Together Under the Stars Read online

  ‘Please do.’

  ‘Nancy may appear unfriendly, but that is not her way at all. She is hurting after the loss of her brother and will try not to get close to another member of the aircrews. She believes it is unwise to make friendships. We have seen too many young men go out and never return, and being too close to any of them would be painful. She won’t risk it.’

  ‘Do you agree that distancing yourself from relationships you will be able to avoid such distress?’

  ‘I believe it is impossible to be detached from what is happening here. We feel the loss of every one of them, whether we are close to them or not.’ Jean shrugged. ‘Nancy is saying that now, but I do believe she will change her mind. Anyway, I am pleased to hear she has already broken her rule.’

  ‘Has she?’

  Jean gave him a knowing smile. ‘She warmed to you enough to talk about her brother.’

  ‘She needed to talk and I’m a good listener, and neither of you have to worry about us because we will come through whatever we have to face.’

  ‘That’s what they all say, and I pray you are right.’

  ‘Hello, Jean.’

  She spun round and beamed a smile at Luke, Sandy and Ricky. ‘Hello, did you enjoy your trip to London?’

  They launched into a full description of their leave, and then Luke asked, ‘We thought we’d go to the pub this evening. Would you care to come with us?’

  ‘Thanks. I’m off duty at eight so I’ll meet you there.’

  ‘Great!’ Ricky was clearly delighted about this. ‘We’ll have the drinks lined up. Might as well make the most of the last few hours of our leave.’

  Early the next morning it was time to start preparing for raids. After several days of intensive instruction, they were told to meet in the officers’ bar that evening.

  It was crowded and Steve scanned the room, seeing many faces he didn’t know.

  ‘Ah,’ Luke said, ‘I thought I heard lorries arriving earlier today with new arrivals – and all British by the look of them.’

  ‘Gentlemen,’ the commander called order. ‘Circulate and get to know each other. Everyone here is trained in the various skills needed for a Lancaster crew. Oh, and the drink being handed round is the only one you will get because you will be flying on a training run tomorrow.’

  A murmur of approval rippled across the room.

  ‘Looks like we might have a say in who we have as crew, Steve.’ Sandy joined his friends who were standing together. ‘I’ve already been approached by several men, and they seem a nice crowd.’ He glanced at Luke and Ricky. ‘Are you two hoping to fly with Steve?’

  ‘Yes, if it’s possible,’ they both replied.

  ‘Well, you’ve got two, Steve, now you need a wireless operator, bomb aimer, and a mid and rear gunner.’

  ‘There’s plenty to choose from.’ Ricky handed both pilots a drink from the tray being held by an orderly.

  ‘I’ve already made a note of some,’ Sandy informed them. ‘Now I’ll wander round and chat to the others.’

  Everyone began to move around the room, introducing themselves and forming large clusters of men of various disci­plines. After about an hour, Steve had names for a wireless operator and two gunners. That only left a bomb aimer to complete his crew – assuming he was going to have a say in the matter, of course.

  The noise from the chatter and laughter was deafening, but it was important they got to know each other; they needed to be a close-knit group who gelled together in friendship and trust. He looked around at everyone, and his attention was caught by one man standing against the wall by himself. His badges indicated he was a bomb aimer. Steve wandered over and introduced himself.

  ‘I’m Andy Bamber,’ the man said, giving Steve an appraising look.

  ‘Good to meet you, Andy. Don’t stand here by yourself. Come over and meet our crowd.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Andy stubbed out his cigarette and gave a wry smile. ‘You and your colleagues caught my attention as soon as you walked in, so I started asking questions, and I liked what I heard. I’ve already been on a couple of missions when a crew lost their bomb aimer, so I know what it’s like and how important it is to have a crew that works together as a team and hold their nerve.’

  ‘How do you know we will do that? None of us have been in combat yet.’

  ‘I know that remains to be seen, but as I said, I’ve been watching you. Your guys have been sticking to you like glue and the men you’ve collected appear delighted to join you. Your other pilot is getting the same kind of response, as well. I can see it in their faces, but you’re the one I want to fly with – if you’ll have me.’

