_Wings of the Brave_
Squadron Leader Markham, O.C. of the famous Eighty-Fourth Squadron of
the Royal Air Force Fighter Command, leaned back in his office chair,
dug knuckles into his tired eyes, and heaved a long sigh of relief.
"I say, but am I fed up to the teeth with the blasted paper work that
goes with this kind of a job!" he groaned. "Not at all like in the last
mess we had with Jerry. A chap could fly every day, then, regardless
of rank. That is, up until the last nine months or so. Then C.O.s were
grounded, as being too valuable to lose. But still there was no paper
work. Not a bit of it."
"True, it is a bit of a task and a bore," Adjutant Phipps agreed from
his desk in the corner. "Seems Adastral House must know everything from
what the lads have for breakfast to whether or not they wear their
socks on the wrong feet. All for a good reason, I suppose. But it does
give a chap the writer's cramp. What do you make of this latest memo
that came through, sir? Number Six-Four-Two-Nine."
The Squadron Leader pulled his hands down from his face and blinked.
"Eh?" he grunted. "Don't believe I saw that one. Must have passed it
over. What's it about, Phipps? Does it make sense or is it like the
usual stuff that comes through?"
The Adjutant fished an official looking sheet of yellow paper from a
pile on his desk, got up from his chair and crossed the office.
"There it is," he said placing it in front of the Officer Commanding.
"Frankly, I haven't the faintest idea, sir. Looks to me like some
bloke at Air Ministry wasn't quite recovered from a terrific binge, or
something. All a lot of Greek, as they say."
Markham blinked his eyes a couple of more times, leaned forward a bit
and squinted at the yellow sheet of paper. The top half was filled with
all the routine junk ... code letters, numbers, and file reference
marks ... that always accompany official communications. So he gave
that part just a sweeping glance. It was the communication itself that
attracted and held his attention.
It read:
Reconnaissance pictures considered obsolete as of Twenty-Fifth.
Zone K-24 believed to be evacuated. It is essential that
confirmation of this be obtained at the earliest possible moment,
regardless of cost. Plan X-4-B depends upon complete knowledge of
the situation. You are advised to communicate at once with
Squadrons assigned to this task, and to make your arrangements as
speedily as possible. You are also advised to carry out the
assignment on a voluntary basis. Please acknowledge this.