1916 Angels over the Somme (British Ace Book 3) by Griff Hosker Page A

Lumpy finished firing the magazine at the next aeroplane.  I had no targets and I held my fire.  As soon as I was above the Fokkers I banked to my right.  I could hear Carrick and Dunston behind me as their gunners fired on both sides.  Lumpy had reloaded by the time we finished our turn.  The greater speed of the Germans had allowed me to come on their tail.  I had height, I had the sun and I had the undefended rear of the Fokker.  I waited until I could see the middle of the fuselage and then I let rip. Lumpy was finishing off one of the German Fokkers to the side and when I hit the pilot both aeroplanes began their dive of death.
    We were going slower than the Fokkers but they were weaving through the air trying to catch the Martinsydes. The bombers were not making it easy.  They were jinking from side to side.  I still had plenty of ammunition.  We were slowly closing with one of the Fokkers when I felt the thud of bullets to our rear.
    “Sergeant, there is someone on our tail!”
    He stood and hauled himself to grab the rear Lewis.  He wisely said not a word but began firing short bursts.  I could feel the bullets hitting us but the Gunbus kept flying. “Got him! Mr Carrick is helping Mr Dunston.” He shouted, “There are three Fokkers around him.”
    “Get back on the front gun.” I let the Fokker I was chasing go and, as Hutton sat down again, I banked to the right.  I saw the German Hutton had hit.  It was heading for the railway line.  It would be like a German bomb! I saw smoke coming from Dunston’s aeroplane.  Carrick was fighting magnificently.  He and his gunner were doing all that they could to help the inexperienced pilot.
    The three Fokkers were so intent on killing Dunston that they did not notice my stealthy approach from below.  As Hutton fired almost vertically I emptied my magazine at a second Fokker.  Hutton’s target peeled off damaged and I saw the pilot of the one I had struck holding his arm as smoke poured from his engine. The two gunners on Carrick and Dunston’s Gunbuses fired simultaneously and the Fokker almost disintegrated in mid air.
    I waved and ordered them west.  We were low on fuel and ammunition. There was little point in pushing our luck. The skies seemed remarkably empty.  I saw dogfights in the distance and, far ahead, the fleeing Elephants. I waved Dunston to the front.  He had a damaged aeroplane and Carrick and I flew in tandem.  Without being told Lumpy got on the rear Lewis and changed the magazine. He shouted, “Nice flying sir!”
    I glanced over the side and saw some of the damaged aeroplanes.  I did not see any Gunbuses but I knew that the aerial battle had ranged over a large area. I realised that we had been in the air for longer than usual when I tapped the fuel gauge. We would be flying on fumes once again. I had known the risk I was running when I had elected to bank and then dive on the Germans.  It was the best manoeuvre to use but it used fuel at a prodigious rate.
    I breathed a sigh of relief as we passed over our front lines.  If we ran out of fuel then we would, at least, be able to land.  The ambulances, medical staff and mechanics gathered around the aeroplanes which had landed told me that we had suffered damage but it looked as though we had not lost any aeroplanes.
    I did not jump out immediately but I sat there with my eyes closed.  I held my hands to stop them shaking.  This was the first time that I had led the whole squadron and it had been nerve wracking. I had had to trust to men like Charlie and Gordy to follow my orders even when out of sight.
    “Having a snooze, Bill?”
    I opened my eyes with a start and saw Lord Burscough and Archie staring at me with amusement on their faces. I clambered out. “Er no sir… it’s just…”
    Colonel Burscough put his arm around my shoulders. “It’s just that having the command of a squadron takes it out of one.  I know, as does Major Leach here.” As we walked towards