Sebtoombs

I want to thank you too! thank you for keeping these games so alive!

Thank you Albrecht a superb way to finish Runt and Monique’s saga! May Jean-Fidele live long and live to marry Therese! I’m enjoying his tale!

Flight Lieutenant Theodore Aloysius Andrews aka 'Runt' DSC HQ Sqn 1 Wing RNAS in Flanders St. Pol-Sur-Mer Fin. 7th March 1916 Combat report 0940hrs mission was to bomb the Roulers railroad depot and junction. The C.O. said it was of great strategic importance. F/L Roderic Dallas - A Flight - Cauldron G4 - No. 1756 F/L TA Andrews - B Flight - Nieuport 11- No. 3940 F/L Noel Keeble - B Flight - Nieuport 11- No. 3984 F/L Redford Mulock- B Flight - Nieuport 11 - No. 3976 F/Sub Lieutenant Sid Hoskins- B Flight - Nieuport 10C- No. 2589 At 1000 Returned to St. Pol-sur-Mer with engine trouble. Andrews leading B flight escorted Dallas to St. Pol-sur-Mer, then proceed to lead B flight to our target to attack any target of opportunity at the railyard. We made several passes. At 1047 during one such pass, Andrews's undercarriage struck two trees and he was seen to crash into the Railyard. His Nieuport exploded in a fireball. It is unlikely he survived. We made one final pass and returned to St. Pol-sur-Mer landing at 1115. No significant damage was done to the rail yard. Signed F/L N. Keeble DSC MC Theodore Aloysius Andrews final stats 1st June 1915 - 7 March 1916 Missions 80 Hours 110.57 Confirmed Victories 14 5 Aviatik BI 4 Fokker EI 3 Aviatik CI 2 Fokker EIII Claims 27 " And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that Andrews lived happily ever after. For Andrews, it was only the beginning of the real story. All his life in this world ... had only been the cover and the title page: now, at last, he was beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” Adapted from C.S.Lewis The Last Battle Thanks for all your support chaps!

I'm so sorry you have been ill my friend! A wonderful way to explain it all! Truly hope you are fully well again! - Your writing hasn't suffered! Warmest Seb

Flight Lieutenant Theodore Aloysius Andrews aka 'Runt' DSC HQ Sqn 1 Wing RNAS in Flanders St. Pol-Sur-Mer Part 19 2nd March 1916 “You looked rested Runt!” Beamed Red as I walked through the door, his soft Canadian drawl speaking of the deep affection built over countless hours in the air. Nine years my senior but with a boyish twinkle in his eyes and the energy of an 18-year-old. “I feel great Red, itching to get back into the air - I know I’m a sailor but that crossing was damned rough!” I joked. It was good to be back at St. Pol-Sur-Mer. The leave had been wonderful, warm and restful. I went out and painted the town with Davies and Jefferson who are both now training as pilots in the RFC after a year of observing with us. Jefferson was singing a new song called “47 Ginger Headed Sailors”, which I earnestly tried to remember to perhaps teach it to the lads in the mess. Jefferson, bless him, even attempted to set me up with his sister Agnes a pretty nurse at St Bartholomew’s hospital in London with thick dark hair and delightful eyes. It was very kind - in a way - but I found my thoughts returning again and again to Monique. It was good to see and laugh with them both again as well as hear of their adventures in Farnham longhorns. Tamer by far than our days together in the BE2s and Moranes. It was a shame they were RFC chaps as I would love to fly with them both one day. As it is, it turns out there’s a bit of professional jealousy between the pilots of His Majesty's armed forces which I was fairly unaware of. It seems the RFC are concerned that we in the Navy are getting all the good French planes before they can get a look in and it’s causing some bad blood. However, they seem quite excited about the new DH2 and are watching 24 Squadron with great interest. The prospect of new aircraft didn’t stop them from pausing at a Royal Navy recruitment poster and defacing it with the words “Join the Navy to feel a man”. Very droll I’m sure! I also spent time with Archie and my family too - a good two weeks I am refreshed and keen once more! Breguet surrounded by thick wonderful smelling clouds of pipe smoke joined us. Rodrick ‘Breguet’ Dallas is a giant of a man and towers over me at 6ft 2 in his stocking feet, his father a labourer and miner from Queensland brought his boy up tough and big. It always surprises me when he contorts his frame and substantial weight into his Caldron, huge hands gripping the controls that look like a child's toy in his massive paws. “Good to have you back runt. It’s not been the same without you old man!” Breguet and Red stood next to each other shuffling awkwardly and looking at each other out of the corner of their eyes as if communicating some secret. “Here, have a cigarette Runt,” Red offered me his packet of ‘Players’. “No thanks Red, my breathing is better without them - what’s eating the pair of you?” “Monique…” Breguet said, teeth tightly clamping the stem of his pipe jumping. “Go on” “We have seen her at the airfield, she asked about you.” Breguet continued. “That’s nice,” I said in a clipped fashion. My stiff upper lip comes in handy now and again. “Only" he continued, "We’ve seen her chatting to a French pilot, handsome chap, flys a green Nieuport with a dagger emblem on the fuselage used to be based here, got moved on in January. Quite an ace if we remember” “I don’t see what any of this has to do with me chaps”, I wanted to get as far from this conversation as possible. “We saw the Frenchie give her money, it’s not looking good for the old girl at all” Red mused. “We all know Ackart was a toad” Breguet added “But for her to go on the game is too much.” I was silent. I nodded to my companions and left the mess, out into the chill night. Desolate. 3rd March Heavy snow and a 0940hrs patrol over enemy front lines with Red and Keeble. 30 minutes in I developed problems with my engine and had to return to St Pol-sur-Mer. A fine homecoming this! A fine homecoming! 4th March My Nieuport's engine was being repaired - hopefully fit to fly tomorrow. I caught up on paperwork- not wanting to think about Monique and what she’d become. What on Earth had happened to her and was it any of my business? I pondered hitching a lift to Dunkirk and paying the Fountaine’s at Le P'tit Dupont a visit. A request from Admiralty for a report on fighting Aviatik Cs put pay to that - I dutifully responded and tried to ease my heart with some whiskey. The snow is now thick on the ground. 5th March Nieuport was still in for repairs so missed the morning patrol. Selby, my mechanic couldn’t apologise enough, and together we worked on it. By lunchtime, the engine was purring like a cat. 1518hrs Artillery spotting with Breguet in his Cauldron between Menen and Loo. I took three new chaps up with Red. They were Thomas, Adlam and Boscawen. I thought of Tubby as guided our flight through the thick clouds and snow flurries and resolved to do better for these new boys. No HA were spotted but we did locate several Hun batteries along the Lys. I thought of Tubby as guided our flight This evening I'm too tired to contemplate a trip to the Le P'tit Dupont, but maybe it isn’t such a good idea after all. To be continued…..