1939-10-13 — Page 16

Page: 16

SHORT

STORY

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 13, 1939.

DEAR ENEMY By Captain A.O. Pollard, V.C.

FLYING Officer Colin Campbell was

-missing, and to be missing on the North West Frontier of India con- jured up several horrible possibili- ties, of which death was not the most evil. Intense heat, thirst, lack of shade, and insects were some of the tortures to which the unlucky vic- tim of a forced landing might be subjected.

Even worse was the chance that he might have fallen into the hands of a wandering band of

unfriendly

Mahsuds with consequent mutila- tion by their gloating womenfolk.

Ever since he was reported over- due at his destination even available machine in the squadron had been side to find scouring the country him. Several hours passed and his whereabouts was still undiscovered.

Richard Bartlett wandered about the deserted landing ground in im- potent impatience. He wanted to do something, yet there seemed nothing he could do. He and Campbell had only arrived from England a fort- night before, and despite his en- treaties to be allowed to take part in the search, the C.O. did not consider he would be of any assistance, as he was totally unacquainted with the district.

•

Standing in the burning sunshine. glaring anxiously into the sky in the vain hope that would see the miss- ing plane returning, he experienced the tortures of the damned. If any- thing serious happened to Campbell he felt he would never be able to hold up his head again.

If anything happened to Campbell __? Supposing something had happened already, one of those hor- rible things they had talked about ini the mess? it would be altogether too awful. He would be a murderer or. worse!

God! to think that an impulse for revenge should have recoiled against him like this. He had nursed his hate so long, waited so patiently for his opportunity, and now it had turned. to ashes in the hour of fulfilment.

The feud had begun, during cadet days at Cranwell when Bartlett was made the victim of a boyish prank, the outcome of youthful high spirit, but there was no intention on the part of the perpetrators that he should be harmed by it.

Bartlett took it to heart, however, and when he discovered, that Colin Campbell was the ringleader, le swore that one day he would get even with him.

In a way it was Bartlett's own fault; he was just a shade too much of the swot. The rest of his term did not, mind him, being keen and in- dustrious. After all, however much they might pretend that lectures

were a bore, they were all eager to qualify for their commissions. But Bartlett had an unfortunate habit of. correcting his less studious comrades, and his air of superiority was de- cidedly, galling.

For a long time there had been a general consensus of opinion that he must be taken down a peg or two, but no suitable opportunity present- ed itself until the cross-country navigation tests were held.

It was Colin' Campbell ̧who con- ceived the idea. Colin waş as popular as Bartlett was disliked, and when .he put forward his suggestion for humbling Bartlett's conceit the others agreed without hesitation,

The cross-country navigation test consisted of a triangular. Bight in. which each pupil was piloted by an instructor. Seated in the rear cock-.. pit it was the pupil's business to work out the correct course to fol- low with map and instruments, mak- ing the necessary allowance for the force and direction of the wind. The instructor slavishly followed the re- sultant compass bearing given him, checking by observation on

the ground below whether the pupli was guiding him to the pre-arranged destination,

1

Success or failure depended to a large extent on whether the com- pass in the aircraft was magnetically. correct, and it was an important part

of the test that each pupil should "swing" the compass and make any before the corrections necessary fight was undertaken.

Swinging the compass was child's play to a man of Bartlett's attain- ments, and there was no doubt that he would have carried through the test with equal remainder of his

facility; but, in the short period that elapsed before he took off with his instructor, Colin Campbell climbed into the machine and changed the little soft iron compensating mag- nets around so that the instrument gave a totally inco reet reading.

The result was a disinal failure on Bartlett's part to get any where near the appointed landfalls. On the first leg of triangle he was fifteen miles out, on the second twenty-five, the third not being recorded as the in- structor flew him back to the base in furious disgust.

An examination of the compass speedily disclosed the source of his error, and the navigation instructor gave the whole class a lecture on the evils of carelessness.

"It just goes to prove the truth of the saying that 'a little knowledge is á dangerous thing," he declared. "You've always been a bit too cock- you will sure, Bartlett; perhaps realise now that you don't know quite so much as you would like us all to believe."

Bartlett flushed painfully under the reproof and several of his class- mates tittered, but Colin Campbell was too honest to allow him to suffer unjustly.

Amidst a tense silence he rose to his feet and confessed that he was the real culprit. He was punished, of course, and when Bartlett duly repeated the test he carried it through in exemplary fashion, but his success did not atone for his humiliation.

For one thing he was not allowed to forget the navigation instructor's admonition. Whenever he attempted to put any one right he was told not to be so cock-sure, with the inevit- able result that he came to be dubbed "Cocky" Bartlett.

Cranwell days came to an end at length, and the cadets were split up and allotted to different squadrons. Bartlett did not see anything further of Campbell for two or three years. Then, when both had been promoted to the august rank of Flying Officer, fate ordained that their first period of foreign service should find them detailed to the same unit, on the North West Frontier.

At the time they reported, a band of disaffected., tribesmen were en- gaged in the Mahsuds, favourite pas- time of raiding and pillaging neigh- bouring villages-in government- administered territory, and the usual. air action was being undertaken to curb them.

The particular squadron to which Bartlett and Campbell were attached was not included in the punitive force, however, "and, new to the country, the two young officers did not fully appreciate how close they were to the scene of operations.

Earlier that morning a request had been received for a spare machine to be flown forward to replace an air- craft that was temporarily out of commission, and to Bartlett's intense disgust Colin Campbell was selected to pilot it.

