SFX:                Music. Command Centre Ambience.

 

PERCY:          This is Flight Lieutenant Percy.

 

ANTIS:           And Woof Commander Antis!

 

PERCY:          This story is dedicated to the brave crews of the Bomber Command during World War II. Volunteers from all over the world made up the crews who had to quickly build strong friendships and learn how to work together as a team.

 

ANTIS:           Hey, Percy - we make a good team, don’t we?

 

PERCY:          Hmm. You could say so.

 

ANTIS:           But it hasn’t always been easy, has it?

 

PERCY:          Definitely not.

 

ANTIS:           When we first met, we didn’t really get along. I mean dogs and penguins aren’t usually friends. And we are very different. I love to run around and Percy…doesn’t.

 

PERCY:          I use my energy efficiently -

 

ANTIS:           I greet everyone with lots of licks and Percy prefers a handshake…or a flipper shake. I like a good bone to chew on and Percy enjoys fish…ugh.

 

PERCY:          Get to the point, Antis.

 

ANTIS:           But we both had so much in common! We both love flying, we know lots about different aircrafts and our humans were in the Royal Air Force.

 

PERCY:          Yes, I suppose you’re right.

 

ANTIS:           A good team works out what they’ve got in common. Like the crews of the Bomber Command, we learnt to make the most of our different skills and how to support each other when things got tough.

 

SFX:               Winter ambience. Dramatic music.

 

Like that terrible day when I lost my favourite toy, Bert the Bear. It was a cold day in winter and I had woken up from one of my many important naps of the day. I’d had a bad dream and when I woke up, I noticed Bert was missing! I went straight into action and found Percy. He declared it a code red emergency! We made a plan to search every aircraft in the museum – Percy would keep his eyes peeled and I’d keep my nose to the ground. But the day went on and still no sight of Bert. Things were getting desparate – Percy hadn’t eaten enough and he was starting to get hangry. I used my excellent sniffing skills to sniff out some extra snacks just in the nick of time. No-one wants a hangry Percy. But even with extra treats, I could feel myself struggling – I was worried we would never find Bert again! This time it was Percy who kept me going. He encouraged me to never give up and that together we could do this. “ Just keep your head up”, he said. And that’s exaclty what I did. I looked up! And as I looked up at the aircraft towering over me, I spotted Bert! There he was hanging from the bomb bay. I never found out how he got there! But what a team we made, right, Percy? As strong a team as those in Bomber Command!

 

PERCY:         Yes, Antis. Bomber Command was one of the toughest and dangerous jobs in the RAF.

 

SFX:               Wind Ambience. Inside of Aircraft.

 

The crews had to keep each other going through harsh conditions and risky operations. (Shivering) Sometimes, you would have to sit in cramped surroundings for hours in freezing cold temperatures.

 

ANTIS:           (On Comms) Don’t worry, Percy - my fur will keep us both warm!

 

PERCY:          Crews would be given extra rations as rewards after difficult operations.

 

ANTIS:           (On Comms) Think of all that fish waiting for you when you get home, Percy!

 

PERCY:          They had to learn how to work together.

 

ANTIS:           (On Comms) OK, let’s stick to the plan. I’ll wait for your signal, Percy and you keep lookout for me.

 

PERCY:          And how to keep spirits high!

 

ANTIS:           (On Comms) That was a piece of cake! Good job, everyone. We’re almost there. Talking of cake…I hope there’s a big slice of it waiting for us…mmm.

 

PERCY:         The closer your crew, the better your chances of a successful operation. This was true for everyone in Bomber Command and throughout the whole of the Royal Air Force. All the men, women -

 

ANTIS:           - and animals!

 

PERCY:         - from all around the world, on the ground and in the air had to work together as a team. Everyone had their role to play.

 

SFX:                Return to Command Centre Ambience.

 

ANTIS:           Percy, do you know what our team is missing?

 

PERCY:          What?

 

ANTIS:           Codenames! We should have codenames for each other. Hmm, mine can be Squirrel!

 

PERCY:          Squirrel?

 

ANTIS:           WHERE????

 

PERCY:          Antis!…(sigh) I don’t think that codename is going to work.

 

SFX:                Fade All.