Wraggles To The Rescue!

[Jollyrei]

A very engrossing yarn indeed, and a first in that I seem to have spent more time naked than Barb.

Ah, my uniform at last. Now, if you're all happy, I hear there's a pretty girl serving coffee back at Repertor's safe house. I could use a coffee.

Great stuff, Wragg!

 

[Ted Parry]

“Come on then, Barb, tell us what this is all about.” Wraggles was deeply curious. “So Colonel Raymond was the traitor?”

Very luckily for me, I am on extremely good terms with Ted Parry, and he rang me to let me know that he was due to attack this clearing at exactly 4:35 this morning, and that he had had specific orders from Colonel Raymond to aim specifically for any women that he saw, especially any that may be on crosses. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind specifically missing any women that he saw.
THE END.

It was very lucky that I remembered Barbs number .... but there again it was drummed into my brain as a youngster .... Whitehall 1212 .....
(Explanation to follow if no-one is old enough to remember it !)

 

[Wragg]

It was very lucky that I remembered Barbs number .... but there again it was drummed into my brain as a youngster .... Whitehall 1212 .....
(Explanation to follow if no-one is old enough to remember it !)

Of course I'm not old enough, Ted....

I will leave it to you to enlighten we mere striplings

 

[Barbaria1]

It was very lucky that I remembered Barbs number .... but there again it was drummed into my brain as a youngster .... Whitehall 1212 .....
(Explanation to follow if no-one is old enough to remember it !)

Enlighten please. I must not be old enough.

 

[Ted Parry]

Of course I'm not old enough, Ted....

I will leave it to you to enlighten we mere striplings

Whenever there was a serious incident .... a message was broadcast on the radio (valve set, no transistors then) and anyone with information should telephone Whitehall 1212 .... Scotland Yard, Police HQ.
It ran until the new telephone system was introduced in the 1960's .... The last four digits of the new number are still 1212.

 

[bobinder]

“ACHTUNG!!! FLUGZEUG!!!”

The anti-aircraft guns opened fire as two Mosquito fighter-bombers roared overhead, machine guns clattering.

British, German, and resistance alike scattered for cover, leaving poor Messaline alone as bombs fell terrifyingly close to her cross. She screamed as it was rocked by the concussion. Wraggles grabbed Barb and they both landed in a ditch part filled with cold and very muddy water.

“God in Heaven, Barb, you’re a smooth operator!” gasped Wraggles. “You knew this was coming!”

One of the AA emplacements had taken a direct hit from a bomb, the other was silenced by a stream of cannon fire from a Mosquito. As it turned, its markings were clearly visible.

“By Christ!” called Algy, from further along the same ditch, “That’s Ted Parry’s plane!”

“And that’s old Bob Inder!” yelled Ginger, excitedly, as the second Mosquito flew over. “Damn good shooting, fellows!” As if they could hear him.

Two Mosquito fighter-bombers roared overhead...


“That’s Ted Parry’s plane!”


“And that’s old Bob Inder!”

Thanks for the honourable mention!
Next time you put on one of these shows, Squadron Leader, I'll happily bring down some wrath from the heavens.
Brilliant story - a true ripping yarn in the Boys' Own tradition.
Congratulations - I'm already looking forward to the next one!

 

[Ted Parry]

View attachment 438421
Two Mosquito fighter-bombers roared overhead...

View attachment 438422
“That’s Ted Parry’s plane!”

View attachment 438423
“And that’s old Bob Inder!”

Thanks for the honourable mention!
Next time you put on one of these shows, Squadron Leader, I'll happily bring down some wrath from the heavens.
Brilliant story - a true ripping yarn in the Boys' Own tradition.
Congratulations - I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Bang on Bobinder old chap ... damn I loved our old wooden wonders .... two bloody great Rolls-Royce Merlins strapped on to an old orange box, slap on four 20mm cannons and it was so bloody fast we were always first home for breakfast .... Happy Days.

 

[bobinder]

Bang on Bobinder old chap ... damn I loved our old wooden wonders .... two bloody great Rolls-Royce Merlins strapped on to an old orange box, slap on four 20mm canons and it was so bloody fast we were always first home for breakfast .... Happy Days.

Even faster unarmed on photo-reconnaissance - 400mph wasn't it? Yes, it was a truly wonderful aeroplane!

 

[Primus pilus]

Bang on Bobinder old chap ... damn I loved our old wooden wonders .... two bloody great Rolls-Royce Merlins strapped on to an old orange box, slap on four 20mm cannons and it was so bloody fast we were always first home for breakfast .... Happy Days.

Even faster unarmed on photo-reconnaissance - 400mph wasn't it? Yes, it was a truly wonderful aeroplane!

The Wooden Wonder - as flown by Pp's boyhood hero Keith Ross Miller when he was seconded to No 169 Squadron RAF in the latter stages of the Second World War. Nugget had a few problems with discipline but survived those and a few brushes with death to forge a wonderful sporting career though he is probably best-known for telling Michael Parkinson that "Pressure is a Messerschmidt up your arse, playing cricket is not".

