by Griff Hosker
Nurse Porter flew into the room. “She’s downstairs!” She was as giddy as a school girl. She smoothed my cowlick across my face and ran her hands down my pyjamas to straighten them. I enjoyed her touch and the fragrance of her perfume. She stepped back and gave me a critical look, “Well that will have to do.” She heard footsteps and voices and she stepped to the side of the bed, almost at attention.
I heard the matron say, “This is the room, your ladyship.”
Lady Burscough stood in the doorway. She cocked her head on one side, “You poor boy. What you have been through!”
She came towards me and planted a kiss on my cheek. I knew that her lipstick would leave a mark but it would have been rude to wipe it off. She stepped back and said, “I did not come alone. I have brought you a gift. Alice!”
And then my little sister stepped through the door. She had grown into a woman in the last six months. She was smartly dressed and she had a smile on her face. The smile belied the tears in her eyes. She flung her arms around me and began sobbing on my shoulder. Fortunately it was not my injured shoulder. “They told me you nearly died. I could not have borne that.”
Nurse Porter said, diplomatically, “I am afraid his shoulder will be a little tender, miss.”
Alice jumped off the bed as though bitten. I saw the glare from the matron but I admired the courage of Nurse Porter. “What are you doing here? You didn’t come all the way for me did you, your ladyship?”
“You are worth it William but no, Alice here has shown a talent for design and I have a friend here in London who is a designer. He has agreed to take Alice on as an apprentice. We will be staying at the town house for a few days until we can get her accommodation sorted out.”
“That is wonderful news sis but I bet mum is none too happy about it.”
“No she is not pleased but seeing as how it is her ladyship who has arranged it, she couldn’t really say anything could she?”
“Nurse Porter, go and fetch two chairs for the visitors.” While Nurse Porter trotted off the Matron came and smoothed down the bed covers again. She turned to Lady Burscough. “Would you like some tea your ladyship?”
Smiling sweetly Lady Burscough said, “If it is not too much trouble.”
When they were seated the two of them gave me all the news from home and I heard that Bert was still at Loos but as the attacks had ceased he was safe. It turned out that his Lordship had sent the message about my wounds and that had initiated the visit. I was delighted. It meant I did not have to travel home. I had seen my family and I hoped to get to know Nurse Porter a little better.
When they left, an hour later, I felt happy. I had come close to losing my life but somehow it all looked a little rosier now. Alice looked to have a good job lined up and I found myself looking forward to Nurse Porter’s attentions.
I found myself eagerly anticipating the times when she came to visit and tend to me. Each time she grew closer. I still do not know how. But every day was easier. I smiled more and we both seemed more relaxed. When it was another nurse I was disappointed. I felt guilty for enjoying my time in a hospital.
Two days later she stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “You must be a real Don Juan, Captain Harsker, you have another lady visitor!”
She was teasing, of course but I had no idea who it might be. A smartly dressed woman in her late twenties stood in the doorway and I had never seen her before. She said, “I’m Mary, Gordon’s young lady.”
Realisation dawned, “Of course, do come in.” I looked at Nurse Porter. “Gordon is one of the pilots in my squadron.” I think I detected relief on Nurse Porter’s face, or perhaps it was my imagination.
“I’ll go and get a cup of tea for you then.”
“Don’t trouble yourself on my account.”
“It’s no trouble believe me.”
I had never seen Mary before but she came and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you for what you did for Gordon. He wrote me a lovely letter saying how stupid he had been and how you had sorted him out.” She touched my hand with hers. “He thinks the world of you.”
I smiled, “And I know that you are everything to him.”
She blushed, “That’s nice.”
Nurse Porter brought in a cup of tea, “You only have another half hour. Matron is very strict.”
Unless, of course, you were Lady Burscough in which case you could stay as long as you liked.
“Thank you.”
“Can I be honest with you Mary?”
“Of course. I always like to be straight with people.” She smiled at me, “You and Gordon are both Northerners. I know you can be a little blunt at times.”
“No, I wasn’t going to be blunt I was just… well Gordy worries that we live such dangerous lives that any of us could die in an instant.” I pointed to my bandage. “And I am living proof how dangerous it can be. Well Gordy doesn’t want you hurt again. You have lost your husband and…”
“And he doesn’t want to widow me twice.” She looked relieved, “I knew there was something. Thank you Captain.”
“Bill.”
“Thank you Bill. Now I know that I can sort him out.”
“He would be mortified if he knew I had told you.”
She laughed; it was a musical tinkling laugh and it lit up her whole face, “I am not a Northerner Bill and I can pretend with the best of them. Don’t worry. I will be discreet.”
All too soon Nurse Porter came for Mary and led her out. She seemed to be away for an age. When she returned she had a strange look on her face. “Well aren’t you the dark one?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your visitor told me about you Captain Harsker, how you have won medals and shot down sixteen Germans and yet you seem such a nice quiet gentlemen. You look as though butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth.”
