1917 Eagles Fall

by Griff Hosker

  “I had dinner with the Red Baron last night and if the squadron had green rudders then I was their guest for the last two days.”

  Ted shook his head and laughed, “Yours will be a short life my son but by hell it will be interesting!”

  As I left the office Archie reached into his pocket, “By the way, this is for you. Your young lady scribbled it as I left.” He handed me the note.

  “Thank you sir.”

  I resisted the temptation to read it in front of the others in case I could not contain myself. Once outside I opened it eagerly.

  Bill,

  I don’t know if you will ever read this. Your Major has told me that you were shot down behind the enemy lines. You are alive and, although you will be a prisoner you are alive!

  I want you to know that I will wait for you, no matter how long this war lasts. I promise you that. You are the only man in my life and the only one I want.

  I love you,

  Beattie xxx

  I don’t know why but that note made me feel ten feet tall.

  Chapter 28

  The General’s car arrived bright and early the next day. I was whisked to Amiens where the General and four senior officers awaited me along with an Intelligence officer, Captain Fleming.

  They noted my bandaged head. It was like the scene from the painting, ‘Where is your father?’ The six of them peered at me like vultures about to devour a carcass.

  The General waved his arm in my direction. “Gentlemen may I introduce Captain Bill Harsker. As you can see he has a few medals, one of them from the French. He has crashed twice; the first time he escaped across the Channel and the second time he stole a German aeroplane and was shot down by his own men. He has forty kills to his name and he has met, apparently, the Red Baron. He has also landed behind the enemy lines to rescue one of his pilots on the back of a Sopwith Pup! I think this should be illuminating for us all.”

  If I did not have their attention before I certainly did now. I was grilled, again, by all of them but the most pertinent questions came from Captain Fleming. Whilst the senior officers wished to know about the Red Baron and such the Captain seemed preoccupied with the minutiae of the Jasta. I could see why. He wanted to know what made the organisations tick. Heroes came and went but the structures remained.

  At the end of an hour I was finished. The senior officers left. Captain Fleming shook my hand as he left. “Do you mind if I come by your field and see you again? I think there may be more hidden inside your head than you know.”

  “I think I am just lucky. I don’t know much.”

  “You are doing yourself a disservice. I know of spies who have spent less time behind German lines than you. I think we could write a pamphlet to give pilots in case they are shot down behind enemy lines.”

  I shrugged, “Perhaps.”

  “I think it is a damned good idea. See to it Fleming.”

  “Sir.”

  Once alone he took out his pipe and filled it. “We were all worried when you were shot down you know. Ball and Hawker were both shot down. There are a couple of Canadians, Bishop and Collinshaw who are doing quite well but you are the leading RFC ace. It is important for recruitment that you stay alive. There are lads in England who want to be like you. I have no idea how long this war will continue but we will need more pilots than enough.”

  “Are we still haemorrhaging pilots, sir?”

  He nodded, “The youth of our country are being sacrificed almost daily.” He pushed a piece of paper over to me. “You are being rewarded for your efforts. You are being given the acting rank of major. I wanted it permanent but it seems you have enemies in high places.” I must have shown my puzzlement for he added, “Major Ramsden.”

  “Ah, I see. Thank you anyway sir.”

  “It will just make life easier for you should you have to command again, and of course,” he chuckled, “it makes you the same rank as Ramsden.”

  I smiled, “Thank you sir, that is handy. He seems to think I do not have the class to be an officer.”

  “I think that when this war is over we will stop worrying so much about class and judge a man by his actions. And the other thing is that you have been recommended for the V.C. for rescuing Holt. That was damned foolish but damned brave. I am not certain I would have risked it in a Pup.”

  “The Red Baron seems to appreciate them.”

  “Does he really? Well your Camels will be here by the end of the week but we have another Sopwith which will be ready by the end of the month; a tri-plane. Interested?”

  “No sir. From what I have heard the Camel is a better version of the Pup and I have never flown a tri-plane.”

