‘Now we’ll be for it,’ Tommy muttered. ‘Fighting with the locals. We’ll be on a charge and no mistake.’
Ten
‘Well, I’m going to say I fell over in the dark. That’ll explain my laddered stockings,’ Ruth declared next morning. ‘What about you?’
Fleur bit her lip. She’d never liked telling lies. She’d always owned up to any misdemeanour either to her parents or to her teachers. But now, others were involved and she didn’t want to get anyone else into trouble. ‘I wonder how the lads are faring.’
‘It’s a clear forecast for tonight – so Peggy was saying,’ Ruth told her as they left the dining room together after breakfast. ‘They’ll be flying for sure. I doubt a word will be said as long as no one from the village makes trouble. And I don’t think they will. You heard what Bill Moore’s attitude is. And I reckon most of the villagers feel the same.’ She laughed wryly. ‘More likely those lads will get a leathering from their dads for being such idiots.’ She nodded wisely. ‘The station brings a lot of trade to this area to say nothing of the little treats that find their way from our NAAFI onto the tables of the villagers.’ She tapped the side of her nose. Fleur laughed, hoping fervently that Ruth was right.
As she climbed the steps to the watch office that evening, Fleur found her heart was hammering inside her chest and she felt sick. Already, the vehicles were ferrying crews out to their aircraft as she took her place beside Kay. Although she’d spent four hours earlier in the day familiarizing herself with how things were done in this particular flying control, this was her first time on duty during a mission. Kay was a good teacher, brusque and to the point as was her manner, but in no way irritable or impatient. Fleur, meticulous as she had always been since the day she’d signed up, welcomed the other girl’s professional attitude. Bob Watson was on duty that night. He smiled and nodded at Fleur as she took her seat, rearranged her writing pad and pens in readiness for the notes and lists she would be required to jot down through the busy night. She adjusted her headphones and the microphone around her neck for comfort as, behind her, other members of the team readied themselves too.
On the walls around the room were maps and clocks, and blackboards giving local weather conditions and target information. The most interesting one to Fleur was the operations blackboard with ‘WICKERTON WOOD’ painted in white at the top. Beneath it, the station’s call sign ‘Woody’ and the numbers of the two squadrons operating from Wickerton Wood with their respective call signs, Lindum and Pelham. In the centre of the board was the word ‘RAID’ with a space for the name of the target to be chalked in each time. Below that was a white painted grid where Peggy was already filling in all the details of each aircraft and the pilot’s name for tonight’s raid. As each one took off she would fill in the time. And then, lastly, there was the blank column that everyone watched most anxiously: ‘RETURN’.
Fleur glanced over her shoulder to see Peggy writing in Tommy Laughton’s name. Now there could be no mistake. Robbie was definitely on tonight’s raid.
She glanced out of the window, criss-crossed with tape, in front of the long desk where the R/T operators sat with all their instruments and telephones overlooking the airfield’s runways. Her heart skipped a beat. In the distance she could see the airmen climbing into their planes. She strained her eyes but could not pick out Robbie. Good luck, darling, she said silently. Safe home.
One by one, dozens of engines burst into life, their throbbing filling the night air and almost shaking the ground as they taxied from the various dispersal points, forming up to take off at orderly, timed intervals. At the end of the runway each aircraft waited for the controller’s red light to switch to green before, revving its engines, it began its cumbersome, breath-holding take-off. One by one the Hampdens, heavy with fuel and bombs, lumbered down the runway.
On take-off and until the aircraft reached the target there was radio silence, unless in a dire emergency. Landing back at base, when security no longer mattered quite so much, was when the girls in the watch office would have radio communication with the aircraft. But they were all on duty for take-off, listening in, ready to help if needed.
‘Right, ladies and gentlemen,’ Bob Watson said. ‘Let’s see these lads into the air.’
There was a clatter of footsteps outside and the door burst open. A breathless Ruth came to attention in front of Bob’s desk. ‘Permission to go up to the roof, Flight?’
With a small smile, Bob nodded and Ruth rushed out of the room.