I smiled, “It wouldn’t.”
“I think I know better. Well, my shift is nearly over so I will just sort out your bed.” She padded my pillow and straightened the end of the bed. When she straightened the top sheet her hand touched mine. I didn’t move it and neither did she. Looking me in the eye she said, “Is there anything else you want, Captain?”
I squeezed her fingers gently and said, huskily, Yes … you.”
She squeezed my hand back and said, quietly, “We will have to wait until you are well then… Bill.”
She drifted from the room and I was left alone with hope in my heart and a smile on my face.
Epilogue
It was at the end of my second week in the hospital. I had been up and about for almost a week and I wore my uniform each day. Nurse Porter was given permission to let me walk in Hyde Park, which I loved. The days were filled with sunshine, laughter and the nurse’s pleasant company. One morning she suddenly burst into my room. “Matron is coming and you have a visitor!”
I had never seen her as excited. She fussed around me as she had never done before. “Who is it?”
She shook her head, “You will never believe me and it will be better as a surprise.” That ruled out Mary and Alice who had both visited almost every other day and Lady Burscough had returned north.
And then Alice walked through the door looking beautiful in a brand new outfit with her hair done nicely and make up on her face. This was a surprise. She stood on the opposite side of the bed. Matron and sister stood at the door and when they curtsied I wondered who was coming in. When King George V entered I think my mouth dropped open. I tried to get off the bed but he said, “No Captain Harsker, do not rise. You are one of our heroes.”
There were two men in military uniform with him. One was a General I did not recognise but the other I did. It was the commanding General of the Royal Flying Corps, Brigadier General Sir David Henderson. There was also a foreign looking chap in a smart suit. Finally there was a cameraman with his camera poised. It was a crowded room.
“I am here, Captain Harsker to present you with two medals.” General Henderson took out a velvet
covered box. “This is the Military Cross presented to you for your courageous actions in saving the lives of brother officers over Northern France earlier this year.” He pinned it on my uniform. I nodded. “Allow me to shake you by the hand, Captain Harsker.” I shook his hand. There was a flash as the cameraman took the photograph.
“The second medal will not be presented by me but rather the French Military Attaché Monsieur Jacques Lafitte.”
The gentleman in the smart suit stepped forward. I noticed that the king stood a whole head taller than this diminutive Frenchman. “I have the honour to present you with the Legion D’Honneur. This award is for your bravery at Verdun where you slew many of our enemies and saved the lives of many of our pilots. This honour is rarely awarded to those who are neither French nor deceased but I know that you thoroughly deserve it. Colonel Berthier was fulsome in his praise of you and your actions. This is the true spirit of Entente Cordiale.” He stepped up to me and pinned the medal next to the Military Cross. Then he kissed me on both cheeks. After the flash of the photographer he stepped back.
The King and the Generals applauded. General Henderson came over to me and shook me by the hand. He leaned in to speak quietly to me, “Thank you for all that you have done and I am just sorry that you had to endure that ridiculous court martial. I believe you are the future of the Royal Flying Corps. When you return to France you will find a new aeroplane waiting for you. We have created the best for the best.” He nodded and stepped back.
“Well I think we will leave you with your family, Captain. Thank you on behalf of the Empire. We are grateful to you.”
And then they were gone and the room emptied, almost. As Alice kissed my cheek there was a flash and the photographer said, “These will make nice little stories. Jutland upset a lot of people. This will make them a little happier.” He closed the door as he left.
Nurse Porter said, “Well I will leave you two alone.”
I reached out and grabbed her hand. “No Beatrice, I would like you to stay and meet my little sister, Alice.”
Alice grinned and threw her arms around my neck. “And about time our Bill!”
My life was full and I was happy.
The End
Glossary
BEF- British Expeditionary Force
Beer Boys-inexperienced fliers (slang)
Blighty- Britain (slang)
Boche- German (slang)
Bowser- refuelling vehicle
Bus- aeroplane (slang)
Crossley- an early British motor car
Donkey Walloper- Horseman (slang)
Fizzer- a charge (slang)
Foot Slogger- Infantry (slang)
Google eyed booger with the tit- gas mask (slang)
Griffin (Griff)- confidential information (slang)
Hun- German (slang)
Jasta- a German Squadron
Jippo- the shout that food was ready from the cooks (slang)
Lanchester- a prestigious British car with the same status as a Rolls Royce
Loot- a second lieutenant (slang)
Lufbery Circle- A aerial defensive formation
M.C. - Military Cross (for officers only)
M.M. - Military Medal (introduced in 1915)
Nicked- stolen (slang)
Number ones- Best uniform (slang)
Outdoor- the place they sold beer in a pub to take away (slang)
Parkin or Perkin is a soft cake traditionally made of oatmeal and black treacle, which originated in northern England.
