Nightfighter Command Crew Number Two

F/Sgt 'Johnnie' Walker and Sgt 'Taffy' Jones

For the playtesting of the latest edition of Nightfighter Command, I thought it would be best to roll up a new crew rather than use my experienced pilot and observer. The rules haven't changed for this bit, so I dug our the trusty D20 and D6, then set about creating a new pilot, observer and GCI operator, with the crew once again assigned to 609 Squadron at Middle Wallop. I used the background generation system in Nordic Weasel's No End In Sight skirmish rules to add a little character to the two aircrew, although it makes no difference to the game itself. I like this bit and think it makes for a really good narrative focus, but you could just leave it out. 

The pilot, F/Sgt Peter 'Johnnie' Walker, RNZAF, hails from Auckland, NZ, and was until recently a travelling sales representative for an engineering firm, spending much of his time abroad for work. He has travelled widely in the Far East, Africa and South America, but has never settled down in one place for very long. In 1939, he decided to pack in his job while stopping over in England for business and signed up to help defend the mother country in her time of need. As a pilot, he is a hard task master, being both disciplined and logical, but off duty has a reputation for high jinks and is regarded as a jolly good chap by the squadron. even if half of them can't understand his broad Kiwi accent.

SKILL RATING:  SPOTTING 2 / EVADE 1 / ATTACK 2 / FLYING 2

The observer, Sgt David 'Taffy' Jones, RAF, is from Abergavenny in Wales, where he grew up on a farm speaking Welsh as his first language. He is a bright lad and passed his eleven plus with flying colours, doing particularly well in mathematics and enabling him to study physics at grammar school, in which he excelled.  He was called up in 1940 and his academic and technical ability enabled him to apply as aircrew in the new field of radar operator after being rejected as an air gunner due to his eyesight. Although the rest of the squadron see him as an outsider due to his background, he is regarded with respect as a fellow professional by F/Sgt Walker, due to his calm and patient skills as an operator. He also has a reputation for being lucky,  surviving even the most risky sorties without a scratch.

SKILL RATING: AI 3 / RELOAD 1

The Ground Intercept Controller they will be working with is an experienced old hand and has a GCI rating of 3. Their first mission will be flown soon but probably not tomorrow as the in-laws are coming over for lunch. I'll kick off on 9th May 1941, when there will be light rain and a moderate breeze of 13kts but 10/10ths cloud cover which will obscure the 3/4 moon and make spotting tricky (the new rules for changing weather conditions are an interesting addition and I'm really interested to see how they affect the flow of the game). It should be fun but it's a challenging system and things don't always go according to plan!