  “Well the Camel is a better platform and,“ he leaned back and smiled, “it has two synchronised Vickers. Let’s see what you can do with those.”

  As I left the Headquarters building I bumped into Major Ramsden, quite literally. He didn’t see who I was and he just said, “Fool! Watch where you are going!”

  When he looked up and saw me he scowled, “I might have known it would be you. No manners at all. Well? Where is your salute and sir!”

  I smiled, “I am sorry major, I have only been a major for ten minutes I was not certain of the protocol.”

  His mouth opened and closed like a fish. “What but I…”

  “It is only temporary but still….”

  I turned and walked towards the General’s car. It was a small victory but worth savouring. As I was driven back I decided that it was not worth mentioning the V.C. to the others. It would sound like bragging and besides it might not come through. I had been disappointed once before and I would not get my hopes up.

  The sad faces back at the field told me that we had lost crews again. This time it was Lieutenant Ellis. Two gunners had also been wounded. The good news, from Ted was that they had managed to knock out a D.III. It was a better sign but we were still frustrated by the fact that the Camels had not arrived.

  My senior colleagues were delighted by my promotion. “Well deserved, Billy boy. We’ll have a wee dram to celebrate!”

  “It’s only temporary. They can always take it away.”

  “Only if the war ends next week and I can’t see any sign of that, can you?”

  Poor Lieutenant Alldardyce did not know where to look at dinner. He just looked embarrassed throughout the whole meal. His discomfort was not helped by the ribbing he received from everyone except for Freddie. His head drooped lower and lower as he endured the sarcastic comments.

  When we retired to the lounge I sought him out. He began to apologise again and I held up my hand. “Despite what those jokers said you did the right thing in shooting me down. You could have had no idea it was me and suppose it had been a German bomber; what then? It might have done some serious damage to the base. You were right to shoot me down!”

  “I don’t know about that, sir.”

  “Well I do and I have told Captain Marshall to award you the kill. It was a damned fine shot. And if those jokers say anything you tell them I said you did the right thing.”

  “Thank you sir. You know Airman Speight thinks very highly of you. All of the gunners do. You are a legend. You began life as a gunner and now you are the leading ace in the squadron. If I had killed you then I don’t know if I could have gone on.”

  I laughed, “Captain Hewitt will tell you that I am a tough old bugger. It takes a lot to kill me!”

  We realised that the Arras Offensive had petered out. The last actions over the next few days would be in bloody Bullecourt where our soldiers fought for inches to drive the Germans from the village. We had gained ground. It was not as much ground as we had held after the first few days but we were moving east. Ted, at dinner, took out a piece of paper and a pencil and did some calculations. “Well that’s alright then. Gordy, your son will be twenty eight by the time we reach Berlin!”

  We had two days of rain before the new buses and replacement pilots arrived. The doc cleared all three of us for active duty. For F
reddie and Johnnie it had been days of hell! When the Camels landed we winced as they were bumped across the field by their ferry pilots. Flight Sergeant Lowery stormed over to the pilots. I saw him gesticulating at the undercarriage and ranting at them. They disappeared as soon as they could. We waited until the five Bristols had landed before we went over. The flying skills of these pilots was more important to us than ferry pilots.

  The three of them were even worse than the ferry pilots. Ted shook his head, “They are dead men flying.”

  I pointed to the Camels as we walked over. “We have those now. They have two Vickers and are more than eleven miles an hour quicker. The SE 5 is a faster bus but it is not a better one. The three of us will have to work twice as hard until these lads are bedded in.”

  “Or buried!” said Ted ominously. He nodded to us, “You go and check your Camels out. We’ll have a word with our young eagles here!”

  Gordy and Harry followed him. They knew how to turn poor pilots with a life expectancy of hours into the likes of Harry Dodds. I was not worried. Flight Sergeant Lowery was almost caressing the Camel. “Bloody ferry pilots! They really annoy me they…”

  “Give you the hump?”