  Steve nodded. ‘I’ll put you on the list and hope I have a say in the choice.’

  ‘I believe you might have. From what I’ve managed to find out, quite a few are coming to the end of their missions and they need crews to replace them. A lot of us only arrived today, so they need to get us together as quickly as possible.’

  And replace the losses, they both thought, but neither said, as they walked over to the others.

  After introductions were made, Steve told them Andy had flown on two missions, which caused huge interest.

  ‘Tell us what it’s really like,’ Ricky asked.

  ‘Words couldn’t describe it,’ Andy admitted. ‘But I don’t think it will be long before we are on active duty and you’ll find out for yourselves.’

  That was the feeling Steve had as he looked around the room at the men, then back to his own crowd. He regarded them carefully and was satisfied. They would be a good crew – he was sure of it.

  Chapter Six

  Early the next morning the pilots were called to the command-er’s office and told about the urgency to get working crews together quickly. The names they had collected were consid­ered, agreed, and notices prepared to put up for everyone to see. Once they were informed who they were flying with, they were all issued with flight gear and taken out to the waiting Lancasters. Those in charge certainly weren’t wasting any time!

  Steve examined the plane they had been given, and then walked up to the ground crew. These men were going to be of the greatest importance as they had to keep the machines in working order.

  They saluted when he approached and introduced himself. ‘She looks in fine condition,’ he said.

  ‘Yes, sir,’ the sergeant replied. ‘She’s only four months old and hasn’t been damaged.’

  ‘I’ll try and keep her that way.’

  ‘We are sure you will, sir, and we will keep her flying for you.’

  ‘You didn’t tell me your name, Sergeant.’

  ‘Just call me Sarge, sir, everyone does.’

  ‘Good to meet you, Sarge.’ Steve smiled and then went to join the rest of the crew.

  The excitement was palpable as they all took their positions, and as Steve eased himself into the pilot’s seat he gave a sigh of pleasure. At last, he was where he loved to be.

  Once in the air on a dummy bombing run, he was pleased with the response and efficiency of his crew. They had all worked well together.

  The ground crew were waiting when they jumped to the ground. ‘How was she, sir?’

  ‘Perfect to fly, Sarge.’

  ‘That’s good. We’ll check her over again now.’

  Steve watched as the men examined the plane, clearly eager to get their hands on their charge again.

  ‘We’d better treat that machine well or those men will have a few words to say about it.’

  ‘Without a doubt, Luke. We might think the Lancaster is ours, but I suspect they are just lending her to us,’ Ricky remarked as he slapped Steve on the back. ‘Nice flying, skipper.’ When Steve raised his eyebrows, his friend grinned. ‘Just getting into the swing of things.’

  ‘Come on, we must check in and see what they thought of our practice run.’ Steve ushered the exhilarated bunch of men to the main building.

  The routine for the next few days was the same, and after debriefing, all the
crews gathered together to relax.

  They stood when the commander entered the room.

  He gazed around, and then said, ‘Well, gentlemen, play­time is over. I am sorry to throw you into the mix of things so soon, but a big raid is planned and every plane that can fly will be in the air. You will be going on your first mission tomorrow night, so I suggest you get some sleep during the day. Briefing will be at eighteen hundred hours.’

  ‘Did you sleep?’ Andy asked Steve as they climbed into their flying gear the following day.

  ‘Managed a few hours. What about you?’

  ‘Hard to relax, but forced myself, knowing we needed to be alert for the mission.’ He gave a tight smile. ‘At least I know what is waiting for us, but you still have to find out.’

  ‘I don’t know what could be worse; you knowing or us trying to imagine.’ Ricky was serious for a change. ‘I expect we will get used to sleeping during the day.’

  They all went outside and jumped on the transport waiting to take them to the aircraft.

