Saturday 28 May 2022

The search is on ...

Patrols have been doubled near the coast...

Calling HQ: all clear on coast road ....


A few scouts help in the search ....


Calling HQ: Sopley farm checked, nothing seen so far on Sorbiton Heath.....
Down at Malachi's cove the home guard patrol the low cliff ....

Wednesday 25 May 2022

On the move ....

With daylight starting to go, it is nearly dusk and the search is still on... so far no luck in finding the black car. The officer discusses the next move with a plain clothes intelligence man.  "We'll double coastal and harbour patrols and see if we can cover possible landing strips, otherwise we'll just have to trust to luck ..."

The intelligence man had a hunch, he would make a call to HQ for some information ....

---oXo---

Cynthia and the Falconer had a change of clothing and also found some suitable items for the airmen as well. Following a quick meal, after dark they got out the van. The airmen would ride in the back, the other two would take turns to drive ...

They were soon off on their journey to the pickup point ....

Saturday 21 May 2022

To the Castle ...

continued from previous post....

The back car went at break neck speed east down the road from Corley wood for 3 miles then took a sharp right for a couple of miles where it whizzed past a couple of scouts, nearly knocking them over; one of the scouts took the number of the car (something odd was going on he thought)...

Another mile down the road and the car pulled into a yard of Castle Farm....
Cynthia popped out of the house to see who had arrived and had a heated conversation with the 'Falconer' (it had been a big risk to come in day-light). Once she'd calmed down she said "OK then we'll put them in the barn for now - I'll arrange a change of clothes for them; we'll send a signal later...'
Once they were in the barn the black car was hidden round the back of the house under a tarpaulin.

---oXo---

Signal sent to german intelligence by Cynthia later ...

Castle calling: Falconer and Hatchlings in the nest, request collection ...

Response: Received and understood,  at 0600hrs tomorrow, location at rendezvous alpha-2

to be continued ...


Thursday 19 May 2022

Searching Chorley Wood .....

German aircraft radios their base: 

Hawk calling - mission completed, photos taken, aircraft hit on return leg - losing fuel, will bail out - urgent arrange pickup location Z .

Response: Message received Hawk - the Falconer will collect you - if you do not meet go to the Castle and ask for Cynthia.

Some time later: 

HQ phone call to home guard Freezingham: Parachutists seen in your area, location environs of Chorley Wood; plane down nearby - investigate.

---oXo---

Chorley Wood....

The home guard have arrived and are about to enter the wood...  four parachutists are down - the air crew ( position of air crew initially show my green circular tokens)
The air crew move slowly through the woods trying to evade the home guard patrols (and reach their rendez-vous point - a rocky outcrop) ..
One of the air crew disturbs some birds, attracting the attention of a couple of nearby home guard ...
The air crew reach their rendezvous point - the rocky outcrop;  two of the home guard are now nearby...
the air crew plan their next move ..(at this point changed over from tokens to figures, as now in a group)
as they headed towards the road, a motorcyle with side car toddled past;  one of the home guard was closing in ...
'Halt who goes there' shouted the home guard, as the air crew came into view - he fired a shot at them but missed...
Two of the aircrew went for him, pushing him over and knocking him out... (fisticuffs with rock paper scissors dice - rock looses to two paper !)...
As the air crew reached the road, two more home guard had come up moving to the sound of the gun fire...
The german officer turned and shot one of them; as they crossed the road ... two home guard were coming up - down the road in the distance they could see a motorcyle with side car moving their way ...
As they moved into the field, a man in a black trench coat stepped out and identified himself as the Falconer and ushered them into a waiting black car...
The Falconer drove like a man possessed along the field and then back through a gap in the hedge onto the road at off along at breakneck speed...

---oXo---

Home Guard to HQ: German aircrew escaped ...assisted by man in black car .. heading east towards Freezingham....  German recon plane found crashed two miles east of Chorley Wood - camera film canister not located.
---oXo---

Will the german air crew make good their escape and get the recon film back across the channel ?