimaniya.”

  Lady Isabel shook her head, “We both know that would not have happened, Randolph!”

  I saw the resident shake his head, “My sister sets great store by our soldiers as do I but I recognise that they cannot fight huge numbers. That was why poor Reginald had to flee Sulaimaniya.”

  “Things will change. We have a new commander, Sir John Salmond. He is in charge of everything military. I have high hopes.” A thought struck me. “What will happen to the men who fled Sulaimaniya?”

  “The soldiers will be absorbed into our garrison and Sir Reginald and his staff will return to Baghdad. Why do you ask?”

  “We may have to bomb and attack Sulaimaniya. It would be handy to talk to a soldier. We know it from the air. I would like to know what it is like from the ground.” I realised that I was not telling the whole story but I did not want to alarm Lady Isabel. If I knew which was the finest house then it would cut down the places we had to search when Ralph and I sought the Count.

  “Sir Reginald has a military aide, Captain Peterson. He will be returning to Baghdad. He would be the chap to see.”

  “The Vernons will be leaving Kirkuk in the next two days. If Sir Percy and his staff wish a shorter journey then I suggest they get here as soon as possible.”

  “He can be here this afternoon.”

  “Good. Well I have to get back to my squadron. We have to be spick and span for our new commander.”

  Lady Isabel shook her head, “That should not matter, Wing Commander. It is what you do in the air that is how you will be judged and, in your case, there is nothing at all to fault. Had my son survived the war then I would have hoped he would have turned out as well as you.”

  I noticed that there was a smell of fresh paint when I arrived back. Sergeant Major Davis smiled when I commented on it. “Senior officers like fresh paint sir. It shows that someone is making an effort. Besides it makes everything look a bit more military sir. The last we heard the Air Vice Marshall and the Vernons will be here some time tomorrow. “

  I nodded, “Then we had better get the Group Captain’s quarters ready for him.” I gave the Sergeant Major a meaningful look. “We painted that first sir. The only thing that Sir John will smell will be paint. I have quarters ready for his staff too, sir. There are ten of them. It will take some of the work off my shoulders anyway. Billings is all right but he is not a proper clerk!”

  “You have done well, Sergeant Major. Considering none of us expected to be doing what we did we have emerged relatively unscathed.”

  I had spoken with Captain Peterson before he had been whisked off to Baghdad with Sir Percy. He was most helpful. “Interesting what you say about this Count. I had heard whispers of White Russians supplying arms and advice but, from what you say, he is more of a puppet master. There were rumours of someone advising the Sheikh. The Sheikh kept making trips into the desert. He said it was to speak to his tribal chiefs. It might have been but it was to stir up trouble and, from what you say, get more instructions from his advisor.”

  “That is what I came to think in the Baltic.”

  “Sheikh Mahmud is a treacherous character. Why he was appointed governor I have no idea. I knew that he was supporting the rebels. No, it was more than that, he was actively encouraging them. We could never prove it, of course and he kept his hands clean. He purports to be an ally of His Majesty’s Government but the reality is that he is seeking his own kingdom! He has the largest house in Sulaimaniya. It is the former Governor’s residence. That is where he lived when he was Governor. Now this Russian chap. First of all, he was not in Sulaimaniya when I was there. We may have had to abandon the place but I knew the occupants of every house. There were neither Russians nor Germans there. They were too clever for that. Now this Russian will want to have his own house and it will need to be protected. There are four such places that I can think of.” He had a map with him and he circled them. “I am afraid I can’t be any more specific than that.”

  I was slightly disappointed but it had given me a starting point. “That helps us.”

  “Are you going to bomb all four then?”

  I shook my head. I don’t want to risk innocent civilians. My plan is to go in with Major Fox under cover and scout it out on the ground.”

  “Risky old boy.”

  “We both speak the language and if the Count is using Germans and Russians then odd-looking coves will be expected. Now is the perfect time to go. The Count will be filling the town with his men. They will expect strangers. I can speak a bit of German and Russian.”

  “You might pull it off then. Good luck.”

  After he had gone I pored over the maps with Ralph. I wanted to be able to present Sir John with a fool proof plan.

  I began to relax that night as I enjoyed a few drinks with Henry and Jack. I could concentrate now on commanding three squadrons. The rest was the responsibility of Air Vice Marshall Salmond.

  Chapter 8

  Sir John was a quiet and unassuming man but he was as sharp as a tack. As soon as he arrived and before he had even seen his quarters he took me to the office used by the Group Captain. He had a muscular looking sergeant who guarded the door.