  “Yes sir they… oh very funny sir, hilarious! Laugh? I thought my pants would never dry!” He wandered off chuntering.

  I had the specifications in my hand. “It is shorter and lower than the Pup but it has an extra one foot six of wing span. It can climb two thousand feet higher and has a top speed of a hundred and seventeen miles an hour.”

  “Which means that Fritz can’t run away any more when we start winning!”

  I liked the new aeroplane before it had even been flown. It was roughly the same size as the Pup with far more power and twice the guns. I shouted to the Senior Flight Sergeant, “Don’t forget to fit a rear view mirror.” He waved. “When will they be ready?”

  He considered a witty answer and then said, “Tomorrow afternoon, Major.” He smiled and saluted, “Congratulations sir. It is well deserved.”

  We spent another hour checking the new buses on the ground and then I joined Gordy and Ted putting the new pilots through their paces. We had the advantage that the recently trained pilots who had survived also put in their two pennorth! With just one in each of the other three flights there would be a more experienced pilot to perch on their shoulders.

  Doc Brennan called me over as I walked to lunch. “Come to sick bay while I check you over.”

  No matter what he said I would be flying as soon as the new bus was ready.

  After fifteen minutes he said. “Just take it easy but I will pass you fit.” He shook his head, “It will stop you disobeying your doctor’s orders.”

  After lunch we allocated the pilots and prepared for the mission the next day. “I have a feeling that, if we are over Bullecourt then we may run into Richthofen. It is his hunting ground and I believe he will be looking for me.”

  Gordy cocked an eyebrow, “Really?”

  “I am not being big headed Gordy. He sees this as some sort of medieval contest between knights on chargers. We just use aeroplanes. I think that is the real reason he used the fancy paintwork. It is like heraldry. I am a challenge to him. Believe me he is revered by the other pilots. There was a silence when he walked in the mess. It was like a church on a Sunday! They had their best silver for him and so much food we could have fed the squadron for a week. Do not underestimate him. The last time we tangled he outran the Pup and I was isolated. I won’t be on my own this time and he will not be able to run.”

  “It sounds like you are ready for this?”

  “Let’s just say, Archie, that I am fed up with our young pilots becoming marks on the side of the aeroplanes. It is time for a little payback. The Bristol is a good aeroplane but the Camel is better. If these new pilots can last a week then I think we can rule the skies.”

  Archie laughed as he poured us all a whisky, “General Trenchard certainly lit a fire under you Bill. Here’s to the squadron!”

  When I reached my quarters Bates had just finished sewing my crowns on to my epaulettes. “That might be a waste of time, John. This might only be temporary.”

  He snorted, “Even the brass hats can’t be that stupid.” He proffered the tunic. “Let’s see what it looks like on.”

  I put it on and he stood back. “There, very smart. I’ll have the other two finished for tomorrow sir.”

  After I had written a letter to Beattie I walked back out to the field with my pipe. I wanted to look at the Camels again. I saw that Freddie and Johnnie were talking with Senior Flight Sergeant Lowery.

  They turned as I approached. “Any problems, Flight?”

  “No, Major, for once they have come ready to fly and those ferry boys didn’t actually do any damage.”

  “Excellent.” I winked at Freddie, “We can take them up for a test flight now then can’t we?”

  His mouth opened and closed and then he said, warily, “Yes sir. I’ll get a couple of the lads.”

  He went off shouting for some mechanics to start them. I turned to the two of them. “We might as well see how high they can go. We’ll take them up and then do a few loops. I think they will loop as well as the Pup.”

  “Me too, sir, and I was thinking of trying that loop of yours where you put the bus on its side. It always seems to throw the Germans off.”

  “Right, we will have an hour’s practice and then land. When I come down you come.”

  “Yes sir!” they chorused.

  The take off was just as quick as that in a Pup and the climb was exquisitely quick. I took them in as steep a climb as we could. I was amazed. We rose a thousand feet a minute! That was fast. I realised, as we levelled out, that I should have brought my greatcoat. I was freezing. I waved to the other two and put the Camel into a dive. It was frighteningly fast. The loops we performed were just as tight as those in the Pups. As we came in to land I looked at the twin Vickers; this was firepower. This could make the difference! We landed and the three of us were full of praise for the Camel.

