comm_4394_teaser

HERE WE GO THEN, THE REAL THING AT LAST. AND NO MORE BORING LECTURES, THANK HEAVENS.

STORY FERG HANDLEY S HE WALKED THROUGH THE MAIN GATE OF R.A.F. CRANHAM, A A FIGHTER COMMAND SATELLITE STATION IN THE HEART OF HAMPSHIRE, PILOT OFFICER CHRIS BUCKLEY WAS FEELING ON TOP OF THE WORLD. IT WAS THE SUMMER OF 1943 AND, HAVING COMPLETED HIS ADVANCED PHOTO-RECONNAISSANCE COURSE, THE YOUNG YORKSHIREMAN WAS ABOUT TO COMMENCE HIS TOUR OF DUTY.

ART VILA COVER IAN KENNEDY

4 AFTER PUTTING AWAY HIS KIT CHRIS WAS CALLED IN TO SEE SQUADRON LEADER FRANK MITCHELL, HIS COMMANDING OFFICER. MITCHELL AND THE REST OF HIS SQUADRON WERE SPITFIRE FIGHTER PILOTS AND HE INFORMED CHRIS THAT THE PHOTO RECCE FLIGHT CONSISTED OF JUST TWO P51 MUSTANGS. SO, YOU’LL BE FLYING OPS ACROSS THE CHANNEL, BUCKLEY. AND TRUST ME, IT’LL BE DANGEROUS STUFF.

THAT’S WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR, SIR.

CHRIS WAS THEN SHOWN TO THE MESS. AS HE ATE SOME LUNCH, HIS FELLOW RECCE PILOT WANDERED OVER AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF. PILOT OFFICER TOM HUTTON WAS ALSO NEW TO THE SQUADRON AND, LIKE CHRIS, WAS KEEN TO GET STARTED. ANYWAY, THE ADJUTANT’S ARRANGED FOR US TO HAVE A PRACTICE FLIGHT. SO EAT UP, OLD CHAP. RIGHT YOU ARE, TOM.

5 A SHORT WHILE LATER, SENIOR AIRCRAFTMAN BILL JONES SHOWED CHRIS HIS AIRCRAFT. THE P51 MUSTANG MARK I WAS FITTED WITH TWO F.24 CAMERAS AND HAD A TOP SPEED OF OVER FOUR HUNDRED KNOTS. SHE LOOKS GREAT, JONES. BUT I SEE THERE’S ONLY FOUR BROWNINGS.

YES, SIR. SIX MACHINE-GUNS ARE STANDARD, BUT THAT’S TOO MUCH WEIGHT, WHAT WITH ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHIC GEAR.

CHRIS SETTLED INTO THE COCKPIT SEAT, MADE HIS CHECKS AND GOT THE AIRCRAFT AIRBORNE. THE MUSTANG PROVED TO BE BOTH POWERFUL AND EASY TO HANDLE AND HE SOON GOT TO GRIPS WITH FLYING IT.

YES, SHE’S A GREAT LITTLE KITE...

I’VE ONLY BEEN UP FOR TEN MINUTES AND IT’S LIKE I KNOW HER INSIDE OUT.

6 THE FOLLOWING MORNING MITCHELL BRIEFED CHRIS ON HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT, WHICH WAS TO GET SOME SHOTS OF A LUFTWAFFE AIRFIELD UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN NORTHERN BELGIUM.

RIGHT, THE CO-ORDINATES ARE ALL MAPPED OUT FOR YOU, BUCKLEY. ANY QUESTIONS?

NO, SIR. NOT THAT I CAN THINK OF.

IT WAS PERFECT FLYING WEATHER AND, AS HE TOOK OFF, CHRIS FELT KEEN AND CONFIDENT.

YES, THIS SEEMS A SIMPLE ENOUGH MISSION. AS LONG AS I REMEMBER MY TRAINING I’LL BE FINE.

7 THE FLIGHT ACROSS THE CHANNEL WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD AND CHRIS MADE IT TO THE TARGET AREA RIGHT ON SCHEDULE. THERE IT IS NOW. RIGHT, LET’S GET THESE SHOTS THEN.

CHRIS TOOK THE MUSTANG DOWN AND BEGAN HIS APPROACH. BUT AS HE DID SO THE AIRFIELD’S ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS OPENED UP IMMEDIATELY.

BLASTED ACK-ACK! WELL, THAT’S ONLY TO BE EXPECTED.

8 THE YOUNG PILOT MAINTAINED HIS COURSE AND, AS HE DREW CLOSE TO THE TARGET, HE COULD FEEL THE FLAK BURSTS BUFFETING THE AIRCRAFT.

BLAST, THIS IS GETTING A BIT HEAVY. BUT THERE’S NO WAY I’M LETTING IT PUT ME OFF.

IT WAS TOUGHER GOING THAN CHRIS HAD ANTICIPATED. HE STUCK AT IT, THOUGH. AND HIT THE CAMERA SWITCH AT PRECISELY THE RIGHT MOMENT.

THAT SHOULD DO IT. RIGHT, TIME TO GET OUT OF HERE!

9 CHRIS QUICKLY REGAINED HEIGHT AND, ONCE HE WAS AT A SAFE ALTITUDE, HE BANKED AND SET A COURSE BACK TO BASE. MISSION COMPLETED THEN. I RECKON I MADE A DECENT JOB OF IT, FINGERS CROSSED.

THE FLEDGLING FLIER WAS FEELING PRETTY PLEASED WITH HIMSELF. BUT BACK ON THE GROUND, JONES POINTED TO A COUPLE OF SMALL HOLES ON THE MUSTANG’S FUSELAGE.

IT WAS A SOBERING THOUGHT. THE PHOTOS HAD TURNED OUT FINE BUT THAT EVENING CHRIS COULDN’T HELP DWELLING ON HIS CLOSE SHAVE.

GOOD LORD, I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW I’D BEEN HIT.

THAT’S OFTEN THE CASE, SIR. BUT A FEW INCHES MORE AND YOU’D HAVE HAD IT.

I KNOW THE MUSTANG’S A TOUGH BIRD. BUT ALL THE SAME, ONE GOOD FLAK BURST AND IT’LL BE GOODNIGHT VIENNA.

10 CHRIS ENDED UP TAKING A STROLL OVER TO THE MESS. TOM WAS ALREADY THERE AND, AS THEY HAD A DRINK TOGETHER, HE MENTIONED THE INCIDENT. ...SO I DIDN’T KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BUT I WAS THIS CLOSE TO COMING A CROPPER. MAKES A MAN THINK, EH?

ACTUALLY, IT’S BEST NOT TO DWELL ON IT, OLD CHAP. BESIDES, YOU GOT BACK SAFELY, THAT’S THE MAIN THING.

ALL THE SAME, CHRIS HAD HAD HIS EYES OPENED AND HE NOW KNEW EXACTLY HOW DANGEROUS THE RECCE WORK WAS.

MITCHELL WAS RIGHT ABOUT THAT. SO I’D BETTER BE MORE CAREFUL FROM NOW ON.