Shortened slightly. Thank you for reading!
Friends In High Places
“They push,
we push. Every once in a while, you push hard enough that the light breaks
through the clouds and a world beyond the war glimmers. Behind every gun sight
is a human being, we are those people. If history only remembers one-in-a-thousand
of us, then that future will be filled with stories of who we were and what we
did. When that day comes, we will stand, we will look death in the eye and we.
will. fight.”
William’s
eyes were full of hope yet I didn’t think he’d be the one to spout this
inspirational speech, the fickle bastard. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can say
good things but I have no heart of gold. I leave that to Bill here. Bill stood
at equals with me, just above 6 foot, probably around 10 years my senior, this
was evident by his oncoming balding and pained expression he always wore.
Spritely chap though, I cannot harp on all day about his physical appearance as
he was a skilled co-pilot and an even more capable gunner, you don’t need to be
dashing and young to use a rifle in this war. I, however, was a bit lucky as I
had rather good looking parents. There was also a myth going around in the
cities back home that all pilots were the most beautiful people to walk the
Earth, this myth wasn’t entirely true but by the same horse’s mouth you hear
that pilots don’t even last 10 minutes in the air. Sadly, this… this was true.
If anyone
had asked me to describe myself I’d tell them I’m arrogant, selfish and
reckless, but I always get what I want… a sentence teaming with slander and
compliment, depends on how you view people that will do anything to achieve
their inner most desires and goals, mine was to fly the Bristol F.2.
Experimental at the time of 1917 but all the planes were just that, an
experiment, rushed to fit the needs of the British Army for aerial combat
against the Jerry’s that started this whole damned war. “You can’t fly that
thing” cried William, as I stood glaring at the metal work on the Bristol. “I
can and I will, you just have to wait and see” I retorted, he didn’t seem to
welcome my confidence, it was the only thing I could present to him to
encourage my companion to jump into the shiny new kite with me. You were given
incentive to believe that these aircraft were safe and could keep you safe but
we all knew that these were death traps waiting to happen at 30,000 ft. Yet I
still longed to press my back to the leather seat and take off, to my death?
Not me.
The more
William and I argued over the flight of the Bristol, the more he could see my
determination to get to the skies. I wasn’t going to squander this chance, it
was a premium aircraft and we were the crew born for it. “At least a test
flight perhaps?” my pleas were getting pitiful, it was like trying to draw
blood from a stone, a very pissed off and unenthusiastic stone.
“Why do we
have to even take it out, we aren’t qualified for this new model” blundered
William, he knew we were but didn’t have the guts to say it aloud.
“We are more
than capable, I know I can do this, how about you? You can boast pretty
speeches but I know you’re better at my back and you do too. Fly with me.” I
thought this would hit William hard enough for him to realise, much to my
relief, it did.
“A test
flight, nothing more… gives you a chance to shut me up with your
‘oh-so-impressive skills’” exclaimed William in an overly caricature manner for
yours truly. It was the most humorous I’d ever seen him and at my expense too!
We grabbed
our overcoats and scarves, a plain faded burgundy was my own and Williams’ was
a patterned navy and faint blue. It was likened to having personal tags. As we
headed towards the kite we were interrupted in our stride by Captain Wicks, a
stiff and proud man of incredible stature, I almost thought he got the rank
awarded to him purely for intimidation purposes. I wasn’t sure which way the
following encounter would go, especially since it was to lease out a
top-of-the-line plane.
“Excuse me,
lads, but where do you think you’re going? I hope it’s not in the hangar of
that Bristol F.2.” Wicks almost chuckled at the thought, he’d grown to know us
personally but kept a fair and professional distance as to not befriend anyone.
“Just for a
test-run-“ I was abruptly cut off.
“Sir,
nothing major, we would like to take the Bristol out for a test flight. After
all it is a perfectly calm afternoon and she would be in more than safe hands
with us.” Williams explained and addressed the Captain with the utmost respect
and dignity. ‘Just for a test flight.’ would certainly never cut it, so I could
relax somewhat knowing Williams was taking charge of the speaking.
“She’s
experimental, why would I let her out just now at short notice?” snapped Wicks.
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