The Pilot (standard:romance, 3575 words)
Author: Tim Callaway	Added: Aug 01 2002	Views/Reads: 4687/2613	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Squadron Leader Jimmy Barrett is killed in action just before the birth of his son. Jimmy's love ensures that he is always there for his son and wife, Evelyn. A real supernatural tear jerker!

The Pilot 

A short story by Tim Callaway. 

Squadron Leader Jimmy Barrett placed his Spitfire Mark 5 into a steep
dive ready to attack the retreating German supply line on the straight 
French road beneath. It was November 1944 and the Allies were sweeping 
their way through occupied France towards the Rhine and they almost had 
total command of the air. Jimmy Barrett released his rockets and they 
struck a supply truck and a Tiger Tank following up behind. The 
exploding ammunition, fuel and supplies pushed a great cloud of acrid 
smoke and shrapnel into the air and Jimmy pulled back firmly on his 
joystick to raise the nose of his plane towards safety. He smiled in 
victory and searched for his next target. 

Evelyn Barrett, then eight months pregnant, sat in her favourite chair
within the pleasant surroundings of their small cottage situated at the 
end of RAF Benham's runway. She pondered the safety of her husband, 
carefully sipping her tea from a mug, as she dreaded each of his 
wartime missions. Evelyn knew that her husband was risking his life for 
King and Country and she did not have a problem with this potential 
danger. Her greatest fear was to be made a widow before the birth of 
their first child. She rose slowly from her chair as the baby was 
kicking within her womb and moved towards the window. Evelyn pulled 
back the heavy curtains to check the sky for planes. She knew the 
registration number of Jimmy's plane by heart and she ached to see his 
plane come into land intact. Evelyn reluctantly sat once more to read a 
chapter from her book to pass the time. 

"PK5 to base." 

"Come in PK5 - this is fighter command," spoke a crackling voice through
Jimmy's headphones. 

"I have three rockets left, any suggestions?" Jimmy asked predicting the
answer. 

"Shoot anything German that moves! Good hunting PK5!" 

Jimmy tipped his port wing to check the landscape below. The autumn
sunshine caused numerous reflections from both water and glass beneath. 
A particular reflection caught his eye. He dived for a closer look. In 
front of his plane travelling at some speed was a single German staff 
car carrying a single, decorated officer in the rear seat. The car was 
unescorted and appeared to be making a break for the safety of the 
German lines some 40 kilometres ahead. 

"Oh, no you don't, matey!" 

Jimmy passed over the car firing bursts of cannon fire from his eight
Browning machine guns. Dust and mud flew up into the air around the car 
and the vehicle started to zigzag to avoid further damage. Jimmy banked 
his plane for a final rocket attack and prepared to pass once more over 
the defenceless open top staff car. Suddenly he heard the unmistakable 
sound of a jet engine as a Meschersmitt ME262 passed close to his 
starboard wing. Jimmy knew he could not outrun the jet fighter but his 
manoeuvrability could provide his only means of escape. Forgetting the 
staff car he took evasive action to lose the German fighter but his 
enemy kept firmly behind his Spitfire no matter what he chose to do. 
Cannon shells exploded into his plane shattering the canopy and 
puncturing the fuel tanks. Keeping his nerve Jimmy pulled his joystick 
firmly to the right and pulled back hard pulling at least 2 Gs. He 
managed to put some distance between the two planes and prepared to 
fight back on a collision course to test the metal of his German 
opponent. Double cannon fire shattered the air as shells struck both 
planes. Jimmy hit one of the jet engines and smoke emerged from the 
damaged turbines but his own engine was struck causing a noticeable 
loss of power and rather too much smoke for his liking. The wings tips 
touched breaking small sections off both planes. Jimmy started to lose 
control as his plane faltered beneath him. He searched the ground for a 
place to crash land but could see nowhere through the flapping material 
that was the remnants of his own parachute. Bailing out was not an 
option landing was the only choice, but where? 

Evelyn picked up the telephone and dialled the control room. 


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