•

Jealous that the man he hated should have been chosen before him, and with the old sore, still rankling in his mind, it suddenly occurred to him that there was a very simple way by which he could make Camp- bell look utterly ridiculous and settle his account at the same time.

Climbing into the machine that Campbell was to fly, he tinkered aut- fully with the compass' in `such a way that when Campbell presently took off, the instrument on which he must rely to keep direction was eight degrees out of truth.

а

It was a silly things to do, and, in that particular neighbourhood criminal thing to do, but, fresh from England where a compass is an un-

necessary luxury rather than a vital necessity, Bartlett did not at first his enormity of appreciate the action.

He believed that the result would be no more serious than that Camp- bell would lose his way and receive a wigging for gross, inefficiency when eventually he turned up at his destination. Consequently when the news was received that Campbell had failed to arrive he rejoiced ex- ceedingly

success at the

of his scheme, and it was not until the older members of the mess explain- ed the gravity of the situation that, he tasted the pangs of remorse.

From time to time one of the searching aeroplanes would appear from the sky and glide in to land. Eager enquiries of the pilot, elicited only a negative shake of the head. No news yet. Staying only to refuel the machine would be off again on its thankless task.

The

The

On one of these hurried visits the pilot and his airman observer got down to stretch their legs. pilot disappear into the mess. mechanics completed the replenish- ment of the tunks and retired into the shade of one of the hangars, leaving, the engine ticking over in readiness for a speedy departure.

Bartlett had a sudden inspiration; here was his chance for action. Strolling with studied casualness he drew near the machine. A hurried glance assured him that no one was watching.

One by one he drew the chocks clear of the wheels. Swinging him- self up

he settled in the cockpit; opened the throttle. The aircraft be- gan to move; gathered speed; took to the air, leaving only a cloud of dust to mark its passage.

Directly he was off the ground he regretted that he had been quite so impulsive. It had been bad enough to have altered Campbell's compass and imperilled his life, but fortun- ately no one knew about that. This second crime was in different cate- gory: he was deliberately disobeying an order given him by the Com- manding Officer.

As soon as he landed again, he would certainly be placed under arrest. There would be a court- martial. Perhaps they would kick him out of the service altogether.

His heart sank at the thought of it. What a fool he had been to jec- pardise his whole career on the spur of the moment. If he had had the sense to curb his anxiety' no doubt Campbell 'would be found before very long.

had

After all, no one

knew he tampered with the compass, he re- #lected for the hundredth time; the bally thing might have got itself out of truth through some automatic magnetism in the engine. It hap- pened frequently,

and unless were fool enough to own up, the error could not be traced as his handiwork.

he

How Campbell would gloat when he was charged with taking off in a service machine without authority, "Cocky's over-reached. himself this time," he would sneer, "He thought he knew better than all the rest of the squadron. Now he's going to be taught that little boys should do us they are told."

no

Perhaps the poor devil was longer able to gloat though. Bart- lett thought of all the things, that, might have happened to him; pic tured him lying injured in the broll- ing sun, jammed in a smashed cock- pit, unable to move and crying out. for water.

As the succeeding visions flashed through his mind in increasing frightfulness he was filled with an intense disgust at his own meanness. Nothing could alter the fact that he was primarily responsible for Camp- bell's predicament, and so far he had only considered his own intereats:

Had he been a man instead of a have miserable worm "he" would gone to the CO. directly Campbel was reported missing and confessed his fault. The 'searching machiner

...

would have made allowance for the compass error, and probably by now- Campbell would have been safe and sound.

He

He swore a mighty oath. Whether or not he was successful he would' make a clean breast of everything directly he returned to camp. would undoubtedly be punished severely for his, criminal idiocy, but at least he would be right with his. own conscience.

That was, provided Campbell was still alive. If he were dead as a re- sult of the trick played on him, the perpetrator could have no peace of mind for the rest of his life.

rest

He simply must find him, resolv- ed Bartlett desperately. He would find him. Whatever the ultimate consequences of his rash act, he would keep on looking as long as his petrol lasted. Perhaps it he was able to save Campbell's life, the C.O. might overlook his breach of discipline.

-

he

he He

He smiled involuntarily as thought

consternation of the must have caused at the camp. glanced back over his shoulder, but the hangars were no longer in sight.. If he got himself lost as well, no- one would have the slightest idea which direction he had taken.

Instinctively he glanced at his compass. He was travelling the opposite way from the area in which the search was taking place. If he 'was going to join in he must alter

course.

¿

Coming about in a steep turn he made a careful calculation, taking into

of account the inaccuracy Campbell's compass. From it he that the reached, the conclusion searchers were many miles wide of their mark. Perhaps if he combed the track which he believed the

to missing man have taken he would meet with better luck.

For the next hour and a half he flew methodically backwards and forwards in wide sweeps, carefully scrutinising the country beneath him, rather like looking for a golf ball in the rough. He was rapidly arriving at the conclusion that he had made a thorough ass of himself in every way when his eye lit on a patch of white which flashed up at him in the sunshine.

His heart beats accelerated with excitement as he recognised the missing aircraft drunkenly upended' on its nose. Beside it a lonely figure waved a pocket handkerchief. His hunch had proved right then after all.

His relief at finding his enemy alive and well was short lived. As 'he circled round looking for a suit-

able place to land he became aware. (Continued on Pàge (17)

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