Pop your clogs- die (slang)
Posser- a three legged stool attached to a long handle and used to agitate washing in the days before washing machines
Pickelhaube- German helmet with a spike on the top. Worn by German soldiers until 1916
Shufti- a quick look (slang)
Singer 10 - a British car developed by Lionel Martin who went on to make Aston Martins
The smoke- London (slang)
Toff- aristocrat (slang)
V.C. - Victoria Cross, the highest honour in the British Army
Maps
Courtesy of Wikipedia
This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Gsl at the English Wikipedia project. This applies worldwide.
In case this is not legally possible:
Gsl grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.
The Battle of Loos
Map courtesy of Wikipedia
Battle of Verdun
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Historical note
This is my second foray into what might be called modern history. The advantage of the Dark Ages is that there are few written records and the writer’s imagination can run riot- and usually does! If I have introduced a technology slightly early or moved an action it is in the interest of the story and the character. I have tried to make this story more character based as I have used the template of some real people and characters who lived at the time.
As with all my books I have used fictitious regiments and actions. The organisation of the Lancashire Yeomanry and the Cumbrian Hussars is compatible with actual regiments. Their role is exactly that of the real Yeomanry. Compared with the regular regiments and especially compared with the foot soldiers, the Yeomanry casualties were very light. The total cavalry losses for the whole war were 5,674 dead and 14,630 wounded. Compare that to the Northumberland Fusiliers who had 16000 casualties alone. The Yeomanry losses were even fewer.
The Short Magazine Lee Enfield had a ten shot magazine and enabled a rifleman to get off 20-30 shots in a minute. It was accurate at 300 yards. Both cavalry and infantry were issued with the weapon.
For those readers who do not come from England I have tried to write the way that people in that part of Lancashire speak. As with many northerners they say ‘owt’ for anything and ‘eeh’ is just a way of expressing surprise. As far as I know there is no Lord Burscough but I know that Lord Derby had a huge house not far away in Standish and I have based the fictitious Lord Burscough on him. The area around Burscough and Ormskirk is just north of the heavily industrialised belt which runs from Leeds, through Manchester, to Liverpool. It is a very rural area with many market gardens. It afforded me the chance to have rural and industrial England, cheek by jowl. The food they eat is also typical of that part of Lancashire. Harsker is a name from the area apparently resulting from a party of Vikings who settled in the area some centuries earlier. Bearing in mind my Saxon and Viking books I could not resist the link albeit tenuous with my earlier books.
The rear firing Lewis gun was not standard issue and was an improvised affair. Here is a photograph of one in action.
The photograph demonstrates the observer's firing positions in the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2d. The observer's cockpit was fitted with three guns, one fixed forward-firing for the pilot to aim, one moveable forward-firing and one moveable rear-firing mounted on a pole over the upper wing. The observer had to stand on his seat in order to use the rear-firing gun.
This artistic work created by the United Kingdom Government is in the public domain. This is because it is one of the following:
It is a photograph created by the United Kingdom Government and taken prior to 1 June 1957; or
It was commercially published prior to 1964; or
It is an artistic work other than a photograph or engraving (e.g. a painting) which was created by the United Kingdom Government prior to 1964. HMSO has declared that the expiry of Crown Copyrights applies worldwide.
An F.E.2 this image (or other media file) is in the public domain because the copyright has expired.
This applies to Australia, the European Union and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 70 years.
The circle devised by Bill and Billy really existed. It was known as a Lufbery circle The gunner of each,F.E.2, could cover the blind spot under the tail of his neighbour and several gunners could fire on any
enemy attacking the group. There were occasions when squadrons used this tactic to escape the Fokker monoplane and the later fighters which the Germans introduced to wrest air superiority from the Gunbus.
The Immelmann Turn was named after the German Ace Max Immelmann who flew the Fokker E1. He was apparently shot down by an FE 2 although one theory is that his interrupter gear malfunctioned and he shot his own propeller off. I prefer the first theory. This is the Immelmann Turn as a diagram.
I have no evidence for Sergeant Sharp’s improvised bullet proofing. However they were very inventive and modified their aeroplanes all the time. The materials he used were readily available and, in the days before recycling, would have just been thrown away. It would be interesting to test it with bullets.
The Mills bomb was introduced in 1915. It had a seven second fuse. The shrapnel could spread up to twenty yards from the explosion.
Hulluch was the scene of a German attack with gas. The Bavarian regiment attacked the British near to Loos. They had some forewarning of the attack as a German deserter told them and rats were seen leaving the German trenches. (A sure sign of leaking gas bottles.) The Germans had nearly as many men incapacitated as the British but the inferior nature of the British gas mask meant more deaths amongst the British. The bombing raid is pure fiction.
General Henderson commanded the RFC for all but a couple of months of the war. The Fokker Scourge lasted from autumn 1915 until February 1916. It took the Gunbus and other new aircraft to defeat them. The BE 2 aeroplanes were known as Fokker fodder and vast numbers were shot down. There were few true bombers at this stage of the war and the Gunbus was one of the first multi-role aeroplanes. The addition of the third Lewis gun did take place at this stage of the war.
