Bill agus an Spitfire

Bill Innes will be 90 this year and wants to fulfil a childhood dream and lifelong ambition to fly a Spitfire. Bill first saw a Spitfire flying overhead in Glencoe in 1940 when he was seven. Filled with hero worship for the daring pilots of the Battle of Britain, he 'dreamt of roaming the clouds in such a thrilling machine'.

Sadly his father died suddenly later that year. His mother, left to bring up two boys in an isolated cottage on a tiny pension, became mentally unwell and was admitted to hospital. Bill and his brother were fostered to a family in South Uist where Bill spent the rest of his childhood.

His fascination with flying continued throughout his life. As a student, he was selected to join the RAF Air Reserve Squadron and to his delight, when the time came for him to do National Service, he was accepted for pilot training in the RAF. Bill went on to achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, a job he loved and found exciting and fulfilling.

Bill became a pilot when travelling by air was a glamorous affair, and although he spent his working life flying different types of aircraft, he never managed to take to the skies in the iconic Spitfire, something he now intends to correct.

Cha robh Bill Innes ach seachd bliadhna a dh’aois nuair a chunnaic e Spitfire an toiseach. Bha e a’ fuireach ann an Gleann Comhainn aig an àm, ann an 1940, agus air a bheò-ghlacadh le nàidheachdan a’ chogaidh, gu h-àraidh, sgeulachdan mu na gaisgich a bha a’ sabaid anns an àdhar an aghaidh an nàmhaid, pìleatan na Spitfires agus na Hurricanes.

Bha Bill glan air a dhòigh an Spitfire fhaicinn a’ sgèith tron a’ ghleann, is thòisich e a’ dèanamh dealbh na inntinn mu cho mìorbhaileach ’s a bhiodh e nam faigheadh e fhèin cothrom a bhith shuas anns na neòil ann am plèana cho eireachdail.

Dhà neo trì mhìosan an dèidh dha Bill an Spitfire fhaicinn, dh’eug athair agus dh’atharraich a bheatha gu tur. Bha a mhàthair air a fàgail leatha fhèin le dithis bhalach òga ann an àite iomallach le glè bheag de dh’airgead, agus bhris a slàinte. Chaidh a toirt gu ospadal - asylum - agus chaidh Bill agus a bhràthair a dh’fhuireach còmhla ri teaghlach ann an Uibhist far an do dh’èirich iad suas.

Lean an ùidh a bh’ aig Bill ann am plèanaichean fad a bheatha. Na oileanach, fhuair e àite anns an “Air Reserve Squadron” aig Feachd Rìoghail an t-Adhair, agus an uair sin, cothrom trèanadh na phìleat le Feachd Rìoghail an t-Adhair airson dà bhliadhna - seo an t-seirbheis nàiseanta a bh’ aig fireannaich òga ri dhèanamh aig an àm. Fhuair e an uair sin an obair a bha e a’ miannachadh, agus chuir e seachad a bheatha-obrach na phìleat, dreuchd a chòrd ris gu mòr.

Chan e a-mhàin gum biodh Bill aig stiùir phlèana na obair làitheil, bhiodh e cuideachd a’ falbh le iomadh seòrsa plèana beag mar chur-seachad, ach cha d’ fhuair e a-riamh na bha san rùn bho làithean òige - ’s e sin a dhol suas dha na speuran ann an Spitfire.

In Gaelic with English subtitles