  When they reached the planes, Steve’s heart rate quickened. This was the culmination of all their training, and ahead of them was something no amount of imagination could prepare them for.

  ‘Good luck, sir,’ one of the ground crew said softly.

  ‘Thank you.’ Steve smiled at him and then climbed into the plane. Settling down and strapping himself in he was totally focussed on what had to be done. This was going to be a big raid and they would be joining up with flights from other bases. Once all the checks had been carried out, the order for take-off came through.

  He taxied into position, and when his turn came they climbed to the required height and assumed their position with the others.

  ‘Wow, what a sight!’ Jack, the rear gunner, exclaimed. ‘The sky is full of planes.’

  ‘When you test your guns over the sea, don’t shoot any of them down,’ Steve ordered. A collective chuckle could be heard, easing the tension.

  During the flight to Berlin, they were constantly on the watch for night fighters. Steve glanced up and saw the stars shining brightly. It was a beautiful night, but the clear weather also made them very visible from the ground.

  ‘Flak ahead,’ Luke announced as they approached their target. ‘Hell, look at those searchlights. If we get caught in one of them we’ll be lit up like a Christmas tree.’

  ‘Target ten minutes.’ Ricky’s voice came through, clear and calm.

  ‘Keep her steady, skipper,’ Andy said, as the anti-aircraft guns began to blaze away in earnest.

  Steve listened for Andy’s voice repeating – ‘Steady.’ A shell burst close by and rocked the plane, but he kept her on course. The tension in the plane was palpable and everyone was holding their breath.

  ‘Steady … steady … Bombs gone! Get us out of here, skipper.’

  Making sure the airspace around them was clear of other aircraft, Steve climbed and turned towards home. He soon caught up with the other Lancasters. It was then that the night fighters appeared, and he began to weave in an effort to make them a difficult target. Although the battle with them was short, one plane went down and another had been hit and was now flying with one engine not working. The fighters also suffered casualties.

  ‘Is everyone all right?’ Steve asked as they reached the sea.

  One by one they reported in and all had come through unscathed.

  He landed and taxied to their parking place. When everything was shut down, he thumped his head back against his seat and closed his eyes.

  Ricky swore. ‘Anyone want to bet how many of these we will survive?’

  ‘We were lucky this time, so let’s hope the lady stays on our side. Let’s get out of here and check in,’ Steve replied. He was the last one to climb out and the ground crew were waiting, scouring the plane for damage. ‘I don’t think anything hit us,’ he told the sergeant.

  ‘We’ll give her a thorough going over, sir.’

  ‘Thanks.’ He nodded to the crew. ‘Let’s get the debriefing done and then we can eat. I’m starving.’

  After debriefing they went straight to the mess hall. They knew there had been casualties, but the number of empty seats shocked them. No one mentioned it, though, and they ate in silence, all the while searching the faces for Sandy. He raised his hand and called to them. Their friend had also come through their first mission unscathed.

  When the meal was over Steve stood up. ‘I’m going for a walk to stretch my legs.’

  ‘Want company?’ Luke asked.

  He shook his head. ‘I won’t be long. I need to move after sitting in one position for so long. The forecast is that the weather is holding fair for several days, so I expect we’ll be going out again tonight. Get some sleep.’

  Ricky frowned. ‘You need sleep as well. We can’t have you dozing off while we’re in the air.’

  ‘Not a chance,’ he assured them. He made his way out of the mess into the fresh air. It was cold but a lovely morning and he drew in deep breaths. There was still a slight smudge of pink in the sky, and it looked as if it was almost touching the trees at the end of the airfield. He strode towards them. He’d always appreciated nature, and after the mayhem of last night everything was in sharp focus. He walked for a while, head up and a smile on his face. It was good to be alive.

  ‘Steve.’

  He stopped, surprised he had almost walked back to the control tower.

  Jean came up to him, looking concerned. ‘I’ve been watching you for a while. Are you all right?’

  ‘I’m fine, thank you. I like to walk after sitting in one position for some time. I can walk for miles in a day when I’m at home.’

