Desert Air - 39. DA Ch 39 - Liberators

“Our host spotted it first, so you can blame him for noticing the reflection in the mirror of his personal vehicle,” the Captain replied. “Nice going Jex, I will have to make sure we take better care next time,” the 2IC replied.

“Right, we have a different activity today, our esteemed host has informed me that apart from the regular museum visitors, we have some three Globemaster aircraft landing on runway one at 1000 hours, carrying two B24 Liberator Aircraft, and some jeeps and other equipment form the WW2 period to add to the museum display.

The museum staff will notify each visitor that arrives onto the base this morning, will be notified that there will be aircraft activity on the main runway, and that there are Army personnel on the airbase, and that they are to obey any commands that we make, for their safety.

Since there is just over an hour remaining till these aircraft arrive, we will load up into and outside of all available vehicles, Corporal Kendrik will take the Jackaroo, I will drive the Land Rover, the two platoon Lieutenants will each drive a Hawkei, and Staff Sergeant, you will drive the last one.

You have fifteen minutes to get hydrated, grab a snack, put on your desert camouflage, and get your day packs on with lunch rations, and we will keep heavy weapons locked up in the three Hawkei’s for now, with officers and NCOs’ only to wear side arms. Sergeant, you and your galley staff are to remain in camp, and set up all of the tents, we will be back at around 1600 hours,” the Captain ordered.

“I have a set of desert cams for you Corporal, I will bring them to you,” the Captain added directly to me, and I nodded my head in understanding. Fifteen minutes later, we were on parade ready to move out for these mornings’ manoeuvres. I was assigned to A squad 1^st platoon, with the Captain commanding, and he had decided on a way of approaching the airfield in a quiet and stealth way.

B squad of 1^st and 2^nd platoon’s, and A squad of 2^nd Platoon, would remain with the Hawkei’s, and will travel around to the south-east gate, then spread out along the southern boundary of the airbase. C & D squads of the 1^st and 2^nd Platoons, will be dropped off around the north-east, east and southern boundaries, and will make their way towards runway one, using what ever is available to remain hidden from the public.

Most of A squad 1^st platoon will remain with the my Land Rover near the compound, except me, as I will hike from the north fence to the operations shed, and at some stage when no one is looking, I will drop out of sight and make the rest of the journey on my belly.

This would be a training exercise on its own, before taking guard around the main runway, with just 40 minutes to surround the runway before the aircraft arrive. I had called Dad earlier, and asked him to give Hedley the portable HF radio, which I would collect, so as to be in contact with the approaching aircraft.

With just ten minutes remaining before the aircraft arrive, I was almost at the operations shed, and I had been unseen for that time, until a high pitched scream came from close to my location, and I stayed still only just able to see Hedley race out of the shed towards the girl, who was running towards some other visitors, who I presumed are her relatives.

“I saw a man lying on the ground, I nearly trod on him, I think he is dead,” I heard the girl say, “Where did you see this man little one?’ I heard Hedley say, and at that point I decided to reveal myself. “It’s just me Hedley, we are doing a training exercise and yes she nearly trod on me,” I said as I stood and walked towards them.

“What are you doing going around and scaring the daylights out of young girls like that?” a women demanded as she walked fast towards me, and I stopped and placed my hands up to signal that I bare no harm, with me being the only soldier not assigned a weapon.

“Ma’am, do you recall being informed at the front gate when you entered the museum, that there are Army personnel on the airbase?” I asked when the lady stopped about two metres from me, “err, yes, but what had that got to do with scaring my daughter?’ the lady demanded, “Did you also receive information that you were asked to read, in regards to all visitors remaining on marked tracks and roads on the museum property?’ I asked.

“Yes, but that gives you no right to be laying there scaring young girls,” the woman replied, “It has everything to do with it, she should not have been where I was laying in the first place, if you had been monitoring your child in the first place she would not have seen me at all, and for your information, I am not only a corporal in the Australian Army, but I am Jexon Kendrik, owner of this facility,” I responded.

“The women opened her mouth to complain some more but thought better of it and snapped her mouth closed, before grabbing her daughter’s hand and yanking her away from us, back towards the rest of her family.

“Hey Jex, I wouldn’t have recognised you with all that gear on, does this mean that there are more of you out there hidden away?’ Hedley said to me, “Yes, a whole squadron of 90 men in total, some with vehicles others hidden like myself,” I replied.

“Oh, well you do a good job of hiding, I have that HF radio for you in the shed,” Hedley responded, as we turned and headed that way. Grabbing a cold water from the fridge, I drank all of it in one go, before depositing the empty bottle into the bin, just as Rhodes entered, and it took a moment to realise that the guy in the Army uniform with the camo on, was me.

“Hey bro is this fancy dress party or what, and did you cause that girl to scream?” Rhodes said to me, and I laughed, “Funny little bro, there is another half a squadron out there hidden like I was until I was nearly trodden on and the girl screamed, she thought I was dead,” I replied.

