by Griff Hosker
As I headed out to the Snipe Sergeant Bailey found me, “Sir, Sir John has replied.” He handed me a sheet of paper. The notes had been scribbled but the gist was that he agreed with my assessment but reiterated that we were not to cross the border.
“Thanks Sergeant. Get this one typed up and put in the log with the others. I will organise them when I get the chance.”
It felt more like we were on a war footing. The land below us was empty although I noticed, as we passed Mosul to starboard, that there appeared to be many more people in that city. The Resident would have received the same messages as I had. He would know what to watch for. I wondered if we would be called upon to clear the streets there as we had in Baghdad.
I took us low over Faysh Khabur. I saw that they had sandbags and the detachment now had two artillery pieces there. They waved. From what Williams and Swanston had said it was unlikely that the attack would come from there. I flew to the two bridges. I wondered if bombing the bridges would be considered an act of war. Of course, it would! Such an act would, however, prevent a Turkish attack. It would do nothing to stop the Kurds but the Kurds would not be armed with modern weapons. They would not have armour and artillery. Flying over the high ground I saw figures on horses. There were too few to constitute a threat but their presence told me that they were readying. The patrol went without incident. I had demonstrated that we had air power and I hoped I had tempted the enemy into thinking that they could predict our movements.
As we came in to land I wondered if I should have the whole Wing in the air the following day? I dismissed the idea immediately. That was putting our entire clutch of eggs in one basket.
Sergeant Major Shaw approached my bus, “Will you be going out in the morning sir? It is just that you said you wanted the radio fitting.”
“No Sergeant Major I will not be going out but every other bus is on standby. We have another patrol this afternoon and after that they are all yours. Give them a good service tonight.” I looked down at his uniform. “Where is your sidearm, Sergeant Major?”
“They get in the way, sir. Me and the lads leave them in our barracks. We can always run and get them if we need them.”
“Keep them close to hand. You don’t need to wear them but take them from kite to kite as you work on them. That is an order.”
“Sir.”
On my way to the radio room I called in to the office, “Sergeant Major Hill, it seems some of the chaps were not listening the other day. Make sure they all have a side arm.” He looked up at me in surprise. “Yes, I know we told them but…”
“I will check every one personally, sir!”
I opened the door to the radio room, “Any more messages, Sergeant?”
“No sir but there is radio traffic. The Resident in Kirkuk told Baghdad about increased numbers of tribesmen in the town and Baghdad reports the same.”
“Does Sergeant Major Davis and Captain Griffiths know?”
“Yes sir. Everyone is pulling an extra duty.”
As I climbed into my Snipe I reflected that we all wanted something to start. This waiting was hard on the nerves. I saw more men in Mosul as we passed that town. This would-be Squadron Leader Williams last opportunity to sort out the problems he had found at the airfield. There would be some. It was inevitable. The men who built the field and repaired the aeroplanes did not fly them. There would be minor annoyances that needed to be dealt with. I saw that the Ninaks were parked closely together. That was unwise if the enemy had bombers but if they were tribesmen then it made sense. They would be easier to protect.
The roads also had more traffic. Individually none posed a threat but the numbers were worrying. Once again, they waved and that did not inspire me with confidence. When we reached Faysh Khabur I headed towards the bridges. I wanted to bomb them but I daren’t. I was just about to turn and head south when I caught the glint of something in the sky to my left. I held my course. We had done this a couple of times now and I knew we had fuel to spare. I saw that it was three Halberstadt fighters. I recognised it as the D. II. I knew that the Turks had used them in the war but I had never fought them. They had a top speed of just one hundred miles an hour, with a following wind and just one machine gun. They did not carry bombs. What were they doing?
I realised they posed no threat to us but I held our course just to see what they would do. The Bristols, on my port side, all had a machine gun in the rear. Twelve Lewis guns could easily deal with them. They kept flying towards us. Was this a suicide mission? If they crossed the river and engaged us then it would be. They reached the river and then turned to fly in the opposite direction. The pilots cheekily waved at us. They were across the river and war had not been declared, they were safe. I turned and we headed south.
