The Machine Gunners
Robert Westall
 The story is set during the Second World War and deals with a group of six children living in the North East of England. Their town, Garmouth, regularly suffers bombing raids by the German Luftwaffe. One of the children, Chas McGill, finds a crashed German He 111 bomber and takes a fully operational machine gun and over two thousand rounds of ammunition. With the help of his friend, Cyril "Cemtery/Cem" Jones, the pair intend to set up their own fortress with their friends, including a boy from Glasgow called "Clogger" Duncan, and another boy, nicknamed "Carrot Juice" on account of his ginger hair and freckles. They also team up with a girl called Audrey Parton, and a boy, Benjamin "Nicky" Nichol. They name their "Fortress Caporetto", after a World War I battle in which Chas's grandfather fought. Later a bomb lands on Nicky's house and he is presumed dead. According to Chas's puritan neighbour Nicky's mother and a man were found "dead in their bed of sin with not a stitch on". Nicky has actually survived, and, understandably shaken and upset, he hides in the Fortress, where he is found by the gang. After this, only his friends know he is alive. During an attack by an Me 110 fighter, the children fire their gun at the plane. They miss but, surprised, the plane swerves into the path of an AA gun and is shot down by three Spitfires from the nearby airfield at RAF Acklington. The pilot is killed; rear gunner Rudi Gerlath bales out, injuring his ankle on landing. The victor of two air battles, Rudi evades capture for many days, until his ankle is sufficiently healed to allow him to walk again. He then discovers the children's hidden fortress and is promptly arrested by the children, who take his pistol. Only later does he realise that the machine-gun has been damaged and is not working. The children do not wish to reveal their secret so do not hand Rudi over to the authorities, but keep him prisoner at their fort, where Clogger and Nicky now live permanently. After a while Rudi is bribed with the offer of a boat belonging to Nicky's dead father, if he will mend the gun. He agrees and mends it before being taken to the dock where he rows off. The same night the church bells ring, the alarm signalling a German invasion. The children hurry to the fortress but do not see anything; it was a false alarm. Out at sea, Rudi finds he does not have the strength to row to German-occupied Norway and is forced back to England. He rejoins the children at the fortress. The next day it is realised that the children are missing, and some Polish refugee soldiers are drafted in to look for them. The children, on seeing troops speaking in a foreign language, open fire on them with the gun believing they are a German invasion force. The children are soon overpowered, however, and forced to surrender. In the chaos, Clogger shoots and wounds Rudi with his own Luger pistol, but the injury is not fatal. The very well-made fortress is surrendered to the Home Guard, then Clogger and Nicky are taken to a children's home while the other children are handed over to their parents. A sequel, Fathom Five, set two years later, was published in 1979.