Story: 'The Overnight Delivery.'

[Falls]

I started this tale some time ago and have been tinkering with it - off and on- ever since. (You have to have something to do on our long Canadian winter nights).

 

It's a work of fiction with a few facts sprinkled in. It may not be everybody's cup-of-tea.

 

Regards

 

 

The Overnight delivery.

[coyleys]

Excellent Falls.

That was my kind of story, a great tale, and told on location.

If I may remind you of my last post and of the fact that the aircraft in question was flying over Falls’s house when it got into trouble, need I say more.

Good one Falls

If I may inject a bit of levity…

And when all the smoke had cleared, the only thing left standing was one solitary table and chair, occupied by old Gladys.

Old Gladys looks at her glass, then over to the space where the bar once stood and with the look of total confusion says.

“Sorry about that Landlord, but your mild is playing havoc with the old bowels tonight”

[Falls]

Excellent Falls.

That was my kind of story, a great tale, and told on location.

If I may remind you of my last post and of the fact that the aircraft in question was flying over Falls’s house when it got into trouble, need I say more.

Good one Falls

If I may inject a bit of levity…

And when all the smoke had cleared, the only thing left standing was one solitary table and chair, occupied by old Gladys.

Old Gladys looks at her glass, then over to the space where the bar once stood and with the look of total confusion says.

“Sorry about that Landlord, but your mild is playing havoc with the old bowels tonight”

 

Hi Coyleys

 

Thanks for the message. Your comments about old Gladys reminded me of something.

 

To give atmosphere to the story, I was thinking of including the tale of the two miserable old sods standing at the bar nursing single pints that usually lasted them all night. This was in the days when the English licensing hours were much more rigid.

 

About 9 oclock, one turned to the other and said" I'll be glad when its closing time so I can go home".

 

Regards

[pattricia]

This is good Falls. I had wondered what had happend to you, now youve come back with a cracking story.

[Mantaspook]

SPOILERS BELOW: read the story first.

 

I was totally distracted by the storytelling, first I thought they driving a van in Canada, then suddenly you recognise the street names and think I know this place… then you discover what type of “van” they are driving…

 

The switch between the pub and the “van drivers” was almost seamless, I was half expecting Win to walk in the pub with a delivery of beer at one point.

 

A minor point that didn’t ring true, when they start “loosing altitude” (typo: losing) they have the “compensation for they were now a hundred metres or so below the rest of their formation.” Thus avoiding the searchlights.

 

From what I’ve read about night bombing (a) they couldn’t fly in formation at night, nor was it desirable because of the risk of collision and (b) flying below a bomber stream with bombs raining down from above wasn’t a good idea so they’d be worried, not relieved.

 

I think the latter part of the story needed expanding a little, concentrating on the German’s perspective in the cockpit and their desperate evasion manoeuvres as they leave the area, their emotions etc.

 

Nevertheless an interesting story, from your footnote I was surprised to read that a bomb had passed through the arches and then exploded, but hadn’t destroyed the bridge, if it had ‘tamped’ into the foundations it could have caused a lot more damage instead of dissipating the blast into the air.

 

I found this quote on another website:

 

“As we approached the Wicker bomb damage was becoming more frequent and in the Wicker Arches there was a hole in the arch and the chassis of a tram on the track directly below it. The bodywork had gone and it was obvious that a bomb had gone through the arch and had exploded destroying the tram and bringing down the overhead wires.”

[Falls]

SPOILERS BELOW: read the story first.

 

 

A minor point that didn’t ring true, when they start “loosing altitude” (typo: losing) they have the “compensation for they were now a hundred metres or so below the rest of their formation.” Thus avoiding the searchlights.

 

From what I’ve read about night bombing (a) they couldn’t fly in formation at night, nor was it desirable because of the risk of collision and (b) flying below a bomber stream with bombs raining down from above wasn’t a good idea so they’d be worried, not relieved.

 

I think the latter part of the story needed expanding a little, concentrating on the German’s perspective in the cockpit and their desperate evasion manoeuvres as they leave the area, their emotions etc.

 

Nevertheless an interesting story, from your footnote I was surprised to read that a bomb had passed through the arches and then exploded, but hadn’t destroyed the bridge, if it had ‘tamped’ into the foundations it could have caused a lot more damage instead of dissipating the blast into the air.]

 

 

Thanks for your comments. I thought I corrected the "losing" mistake but I guess not. As for the "formation", this was sloppy work on my part. I intened it to be a collective name for a group of aircraft, not necessarily flying in formation. I had thought of using one of the German terms, for the aircraft group, but decided this was being far too condescending.

 

I did do some research on the Junker 88, like still being used as a bomber in late 1940 before it had second life as a night fighter. Your comment about not flying in formation at night was news to me; however, it did jog my memory about former colleague here in Canada.

 

The poor guy died in 1990 but he had a heck of a story to tell about piloting Lancasters. I don't think he would mind a fellow Yorkshireman telling it.

 

All I have to do now is get the tale in the right order, so to speak. Thanks for the tip.

 

Regards

.

[sauerkraut]

Just remembered I haven't commented on this. Sorry, Falls. I thought it was brilliant. A real twist in the tail - I certainly hadn't seen it coming: like the others I thought at first it was about long distance lorry driving in Canada, and then I thought they were delivering the beer. Your choice of names for the characters was very clever in keeping us guessing! Good one