Once again, I saw more signs of the enemy. They were coming.
When we landed Sergeant Bailey and Sergeant Major Shaw raced over to my bus. “We thought we would get a head start on this sir.”
“Good. The radio room is manned though, Sergeant?”
He nodded, “Yes sir Corporal Whittaker is there and he is a solid chap.”
“Good.” I noticed that they both wore their side arms. Daddy Hill had had an effect.
We now had a briefing room and I went there. Sergeant Major Hill saw me enter and a few minutes later McIlroy brought me a cup of tea. He shook his head and smacked the Lee Enfield on his shoulder, “Can’t be doing with this sir! It weighs a ton! I haven’t fired it since basic training!”
I sipped the tea, “I wouldn’t worry about that. Just so long as you fire and twenty others do at the same time one bullet might get through!”
Ritchie followed me in and nodded to McIlroy who scurried off. “What was that about, sir? I mean with the aeroplanes. What were they doing?”
“I am not too certain. My guess is that they wanted to tempt us across the river and that would have been an act of war. A little foolhardy.”
Jack came through the door and he had obviously heard the end of the sentence, “Too right it would have been foolhardy, sir. One of us could have taken all three out in the blink of an eye. They were obsolete almost as soon as they were built. That is why they shipped them off to Johnny Turk. That looked too easy to me. I smelled a trap.”
The door almost banged open, “So we run away from the Turks now, do we sir?” Squadron Leader Barnes looked angry.
I stood, “I would watch your tone, Squadron Leader. You are bordering on insubordination. Would you care to rephrase the question?”
I saw him take a step back, “Sorry sir. I meant nothing it is just that there were three easy birds for us to take. I was the closest to them. We could have shot them down without crossing the river! We looked like damned fools in front of our men. We might have to fight them some other time.”
“And do you think they will be any harder to shoot down?”
“That’s what I mean sir. They were such an easy target.”
Acting Squadron Leader Ritchie said, “And that is what has the Wing Commander worried sir. There had to be a reason for the action.”
McIlroy came in with three mugs of tea, “This rifle sir! I nearly dropped sir’s tea!” He was trying to juggle the mugs and the rifle.
He looked so comical that Jack, Paul and I all laughed. It eased the tension. Barnes was still unhappy about the affront to his honour. He took his tea and just sat down.
We sat around the table. I took out my pipe. I was annoyed with Barnes and I needed to calm down. I could have put him on a charge but there was acrimony enough between us already. When I had the pipe going, I began.
“So tomorrow we begin our regular patrols. I intend to vary the aeroplanes and the areas we begin our patrols. They are obviously watching for us. Those three Halberstadt were waiting for us. Jack, you will leave at dawn tomorrow. Fly the reverse of our route. Up along the high ground. Down to the bridges and then back over Ain Zalah. Robert, you will take off at 1000 hours and fly the same route as we did today. My kite is havi
ng the radio fitted. You both have a radio. Start to use it now. Let the field know what you can see. Tomorrow my flight will be the back-up and we will be ready to take off in case the invasion starts. I will have the morning flight the day after and Jack the afternoon. This way every squadron gets one day off in three. We will have wear and tear but this will minimise it.”
Barnes said, “And the standing orders about the river and the border still stand sir?”
“They do. If the Turks break the peace then I will make the decision. That is for your protection. If I make a mistake then I will be court martialed and not you.”
I was uncertain if Barnes took in what I had said but it had been made abundantly clear and I had witnesses.
I did not drink heavily that night. I was worried about the next day. I was up early to watch the Ninaks take off. I went to the radio room and Corporal Whittaker shook his head. There was no attack. I began to doubt myself. Had I seen enough to justify saying there would be an attack by the Turks? Air Vice Marshall Salmond seemed to think so. Major Fox did. What were the Kurds and the Turks up to?
I did a little paperwork and then went to see how the radio was coming along. The two of them were beavering away. “Almost done, sir. Be ready by lunchtime. We can have a little practice if you like.”
