Читать книгу Goodbye Mickey Mouse - Len Deighton - Страница 12

Officers’ Club

280th Bombardment Sq. (H)

Cowdrey Green

Norfolk, England

Dear Jamie,

You get your five bucks! I’ve never been happier in my life. These guys are friendly and the Group Commander (‘Call me Porky the way the rest of them do’) plays the trumpet in the dance band. He also slams his B-24 down onto the runway with the kind of bang that reminds me of Cadet Jenkins, but it’s just his style, I guess.

This Group has taken a beating, and there are plenty of hair-raising stories told when the beer flows. But they’re good boys—I feel so old! We’ve got kids here who only shave once a week, but good guys. No backbiting and none of that gossip that the staff of you-know-where enjoyed so much. And I got a great crew—instead of duds from the replacement pool I took over a ready-crewed ship when they lost their pilot. He got VD (in Norwich, the Flight Surgeon says, and we got a tub-thumping lecture complete with colour slides that made two or three of the guys go outside for air!).

Good ship too. Nearly new and the crew all like her, which is a plus. Top Banana she’s called, so look out for us over Hunland.

It looked like we were going today, but while we were all trundling round the perimeter track it was scrubbed. Can’t think why it took them so long to decide. I could hardly see the red flare from where the Banana was sitting—five hundred yards away. What an anticlimax! And two ships damaged when wing tips touched on the taxiway. Porky put up a notice saying, ‘Goosing big birds on the apron is a privilege restricted to officers of field grade.’ Of course all the guys love him.

Tomorrow I take my crew for ditching practice in the unheated water of the municipal swimming pool. In December? War is hell. So today I’ve spent the unexpected leisure improving my bridge game at a cost of four and a half pounds and putting a little scotch into my bloodstream as protection against tomorrow’s swim. And writing drunken letters (like this) home. I sure wish you were with us, Jamie, it would make everything perfect. What’s happening at Christmas? Looks like I won’t be OD or get any duties. How are you fixed?

Your pal,

Charlie