Ares Games

Lt. S.Kafloc

Chapter 7: Blighty

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Chapter 7: Blighty.



Biggles was out of hospital within 3 weeks. Unfortunately his posting back to France was delayed, somewhat, by a short detour to a training establishment at Woodbridge, a little to the north east of Ipswich. On arrival he found he was billeted in a room at the home of Mrs Willoughby-White, whose husband was the secretary of the Woodbridge Golf Club. The house stood in a small copse of trees and had its own swimming pool and was located just off the 17th tee. Every morning Biggles would cycle the short journey to the aerodrome and instruct his pupils in combat flying tactics.


Newly promoted Lieutenant Peter Fortymore joined Biggles 8 weeks later at Woodbridge.

“Well Peter, glad to have you here. I shouldn’t think it will be too long before we are posted back to 266”. Peter was quiet, very quiet, and just nodded his head. “Come on let’s get you squared away. Unfortunately you are to be in the mess but I’m sure Mrs Willoughby-White wouldn’t make a fuss if I take you back for a spot of tea.” Again Peter just nodded. Biggles put it down to the long spell in hospital not to ‘Thirty’s’ wounds. In fact he had noticed that ‘Thirty’ walked with a slight limp but when asked he had told Biggles it was nothing to worry about. It was a quick walk from the main gate to the Officers Mess. It was a rather palatial affair, far grander than the squadron mess at Maranique. “Oh don’t let the paintwork and décor put you off old man.” He ushered Peter inside. A mess waiter resplendent in white jacket, with two brass stripes on his upper arm approached them. “Corporal Jenkins, please take Lieutenant Fortymore’s bag to his room, thank you”. “Certainly Captain Bigglesworth, will you be taking tea this morning?”, “Yes can we have it in the anti-room as I don’t want to upset the preparations for tonight’s do”. “Certainly Sir.” With that Corporal Jenkins took Peter’s bags as Biggles showed him to the anti-room. “Do, what do if I might ask?”, “Oh just a little welcome the other officer instructors wanted to give you. Military Cross winner and all that, just a little do from what I’ve been told by the mess manager”. “You shouldn’t have, gone to the bother I mean, it was nothing”. Peter’s reply was very subdued and he did not look up as he spoke. “Well a little something to eat, a drink and then you can make your excuses, eh?”, “Ok”. With that they entered the anti-room just as Jenkins, who had appeared from nowhere produced a pot of tea, two cups and a plate of biscuits.


Biggles was not best pleased, Peter had failed to show at the mess dinner in his honour and had to make his excuses. The next morning Biggles assigned Peter to his training flight and told him to forget the night before and to put it down to a slight travel bug he had picked up.


For the next 3 weeks they took their rookie pilots through combat drill after combat drill. Some took to the training very well others just could not grasp what they had to do. Whilst the rookie pilots flew Sopwith Camels, Biggles had hit on the idea for the instructors to fly Sopwith Pups. Instructors would fly as enemy and the rookies would try and put into practice what they had learned. Biggles took to flying with ‘Thirty’ whenever he could and between them they developed a close understanding of close combat co-operation. The rookie’s were never happy when they learned that ‘today’s enemy’ would be Biggles and ‘Thirty’.


Most weekends they had off and ‘Thirty’ had become a regular at Mrs Willoughby-White’s for the occasional meal and hot bath. In fact Peter had become enamoured of their daughter, who at the age of 19 was a widow. Her husband of only 5 days had been killed on the Somme with most of his regiment in 1916. Peter’s demeanour had changed from dark and gloomy to bright and happy since meeting Margaret.


Biggles and Peter where flying at 10,000 feet over Felixstowe to the south of Ipswich when they spotted an enemy plane approaching Felixstowe from the sea. Biggles did not recognise the aircraft but knew it was a Hun from the huge black crosses on each of its wings. What astonished him more was its size. It was the biggest enemy aircraft he had ever come across, including the huge Gotha bombers he had come across in France. From his vantage point he could see a convoy in the harbour. That must be its target he thought. Quickly waggling his wings to catch ‘Thirty’s’ attention he pointed down. ‘Thirty’ pointed towards Woodbridge. Damn, Biggles could see the 4 Sopwith Camels heading towards the German Seaplane. To make matters worse they were already diving down to attack it.

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They approached the giant German float plane line astern. Well Biggles thought, they’ve learned something after all. Attacking from the rear they continued to dive on the unsuspecting enemy plane. Biggles and ‘Thirty’ positioned themselves to follow and attack after the four camels. Committed to the attack the diving camels were shocked when they were met by a hail of gunfire. The single machine gun they had identified protecting the rear chattered into life along with two more machine guns, one on top of each wing above the engine nacelle. At close range the cone of fire obliterated the lead camel and it fell into the sea. The second barely got past but was having difficulty in controlling it’s now very rapid descent. The pilot just managed to pull up and crash land in the sea. The third and fourth camels banked left and right and were followed by a hail of machine gun fire. The sea plane continued on its way seemingly oblivious to the disastrous attack by the camel flight moments ago. Biggles pulled up before committing himself to the dive and certain annihilation. ‘Thirty’, a little slower, pulled back and climbed up to join Biggles a palms up gesture in question as to what was going on and Biggles answered with a palm held outward. ‘Thirty’ nodded. He waited alongside Biggles while Biggles tried to figure out a way to bring down the leviathan.


