麻豆社

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鈥檃ois nuair a chunnaic e Spitfire an toiseach. Bha e a鈥� fuireach ann an Gleann Comhainn aig an 脿m, ann an 1940, agus air a bhe貌-ghlacadh le n脿idheachdan a鈥� chogaidh, gu h-脿raidh, sgeulachdan mu na gaisgich a bha a鈥� sabaid anns an 脿dhar an aghaidh an n脿mhaid, p矛leatan na Spitfires agus na Hurricanes.

Bha Bill glan air a dh貌igh an Spitfire fhaicinn a鈥� sg猫ith tron a鈥� ghleann, is th貌isich e a鈥� d猫anamh dealbh na inntinn mu cho m矛orbhaileach 鈥檚 a bhiodh e nam faigheadh e fh猫in cothrom a bhith shuas anns na ne貌il ann am pl猫ana cho eireachdail.

Dh脿 neo tr矛 mh矛osan an d猫idh dha Bill an Spitfire fhaicinn, dh鈥檈ug athair agus dh鈥檃tharraich a bheatha gu tur. Bha a mh脿thair air a f脿gail leatha fh猫in le dithis bhalach 貌ga ann an 脿ite iomallach le gl猫 bheag de dh鈥檃irgead, agus bhris a sl脿inte. Chaidh a toirt gu ospadal - asylum - agus chaidh Bill agus a bhr脿thair a dh鈥檉huireach c貌mhla ri teaghlach ann an Uibhist far an do dh鈥櫭╥rich iad suas.

Lean an 霉idh a bh鈥� aig Bill ann am pl猫anaichean fad a bheatha. Na oileanach, fhuair e 脿ite anns an 鈥淎ir Reserve Squadron鈥� aig Feachd R矛oghail an t-Adhair, agus an uair sin, cothrom tr猫anadh na ph矛leat le Feachd R矛oghail an t-Adhair airson d脿 bhliadhna - seo an t-seirbheis n脿iseanta a bh鈥� aig fireannaich 貌ga ri dh猫anamh aig an 脿m. Fhuair e an uair sin an obair a bha e a鈥� miannachadh, agus chuir e seachad a bheatha-obrach na ph矛leat, dreuchd a ch貌rd ris gu m貌r.

Chan e a-mh脿in gum biodh Bill aig sti霉ir phl猫ana na obair l脿itheil, bhiodh e cuideachd a鈥� falbh le iomadh se貌rsa pl猫ana beag mar chur-seachad, ach cha d鈥� fhuair e a-riamh na bha san r霉n bho l脿ithean 貌ige - 鈥檚 e sin a dhol suas dha na speuran ann an Spitfire.

In Gaelic with English subtitles