Rendezvous II
Copyright© 2017 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 30
Karen
I wheedled ... Hairy slipped me two straps ... I bounced into the “tower” and said, “Receipt ... serial numbers ... for everything.”
“I knew you were going to be more trouble than you are worth.”
“You’re an accountant. You demand solid numbers. That’s what I want.”
It wasn’t enough that he was willing to take the boxes at their word ... no ... the covers had to come off, the numbers checked, if they matched ... great ... if they didn’t ... out with the original logbooks and hunt until there was provenience for an engine change, a new elevator, a flap or a switch. I demanded bill of sale for every nut, bolt or screw.
While it was all packed in dried out United States Military Standard MIL-C-11796C Class 3 preservative ... cosmoline, everything was also stamped U.S. Government Property ... not the screws or nuts ... but the larger bolts were.
During the war, somewhere there was a plant making MIL SPEC bolts and there was an inspector inspecting. Inspectors were often college educated but physically unfit for active duty. One sign of the times was the number of people not allowed to go into combat ... and they were pissed about it.
This was wartime ... and not in combat (the Home Front). Ammo was signed for, Browning barrels signed for and notations of the condition of the returned ... noted by a private, initialed by a corporal and checked by a Supply Sergeant.
Check it out ... check it in. Behind every signature was an officious asshole who was doing his best to NOT sign for it. Convince me!
The records were there ... the accountant had to find them ... and I didn’t take his word for shit!
Take the machine-guns for an instance.
“Smith.”
“Corporal?”
“You’re going up next.”
Information about which aircraft was exchanged ... always on paper.
“Turret or tail gunner?”
“Turret.”
“Yes, Corp.”
If Smith was smart he took off at a trot ... all the way to the Armory.
Supply was standing in the half-door. “What do you want?”
“Pair of Brownings, Sergeant ... two boxes of thirty, a cleaning kit and the cart.” At the same time Smith would display the paperwork.
Supply ALWAYS examined the paperwork for falsehood ... first. If he was satisfied he would issue either one or two AN-M2 Browning machine gun or guns.
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.