Liberator Down: Lady Be Good.

By 

Scott Schwartz

It was 8:40 PM.  Altitude:  9,000 feet.  Outside, the sky was black.  There were no enemy fighters, and no fires on the ground.  Despite flying at a lower altitude, Lady Be Good's crew was cold, and they badly needed to urinate.  

A crew member suddenly exclaimed that there fires on the ground.  The crew tensed, as they prepared to be attacked by enemy fighter aircraft.  But, none came.  Nor did the probing fingers of enemy searchlights.  The fires, of course, were the handiwork of the previous raiders.  

Hays and the other crew members agreed that they were probably over Naples, but they wondered what to do.  

Co-pilot Toner bluntly stated:  "Let's get out of here, but let's not screw up our course!"  Hays was sure that he could guide the aircraft back to base.....

To be continued.