Dave Dawson with the Eighth Air ForceBowen, Robert Sidney
General
Dave Dawson with the Eighth Air Force
Bowen, Robert Sidney
World War, 1939-1945 -- Juvenile fiction
"The address," he said in little more than a whisper, "is Number
One-Five-Six Kholerstrasse. Yes, the very same street. He goes by the
name of Heinrich Weiden. I can't tell you how he looks now, but he was
a big man. A six footer, with straw hair and blue eyes. The fourth
finger of the left hand is missing at the first joint. But he may be
wearing a fake fingertip. I'd try to get word to him to expect you, but
it's too much of a risk. Only the colonel and I know of your mission,
and it's safest to keep it that way."
"But he must have a number, or a code name, sir," Dawson spoke up
quietly. "And how can we let him know--if we do contact him--that we're
okay? After all, you know the uniform we're wearing under our flying
suits."
"Don't worry about that," Major Crandall said. "His code name is
Dartmouth. Where he went to college. And he will know that you are to
be trusted when he hears you speak the words: 'Harvard Nothing.' A few
years ago he captained a Dartmouth football team that blanked Harvard
in a top-heavy game, so that explains the Harvard Nothing touch. Well,
that's all. I'm going to get out of here right away so that your flying
mates won't suspect anything strange going on. A million in luck, as I
said before. But just one last word of caution."
Major Crandall paused and grinned at both of them.
"If things get hot when the raiding planes reach their target," he said
with a twinkle in his eye, "don't forget that you're to fake getting
shot down, and bail out. By that I mean, don't get so tied up slapping
German fighters down that it will be so light by the time you jump that
ground observers will see that you bailed out of Yank planes, and not
Nazi ones."
"We'll keep that in mind, sir," Dawson grinned at him. "But if a Jerry
should happen to slide into our sights I've got a hunch that we won't
just blow a kiss and let him go his way."
"I know darn well you won't!" Major Crandall chuckled. "But just don't
waste too much time blowing kisses. Well, God bless you both!"
The major fairly blurted out the words, saluted them smartly, and then
ducked out of the commandant's office.
"A nice guy," Dawson murmured. "We can't let him down, Freddy. Or the
colonel, either."
"Then why let the thought even enter your brain?" Farmer snapped. "Come
on. Let's get out of here. I want to take another check look at my
plane."
"Me, too," Dawson grunted, and followed him toward the door. "I wonder
if they've got any sponges or towels around here. By now my poor crate
must be drenched to the skin. And through it, what I mean!"
But Freddy let that one go without comment, too, and the pair went
outside and onto the field.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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