- Contributed by听
- auntanguss
- People in story:听
- Myself auntanguss
- Location of story:听
- Fighter station, SE.England
- Article ID:听
- A3954350
- Contributed on:听
- 26 April 2005
For the protection of spitfires on the ground,U shaped bays of earth were built of banks of earth about eight feet high.Each spitfire was allocated to a particular one,and there were always airmen on duty when they landed to guide each one to its bay,by means of coloured torches if they happened to come in as daylight was fading.
On this occassion three of us were on duty and as there was a chilly wind blowing we had retired to the dispersal hut and started a game of cards.We would hear the planes land and be out by the time one got of the runway and be making its way round the perimiter track to the bays.David had just delt a second hand of pontoon but stopped to pick up his red torch to guide the straggler in. Spitfire pilots can`t see in front of them when the tail is down and wiggle a bit when taxying on the ground to enable the pilot to see ahead.
The note of the engine died down,the plane would have landed and be taxying along the perimeter track.Just then there was an almighty screaming.Cards were dropped willy nilly on the table and we almost got jammed in the doorway in our concerted rush to get out to find the source of the screams.We made it,looked along the perimeter track,and paused to laugh.
There before us,pedaling furiously along the track and yelling his head of,was a `"works and bricks"civilian worker being hotly persued by a spitfire.The pilot,would of course,be following the red tail light of the bicycle.David ran out and waved the cyclist off the track and took over with his red torch.
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