 

[Wragg]

Bit of an apology for the title.....

Of course, Wraggles did little or no rescuing, Messaline and Jollyrei owe their rescues to Barb, not to some half-witted clown who managed nothing more heroic than kneeing a fellow in the goolies...

But "Barb to the Rescue" would have been a spoiler.

 

[Primus pilus]

Bit of an apology for the title.....

Of course, Wraggles did little or no rescuing, Messaline and Jollyrei owe their rescues to Barb, not to some half-witted clown who managed nothing more heroic than kneeing a fellow in the goolies...

But "Barb to the Rescue" would have been a spoiler.

Though Pp doubts the readship would have been any less nor, as the story developed and the clowns began contributing, probably any wiser

 

[Loxuru]

But "Barb to the Rescue" would have been a spoiler.

That title would not have been a spoiler! Rather a suspense thriller!

Thanks for the great story, Capt. Wragglejohns.

 

[windar]

Bit of an apology for the title.....

Of course, Wraggles did little or no rescuing, Messaline and Jollyrei owe their rescues to Barb, not to some half-witted clown who managed nothing more heroic than kneeing a fellow in the goolies...

But "Barb to the Rescue" would have been a spoiler.

I was going to point that out, but I thought it would be tacky to quibble over the title after such an entertaining story. But, truth be told, you did nothing useful in the story. I did nothing useful in the story. Algy did nothing useful in the story. What a worthless crew we all turned out to be. #sad

 

[RacingRodent]

I was going to point that out, but I thought it would be tacky to quibble over the title after such an entertaining story. But, truth be told, you did nothing useful in the story. I did nothing useful in the story. Algy did nothing useful in the story. What a worthless crew we all turned out to be. #sad

They also fight who serve as a useful distraction

 

[old slave]

What a worthless crew we all turned out to be.

Any of our clever members know how many troops actually FOUGHT in WW2? My father moved corned beef and ducks for the cooks and butchers in India and Burma, my father-in-law paid rent to Egyptian hoteliers and land-lords for premises the allies occupied (they agreed the same rent the Germans had paid when they were there).

 

[windar]

Any of our clever members know how many troops actually FOUGHT in WW2? My father moved corned beef and ducks for the cooks and butchers in India and Burma, my father-in-law paid rent to Egyptian hoteliers and land-lords for premises the allies occupied (they agreed the same rent the Germans had paid when they were there).

I've already mentioned my father teaching math to pilots in Canada.

There seems to be some disagreement on what the military types call the "Tooth to tail" ratio. For US forces in Europe I've seen numbers claimed that were 2:1 combat vs non-combat, though others claim it was closer to the reverse. And that doesn't count all the troops back in the US. So it depends how you count. But however you slice it, a great many never fires a shot in anger.

 

[Ted Parry]

Even faster unarmed on photo-reconnaissance - 400mph wasn't it? Yes, it was a truly wonderful aeroplane!

Don't remind me of those 'recce' missions .... Jesus H Christ, you needed balls bigger than that bull ... You remember the big black bugger that used to fuck that 'WAAF Good Time that was had by all' behind the air raid shelter .... You remember her .... Dorothy ... the blonde one with tits like barrage balloons and a fanny like the bomb bay on a Lancaster ....

 

[RacingRodent]

Any of our clever members know how many troops actually FOUGHT in WW2?

Well that is always going to be an awkward one. I mean while if you are in the infantry and toting a rifle it should be fairly obvious but does the guy trekking with a backpack full of food under fire in order to bring it to those riflemen count as fighting? An awful lot of 'non-combat' troops can find themselves awfully close to the fighting even if they never pick up a rifle.

Royal Army Service Corps drivers for example were considered combatant personnel as their job typically took them into harms way. Even so Royal Army Ordnance Corps personnel might not have been considered combatant but handling explosive stores was their full time and hardly safe job.

Also in other services all the personnel on RAF Fighter and Bomber Command bases in Southern England could expect to experience direct attack during the Battle of Britain. The Merchant Navy and similar merchant marines of several allied and neutral nations all also risked and often experienced direct attack despite officially being counted as civilians.

It is probably never going to be possible to give a clear, definitive answer to that one.

 

[Ted Parry]

Well that is always going to be an awkward one. I mean while if you are in the infantry and toting a rifle it should be fairly obvious but does the guy trekking with a backpack full of food under fire in order to bring it to those riflemen count as fighting? An awful lot of 'non-combat' troops can find themselves awfully close to the fighting even if they never pick up a rifle.

Totally agree RR .... extending your hypothesis, you could even consider the girls back home as combatants .... certainly an incentive .... none of those brave lads wanted to die a virgin ....

 

[Barbaria1]

Totally agree RR .... extending your hypothesis, you could even consider the girls back home as combatants .... certainly an incentive .... none of those brave lads wanted to die a virgin ....

As I was saying earlier ... we women did our bit!

.. we flirted
.. we preened
.. we romped in your dreams
.. we allowed you to liberate us
... but you needed to be careful
... and we were always the life of the parties (gathering intelligence from the occupation troops).