| Synopsis: |
Azzaro forms Part II of a trilogy that follows the unconventional wartime experiences of key characters introduced in Part I: 'Cornucopia', following their return to England from Singapore in late 1938. New characters are introduced and the story contains the key ingredients of espionage, courage, tragedy, and love. Azzaro's fast paced narrative is firmly underpinned with real wartime events that quickly unfold from the outset. Ex-Empress Airways Captain Michael Kelly operates with the Atlantic Ferry Organisation delivering vital aircraft from US factories to an England facing the might of the Luftwaffe, U-Boats, and threat of invasion. These dangerous but vital flights provide the RAF with aircraft to ready to fight immediately, instead of being crated and sent by sea, often lost. But the Atlantic remains an ocean that has seen few aircraft traverse its winter wastes prior to war. Losses become an unfortunate fact of life but the work continues as new friendships are forged among its multi-national crews.Cecilia Grosvenor-Ffoulkes, Ceci to family and friends, at a loss at what to do as war is declared; her new Tigermoth requisitioned by the Air Ministry, meets Helen an Anglo-Italian aviatrix at her old flying club. The meeting persuades her that there is a way she can contribute her flying skills to the war effort: by joining the Air Transport Auxiliary, based at the only all female pool of pilots and delivering everything from Tiger Moths to heavy four engine bombers to squadrons around Britain. The work is essential, enabling RAF pilots to concentrate on fighting. Unarmed and without radios, dangers are everywhere and Ceci is lucky to escape some hair-raising moments during her deliveries. Her new husband: Harold Penrose joins the RAF, training as a pilot and graduates as exceptional. His fighter pilot ambitions are thwarted however, he is posted to a photoreconnaissance squadron instead of a fighter unit. Returning from a long sortie over Germany, Harold is intercepted by German fighters and, following a collision with one, is forced to bailout over France.Rescued and secreted by members of the Resistance, despite German brutality, he is passed precariously along an escape route till intelligence at home finds a valuable role for him - to capture and fly back to England a secret German aircraft undergoing testing in remote western France. Sarah Kelly, now in RAF uniform as a photo interpreter, finds the location of the German aircraft testing. The secret aircraft is unique in many respects, developed from recently discovered documents drawn up by a 15th century student no less, possible working under Leonardo da Vinci. If fully developed, the machine's unique flying characteristics would potentially enable Germany to reverse its declining fortunes, and to reconsider renewing its invasion plans: Operation Sealion. The implications have been realised by Helen's Italian father - a professor at Bologna University, specialising in the work and life of Leonardo da Vinci. The professor's academic openness about the historic documents' discovery, and his unguarded views on Mussolini's fascism, lead to his incarceration, and the passing of the documents to the Luftwaffe.Following observations of the secret aircraft by Harold Penrose, a plan is co-ordinated between the SOE in London and the local Resistance. They intend to capture the new machine, with Harold designated as pilot charged with bringing it back to England. He is helped in his pursuits by a young French woman: Patricia, one time nanny to Sarah and Michael Kelly's children, who, having undergone training with SOE, finally joins the French Resistance in Brittany. Meanwhile, Michael Kelly has left Atlantic Ferry following its reorganisation joining the RAF, and a special operations squadron delivering secret agents into and out of occupied France by moonlight. Unarmed and at serious risk when landing in the dark, never sure of what sort of reception he will have as stories of German infiltration into local Resistance groups becomes increasingly evident; he barely survives a number of hair raising episodes. As the story develops, all of the principle characters become dangerously involved with the scheme to capture the secret German machine - inevitably in occupied France, there are winners, and some, who lose everything. |