A Good Idea at the Time

1942

Oridnary men are thrown into the hell that is war. Equipped with grit, determination and black humour, they take on everything that is thrown at them and yet still they press on. Following different paths, these resourceful men are all fighting their own battles in their bid to defeat the enemy.

One involves that of a Squadron Leader Padshaw, who is making his way from England to India in a Sunderland flying boat. He finds himself in the company of a rather unruly, but professional, Australian aircrew. On top of that he also becomes involved with a member of the British Secret Service.

Then we have a Major Connors. This poor bugger has the unenviable task of trying to lead a supply train through the jungle, with most of the odds stacked against him. His story is not much short of Herculean in what he achieves.

Lastly there is Squadron Leader Marsland. During the Japanese invasion of Burma, his and other squadrons were soon in tatters. Without orders, he took the remains of his and one other squadron and formed them into one unit. Thus he had a mixed bag of air and ground crew and some P40 Kittyhawks. Some months after withdrawing to India, the situation was just nthe same. The only difference being that the air and ground crew were almost worn out, as were the Kittyhawks.
Unbeknown to Marsland, his squadron has been chosen by the ‘Brass’ upstairs for various tasks his men and aircraft are not fit for. This is not something he takes lightly. While all this is brewing around him, a gaggle of Hurricanes and their pilots are dumped on him to add to his peace of mind.

The story as a whole is full of ups and downs, achievements, setbacks, death and defeat. All these things being led by a lack of communication and confusion. It leaves no illusions as to how unpleasant war is, but it maintains a stalwart black humour which never recedes.