  We were eager to be in the air and in action again the next morning. The battle of Bullecourt was still going on and our orders took us there. The bomber squadrons had taken a recent hammering and we were there merely to stop the Germans from observing our movements and attacking any ground targets. With Archie back in command I could concentrate on leading the squadron.

  The night before I had decided on a new plan of attack. C Flight would lead with me in the middle, Freddie to port and Johnny to starboard. Alldardyce would tuck in behind me. We would fly above and in front of the other three flights. Ted would fly in the middle with Gordy to his right and Harry to his left. They would fly the same formation as my flight. I had reasoned that it gave us the maximum firepower in the middle while giving flexibility and a reserve. The rear aeroplane in each formation could deal with any attacks from the rear.

  As we approached the front I saw the explosions from small arms and grenades as the Tommies and the Aussies tried to establish some sort of control. It had been a brutal six weeks but, mercifully, it had not cost as many casualties nor had it dragged on as long.

  I was not expecting too many German aeroplanes; they had been in constant action over the past weeks. I knew from my conversations with Josef that they suffered wear and tear just as much as we did. I was, therefore, surprised when I saw a formation of eight bombers being escorted by ten fighters. It looked as though they were heading for our guns.

  We were at the same altitude and so I began to climb. I only needed to take us a thousand feet or so higher and that would give us a greater attack speed. I looked in my mirror and saw that Alldardyce was struggling. The powerful Camels ate up the sky. I levelled out as the Germans saw us. Our smaller profile made us harder to see. Richthofen had told me that. It gave us a few seconds advantage. It was the main reason I had chosen to fly ahead of the main formation.

  The fighters climbed towards us. Again, our talk had enabled us to come up with
a strategy for this situation. Harry would lead his flight down to engage with the bombers. He would be outnumbered but he would have a superior bus. We would, hopefully, outnumber the Germans.

  I still could see their colours for they were head on but I could see that they were the Albatros D.III. I hoped they would only see a flight of Pups. They were in for a shock when the twin Vickers opened up on them. We were closing rapidly as we dived to meet them. The combined speed was approaching two hundred and forty miles an hour- a frightening speed which needed the quickest of reactions. I took in the fact that they did not appear to be the Flying Circus and then put the Red Baron from my mind. I aimed the Camel at the leading Albatros. I saw a pennant fluttering from the rudder. That was new but I suspected it meant a Staffelführer.

  At two hundred yards I gave a short burst. I was slightly off but the beauty of the two Vickers meant that my bullets still hit him. My smaller size and my speed meant that his bullets zipped harmlessly above the top wing. That sometimes happened when you were firing at an enemy above you. The sound of the six Vickers as they ripped the air before us was breathtaking. The German pilots were not expecting the torrent of bullets. As we approached them they tried to climb above us. I pulled hard on the stick. Behind me I heard the Vickers of Alldardyce and Speight’s Lewis as the German I had hit was ripped apart by their bullets.

  As I came around I saw the first Albatros tumbling to earth. I found myself on the tail of a surprised Albatros. I fired again and my bullets stitched a wicked trail from the rudder along the fuselage. The double line of bullets made a sizeable hole in the Albatros. I took my fingers from the triggers and began to bank to starboard. I had hurt the German and he would have to run for home soon. He had no support. Sure enough he, too, turned to starboard. The fact that I had kept up with him must have shocked him but when I opened fire as he crossed before me his shock ended. His body juddered as the .303 smashed into him and ended his young life.

  I reversed my turn to see if there were any more Albatros fighters around. I did not need to follow him down. He was dead. As I completed my turn I saw that C Flight was alone in the sky. Below us the Bristols were still engaged with the rest of the Jasta and the bombers. I began to descend to join them. I knew that the rest of my flight would take station on me.