The hill acted as a barrier to the sound created by the Rolls Royce Merlin engine and so the Spitfire cleared the crest and swooped down into the valley beyond. It was already racing towards the grey vehicles clustered in the field around the old barn before it's intended targets were aware of the threat. The pilot glimpsed what looked like a small staff car scuttling along the lane that wound through the fields and briefly caught sight of the pale upturned faces of the occupants as he flashed only a matter of a few feet over their heads. Then he was past - his attention focused on the more tempting targets that quickly filled his gunsight.It was two hours later when an advanced patrol from the Highland Light Infantry spotted an RAF pilot sitting on the wing of his damaged Spitfire with his back resting against the fuselage. He had a protective arm around what appeared to be a small child and as they warily drew closer they could hear that he was singing nursery rhymes in a rather hoarse voice.
