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No.4386

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R E T R E A T W A d FFIIRREEaannd W

FIRE and WATER I

THE DAY AS HITLER’S NAZI EMPIRE THREATENED TO SPREAD OVER EUROPE LIKE A VIRULENT PLAGUE. THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, DESPERATELY SHORT OF PILOTS, WAS DOING ALL IN ITS POWER TO TRAIN MORE WARRIORS OF THE SKIES AND YOUNG RECRUIT JOHN JAMES WAS ONE OF THEM.

I DON’T THINK UNCLE HERBERT HAD THIS IN MIND FOR ME WHEN HE TALKED MUM INTO LETTING ME JOIN THE R.A.F.

STORY MAC MACDONALD ART KEITH PAGE COVER KEITH PAGE

4 JOHN’S FAMILY HAD ALWAYS SERVED IN THE ROYAL NAVY. HIS TWO BROTHERS WERE OFFICERS, EDWARD SERVING AS A LIEUTENANT ON A DESTROYER WHILE HAROLD WAS A SUB-LIEUTENANT ON A SUBMARINE. BOTH WERE A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN HIM AND TREATED HIM WITH FRIENDLY CONTEMPT. SO WHEN ARE JOINING US IN THE NAVY, SPROG? YOU’LL HAVE TO DECIDE SOON…AND LEARN TO SWIM A LOT BETTER.

JOHN HAD HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. IT DID ANNOY HIM — HE FELT THAT NEITHER OF THEM KNEW WHAT HE WAS REALLY LIKE. HE DID HIS BEST TO TURN A DEAF EAR TO HIS BROTHERS’ JOKING BUT IT STILL MADE HIM DOUBT HIS OWN RESOLVE.

IT’S LIKE I’M NOT RELATED TO THEM…LIKE I’M A DIFFERENT BREED OR SOMETHING. BUT I CAN’T LET THE FAMILY…OR ANY OF THEM… DOWN.

AND A LOT MORE BESIDES. BUT I DARE SAY THERE WILL BE A DESK JOB TO SUIT YOU, WELL AWAY FROM ANY FIGHTING.

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HIS MOTHER AND HER BROTHER, HERBERT CHURCH, WERE ALSO DISCUSSING THE YOUNGSTER. WITH WAR LOOMING HE WOULD NEED TO SERVE KING AND COUNTRY, BUT WHERE?

HE ISN’T MADE FOR THE NAVY. HE NEVER LIKED MESSING ABOUT ON BOATS WITH HIS BROTHERS. I THINK HE ONCE TURNED GREEN ON A CANAL BOAT IN A DEAD CALM.

YES, I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. THE OTHER TWO ARE LIKE THEIR FATHER BUT JOHN…JOHN IS HIS OWN MAN.

INSIDE THE FAMILY HOME, THEY LOOKED AT A PAINTING OF THE GRIM SEA BATTLE FOUGHT AGAINST THE GERMAN NAVY AT JUTLAND DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR. THE THREE BROTHERS’ FATHER HAD WON A MEDAL IN THE ENCOUNTER, BUT HAD ALSO BEEN BADLY WOUNDED. HE HAD DIED A FEW YEARS AFTERWARDS AS A DIRECT RESULT. THEIR FATHER WOULD HAVE SEEN JOHN ISN’T CUT OUT FOR THE NAVY BUT I CAN’T SEE HIM IN THE ARMY EITHER.

TRUE, AND YOU DON’T WANT ALL THREE IN ONE SERVICE ANYWAY…ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET. I STILL HAVE CONTACTS IN THE AIR FORCE. LET ME SOUND THEM OUT.

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HERBERT HAD SERVED IN THE FORERUNNER OF THE R.A.F., THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS, DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND HAD ALREADY MADE ENQUIRIES. HE HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR THE YOUNGEST BROTHER, TRUSTING HIM ENOUGH TO TEACH HIM TO DRIVE IN HIS BELOVED M.G. SPORTS CAR. THAT EVENING, AS THEY WENT FOR A SPIN, HE BROACHED THE SUBJECT WITH JOHN. …YOUR MOTHER WOULD BE QUITE HAPPY IF YOU JOINED THE AIR FORCE. THERE ARE PLENTY JOBS THERE THAT WOULD SUIT YOU. WHAT DO YOU SAY?

I KNOW I HAVE TO DO MY BIT, AND I THINK I WOULD FIT IN BETTER THERE THAN AT SEA. AT LEAST I HOPE SO…

IT WAS AGREED BUT, LATER THAT EVENING, AS JOHN WASHED THE CAR, HE FELT HIS DOUBTS RISE TO THE SURFACE.

I’M NOT LIKE MY BROTHERS OR MY DAD…NOTHING SEEMS TO SCARE THEM. I JUST HOPE I DON’T LET ANYBODY DOWN.

WHILE HERBERT ALSO HOPED HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING, DEEP DOWN HE FELT HE WAS. HE KNEW JOHN HAD AN APTITUDE FOR THINGS MECHANICAL, TAKING EASILY TO DRIVING THE NERVY SPORTS CAR. YET, THOUGH HE HAD THE TOUCH TO BE A PILOT, HIS UNCLE DECIDED THAT A SAFE ADMIN JOB WOULD BE BEST.

7 HOWEVER HERBERT’S CONTACTS HAD PROVED TO BE AS MUCH OUT OF TOUCH AS HIM, KNOWING NOTHING OF THE GREAT NEED FOR PILOTS. WHICH WAS WHY JOHN WAS NOW TOUCHING DOWN SMOOTHLY UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF FLIGHT LIEUTENANT BRIAN BRAGG — NOT AN INSTRUCTOR TO GIVE PRAISE EASILY. NICE AND STEADY...NOT BAD. KEEP HER STRAIGHT NOW…

SO MUCH TO REMEMBER AND NEVER A SECOND TO LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. I HOPE THIS ISN’T TOO MUCH FOR ME.

