CHAPTER 7
Friday morning (30th September) saw a lot of activity in the barrack block as people finished packing their gear so that there would be little to do on the Monday morning. After breakfast, Andy took his leave of his friends and reported to the M.T. section for transport to the railway station. He wore his civilian clothes and had a suitcase with his uniform and other gear in it. At the railway station he checked on the connections from Newcastle and Alnmouth to Alnwick and used the telephone box to call his mother with the expected time of arrival. Walking to the entrance of the station he saw Alice walking down the road with an overnight case. Seeing him, she smiled and waved.
It was 11.45 a.m. as the train pulled into Alnwick. Andy and Alice had found it a relaxing journey. They handed their tickets in at the barrier and, much to Andy’s surprise, his parents were waiting for them. He greeted his mother with a hug and shook hands with his father, then he introduced Alice to them. There were nods of approval as they shook hands with her. Mr Hill took Alice’s overnight case and escorted them out of the station to his car. Andy put his and Alice’s case in the boot of the car. They drove through town to their home which was on the northern edge of Alnwick, with views looking to the Cheviot Hills. It was a comfortable detached house with an attached garage and set in pleasant grounds. At the house, Margaret Hill fussed over Alice and showed her to her bedroom. Andy still had his old room and he dropped his case in and went down to talk with his father until the women joined them. Anthony Andrew Hill was of the old school and showed little emotion. It was the way of his generation. He was a boy when the First World War occurred and had a commission in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in the Second World War. He had seen service in North Africa and an injury had him repatriated to England for the rest of the war. As he looked at his son he was pleased with what he saw. His lad had matured and acted in a self-confident way. He would do well in the future. Andy had learned to read his father’s face and body language to know what he was feeling and he saw pleasure in his father’s eyes. He answered his father’s questions as best as he could about his travels and duties, keeping much of it to generalities in view of the Official Secrets Act. Tony Hill noted the enthusiasm in his son’s voice as he talked about Australia and wondered whether the country would draw him back one day. Their daughter, Victoria, was nursing in Canada, having gone on a two-year contract to Ontario. The British are still seeking far horizons, he thought. The women came down and joined them and, after a short chat, Margaret Hill excused herself to finish preparing lunch. Tony Hill led Alice and Andy out into the garden with its neatly manicured lawns, flower borders and almost weed-free vegetable patch. The view was to the hills with its patches of purple heather and the sheep roaming on the slopes.
While Andy and Alice had travelled northward, the RAF detachment had been busy assisting with the loading of the components of the radar at Wensley Electronics and ensuring that no problems occurred. Operationally, the radar would not be fully dismantled for transportation but at this stage it was to travel in a fully enclosed prime mover and trailer. The vehicle had a team of two drivers and would stop on RAF bases for the breaks that the drivers needed. There was to be strict security. By 11.30 a.m. the vehicles pulled out of the yard to head south. The RAF personnel were called together by Flying Officer Goodhew and issued with their weekend passes. Travel documents would be issued first thing on Monday at RAF Ouston. They would muster at 08.00 hours on the Monday. He thanked them for their efforts and then they were dismissed. A couple of them headed out to their own transport parked outside. The rest headed for the bus to go to RAF Ouston or be dropped off in Newcastle city centre.
By this time, Hamilton had already been to Wensley Electronics and finished there. He had also been into the Pilgrim Street Police Station to again interview George Pattison. It had turned out that he had no previous criminal record but his army service record was not good. He had done National Service in the Durham Light Infantry but had often been in trouble for fighting under the influence of alcohol. It appeared that he had links with the Communist Party although not a card-carrying member. The prisoner’s story couldn’t be broken so the interview was ended and he was charged with assault and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to kill and resisting arrest. The link that Hamilton had hoped for could not be established. He visited the Royal Victoria Imfirmary to see Louden and found that he was being discharged so agreed to wait and take him home. Hamilton would be on the afternoon train to Kings Cross.
Major Garasov had spent the morning sifting through information gathered about the aircraft and equipment that had been displayed at the Farnborough Air Show. Of great interest was the Hawker P1127 with its vertical take-off capability. There was also interest in the civil aircraft developments. These presented little challenge when it came to industrial espionage. The aircraft manufacturers gave a lot of information away without the need to spy. He thought it laughable. Garasov preferred the challenge of military espionage where he had to pit his skills against those of
