A Very Dodgy Operation (4)

…... and, after a full briefing on the path to the ‘clean’ area of runway, the Hurricane would be topped up with the remainder of the coolant, which was being heated over a Primus Stove (to eliminate the need for excessive engine warm-up time). When the pilot was absolutely sure and ready, with the rest of the party except for me, the Senior Fitter, in the Armoured Car, the Hurricane’s engine would be started and, without any undue hesitation and as swiftly as possible, depart the bunker and make for an immediate and very rapid take-off.

It had been said by the Officer Commanding the Infantry Unit that the enemy guns on the top of the escarpment would come quickly into action. They, the Infantry Unit, at the sound of the aircraft engine, would lay down a salvo of smoke bombs with their mortars between the taped runway and the escarpment. The trolley accumulator would be attached to the get-away car by me, the remaining fitter, who would then climb into the vehicle. Then away in the armoured car, making a temporary halt at the Wadi crossing for Sergeant Evans to leave the car and actuate the signal switch he had placed there earlier that would detonate the explosives placed to destroy the two donor aircraft. That was the plan!

February 9

In the very early hours the crew were woken by the arrival of the pilot and an immediate practice of the plan, up to the engine start-up, was put into place. The pilot made his cockpit checks, checking and re-checking everything possible that could be checked with a dead engine. He was satisfied. He was then briefed by the Sergeant of the Army Engineers of the ‘clean area’ leading to the taped and marked runway. Two empty fuel drums had been placed to mark the exit from the marked taxy track and the runway entry. In the dim light of the early hour, they would be difficult to see. Then, a turn of exactly 90 degrees for the trip down the taped runway and, hopefully, away.

At approaching 03:00 hrs, the hot coolant was poured into the coolant system, rapid leak checks were made, then the engine panels were replaced. A blanket attached by line to a ‘ground anchor’ was placed in the mouth of the radiator cowling to minimise ‘airscrew wash’ and thereby maintain some heat in the coolant. With the aid of the fitters, another cockpit check by the now strapped-in pilot proved all OK! It was now the decision of the pilot as to when the next part of the operation would commence – the engine start up. It seemed an age before he was ready, sitting high in his cockpit and straining to see (for him for the first time) the taped 30-foot wide lane down which he was to steer the aircraft, at take-off speed, on his one-chance-only effort.

At last, he crouched down, busy with the controls, gave a ‘thumbs up’, then a quick look toward me, the fitter, at the port wing. He gave a few seconds thought, then: “Contact”. With a press of the button by my trembling thumb on the trolley acc, the propeller started to rotate, accompanied by the whirling noise of the engine starter motor. After what seemed an eternity, with a slightly different sound, a puff of smoke from the exhaust, and a slight acceleration in rotation of the

…...continued

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