Chapter 9
312 Words
Almost 12 months after that catastrophic crash, Christopher Yarrow was finally declared fit enough to leave Bellington Hall, even though on occasion he still needed the aid of a stick to walk. He returned to his squadron, eager to get back in the air as a fighter pilot but after a medical examination, he was declared unfit to fly in combat. Blind in one eye, his reduced sight was not only a danger to himself (and risk a valuable aircraft) but it would put other pilots in danger if he was unable to see attacking enemy aircraft coming from his blindside. In addition, his distance perception was awry, judging his height to the ground whilst trying to land would be tricky, he could come in too low and crash, or too high and be unable to land.
He could have stayed on in an administrative post but if he could not fly in combat, he wanted no part of the RAF. He could not abide the thought of others, comrades he had known, going out to face the might of the Luftwaffe whilst he could not and so he took an offered medical discharge.
On his discharge, Yarrow declined an offer to return to the Newcastle division of Durham University (where he had learned to fly with the University Air Squadron) and study for a Master’s degree, but he had no real idea of what to do instead or how to support himself and his wife and hopefully, future children. Marie-Hélène still nursed at Bellington Hall, but her salary was insufficient to support a family
He had to find a job. And quickly, beginning to regret his hasty decision to leave the RAF, where at least he would have received a salary.
It was a chance meeting with Trevor Bullock, an Inspector with the West Garside police that finally decided his future.
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