大象传媒

Somehow or other during our first night back in England word had got around that we were from the sunken Eagle. After that the booze flowed like water and the locals were reluctant to let us return to our billets until they could see booze spouting out of our ears. Some of the lads were still 'half cut' next day on our rail journey down to Lee-On-Solent. Nevertheless 'flight deck' yarns were related with gusto.

Flight deck yarns are the equivalent of the old seamen鈥檚 past-time of 'swinging the lamp'. Somewhere in far flung times, or even as recently as ten minutes ago, there may have been some grain of truth - but who told who in the first instance will always be a debateable mystery. The unexplainable is often capped by the unbelievable, the incredible by the outrageous, and most times the listener will be regaled by the impossible - but yet retain the undeniable feeling that it could have happened. For instance, who will substantiate the report that three Fairey Fulmars were shot down in one single barrage from a British ship simply because no-one was aware of their appearance? They were strange machines in an unexpected area!

Who will deny that any aircraft that crash landed on the flight deck whilst the ship was at 'action stations' was unceremoniously dumped overboard often with the pilot still struggling to escape?

Who will elaborate on the incident when a Sea Hurricane safely 'landed on' and was shocked when a second Hurricane landed directly on the top his machine just as he was leaning forward to release his harness? The propeller of the second machine sliced way the head-rest of the first machine - but both pilots escape alive.

Who can explain how a Swordfish managed to remain airborne after dropping depth charges that exploded on impact with the sea, detonated, and blew all the canvas away from the lower part of his fuselage and lower main planes?

Who can forget the over eager mechanic who sprang on to the flight deck at the wrong side of the arrester wires, instants before a Swordfish touched down? The arrester wires severed both his feet and he stumbled across the deck until he dropped. He died of shock instantly.

How can anyone dispute the evidence or the brass plaques let into the 'round down' on the stem of the Eagles flight deck? (Plaques where the pilots played their own version of 'chicken', to see who could land in the most precarious position. A game that was forbidden after the Eagle lifted her stem and one machine flew straight into the 'quarter deck'.)

What about the incident when the crash barrier was lifted a few seconds too early? Catching the tail end of a taxiing machine, thereby flipping it over to mangle two machines that had been safely parked.

How many times has the story been told and retold of the rough weather in the 'Bay' when the duty watch of air mechanics had first to double and then to triple the lashings securing the aircraft to the open deck? Did anyone actually hear the scream as a lashing snapped and whipped away a mechanic's arm? How great a contrast when I remember that I often slung my hammock in the storage space immediately below the flight deck and I would sleep throughout the ear splitting racket of revving aircraft just a few feet above my head.

How many of these flight deck yarns will be accepted by the coming generations? Will they regard these anecdotes in the same way as we look askance at ancient marine maps with their inscriptions 'HERE BE SEA MONSTERS'.
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Added by: Alan Brigham - www.hullwebs.co.uk

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