Biggles dipped his wing and ‘Thirty’ gave him the thumbs up. Biggles had worked out how to deal with this behemoth of the skies. A slow dive well to the rear of the sea plane and Biggles climbed up from below and fired his single vickers into the engine nacelle on the left as ‘Thirty’ did the same on the right. By flying in, firing then diving away to climb back and repeat the process the lumbering giant slowly turned back towards the sea and hopefully safety. Biggles and ‘Thirty’ repeated their attacks but seemed to be doing little damage. With fuel low Biggles and ‘Thirty’ had to end their attack and return to Woodbridge. The second downed pilot was rescued, the first had been killed in his headlong crash into the sea. The other two pilots had wisely returned to Woodbridge.


Reporting the enemy aircraft to High Command brought none other than Major Raymond to Woodbridge. “Well Biggles, looks like you’ve encountered the Zeppelin Staaken. Modelled off the passenger aircraft that became a bomber, now the Germans have developed a long range float plane variant. Nice job seeing it off. That was a vital munitions convoy heading for France. Now my instincts tell me that their showing up wasn’t just coincidence.” Biggles agreed. Raymond stayed for lunch then made his excuses.


“Thirty. I think we’ll see that leviathan again. Next time we’ll be ready.” Biggles settled back into his chair and continued to read his newspaper. “Yes Biggles it would be nice to have another crack at it. Did Major Raymond give an indication of when we would be returning to 266?” “No, but I’m sure it won’t be long.” With that ‘Thirty’ ordered another pot of tea and settled down to read his paper but his mind wasn’t on reading it was on Margaret.
Biggles and ‘Thirty’ suspended training flights towards Ipswich and Felixstowe. They concentrated their flights inland, drumming into the fledgling aerial combatants the art of navigation and night landings. Whilst this was going on Biggles pondered the problem of the German leviathan and something Raymond had let slip, or had he. Major Raymond was never one to carelessly say something and he wondered if the piece about coincidence had been carefully worked into his report.


Biggles thought his tactic for taking on the leviathan was sound and he didn’t think it needed modified. Now all he needed was the right tool for the job. Later that day Biggles telephoned an old friend for a favour. ‘Thirty’ was surprised to see a BE2c land the next day and a car arrived shortly after to collect the pilot. Biggles was walking towards the Brisfit after a quick talk and hand shake with the pilot. “Ok, Biggles. What’s this?”. “This Peter is the part of my plan to take on that Leviathan. Now all we need is the right time to play our trump card.” “My god Biggles, twin forward firing Vickers, twin rear firing lewis guns and what’s this a twin lewis gun mount central on the upper wing?”, “Yes, Peter, we’re going to give that German a warm reception next time he comes calling. That reminds me, I have to make another phone call, see you in the mess for lunch. I’ll explain it all then”. With that Biggles hurried away to the squadron office.


Two days later Biggles and ‘Thirty’ were flying just south of Felixstowe. It was early morning, for as Biggles had stated before they took off, ”it’s the early bird that gets the worm, Peter, the early bird!”. Peter had wangled a Thermos flask of tea from the mess and Biggles and he were enjoying an early morning ‘cuppa’ to keep warm. Biggles was amazed when Peter pulled out of his jacket a rather crumpled piece of paper and passed it to him. On opening it, Biggles found a nice bacon sandwich. He gave Peter the thumbs up and washed down the last of the sandwich with the last of his tea before handing the cup back to Peter. Biggles suddenly pointed down and Peter saw their target coming in low, heading straight for Felixstowe harbour.

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The Brisfit dived down as Biggles closed the distance. They would have to come in high as the Staaken was too low to come up underneath. They had halved the distance to their target when the Staaken started to slowly climb. This gave Biggles the space to get underneath. Continuing their dive they hurtled below the float plane as Biggles suddenly pulled up using his downward momentum to gain height. The German rear gunner in the ventral position had spotted them and began to fire just as Biggles had closed the distance and fired a sustained burst at close range.

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The twin Vickers and twin lewis guns belched out a hail of bullets and Biggles flew under the leviathan and riddled the sea plane from rear to front. As they banked left Peter Fortymore engaged with his twin lewis machine guns and riddled the fuselage and tail. Then as they banked more left he emptied another drum of bullets into the left engine nacelle.

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The combined fire power of 6 machine guns was the death of the float plane. Smoke and flames poured from the left engine and as it fell away to the right the tail parted and the sea plane plunged into the sea.

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15 minutes later and they landed at Woodbridge. Major Raymond was there to greet them. “Congratulations in order then Biggles?”, “Yes Sir. That’s one German plane that won’t be bothering us again. The up-gunned Brisfit worked a treat. One pass was all it took and down she went.” Biggles said with a rye smile. “Good. That’s that then. That was an excellent idea of yours to put out information that another munitions convoy would sail today and to have the ships loaded up with false ammo crates. Worked a treat. To cap it all we found the spy and their transmitter so there’ll be no more raids I think”. Major Raymond was standing still with his hands o his hips. Before Biggles or ‘Thirty’ could add anything Major Raymond handed an envelope to Biggles. “Your new orders. Goodbye but I expect I’ll see you both soon.” With that Major Raymond walked over to his car and drove off.


“Go on then Biggles, open it”. Biggles opened the envelope and carefully read the letter. He kept ‘hum-ummin’ to himself. ‘Thirty’ could contain himself no more; ”Well what does it say man? Come on out with it”. Biggles had a serious look on his face as he said “Well, I suppose this means you’d better propose to Margaret, and soon. We have two weeks leave and then we’re both off to France and 266 Squadron. So hop to it Peter and before you ask I’d be glad to be your best man.

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Updated 07-16-2014 at 10:23 by Lt. S.Kafloc

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Biggles

Comments

  1. Flying Officer Kyte's Avatar
    Another mind boggling episode Neil.
    Rob.