Frederick Forsyth The Shepherd

Frederick Forsyth

Read by Fireside Al Maitland

(5 stars; 14 reviews)

Frederick Forsyth's short story, "The Shepherd", takes you into the cockpit of a de Havilland Vampire fighter plane on Christmas Eve, 1957. As Royal Air Force pilot "Fireside Al" Maitland takes off from West Germany, he is determined to make it back to England for Christmas morning. With a full fuel tank and a simple flight plan, everything seems straightforward until the plane begins to fail.

First, the compass goes haywire, and then the radio dies, leaving the pilot lost and alone above the English coast. As the fog closes in, signaling certain death, hope seems lost. Just when despair sets in, a second shadow appears—a Mosquito fighter-bomber from World War II, acting as a "shepherd" to guide the Vampire to safety. This miraculous encounter leads to a mystery that unfolds in the skies.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.