Preamble.
"Bloody rookies."
The C.O. of 52 Squadron "The Bulldogs" watched a the trio of FE 2bs attempted to land. The first on made a fair job of it, but ran on towards the wood shore. Then the damned fool shut off the engine several hundred yards from the hanger. Second of the trio came in seemed to blip his engine and then did the absolute No No of trying a turn with insufficient air speed. Somehow he made it into a perfect landing which is more than could be said for the third clown who simply piled into the field and wrote off his under-cart.
Kyte turned on his heel and stalked away towards Uncle's Office on the perimeter of the Bentangles airfield. As he entered the outer Office he scented a whiff of Uncle's pipe smoke emanating from the inner room. Kyte felt for his own pipe in his jacket pocket, only to remember that ir was still on his desk, put down hurriedly when he rushed out to watch the new arrivals. Cursing under his breath he cursorily knocked at the Door and breezed in without waiting for an answer .
"Morning Sir". Uncle made to get up.
No time for all that "David" answered Kyte, by now thoroughly vexed about the lack of his pipe. " Three more Rookies" just in and not much better than yesterdays bunch by the looks of em.
At least they managed to get two of the planes down without pranging them. At this rate we are going to be flying all sorts of odds and sods that are the remnants of each Flight.
We will have to sort them out with a Flight Leader asap.
I can't split up B Flight because we still have Sykes and Brownlow WIA. Then there are the Two seaters with Captain Bouncer-Smythe on leave in Blighty, and Dawkins lost over the Lines yesterday. So no one with any experience to inflict them onto there Then D Flight Better give them to Drummond poor sod. Get him to give them the once over and then report to you for the usual. When the two Moranes arrive that will complete his Flight.
Now about the E Flight. How are Lieutenant Taker and Flight Sergeant Roe making out?
"Taker is OK sir. Just a flesh wound, but Roe is out for a week or so the MO tells me."
"Lt Isore and Peter Lewis?"
"Isore much the same as Roe, but Lewis seems a bit worse according to the Doc." replied Uncle.
That only leaves A Flight then. At least Folders got his lads back in one piece."
Tomorrow Lt Wellard will take C Flight up and have a bash at the Sausages that are still up, and I understand from HQ, that the French are having a go at the ones in their sector so tell Wellard not to encroach on their preserve. Very touchy the frogs are about protocol as you know. Talking of HQ, get onto them and order up some more Moranes and replacement Pilots, before we have to close down for lack of resources.
Think that's all for now. Thanks Uncle."
"Sounds as if your new little flock are on the way over by the noise. I'll be off now and see them all in the Briefing on the morrow"
With that the CO left Uncle to his musings, and dashed back to his Office to fill his pipe.
Kyte.
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