  “I thought you and I ought to have a chat before I take over completely.”

  “Sir.”

  “First of all are you happy with me taking over? I mean did you wa
nt to continue as commander of the four squadrons here?”

  I grinned, “No sir. I am a flier and I prefer the air to the office. No offence sir.”

  He laughed too, “A plain speaking man. I like that. I want to thank you for what you did for the Group Captain. Willoughby was an old friend and I was aware of his problems. Your discretion was appreciated. Now what is your assessment of the situation here. I want this to be between us two first. I need honesty. Mr Balfour at the Ministry holds you and your opinions in high regard.”

  I nodded and gave him what I had learned. I ended by telling him of my plan to land close to Sulaimaniya and discover the headquarters of the Count. “I think, sir, that if we take him out then this Sheikh Mahmud will not be as much of a problem.”

  “Damned risky. Is there no one else you could send?”

  “Sorry sir, that’s not my style. I don’t ask subordinates to do something I wouldn’t do.”

  “Well you have my guarded permission but I want to talk to you before you actually go.”

  “Of course, sir, and we have much to do anyway.”

  “Quite!”

  “London still hopes that the Sheikh might be brought back into the fold. From what you say I think it is a pipe dream but until we get orders to the contrary from London then Sheikh Mahmud is an ally and not to be touched. Clear?”

  “Clear sir.”

  The next few days were busy. We had no aggressive flights but with aeroplanes arriving and personnel returned it felt like we were in a war zone. The men from Heliopolis were sent back to Squadron Leader Jenkins. I do not know what we would have done without them. Sergeant Williams returned to be my unofficial bodyguard.

  My squadron was sent, along with the Ninaks, to ensure that the road to Mosul was open for the lorries which carried the men who would be building the airfield there. I was impressed by Sir John and his staff. They were calmness personified. Our appearance over the Persian countryside made the enemy flee. We did not fire our guns in anger for over a week. That, in itself, was a cause for concern. What were the enemy planning?

  The third Ninak squadron arrived. We now had seven squadrons based at Kirkuk and Baghdad. As soon as the airfield at Mosul was built we would have a triangle which would secure the heartland of Iraq. Those were good days. I led my three squadrons and we learned how to fly together. Sir John was an organizer and he knew that he could leave the day to day flights to me. I learned more about the land over which we flew. They were relatively peaceful patrols. We occasionally had to fire our guns and chase horsemen back into the wilderness but for most of those six weeks we had the beating of the Kurds and the rebels. Sir John’s staff were good. They knew how to organize. Sergeant Major Davis could not believe how easy his life had become. The one thorn in our side was Sulaimaniya. Sheikh Mahmud and, presumably, the Count, were using their newly acquired stronghold to build up forces that would, in time, try to make the rest of Kurdistan rise. When he was spoken to on the radio he explained that the forces were for his defence and that he had no intention of using them against the British. It was, of course, a lie but as they wore no unfirms then any rebel who attacked us could be dismissed by the Sheikh as one of his enemies.

  I was desperate to fly north and to find out where the Count had made his headquarters but I was needed to run the three squadrons. Sir John had Army advisers but I was the one who was best qualified for matters aeronautical.

  The Vernons were used to supply the men building the new airfield at Mosul. We had lost Sulaimaniya. The military attaché in Mosul reported that the Kurds were emboldened by the loss of Sulaimaniya as were the Turks. The defences of the town were improved. Our two squadrons of Ninaks were used to patrol the area around Mosul. It meant long days for them. They had to refuel at Kirkuk. The Bristols at Kirkuk meant that we could be used around Baghdad.

  The first action Sir John took, after he had secured Baghdad and arrested all those suspected of being rebels, was to retake Sherwana. Lieutenant Murphy had recovered. Captain Shawcross arrived from India with a company of men to augment the detachment. They would have to travel by lorry as there was no airfield close by. We had landed one Vernon but that had been an emergency. We had the Vimy air ambulance standing by in case it was needed.

  The actual assault would be led by my Snipes. We left at dawn. The lorries left at the same time. They had one hundred and thirty miles to cover. It would take them three or four hours. We would make one attack and then return to refuel and rearm. That way we could directly support their attack. This would be our longest day.