Fleur blinked and turned questioning eyes towards Bob Watson, who said shortly and with a trace of sarcasm, ‘Your friend seems to think it vital that she waves off every mission from the roof of the watch tower. Some silly superstition of hers. She comes in even when she’s not on duty herself and, if she’s on leave, she makes someone promise to do it for her.’
Fleur said nothing. She understood about superstition and ‘good luck’ charms that the airmen carried. Why, at this moment, one of her initialled handkerchiefs nestled in the breast pocket of Robbie’s uniform. No, she didn’t blame Ruth one bit for her ‘silly’ superstition.
It was a long night. Once the flurry of activity of watching all the aircraft get safely airborne was over, there was nothing for the team in Control to do but wait.
‘You girls can take it easy for a while. It’ll be several hours before they’re back,’ Bob said. ‘Get a cup of tea in turns … er … write letters, knit or do some … er … mending …’ Fleur noticed that Bob was looking hopefully at Kay, who was studiously avoiding his eyes.
Fleur chuckled. ‘I think Flight has a job he’d like you to do, Corp,’ she said, pretending innocence.
‘Then he can think again,’ Kay said tartly, but Fleur caught the twinkle in the girl’s eyes and she sent Fleur a surreptitious wink. She was toying with Bob, who looked crestfallen. Suddenly Kay swivelled round on her chair. ‘What is it this time? Socks? Shirt buttons?’
‘Actually – it’s a button on my jacket …’
‘Oh, now that is serious,’ Kay mocked. ‘Just think if you were called to the CO’s office with a button missing on your jacket. Tut-tut.’ She winked at Fleur. ‘You any good with a needle, Fleur?’
Fleur caught the mischief in Kay’s eyes and shook her head. ‘Terrible! My mother despaired of me.’ She could hardly stop the giggles that were welling up inside her from spilling out. The truth was that Betsy had brought her up to sew, mend and make do. She was quite expert with her needle and thread and no slouch with a sewing machine either.
Now the two girls dissolved into laughter whilst Bob stood looking at them helplessly. Peggy joined in the conversation. ‘You’re rotten, you two.’ She turned to Bob. ‘I’d offer, but I really am useless at needlework. I bet that one’ – she jabbed her finger at Fleur – ‘is pulling your leg. She’s been brought up on a farm and I bet she could knit you a jumper straight off a sheep’s back.’
Fleur wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, thankful that for a few moments she had been able to put aside her anxiety over Robbie. ‘Not quite, Peggy, but I am teasing. Yes, I can sew. My mother would have a ducky fit if she heard me denying all her teaching. Hand it over and I’ll see what I can do.’
As she fished in her bag for her ‘housewife’ with, amongst other items, its sewing needle, blue thread and tiny pair of scissors, Bob brought his uniform jacket to her, holding out the shining button in the palm of his hand. ‘Lucky I didn’t lose this.’
‘Well, on your own head be it, Fleur,’ Kay remarked. ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Word will go round this place like wildfire that you’ve set up as the camp seamstress. You’ll have all these ham-fisted fellers beating a path to your door.’
‘I should be so lucky!’ Fleur quipped as she threaded her needle.
‘There’s just one thing,’ Bob said seriously. ‘Don’t let the CO catch you. He’s a stickler for the rulebook.’
‘Then you’d better keep an eye out.’ She grinned up at him. ‘A
t least while I’m doing your jacket.’
‘I’ll get us some tea,’ Peggy offered, whilst Kay turned back to study her notes and the jottings she had made during take-off.
The hours of waiting seemed interminable, especially on the eight-hour night watch, but Fleur was glad to be here. It helped her to feel closer to Robbie, even though she had a hollow, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that she knew would not go away until he had landed safely. But tomorrow she could look forward to a day off after the long night duty. She hoped Robbie would have some time to spend with her.
As the time drew near for the aircraft to return, the relaxed atmosphere in the watch office disappeared and became businesslike once more. Just as the voice from the first homecoming aircraft came crackling over the airwaves, a red air-raid warning came in and at once the runway lights went out. Hurriedly, but with surprising calm, Kay gave warning to the homecoming crew about what was happening.
