The possibility of rescue came sooner than expected, the Bedouin leader escorting the airman to his tent the following morning, where a radio sat in state on a square of colourful carpet. Most likely the radio had been taken from an abandoned lorry or tank, although from where the airman stood in the tent entrance, he couldn’t tell whether it had previously belonged to Allied or Axis troops. But whatever its origins, the leader appeared to know how to operate it, and when loud crackling subsided, he signalled for the airman to step forward.
‘Thank you.’ The airman smiled and walked over to the radio.
‘RAF,’ the leader said, pointing at the airman’s chest. ‘Good.’
The airman smiled again and reached for the combination transmitter and receiver held in the leader’s outstretched hand. The