It would stop me worrying and second guessing myself. “Excellent. I will be either in the office or the radio room if you need me.” I heard the Bristols start up and watched them taxi and then take off. I looked at my watch. It was 1000 hours. They would pass Jack’s aeroplanes close to the Tigris. I hoped I was keeping the Turks and Kurds thinking.
Sergeant Major Hill tried to make me eat but I was not in the mood. After I had tested the radio I decided that the attack would probably start the next day. Jack had sent back three messages. All stated that the border was quiet. He also reported that the three Halberstadt had appeared again. They were up to something.
By 1300 hours I had become worried that I had not heard from Squadron Leader Barnes. He should have reported when he reached the border and when he passed the bridges. He had done neither.
Sergeant Bailey was back on duty, “Sergeant, raise Squadron Leader Barnes. Ask him for an update.”
I listened as the Sergeant spoke into the microphone. After three attempts, he shook his head. “I think there is something wrong with his radio sir. I am getting nothing; not even static. I will check it when he returns.”
I was about to go to watch for Jack’s Ninaks when Sergeant Bailey began to speak. He scribbled something down on his pad. “Sir, that was Sergeant Dickinson at Mosul Airfield. He said that they had a message from Faysh Khabur that half of the Bristols crossed over the river. Only three of them returned. The squadron is now heading south.”
I was bereft of words. Barnes had gone too far, quite literally, he had ignored my orders and, even worse he had, it appeared, lost three valuable aeroplanes. “Try to get more details and then see if you can raise Squadron Leader Barnes again. I am going to the field to wait for Squadron Leader Thomson’s Ninaks.”
I heard them in the distance and watched as they descended. I needed to speak to someone in Barnes’ squadron but I would make do with Jack until then. Marshall came running from the radio room, “Sir, Mosul is under attack. Squadron Leader Williams is attacking the Turks and Kurds. They are coming from the high ground sir.”
I nodded and yelled, “Number 5 squadron, scramble!”
It had been some years since I had issued such an order. My flying coat and helmet were in the Snipe. I was in the cockpit before any of my pilots. I fitted the ear pieces for the radio. Then I donned my helmet. My men were getting to their Snipes as fast as they could but I was impatient. Was this Barnes’ fault? If it was I would have him court martialed; friends in high places or not! As my engine had already been started I taxied. As soon as my wingmen joined me I would take off. We could be over Mosul in forty-five minutes. I hoped that would be in time.
I did not try to conserve fuel. I wanted to be there as fast as I could. I resisted the urge to speak on the radio. They would keep me informed and I had nothing to report, yet. I looked in my mirror. My squadron were all on station. I scanned the horizon for sign of fighting. Mercifully, there was none. Thirty-five minutes into the flight we passed Ebril. I saw, in the distance, horsemen. There looked to be hundreds of them. Ebril was about to be attacked. Having something useful to say I sent the message back to Sergeant Bailey who told me that one of Number 7 squadron had been brought down. Luckily it was close to Mosul and we would not need the Vimy. I cocked my guns. I told Bailey to get Number 12 squadron rearmed and refuelled and get to the aid of Ebril.
I saw the Ninaks twelve minutes later. They were heading back to Mosul. That made sense. They would need to refuel and rearm. If I could see them then they could see me and Sergeant Bailey would have given them my progress. This would be a real test of the training we had undergone together. My squadron needed to be disciplined.
I saw that, on the plain there were armoured vehicles. There were eight of them and they looked like the old German Ehrhardt. Clumsy looking and very high they were a tough vehicle to destroy. Luckily, we had bombs. Interspersed amongst the armoured cars were horsemen and men on foot. They were moving quickly and using cover well. I saw the remnants of a British detachment fleeing towards the walls of Mosul. Even as I watched the machine gun on one of the Ehrhardt armoured cars opened fire and two men fell.