“Sit Rep Corporal Kendrik?” a voice said over the comm’s, “Just arrived at the Operations shed sir, I had an encounter with a civilian girl who screamed when she thought she saw a dead body, and she was in an area where she wasn’t meant to be, over,” I responded over the Sat Com.

“I hope you gave the parent a good talking too, over,” the Captain said to me, “Yes sir, I did, but she only stopped arguing when I revealed that I am the owner of the property, over,” I replied, just as the HF radio came to life.

“US Globemaster 1 to Corunna Airbase, over,” a voice with a strong American accent said, and I grabbed the radio to respond, as I looked outside towards the wind sock.

“Globemaster 1, this is Corunna Airbase, you are cleared to land on Runway One East, the winds are westerly at 15 knots, once landed follow the lead vehicle at the end of the runway, over,” I replied, “Roger that, turning to land on Runway One east, see you on the ground, over,” the response came.

“Captain, I have made contact with the first aircraft, it is approaching on Runway One East, over,” I said over the Sat Com, “Copy that. Squadron, make your self known and prepare guard along both sides of Runway One,” the Captain responded, and suddenly about 50 men stood up from their hidden positions, and began to walk fast towards the runway.

The visitors, who were closest to some of the men, where caught by surprise by the Army men suddenly appearing, and backed away from the main runway as men walked towards the runway,

Less than two minutes later, along with the three Hawkei vehicles, the runway was surrounded, with the men facing outwards towards the visitors, to keep an eye on them as they now saw a giant aircraft approaching.

One they first aircraft had touched down, I was on the back of Dad’s vehicle at the end of the runway, with him driving, and I began to signal to the aircraft to follow me, and Dad slowly drove the Ute to the end of the runway, before turning right onto the taxiway, and then left onto the access track towards the eastern aircraft pits, where the B24 Liberator will be on display.

Once the Globemaster was stopped just past the second pit, Dad followed the track to get back to the runway, and I gave the same instructions to the second Globemaster aircraft. This time I instructed Dad to take us to the second aircraft pit on the western track, where the second B24 Liberator will be on display in the Aircraft pit.

Once the second plane was in position, we returned to the end of the runway for the last plane to land, and this time, we would be directing it to land on Runway One West, so that it can unload its, cargo on Runway Two, with the first B24 Liberator, been recently moved to a newly formed parking apron, on the inside corner of the north end of Runway Two and the Taxiway, making room for any aircraft to still use the taxiway.

Once all three Globemaster’s were on the ground and shut off, the Captain ordered a security perimeter around each of the aircraft, to stop any visitors from getting too close, while they off load their cargo, and I asked Dad to take me back to the first Globemaster to speak to the Commander of the aircraft.

“Colonel, my name is Jexon Kendrik, the owner of this facility, this is my father Flint, and in the Hawkei approaching is Captain Tim Eccleston, Blue Squadron, SAS Regiment, Australian Army, and the security detail are his men,” I said as I approached the senior officer and shook hands.

“A corporal who owns a former secret Airbase, interesting,” the Colonel said, as Captain Eccleston approached, “Yes it is interesting, we seconded him for part of the duration of our stay here, and until last night we had no idea that we had thee hefty visitors arriving,” Captain Eccleston responded, as he shook hands with Colonel Arnold Limeburner.

“Corporal Kendrik is only a reservist, while he completes his university studies in Perth, 1,500 kilometres south-west of here, we did want him to continue with officer training, but Command decided that he was more useful close to home,” Tim explained, and I nodded my head in agreement.

“I am assigned to the 13^th Combat Service Support Battalion in Perth for the duration of my University studies, which end in December this year, I think afterwards I will be based closer to home after that,” I added. “I see, well I have done some training at your army training facilities near Darwin, and I jumped at the chance to come and explore more of your country,” the Colonel said.

“Will you be staying here long?” Captain Eccleston asked, “Only long enough to put the pieces of the two planes together, we have enough supplies to last us for the duration of our stay,” the Colonel replied, and it was then that I had an idea.

“Colonel, I have a favour to ask if you would consider it please,” I said, and now all attention was facing me, “Go ahead, I am listening, “Well sir, my father has already built some facilities, ready for the expansion of military facilities here at the airbase, for future training exercises, which are located, at a civilian airport 31 kilometres due north of here, but it is only 1.4 kilometres long,” I stated.

“Well, when they are empty we can land on a runway 3,500 feet or 1,100 metres long, so that will do, as long as the load isn’t to heavy we should be able to take off no problems either, what exactly will we be carrying?’ the Colonel replied.

“Accommodation and utility buildings for an out camp, 6 kilometres west of the present camp base,” I replied. “Then I see no problem with that, the load compartment is 88 feet long and 19 feet wide, or 27 by 5.5 metres in your measurements,” the colonel said.