Though her hands were shaking, Fleur managed to speak calmly into her own microphone, warning each aircraft as it called in of the danger. They were all given the command to orbit at a certain height, though several were already low on fuel and wouldn’t be able to circle for long. Fleur bit her lip, her ears tuned for the call sign of Robbie’s plane, D-Doggo.
Then they heard the incendiary bombs falling. Thud! A silence and then another thud. Closer now. Another, even closer, and then came a thunderous boom very close to the control tower. The whole room seemed to shake and the glass rattled, but Kay continued to speak calmly into her microphone. ‘Hello, G-George, this is Woody receiving you, strength niner, over …’ Then she wrote rapidly on her notepad, her hand moving smoothly over the page, without any telltale shake.
Fleur took a deep breath. ‘Hello, P-Poppy, this is Woody …’ She was gratified to find that her voice was level and calm too, but her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest, she was sure they could hear it over the airwaves.
They waited for the next bomb to fall, convinced it would be a direct hit on the watch office. Well, there’s one thing, Fleur thought irrationally. If I’m to die so soon, my mother will have been proved right!
But no more bombs fell and in a few moments the all-clear was declared.
‘Just a lone raider dropping a stick of bombs, I expect,’ Bob said, smoothing back his hair, which had become distinctly ruffled during the last few minutes. The landing lights came on and, as soon as the runway was declared damage free, instructions to land began at once.
Later Fleur was to learn from Ruth that one or two aircraft had landed on almost empty tanks.
One of the last aircraft to land was D-Doggo. Finally, Fleur could breathe again. Robbie was safely back.
If every night was going to be as bad as this one had been, Fleur wondered how she would cope. But cope she would; she had to for Robbie’s sake. It wouldn’t help him if she let him see how dreadfully anxious she was. And yet she needed to let him know how very much she cared for him, how very much – already – she loved him.
She smiled. But he knew that, just as she knew how much he loved her.
There were no doubts between the two of them about their feelings for each other. If only he had been able to talk to his mother …
Eleven
‘Hi, Sis. Thought I’d bike over and see how you’re getting on.’
‘Kenny! What are you doing here this time of the morning? Whatever time did you set off?’
He was waiting for her as she came off duty after the long night. She wouldn’t see Robbie until later – they both needed to sleep. Kenny had arrived at the guardroom at the main gate and a message had been sent to Fleur.
‘There’s nothing wrong at home, is there?’ Fleur was still anxious.
Kenny grinned. ‘No more than usual. Mum’s still going on about you joining up and me following you. I shan’t wait till I’m called up, though. I shall volunteer as soon as I can.’
‘Oh, it’ll all be over by the time you’re old enough,’ Fleur said, hoping she sounded more convincing than she felt.
‘Hope not,’ Kenny said cheerfully with the thoughtlessness of youth. ‘I want to see a bit of the action myself.’
Fleur sighed heavily but couldn’t prevent a smile. ‘And you know who’ll get the blame if you do “see a bit of the action”?’
‘You will.’ He grinned, draping one arm around her shoulder and wheeling his bicycle with the other hand as they began to walk down the lane towards Rose Cottage. Although five years younger than Fleur, he was already a head taller.
‘Exactly!’ she said with wry humour, but then her tone sobered. ‘But seriously, Kenny, I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. No more than Mum and Dad could. You do know that, don’t you?’
He gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘Course I do,’ he said softly, but then teased, ‘now don’t start getting all soppy on me. But I’ll tell you now, if the war is still going on, I shall join up. I’m not having anyone calling me a coward.’
‘Oh, Kenny, they wouldn’t. Farming’s acknowledged as a reserved occupation.’
‘I know, and I don’t blame those who stay, but you’ve seen for yourself the looks that young, unmarried fellers get.’
Fleur was silent, thinking of Kitty’s scathing remark about Alfie. She’d seen for herself now how hurtful such comments could be.
‘And it’s not your fault either. I’d’ve gone anyway, whether you had or not, and I shall tell Mum so when the time comes.’
Fleur slipped her arm around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder as they walked side by side.
