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It was Septeht, so weather Maddie had ever known She scarcely had to fly the little Puss Moth, reat big wonderful waxing bo as she arrived at the pick-up airfield, and Maddie landed just before the local squadron took off She taxied to the Operations hut as the brand-new Lancasters were leaving The de, like a rey herons – each thrice her wingspan, each with four tiht’s fuel and payload of explosive, off to deliver vengeful destruction to Essen’s factories and railway yards Maddie taxied her little plane to the apron in front of the Operations hut and idled the engine, waiting She’d been told not to shut down
The Lancasters roared past Maddie watched with her nose pressed to the windscreen and for a second didn’t notice the passenger door being opened Ground crew, caps pulled low and faces hidden in the wing’s shadow, helped the passenger in and fastened her harness There was no baggage apart froas mask in its haversack, and as usual Maddie wasn’t told her special passenger’s name She saw the silhouette of a peaked WAAF cap and could sense that the passenger was hugely keyed up, taut with exciteht know this person Like the SOE drivers, she had been instructed not to ask questions Over the purr of the engine she shouted eency exit instructions and the location of the first-aid kit
Once airborne, Maddie didn’t initiate conversation – she never did with special passengers Nor did she point out how splendid the black and occasionally silver landscape was below theht because she knew that part of the reason this person was being flown to her destination at night was so she couldn’t guess where she was going There was a gasp froer when Maddie, all business, unclipped the Verey pistol from the side of her seat ‘Don’t worry,’ Maddie shouted, ‘it’s only a flare gun! I haven’t got a radio The flare lets the thehts on for us’
But Maddie didn’t need to let off her firework display because after circling for a hts blazed up and Maddie put her own landing light on
It was a straightforward landing But not until the aircraft had coer startle Maddie by leaning over and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek
‘Thank you You are wonderful!’
The ground crew had already opened the passenger’s door
‘You should have told athered herself to disappear into the night
‘I didn’t like to surprise you in the air!’ Queenie automatically checked that her hair was still in place and with one of her gazelle-like leaps vaulted fro and I’ve never had to go anywhere at night Sorry!’
She leaned back into the cockpit for aand conferring behind her It was nearly 2 aed ‘It’s nment’
‘Good luck!’
‘I’ll see you when I’m done You’re to take me home’
Queenie vanished across the concrete, surrounded by attendants
Maddie was given her own little guestroo as going on After a while she dozed off, and was alht’s operational Lysanders returning from France with their booty of shot-down Ane and 16 bottles of Chanel No 5
Maddie would not have known about the perfume except that everybody was extraordinarily punchy the next ne breakfast (Maddie, being scheduled to take off again after daybreak, prudently didn’t take any cha with success She looked as though she’d just won herself a gold ave a bottle of French scent to every wo the Land Girl who turned up on her bicycle with a basket of three dozen unallocated eggs and 6 pints of milk for the Welcome-to-Freedom breakfast
Freedoes, and the blackout, and the bombs, and the rules, and daily life so drab and dull lish Channel you are free How si really, that no one in France lives without fear, without suspicion I don’t htforward fear of fiery death Ifear of betrayal, of treachery, of cruelty, of being silenced Of not being able to trust your neighbour or the girl who brings you eggs Only 21 miles from Dover Which would you rather have – an unlimited supply of Chanel No 5, or freedom?
Stupid question really
I have reached the point in this account where, unavoidably, I a to have to talk about myself before Oro on flying and flying in thewith Maddie, in the five minutes or however short a time it hen there was a lull next door and I actually fell asleep In reen – I kept thinking, We’re in the lireen – cheht in Chartreuse liqueur, like the Green Flash, and I kept wondering, How did I escape? I couldn’t reot out of Ormaie But it didn’t matter, I was on my way hosideconfidently, and the sky was quiet and full of the beautiful green moon
God, I’ain and aret it I have been put back to work till whenever they run out of people to keep an eye on ood news or bad, as I don’t mind the infinite supply of paper, but I also forfeited ht and I didn’t sleep hts either (I do wish they’d GIVE UP on that wretched French girl She is never going to tell the)
What happened was that when they broughtat the table with her back to the door, busily nu daylights out of her by braying in a deep, stentorian voice of coel! Heil Hitler!’ She catapulted to her feet and threw herself into a salute that must have nearly dislocated her shoulder I’ve never seen her look so white around the gills She recovered almost immediately and smacked me so hard she knocked ain just for the sheer hell of it Wo isanother phoney interview