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Book One World War Three 1946

Book One World War Three 1946
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Saturday, April 7, 2012

Cambridge Airport by Tallthinkev

Most of the Americans had moved on a number of days earlier including Col Stewart leaving some of the more technical personal behind. This did not stop Cambridge Airport being increasingly crowded with all sorts of aircraft. From the single Tiger Moth, to the squadron of Spitfires, a mix of MK IX's and XIV's. Together with a number of P-51's for airfield defence. Anson's and Oxford's, and even a Whitney in for repair.

There were others, a P-61. No longer a Black Widow, for it had had it's paint striped. This had increased the speed by some 10 mph as the weight of paint had gone. Polishing it had also helped.

The Aero Department had taken over the hanger that Jack had been in charge of. This suited him fine, it was a bit beyond him if truth be told.

He was now helping with a Wellington, it was being packed with as much radar equipment as possible. Some of it British other stuff from Germany and the US. The Yagi style antenna was causing some trouble, mostly, because of not knowing the best place was to put it. It was too big to put between the inner wing and engines and couldn't be put under the outer parts of the wing because that was where the RATO was going to go. Jack thought he was lucky that he wasn't living in Romsey Town if one of those had dropped off there he wouldn't be too happy. So it was decided to mount them on the top of the wings. From what he could tell when this Wellington was finished it could see all aircraft within 75,000 square miles and whose planes they were.

'75,000 miles, my foot. More like 75 foot'. he muttered.

One of the questions being asked was about weight. It could carry 4,000 pounds of bombs and this equipment couldn't weigh any more than that. Maybe it was the centre of gravity the bods were thinking?

'Why don't you ask Barnes Wallace he made it.' said Jack

This like a lot of stuff, with these types, big brains and no common.

Jack was there because he had been asked to design new fabric parts to cover the mountings and more to cover the windows.

'Why not just paint the windows black?' Jack was thinking.

The rest was an easy enough job if they had let him get on with it but, it wasn't. He had 10 different men telling him 20 different ways to do it.

For the next two hours he listened to many ways how he should do his job. He didn't take notice of any of it. Jack walked away. Time for a cup of tea.

The mood at Marshalls was gloomy, to say the least. With the death of the king the whole country was in a deep malaise. Only the now very real threat of the Russians, so close to England held them together. Most people just got on with their jobs the best they could, Jack included. His wife and mother had taken the news better than he had hoped. His son John had just about forgotten about about it. A seven year old boy does that kind of thing.

The evening before Jack had taken his wife, Gwen, to the pictures there first night together for weeks. They had watched the latest news reel, and later The Big Sleep was shown. Jack quite liked that. Gwen didn't. She much preferred the more romantic films, ones with Leslie Howard. He had been dead 4 years now, his plane shot down by the Germans over The Bay of Biscay.

There was yet another government information film about, Gwen couldn't remember those things any more they just washed over her and many others these days. 7 years of them now.

They had both remarked about the collage's and the Fitzwilliam moving the more precious items, they held, out and putting them in some large lorries. They hadn't remembered them doing that when they were at war with Germany. Could be they hiding them away from the Russians they both thought. Thing could be a lot worse than they had been told.

Cambridge a target?


Nothing here apart from the airport and Pye's and maybe the railway station. The station had been attacked early in the last war then left alone. Unlike Soham.

'Could they want to bomb the gas works or the pumping station.' asked Gwen
'I don't see why' said Jack 'The Jerry's didn't. And even if they did it doesn't matter the black out is back.'

The King had been dead for three days. Queen Elizabeth II had made her first radio broadcast to the empire last night. She had promised to carry on the work of her father.

From the rank of captain to Commander in Chief of the whole armed forces in one day. From a princess to Queen and Empress in one second.

At Westminster Hall the lying in state was going to go ahead. The Russians had, not bombed Britain, yet. So to the expected 150,000 people to file pass, was considered little danger. There were many air raid shelters near by anyway. The king was to be interred at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle and his body was going to be driven there at night. Having over 1,000,000 people lining the route was thought to be not the best idea. The BBC and newsreel was going to be allowed to be at Windsor for the first time.

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