Night Plane Co-op.

Flak, Volume 1, Issue 7, 11 June 1943, Page 4

Night Plane Co-op.

You sit in the mess and you laugh and you joke, And you watch the crowd through a haze of smoke. Someone’s playing the gramaphone And you’re starting to feel quite at home; And suddenly out of the night’s still calm . Comes that discordant jangle: “Alarm!” The Gramophone’s left, and butts are dropped. You dive for the door but there you’re stopped By everyone trying to do the same. So you wait, your turn and endure the pain Of mild abuse and pokes in the back, Till you’re out in the night with the rest of the pack. Then you run like hell, and all the time You’re thinking of words that will define ’ That wretched bloke in his dirty plane Who seems to think it’s just . a game, As he spins and dives away from the lights, Then soars again like a bird in flight. Then you strain your eyes and you peer about Till your neck near breaks. Then someone shouts “Plane,” r .and you make a dive for your post, But the next thing you hear is “Target lost.” Then after what seems an awful time, ' You hear “Stand down, and you think “That’s fine.” There’s a bit of a scuffle, a bit of a jig, Arid somebody’s elbow goes into your rib.. You turn to give them a killer stare, But it has no effect —it’s dark up there. . Then later still you crawl to your beds, ' You curse the army and curse its heads. You curse the war and you curse the guns, . You curse the spaghetti eaters and Huns. . ■ But if some say when you’re on leave x “HB’s pretty good I believe” You smile and say “It’s the grandest station,” You just' don’t mention night co-oper-ation. | PREDICTOR (93rd Bty.)