‘It makes no difference whether Mum blames me or not, love. I shall blame myself.’ There was a pause and then she said, ‘I just wondered why you’re here so early, that’s all.’ She sighed. ’It’s a sign of the times. I immediately thought something was wrong.’
‘I just thought I’d like to spend the day with you. I’ve no school today and Dad said he’d manage the morning milking on his own, so I set off at the crack of dawn.’
‘How long does it take you?’
Kenny wrinkled his forehead. ‘Couple of hours, I suppose. Bit more, p’raps. I use all the back roads and lanes, cutting across country. It’s quicker.’
‘Well, it’s great to see you,’ she said, giving his waist a quick squeeze.
As they rounded the last corner towards the two cottages, Fleur glanced up and saw Robbie waiting by the gate, arms akimbo, watching them approach. His fair hair was ruffled by the breeze, his jacket and shirt collar undone, his tie hanging loose. She pulled in a sharp breath and Kenny looked down at her.
‘What is it, Sis?’ Then, as he saw the brightness in her eyes, he followed the line of her gaze. ‘Oho,’ he said softly, ‘so this is the feller all the trouble’s about, is it?’
‘Yes,’ Fleur breathed. ‘That’s him. That’s Robbie.’
‘Then you’d better introduce me and I can report back to Mum.’
‘It won’t make any difference,’ Fleur murmured sadly. ‘There’s something that happened in the past, but we don’t know what and no one will tell us. Look, Kenny, be a dear. Don’t say anything in front of Robbie, will you?’
‘Course not if you say so.’
They were too close now to be able to say more without him hearing, so, releasing herself from Kenny’s arm, Fleur ran towards Robbie.
‘What’s this?’ he said, smiling down at her. ‘A rival already, have I?’
‘Absolutely! This is the man I’ve loved all his life. Robbie – this is Kenny, my … my brother.’ For a brief moment her voice faltered and they exchanged a stricken glance.
What if … oh, what if ... ?
But then Robbie had mastered his expression and was turning towards Kenny, his hand outstretched. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you,’ he said warmly, but Fleur was still battling to control her runaway emotions. What if she were at that moment introducing half-brothers to each other?
A shudder ran through her and it was Robbie’s a
rm that now tightened around her, silently encouraging her to stay strong.
Kenny held out his hand. Although he favoured their mother’s colouring – fair hair and blue eyes – there were times, like now, when his face creased in smiles just like their father’s did when he laughed. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ The younger man looked Robbie up and down. ‘Smart uniform, though I was thinking of the army mesen – when the time comes.’
‘You’ll probably see more of the world than I will stuck up there in a plane. But I fancied the flying.’
Kenny nodded. ‘Yeah. Now you come to mention it,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘it must be thrilling, though I think I’d prefer fighter planes. Bit more exciting, that one-to-one stuff.’ And they laughed together, comrades already.
Fleur stepped between them and linked her arms through theirs. ‘Right, now I’ll take you to meet Mrs Jackson and Harry – if he’s about. And Ruth should be home soon.’
‘Well, I’d come to tell you that I’ll give you a hand this afternoon with this overgrown garden you were telling me about,’ Robbie said. ‘I felt like some fresh air and a bit of real work when I’ve had a few hours’ kip.’
‘Me too,’ Fleur agreed. She was delighted to see Kenny, but after the long night of anxiety she felt she could fall asleep standing up.
‘But I needed to come and make sure you were all right after the air raid.’
‘Air raid? What air raid?’ Kenny asked at once before Fleur could even reply.
‘Oh, it was nothing, just a lone raider dropping a stick of incendiaries,’ Fleur said airily, as if it was a daily occurrence and nothing to get excited about. She squeezed Robbie’s arm, warning him not to make too much of it.
Catching on at once, Robbie adopted a light, bantering tone. ‘Well, it was just an excuse to see you really.’
Kenny glanced at Robbie above Fleur’s head and, despite Robbie’s affected nonchalance about the raid, Kenny could still see the worry in his eyes. The young man knew that they were both trying to make light of the incident in front of him.
Wish Me Luck Page 8