We were less than a mile away and I dropped to fifty feet. We were seen by the Turks for they had the armoured cars and their machine guns opened fire. The horses and men took cover behind the imposing vehicles. I did not waste my bullets. I would save those for the horses and men. I felt bullets striking the undercarriage and the wings. I readied my two outer bombs. I dropped them and then prepared to fire my Vickers. I saw a knot of horsemen. They were firing at me. I gave them a short burst. At the same time, my bombs exploded. One destroyed an Ehrhardt. They might resist bullets but not a twenty-five-pound bomb. The second exploded in the open and the shrapnel scythed through advancing men. I prepared to drop my next two bombs at two Ehrhardts which were close together. This time I fired my right-hand Vickers as the bombs dropped.
Pulling up to begin a climb I looked in my mirror and saw that I had damaged both of them but they were still capable of firing. Acting Squadron Leader Ritchie took care of them both with his Vickers. I had damaged them and they both exploded when his bullets hit their fuel tanks. I banked to bring me back round. I was aware that I had no bombs left and I had used a fifth of my bullets. I left the remaining vehicles to those of my squadron who still had bombs and I went after the horsemen and Kurds on foot.
They were brave men. They fought recklessly. It paid off for them. I saw Pilot Officer Barker’s Snipe hit. He peeled off, smoking, and I watched him head towards the airfield at Mosul. He had the chance to be repaired. I banked to port. There were more men coming from the high ground. I left the ones closer to Mosul for Ritchie and his two flights. I led my seven aircraft to sweep across the open ground and shoot up as many as we could. I did not fly in a straight line. I almost zig zagged as I sprayed as many Kurds and Turks as I could. These were experienced fighters and they took cover behind rocks. Had we had more bombs then the attack would have ended there and then. As it was my guns clicked on empty and I waved my arm to signal the others to head back to Mosul with me. I saw that Pilot Officer MacDonald was also damaged. He was ahead of us and smoke was coming from his cowling. I radioed Bailey and told him what we intended. As I turned I saw that we had stopped their armour but the men on foot were now using them as strongpoints.
When we approached Mosul Squadron Leader Williams’ men were already heading back out to attack the enemy. My two damaged kites were being tended to. As soon as I had landed I leapt out of the cockpit, “Get my Snipes rearmed and refuelled!”
The mechanic saluted and shouted, “Sir!”
I looked at my watch. We still had time, before
dusk, to drop our bombs, strafe the enemy and then head for Kirkuk. Mosul might soon become isolated. It was not fair to use all of their ammunition and fuel. They were now the forlorn hope! I ran to Acting Squadron Leader Ritchie. “We hit them again and then head south.”
He nodded, “What about the two damaged Snipes, sir?”
“They can stay here. Go around and tell the rest of the men what I intend.”
“Sir!”
I ran to Pilot Officer Barker; he was the closest. “Are you alright?”
“Yes sir. My bus is a bit damaged but other than that….”
“Get your birds repaired. Stay here tonight with MacDonald and join the first flight to attack if they can fix them. Head down to Kirkuk tomorrow if you can.”
“Sir!”
I ran back to my Snipe. I had taken damage. I saw that I would need a new propeller. There were splinters missing. The Snipe would not fly as smoothly and I had holes in my wings. I had been lucky. They had missed my engine and the controls. I would live with that. The mechanics and riggers were busy working on her even as I examined the damage. I kicked the tyres. They had escaped damage too. The Corporal saluted, “All done sir. You going back up?”
I smiled, “Seems like the thing to do! Thanks chaps. Don’t worry we can beat these fellows.” In many ways, it was meaningless but they seemed to like and cheered. So long as a man had hope then he could survive horrendous odds. I had seen countless bodies and there looked to be more willing to die.
Acting Squadron Leader Ritchie came over, “They are all singing from the same hymn sheet sir. What are the orders?”
“Plough the field. Use the bombs to destroy any armoured cars that might become strongpoints and then use the rest of the bombs and your guns to kill as many as we can. These chaps don’t know the meaning of defeat. We kill them or they kill us.”
