The Dawn Patrol Page #5

Disobeyed orders, blamed me, accused me

of putting kids into canvas coffins.

Well, listen to this, my lad.

Headquarters liked your raid this morning.

They liked it so well

that they've appointed me up to Wing.

Excuse me, Phipps.

And before I go, I'm ordered to appoint

someone in my place.

- Here at my place at this little desk.

- What do you mean?

I mean that

that someone is going to be you.

See how you like it,

Mr. Squadron Commander Courtney.

Right.

- Goodbye, Phipps. I'll be writing to you.

- Goodbye, sir.

- Hello, 59th. Hold on.

- 59th?

- Hello. Yes?

- Hello, 59th. Hello.

Let me speak w ith

the commanding officer.

It's for the commanding officer.

That's you, Captain Courtney.

- Hello?

- Speak louder.

- I can't hear you.

- Hello.

At dawn tomorrow,

put both flights into the air.

- What is it?

- That's his third bottle going in.

He won't listen to me.

- Let the infantry get demoralized.

- We can't.

No. I can't put planes over them, because

I haven't got anybody left to fly them.

- You have no man left to fly them?

- No. Replacements?

- Six of them, poor kids.

- Never mind that.

Von Richter's shot us out of the air.

He's killed all our best men.

- What do you expect us to do?

- Green kids can't stop him.

- They've had enough training.

- He'll shoot them down.

You have your orders.

Now see that you follow them out.

Yes.

All right, it'll be done, but I tell you

they haven't got a chance on earth.

Brass hats,

sitting up there in easy chairs.

- Trying to make excuses--

- Third of the bottle down the hatch.

- You'll have geese on your desk--

- All right, what?

- I'm sorry.

- Wait a minute. I'm sorry, old chap.

Scott-o, that's bad, isn't it?

I'm as jumpy as the dickens.

Oh, I get like that too.

You know, I can't get used to being

up there in front of that flight all alone.

- I miss you up there

- Do you? I miss it too.

- This is a rotten job.

- Well, somebody's got to do it.

But why me?

I'm supposed to be a flier, I think.

None better, my boy.

I heard a good story

from one of the mechanics just now.

- Two fishermen went out, three fisher--

- Not now, old chap. Do you mind?

I've been talking to headquarters.

We've got a rotten job ahead of us now.

Do you remember Brand

used to call himself the executioner?

Poor Brand. He was nearly half-witty

when he left this place.

Yes. I'm beginning to understand

a lot about him.

He's probably in Paris with a bottle

in one hand and a blond in the other--

Replacements.

More lambs for the slaughter.

Fix them up.

- Make them as comfortable as you can.

- I will.

Oh, they're really young this time.

How many hours

have you actually had?

Hours? Nine to be precise.

That was at Hendon, of course.

I got my wings on a Longhorn.

Finished off in a good old Avro

all the way out.

An FE for me, though, any day.

- Donnie.

- Scotty.

- Where did you come from?

- Oh, Hendon.

Gents, this is my brother, Captain Scott.

- I thought you were in school.

- Not much. I had to get in this.

I went through ground-school

in precisely four weeks and two days.

- You did, huh?

- Yes.

- Well, aren't you glad to see me?

- Yes. Of course I am.

- This is my baby brother.

- How do you do, sir?

- How do you do, sergeant?

- Come on inside.

Attention.

I'm the skipper of A Flight.

Lieutenant Billings, sir,

reporting from the pool for duty.

Stand at ease, gentlemen.

There's no formality here.

Billings.

- Will you take care of these officers for me?

- Yes, sir.

- You've got a bar in here and everything.

- I suppose you drink now, do you?

I did have a couple coming over

on the boat. It made me sick.

- Good.

- I could try one with you.

No.

- Now, look here, Scotty.

- Or what?

Hold down on this baby stuff.

You're the big lad of the family...

...but I'm in this with you now,

officer-and-gentlemen stuff.

- How many hours have you had?

- Nine.

Nine.

Oh, now, listen, Scotty. I went through

combat maneuvers without a hitch.

You should have seen me.

I'm sure you did, Donnie. I'll show you

your room. You can share mine with me.

That's great. By the way,

isn't Court in command here?

- Yes.

- Well, can't we go and see him?

You'll see him soon enough. Come on.

Come on, old chap. Ready for orders?

Come on.

Attention.

Turn that thing off, will you, Aimes?

- Attention, men.

- Quiet, lads. Line up, please.

Orders for tomorrow morning.

Good evening, gentlemen.

There's no secrecy about these orders.

GHQ has discovered that Fritz is making

a big push the day after tomorrow.

They've started minor advances already.

You're to patrol

the Mantez Woods Sector.

That's opposite the German 6th army.

You'll fly four patrols a day...

...which means that every man

will be in the air at dawn.

As usual, you've got the dirty work to do,

low flying, machine gunning infantry...

...strafing supply trucks

and any shock troops they try to bring up.

You're flying directly below Von Richter's

patrols, so you better watch out.

- That's all.

- Court?

- Oh, may I say hello, sir?

- Donnie.

- Donnie Scott. Where did you spring from?

- Hendon.

Hendon?

You're....

- You're one of the replacements?

- Yes. I go up tomorrow, don't I?

Yes, you do.

Court, you're not sending him up

on patrol tomorrow. You can't do that.

Every man goes up tomorrow, Scott-o.

If you think I'm taking him up,

you're crazy.

- Oh, but, listen, Scotty, I'm an excellent--

- Oh, shut up.

He's not going up.

- Be ready at dawn tomorrow.

- Yes, sir.

Now, look here, Scotty--

You wait here.

And you're the one that gapped to Brand

about sending green kids up to get killed.

Combat maneuvers. Ground-school.

He doesn't know.

What chance would he have up there?

He'll have as much chance as the others.

There can't be any exceptions.

Do you think I want to do this?

Those are the orders.

Oh, I know it's orders, Court.

Give me three days, two days.

Then I can get him up in the air...

...and teach him a few basic tricks.

At least he'll have a fighting chance.

He doesn't know anything.

Court, he can't even do a half-loop

and roll out.

Do you hear that? He can't even roll out.

What good's he gonna be up there?

Do you think he's gonna bring down

any Boche plane? No.

They'll slaughter him, Court.

Give me just a few days.

I said every man goes into the air

at dawn.

- I'm sorry, Scott-o, but there it is.

- I won't take him up.

- Those are the orders.

- I don't care. I won't do it.

Those are the orders! Now, get out!

Get out.

Right.

- Headquarters.

- Hello, headquarters.

- Are you there?

- Yes.

This is 59th Squadron.

I want to talk to General Barranger.

- Is it urgent?

- Yes, it's very urgent.

Right.

- Hello, hello.

- Hello, yes? Yes, sir, Courtney.

I wouldn't have bothered,

but we've got an impossible situation.

- Didn't your replacements reach you?

- The replacements? Yes, they arrived.

- They're kids.

- They've had training.

They'll be no earthly use

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