SO DESPERATE WAS THE YOUNGSTER TO PROVE HIMSELF THAT HE WAS LIVING AND BREATHING FLYING, EVEN LEARNING WHAT HE COULD FROM THE MECHANICS ABOUT ENGINES AND AIRFRAMES. BRAGG LET HIS PUPIL KNOW HE HAD PASSED HIS TRAINING LONG BEFORE IT WAS OFFICIAL. THE INSTRUCTOR ALSO STRESSED THE YOUNGSTER SHOULD NEVER DOUBT HIS ABILITY OR POTENTIAL. I CAN TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WON’T GET BIG-HEADED AND ACT LIKE A FOOL.

ER, OH, THANK YOU, SIR. I’LL DO MY BEST...YES, I WILL.

AFTER YEARS OF BEING THE BUTT OF HIS BROTHERS’ JOKES, JOHN WAS SURPRISED BY THE PRAISE. IT GAVE HIM NEW CONFIDENCE AS HE TRAVELLED TO HIS POSTING — A FIGHTER STATION IN THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND.

IT’S A FRESH START FOR ME. IF I CAN DO THIS I’LL MAYBE EVEN MAKE MY BROTHERS, AND MOTHER, PROUD.

8 ARMED WITH THIS NEW CONFIDENCE, HE REPORTED IN AND WAS ADVISED TO CHAT WITH THE OTHER PILOTS IN THE MESS. IT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE FOR THE SHY RECRUIT TO FACE UP TO THIS BUT HE SQUARED HIS SHOULDERS AND GOT ON WITH IT.

THEY SEEM A CHEERFUL BUNCH AT LEAST — AND NOISY WITH IT.

THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION WAS FLIGHT LIEUTENANT ALAN CLEGG BUT WHEN HE CALLED OUT CHEERFULLY TO HIM, THE NEW BOY FELT A WAVE OF DISMAY WASH OVER HIM. SO HERE HE IS, YOUNG JAMES. YOUR BROTHERS TOLD ME YOU WERE COMING. THEY RECKON YOU’LL BE A LOT SAFER HERE, WELL AWAY FROM THE STORMY BRINY!

OH, NO, THE PAST JUST WON’T GO AWAY.

9 ALAN HAD BEEN A SCHOOL CHUM OF BOTH OLDER BROTHERS AND JOHN HAD MET HIM A FEW TIMES. HE DIDN’T DISLIKE HIM BUT FOUND HIM TO BE A BIT TOO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT EVERYTHING AND NEVER AFRAID TO VOICE AN OPINION.

I PROMISED YOUR TWO BUCCANEER BROTHERS I WOULD KEEP AN EYE ON YOU, MAKE SURE YOU DON’T LET THE FAMILY DOWN. THAT’S JUST A JOKE BY THE WAY!

OH, ER, THANKS. I’LL SOON GET THE HANG OF THINGS, I’M SURE.

JOHN STAYED FOR A WHILE TO MEET THE OTHER PILOTS BUT WAS GLAD TO ESCAPE AT THE FIRST CHANCE TO SEEK OUT HIS BILLET. PILOT OFFICER NEIL BRADLEY, WHO ALWAYS LAUGHED AT ALAN’S JOKES AND NEVER MISSED A CHANCE TO RIDICULE ANY OTHER PERSONNEL, WAS AS CAUSTIC AS USUAL. HE DOESN’T SEEM THE TYPE. I DON’T KNOW IF I’D FEEL SAFE WITH HIM WATCHING MY TAIL. TOO READY TO FLAP, I FEEL.

OH, HE’LL COME OUT OF HIS SHELL. HE’LL HAVE TO...AND HE DOES HAVE A LOT TO LIVE UP TO.

BRADLEY’S ATTITUDE WAS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEING A PAIN IN THE NECK. HIS FATHER HAD SERVED IN THE ARMY BUT HAD BEEN DRUMMED OUT FOR EMBEZZLING REGIMENTAL FUNDS…

10 …A SECRET HE KEPT TO HIMSELF. IT HAD MADE HIM VERY BITTER TOWARDS ANYONE HE FELT HAD BEEN MORE FORTUNATE.

THE C.O., SQUADRON LEADER SIMON SHAW, GAVE JOHN A QUICK TOUR OF THE AIRFIELD. THEY FLEW HAWKER HURRICANES — TOUGH RELIABLE FIGHTERS WITH EIGHT-BROWNING ARMAMENT.

I DON’T THINK HE’LL MAKE THE GRADE, AND I FOR ONE DON’T CARE FOR HIM AT ALL.

WE’LL SOON HAVE YOU UP TO SPEED ON THESE, IF MY OLD CHUM BILL BRAGG IS RIGHT IN WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT YOU.

AS HIS NEW PILOT MADE FOR THE HANGARS, SHAW, A SHREWD JUDGE OF CHARACTER, SAW THAT JOHN WOULD NEED A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

BUT IF BILL SAYS HE HAS THE MAKINGS, THERE’S HOPE IN ABUNDANCE FOR THE LAD.

THAT’S FLATTERING, SIR. I HOPE I DON’T LET ANYBODY DOWN, THOUGH.

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R E T A W FFIIRREE aanndd

John James came from a long

line of Royal Navy men. Yet he chose to join the RAF as a pilot.

It seemed, though, that his naval heritage didn’t want to let him go. When he ditched his Hurricane in the English Channel he thought it was a one-off incident.

How wrong he was!

Recall: R17-27-Apr-11

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