WORRALS ON THE WAR-PATH
First Published in July 1943 - 191 pages
The original first
edition dust jacket – showing the original book price of 5 shillings.
WORRALS ON THE WAR-PATH
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
III – DEATH STRIKES IN THE
MOUNTAINS
XIII – MAKING FOR THE MOUNTAINS
XVI – THE SPITFIRES GO THROUGH
Worrals
has an idea that a remote part of Central France called the Cevennes could be used
as a British airfield to refuel aircraft. This would enable planes to fly
directly to the Island of Malta quickly, rather than be shipped by sea. The
Cevennes has barren plateaux called Causses, which would be ideal for
landing aircraft. Worrals informs Squadron Leader Yorke of her idea and she and
Frecks are sent to France to organise a temporary airbase, as Worrals knows the
area well. Meeting up with Lucien and Raoul (from Worrals Flies Again), they go to the small village of Carnac.
Here, a Vichy gendarme named Duclos is suspicious of the new arrivals. Moving
to a cave on the Causse Mejean, Worrals and Frecks are soon informed
that Duclos has been murdered. This is a major problem for Worrals as she knows
that the Germans will come to investigate. Deciding to hide in the cave
permanently, Worrals and Lucien go to obtain their things and return to find
Frecks and Raoul missing. The have been captured by local French Resistance
hiding out in the same cave, which is a vast underground complex of caves. Worrals
meets Louis Capelle, an old guide, whom she knew when she visited the area
before the war. He is able to vouch for her and they all agree to work
together. The local French police capture Lucien after he returns to Carnac to
collect a painting of the Causse Mejean he made when pretending to be an
artist. Lucien feared the painting might give the location of their hideout
away. Lucien is taken to La Malene, but Worrals is able to rescue him after
going to visit whilst pretending to be his girlfriend. Worrals' old friend Bill
Ashton is the pilot who is sent to fly out supplies to the new airfield. The
bulk of the supplies is fuel for planes. The following day, an old foe is seen.
Hauptmann von Brandisch of the Gestapo is in the area and is looking around the
Causse Mejean and he has Lucien's painting. It is not long before the
first squadron of Spitfires are due to arrive, but before they do, Worrals
seeks the help of the Resistance to deal with the guards left by von Brandisch.
Setting out lights on a makeshift runway, all the Spitfires are refuelled and
sent on their way. Unexpectedly, a lost Messerschmitt 110 lands and the pilot
is captured. His plane is soon missed and found by the Germans who send a team
to recover it. Worrals poses as a local girl in order to tell them that the
pilot went to a nearby village to telephone but due to a twist of fate, she
finds herself having to fly the Messerschmitt away. Landing in the Camargue,
Worrals has a number of adventures getting back to the cave that is their base.
Frecks is left in charge and has to deal with the problems of a German search.
She arranges for the entrance to their cave to be blocked up and this causes
problems for Worrals on her return. Worrals runs into and captures, von
Brandisch, who is now sure that the Causse Mejean is the centre of his
problems. He had arranged for the whole area to be bombed and for paratroopers
to arrive. Von Brandisch escapes and Worrals and her friends have to refuel a
final squadron of Spitfires before abandoning the now useless airfield. Bill
Ashton is unable to get Worrals and Frecks away when the bombing starts and
they have to escape by way of a highly dangerous route back to the Camargue
where he is eventually able to meet with them and fly them home to England.
Click here to see the story illustrations from this
book
French
edition – Worrals en Mission (Worrals on a Mission) – This had a colour frontispiece the same as the cover and 51
internal illustrations(!)
Frontispiece
Click on
the picture below to see it in more detail
Worrals on the War-Path
Subtitle - A Worrals of the W.A.A.F story
Publication Details - published by Hodder and Stoughton
The boards of the first and third editions