  I saw that the rebels had not repaired the main gate. Instead they were using one of the side gates. In England, we called them posterns. They had, however, fortified it. It bristled with guns. We flew over at a thousand feet above the fort. They popped their guns at us. They were wasting their bullets. I circled the town. It was not a large one. It seemed to me that they had put all of their defences into the fort. I waggled my wings and began to sweep down to make our bomb run and attack. I approached down the river valley from the north. We flew with three of us abreast. I was slightly ahead of my two wingmen. I had decided on this formation as it would split the enemy fire and also allow us to bring six Vickers to bear. I began to fire at five hundred yards. I used short bursts. I heard bullets hit the fabric of my wings. As I neared the north wall I released two bombs and then pulled up my nose.

  As I climbed I saw that Pilot Officer Franklin had been hit. There was oil coming from his engine. I circled my hand and he nodded. He headed home and his place would be taken by Pilot Officer Ashcroft. As I banked and turned I saw that our bombs had had mixed fortunes. The wall had been breached but parts of the north wall remained. When Captain Shawcross and his men attacked I wanted them to have an easy time. I attacked the west wall for our second attack.

  The defenders now knew what to expect. It was a wall of metal which greeted us. I used my second Vickers. The walls of the fort were ancient. I saw my bullets gouge holes in it and throw the defenders from it. Then I released by last two bombs. This time I did not pull up but continued firing at the men who were on the east wall. They had no embrasures to protect them. Banking to head south I saw that there were breaches in the walls of the fort. We had not destroyed it but we had weakened it. I led my eleven aeroplanes south. We spied the column of lorries snaking up the Sirwan Valley. They waved as we passed. We caught up with Pilot Officer Franklin thirty miles from Baghdad. We slowed down to match his speed. He would not be flying that afternoon. In the event we only had nine aeroplanes. Two others had been damaged.

  “Flight Lieutenant Ritchie, when we attack this afternoon I want you to take your flight to attack the east west walls. I will take the others to attack the north south walls. That way we will split their fire.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Just try to avoid mid-air collisions. We are running out of Snipes.”

  Rearmed and refuelled we grabbed a corned beef sandwich and a cup of tea before heading north again. We flew more economically. We needed to coordinate our attack with the infantry. We caught up with them five miles from the hill fort. Sergeant Jones and Lieutenant Murphy would be at the forefront of the attack. They knew the place better than anyone.

  We circled when the lorries stopped a mile from the fort. As they disembarked I prepared our Snipes for our attack. Flight Lieutenant Ritchie led his flight to the east to begin their bombing and strafing run. My five Snipes would attack with three of us in the fore and two behind. This time Ashcroft and Adams would choose undamaged sections of the fort for their bombs.

  The defenders had been busy in our absence. They had repaired parts of the wall and removed their dead. They had also managed to reinforce the walls from somewhere. The Lewis guns, rifles and muskets popped away at us as we came in at a hundred feet above the ground. Travelling at over a hundred miles an hour I hoped we would be moving too fast for their guns to be accurate. However, it meant that we needed really quick reactions.

  I
had time for a five second burst before it was time to release my bombs. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the four Snipes of Ritchie’s section. He had timed his attack to be a minute or two after ours. There would be no chance of a collision and the defenders would not know which way to face. Pulling my nose up I banked to the east. I was able to see the effect of Flight Lieutenant Ritchie’s attack. Their Vickers and the first four bombs demolished the wall. They then released their next bombs in the centre of the compound. The shrapnel scythed through tribesmen.

  I continued my bank and brought all of the Snipes to assemble behind the infantry. They were advancing up the hill and were less than four hundred yards from the walls. I used my aeroplanes like mobile machine gun positions. We opened fire and kept down the heads of the defenders. I did not want to risk bombing our own men and I released my bombs as Flight Lieutenant Ritchie had done in the centre of the fort. As I climbed I saw that we had broken the defenders. They were streaming out of the fort and heading for the town. We followed them and machine gunned as many as we could. If they had escaped they would have fought us again. These men enjoyed war. They were fanatics.

  By the time we returned I saw that the green flag had been lowered and the Union Flag now fluttered from the flagpole. The soldiers had their sun helmets in the air and they were waving them. They had retaken the fort without losing a single man. It had been a good day. I led my weary pilots south to the airfield.

  Although we were tired I needed to debrief the squadron. We had learned valuable lessons in the attack. “You used your head, Flight Lieutenant Ritchie, we will use that technique in the future. The first bombs on the walls and the second in the centre is an effective use of bombs.”

  “Will we have to do this again sir?”

  “I think so, Pilot Officer Franklin. When we were in Somaliland we found that they like to use these ancient forts. They were built there for a purpose. The one we attacked today might have been there since the time of Alexander the Great.”