  ‘Really? What do you do?’

  ‘We are farmers.’

  ‘Ah, then you are used to being out in the open in all weather.’ She smiled up at him then, thinking he didn’t look like a farmer’s son. ‘How did the rest of your crew deal with their first mission?’

  ‘Perfectly. They all remained calm and got on with what they had to do.’ He gave a slight smile. ‘There were a few rude remarks from Ricky, of course, but that just helped to ease the tension.’

  ‘He’s a lively character, there’s no doubt about that. That was a rough night from what I’ve heard,’ she said sadly. ‘I was relieved to see you return safely.’

  ‘Not as much as we were, I’ll bet. I have just been thinking how beautiful everything looks.’

  ‘I have time before I go on duty, so do you fancy a cup of tea?’

  ‘No, thanks, Jean.’ He yawned. ‘I think it’s time I got my head down.’

  ‘Good idea.’ She hesitated. ‘Er … most of the crews carry a mascot or something they consider good luck. Do you have one?’

  ‘Never thought about it,’ he admitted.

  She reached into her top pocket and held something out to him. ‘Would you like this? You don’t have to accept it,’ she added hastily.

  He took it from her, held it in the palm of his hand and then smiled, his long fingers closing over it. ‘A silver star, just like the ones we fly under. Thank you, Jean; I will keep it with me all the time. Are you sure you want to part with it?’

  ‘Oh, yes, I would love you to have it. It isn’t valuable, if that is worrying you. I have an uncle who is a metalworker and he makes things out of scraps from the factory floor.’

  ‘He’s very talented.’

  She nodded. ‘He’s an artist with his hands. When he gave it to me, I knew at once it was meant for a bomber crew, so I … er … took it to the RAF minister and he blessed it for me. It will keep you and your crew safe, Steve.’ She gave a hesitant smile. ‘I know that sounds silly, but I have to believe it.’

  ‘I don’t think it’s silly.’ He glanced around. ‘Is it permitted to kiss you on the cheek?’

  ‘You’d better not,’ she laughed, her eyes glinting with amusement and pleasure that he had accepted the gift. ‘We’ll both be reprimanded if you do such a thing here.’

  ‘Ah, shame. In
that case, my thanks will have to do.’

  They were both laughing as he strode away to get some much needed sleep.

  He entered the room quietly so as not to disturb Luke, but he need not have worried because his friend was still awake.

  ‘You’ve been a long time. I was about to come out and find you. Did you enjoy your walk?’

  ‘Very much.’ Steve began to empty his pockets before undressing, and put the contents on a unit by the bed.

  Luke reached out and picked up the star. ‘I haven’t seen this before. Where did you get it?’

  ‘Jean gave it to me. She said it will help to keep us safe. I don’t believe in such things myself, but it was a thoughtful gesture, so I accepted it.’

  ‘Well, if that’s what she believes, then you had better bring it with you when we go out. Don’t tell Ricky where you got it, though, because I think he’s got his eyes on her, and might not like the thought of her giving you that token.’

  ‘He needn’t be concerned. Jean is a nice girl, and they would probably suit each other. The star was a gift for all the crew.’ With a sigh of relief, Steve settled in the bed and closed his eyes.

  ‘Aren’t you interested in Nancy?’

  But Steve never replied. He was already fast asleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Nancy’s parents managed to arrange the memorial service for Dan the day before she was due to return to base. The small church was crowded with family, friends and neigh­bours, all wanting to pay their respects to the young man they had loved.

  Nancy stood with her parents in her best dress uniform, dry-eyed, having shed all of her tears in private, knowing her brother would want her to keep her composure for their parents’ sake. It was all so very painful, though, and she struggled to keep the picture of his smiling face as he greeted her after every mission. She closed her eyes and could almost see him walking across the airfield towards her, a big grin on his face. But she hadn’t been fooled; the bright look couldn’t hide the strain in his eyes. Putting their lives on the line night after night took its toll, but he never complained – none of them did.