3 DECEMBER 1954, Page 6

`The Glorious Uncertainties of the Chase'

The stove-heated crow's nest at the top of the control towel' was almost overpoweringly snug. From it you could see Oaf much of the bombing range was under water. You'll need !I boat, sir,' said the friendly Leading Aircraftsman, meaning / as a. joke. Any snipe in ? The ornithologists in the contro tower, taken perhaps slightly out of their depth, said No bu claimed reassuringly to have sighted a ' cluster' of pheasants As the dog and I splashed off through the rank and derelic pastureland, we were hailed from on high. ' By the way, sit, bombing's . on until 1200 hours. We've got two aircraft scheduled.' It was Saturday. The time was already 10.30 and the weather bad. I have a guilty passion for snipe-shooting. They're only 50 lb. bombs aren't they ? ' I asked (for after all, one would look rather a fool ). 25 lb., sir. Thu, cattle don't seem to mind them a bit.' I plumped, nevertheless, for an-embusque role and decided to skulk round the peripherY of this water-logged No Man's Land for an hour; but swollen dykes and impassable hedges edged me slowly in towards the centre of the target area, which is the best feeding-ground, for snipe; and suddenly, through half a gale, I heard three small, apologetic explosions in the next field and all the snipe 10 Loamshire streamed past me on a wide front, flying highs complaining in their usual feckless way, and all just out of shot' One should never, even on a Saturday, underrate the RAI-.