Friends
A few days ago, many will remember that Paul posted some
details about the Mosquito fighter bomber of WW2. Maybe I
wasn't reading with sufficient attention and while he did
say the aeroplane was made by De Havilland, I *think* he
forgot to mention that 1066 were made at what was later to
become Triumph's postwar home at The Standard Motor Company
in Coventry
At the risk of banwidth and apologies to those who have
already read it, under is an extract from my book "In the
Shadow of my Father" which so many people bought a year ago.
This brief excerpt describes an experience of one of the
aircraft ferry pilots who undertook to deliver them from the
test field where they were finally assembled to their
operational squadrons on the front line.
Jonmac
Aircraft production also included a number of Oxford
Trainers and 3,000 Beaufighter fuselages. In 1942, Standard
took over the complete manufacture of the De Havilland
Mosquito fighter bomber and completed 1,066 aircraft. This
is an impressive performance for an organisation that by
today's standards would be seen as a 'two bit company.'
Finished Mosquitos were finally assembled and test flown at
Ansty, near Coventry, from which airfield location they were
delivered directly to operational squadrons.
One of the Mosquito ferry pilots was a remarkable woman of
diminutive stature. What she lacked in height, she more than
compensated for in grit and lurid language. She carried a
set of specially made wooden blocks with her wherever she
went. These had been made by the Mosquito Erecting Shop at
Ansty to precise dimensions. The blocks were clipped around
the rudder controls and when fitted, meant she could fly the
aeroplane. This was all because her legs were way too short
to reach an 'unblocked' rudder.
Pa got to know her quite well and once asked where she had
done her gunnery practice.
"Don't bovver wiv 'em," she said.
"Oh really, why."
"'Cos the bloody things don't have no ammo, till they get to
where I take the **** plane."
"Well, what do you do if you meet a group of Heinkels or
Messerschmitts on the way?"
"Bang the **** engines wide open to full boost, go like 'ell
and watch out for any Yank stuff wot's up there floatin'
around. Them **** Fortress gunners've already 'ad a go at me
more than once," came the reply.
"Where was that?"
"Over **** East Anglia! These buggers 'ere, don't never give
me enough fuel when I come for a pick up. One day, I 'ad to
put down quick, 'n I'd already lost one 'mill' wiv no juice.
Weren't no alternative, so I 'ad to dive right through the
middle of a bunch of lumbering Yank Forts coming back from
sortin' out 'itler - and them **** let me 'ave it! H.E. ammo
coming at me from all over - dahn me cleavage, up me arse
and uvver places, lydies don't mention. Wot's more," she
added, kicking a landing wheel, "these bloody fings don't
'ave no self-drainin' seats in 'em neither, 'cos I ***t
meself in the process! Always 'ave to carry anuvver pair o'
knickers wiv me now, 'cos of them Yanks" - and she proved
it, by pulling a clean set of underwear from the map pocket
of her jumpsuit.
Over the years of peace that followed, Pa told me some
incredibly funny stories about this woman that I truly
cannot remember.
However, I am left with one conclusion.
Although I never met her, I think she would have made an
excellent After-Dinner Speaker and would doubtless have made
a fortune in the process. Perhaps not with other ladies
present but certainly the sort of person who would quickly
gain acceptance on a 'boy's night out.'! Equally, who can
blame the gunners on those Fortresses? They would have
almost certainly experienced the "real thing" hours earlier
and were probably in no mood to give the benefit of doubt to
a smaller, faster aircraft plunging unannounced into their
formation.
Of such things are humourous war stories made.
John Macartney
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