The Spitfire Girls(64)
The women all looked back, hopeful and buzzing with an excitement that she could feel. She gestured to the man at her side.
‘I’d like to introduce you all to Captain Jackson Montgomery, who will be the army captain in charge of our training centre here,’ she said. ‘He is a very accomplished pilot and instructor, and was invaluable in Britain while I was there. I’d like you all to give him a warm welcome.’
The women put their hands together and started to clap, but Jackson held up a hand, frowning as if he didn’t approve of the fanfare. Lizzie wasn’t used to seeing him without one arm in a sling, and there was something different about him now that he wasn’t recuperating; perhaps it was because he was no longer in an informal position, as he had been in England. She knew May had liked him and respected his opinion, but she’d expected to be running the show when she was finally given command of her own squadron, and with Jackson here it felt like she’d been sent a babysitter. Perhaps if he’d been honest with her about what was going on in the US when they were both still at Hamble, she’d trust him more. But he hadn’t.
‘I’m sorry, ladies, it seems our captain is used to salutes, not applause,’ she joked. This was her programme, and she wasn’t going to feel intimidated by him or anyone else.
‘You are here to learn to fly the way the army flies, and no exceptions will be made,’ he said, his voice deep and full of authority. ‘If you’ve come here thinking you’re hot pilots, then make no mistake, you’ll be out on your ear. You have a lot to learn, and no one here knows how to fly an army plane like an army pilot yet.’
Lizzie cleared her throat. She’d be having words with him about that later.
‘You will be treated as army recruits,’ Jackson continued, ‘and make no mistake about it. You misbehave or don’t obey army rules, you wash out. You flunk out on your classwork or fail one test flight too many, you wash out. And trust me, you do not want to wash out.’
He gave Lizzie a long, hard look, and she wondered what he was thinking. Did he not think they were up to the task? Did he not think she was up to the task? Or was he simply not impressed by having to train women to fly military aircraft? Now that they were back on home soil there was something very different about the man – he was being tough as nails. At Hamble he’d been very much in a secondary role, but she could see he was taking this new leadership position very seriously.
‘You will receive the same level of military training as our male cadets, with the exception of learning combat skills,’ Jackson told them. ‘You will rise at 0600 hours and be ready for training at 0700 hours. We will commence with ground school, including navigation and weather, and then move on to flying. Dinner will be at 1900 hours, followed by homework and lights out at 2200 hours. Are we clear?’
Lizzie looked around the room, expecting to see worried faces, but every single woman appeared full of anticipation. She smiled to herself; she’d clearly chosen well.
‘Do I hear a yes, sir?’ he asked.
‘Yes, sir!’ most of them called back, receiving a sigh from their new captain. Lizzie hoped they could muster a louder response next time.
When Jackson gestured for her to speak again, she gave him a tight smile and faced the crowd. ‘Ladies, I’m afraid to say that you will still be staying in the motels for now, but I’m working as hard as I can on a new location for us. I only had weeks to establish this training facility, and the lack of barracks isn’t ideal.’ In truth the location in Houston was terrible, especially with the thick fog that continually rolled in from the Gulf of Mexico. ‘Today will be as much an initiation as anything. We want you to familiarise yourself with the airfield and each other. Please report to your classroom after lunch for your first instruction. Class dismissed.’
As the women began to talk among themselves, Lizzie stood, but soon found herself face to face with Jackson. She wished she hadn’t left it so long to talk to him, because it had made the situation even more awkward.
‘I thought you might have focused more on uplifting our new recruits rather than trying to scare them into leaving,’ she said dryly, raising her chin. Jackson was at least a foot taller than her and his uniform fitted his broad shoulders like a glove. Unlike hers, she thought, which was a terrible fit. Thank goodness she’d been able to cinch the waist in with a belt and take the arms and legs up herself, or she’d have been swimming in it. ‘I can see you were going easy on us in England.’
‘I’m interested in training pilots, and I care little for the feelings of your bunch of recruits,’ he said. ‘I want them to understand the realities of their new job, and train them accordingly.’
‘Oh, I see. So you have a problem with training women, is that it, Captain?’
He had the gall to laugh, and she glared back at him. ‘No. A pilot is a pilot. Makes no difference to me.’ He shook his head. ‘Honestly, Lizzie, I thought you at least knew me that well.’
‘Then do you have a problem with me?’ she asked, keeping her voice low to stop the other women from hearing. ‘Is it because of what happened that day, over the Halifax? Because I’m not that woman anymore. I’ve come a long way since then and you need to believe it. I just don’t understand why you’re being so hard on these recruits instead of filling them with positivity!’