BIGGLES OF THE CAMEL SQUADRON
First Published in March 1934 - 254 pages
Re-published in 1993 as Biggles of the Fighter Squadron
This contains thirteen short stories. The stories are:-
FORWARD (a
short essay by W. E. Johns)
HOW BIGGLES WAS "BORN" (a short essay by W. E. Johns)
(NB How Biggles was "born" is not in the original
Hamilton edition but only in the subsequent reprints)
THE PROFESSOR (pages 15 to 34)
A new squadron member joins
Biggles' Squadron. He is Henry Watkins and he believes that the laws of
mathematics have a solution for most aerial problems. He first discusses
'deflection' shooting, that is, shooting in front of a moving object at the
place where the missile and object should collide. Henry goes with Biggles and
Algy on a raid on Aerodrome 32 and soon gets completely lost in the
comprehensive low cloud cover. Biggles and Algy carry out the raid alone and
cause two Albatrosses to collide whilst trying to take off. Algy finished off
another Albatross that managed to take off. Henry, meanwhile, has a
confrontation with a German Hannoverana plane and manages to shoot it down,
more by luck than judgement. Coming down through the cloud and finding himself
over an aerodrome, Henry bombs it and then managed to get back to his own
airfield. The later arrival of Major Sharp from 287 Squadron, wanting to know
which fool has bombed his aerodrome has embarrassing consequences for Henry.
(This story was originally first published in the January 1933
edition of Popular Flying Magazine – click here for more details)
THE JOY RIDE (pages 35 to 46)
Click here to see story illustration
Biggles decides to go for a ride
in a captured German Albatross and finds himself in trouble. He is shot at by
British troops and ends up flying in formation with some other German planes.
He feels completely unable to fire on the Germans from a German marked plane,
because such an act would have horrendous consequences. If the Germans flew in
captured British planes, soon everybody would be shooting their friends down.
One German is suspicious of Biggles and won't let him lag behind and slip away.
Suddenly they are attacked by British S.E.5's and it is Biggles' own good friend
Wilks who gets on Biggles' tail. Biggles puts his hands up to surrender and
crash lands in a field. Wilks lands too and is astonished to see the identity
of the German he has caught.
(This story was originally first published in the February 1933
edition of Popular Flying Magazine – click here for more details)
THE BRIDGE PARTY (pages 47 to 62)
Henry Watkins, nicknamed 'the
Professor', is determined to blow up a German held bridge and has a good idea
how to do it. Instead of dropping bombs from above, he intends to fly
underneath and drop one below it. Unfortunately, the arch is not wide enough to
accommodate his aircraft and wingspan and he comes out the other side minus his
wings. Henry is then faced with the difficult task of getting to the front line
and crossing the lines without being killed - no mean feat.
(This story was originally first published in the March 1933
edition of Popular Flying Magazine – click here for more details)
THE BOTTLE PARTY (pages 63 to 77)
Henry Watkins has an idea as to
how to shoot down the three new balloons at Duneville. He suggests dropping
bottles in order to get the surrounding gun crews to hide in their dug outs as
a falling bottle makes a hell of a racket when it falls. The plan is to use
nine aeroplanes, six machines will drop nine bottles each and then fly away to
draw off the protecting German Fokkers. The remaining three, Biggles, Algy and
Henry, will then each attack a balloon, while there is no 'archie' due to the
bottles frightening the gun crews. Biggles and Algy hit their balloons first
time but Henry misses and goes back to finish it off. By this time, the gun
crews are back in action and all hell breaks loose. Our heroes then have to
shoot it out with the returning Fokkers. Two Fokkers collide. Henry fails to
return and later an observation post reports seeing a Sopworth Camel having
fallen in flames. Henry has gone.
(This story was originally first published in the April 1933
edition of Popular Flying Magazine – click here for more details)
THE TRAP (pages 78 to 96)
The Germans have set up a balloon
with two dummies in it as a deadly trap, packed with high explosive. Biggles
sees it and is suspicious of the lack of movement of the observers and flies
back to his Squadron to warn everybody. He then telephones Wilks at 287
Squadron to warn them only to find out that young Tom Ellis has recently set
off to have a go at it. Racing off to try and stop him, Biggles is too late.
Biggles sees Tom fly near the balloon when the Germans detonate it and Tom is
blown to bits. Returning in a rage, Biggles, close to cracking, goes on a mad
attack over German lines shooting up everything and everyone he can. The
following morning he has an idea for vengeance and the watching Germans, by the
balloon, see a Camel flying badly. During a particularly bad loop the pilot of
the Camel falls out and a large number of Germans gather to look at the body.
The "body" explodes killing them, as it was really 150 pounds of high
explosive wrapped in nails inside a flying-suit, cap, goggles, flying-boots and
gloves.
(This story was originally first published in the May 1933 edition
of Popular Flying Magazine - click
here for more details)
THE FUNK (pages 97 to 114)
Click here to see story illustration
Biggles has to train three new
fliers (called Harcourt, Howell and Sylvester) posted to his flight. Harcourt's
immediate concern is how he is going to feed his goldfish. The first thing
Biggles does is to give them six hours' flying practice a day, for three days,
before he takes them over the lines. They are soon in a dogfight and Harcourt
flies away back to their aerodrome. Biggles shoots down an Albatross but
Sylvester is shot down as well. Returning to the aerodrome, Biggles finds
Harcourt and he admits that his nerve failed him. Suddenly a Fokker D.VII flies
over and drops a pair of boots over the aerodrome - a sign that they should all
join the infantry! Biggles flies off in a rage to avenge the insult. Algy and,
unexpectedly, Harcourt, fly off with him. Algy is shot down in an ensuing
dogfight with a number of German aircraft but Harcourt fights like a demon and
three Fokkers are destroyed by their own bad flying. Back at base, Biggles
discovers that the dropped boots had killed Harcourt's goldfish and that was
why he fought as he did.
THE PROFESSOR COMES BACK (pages 115 to 137)
Click here to see story illustration from the cover of 'Biggles - the Life of W.E. Johns'
The Germans report that Henry
Watkins, who was previously shot down and believed killed (see 'The Bottle
Party' above), is a prisoner of war. Biggles recalls a discussion with Henry
that if he were ever to be captured he would escape and go to a certain field
behind enemy lines and light a signal fire. The Squadron fly over the lines to
the field and see a fire burning, so they then plan to rescue Henry. That night
however, the Squadron are bombed by German Friedrichshafens. The hangers are
hit and both 'A' flight and 'B' flight lose their aircraft. The three planes of
Biggles' 'C' flight survive and Biggles flies over, with Algy and Harcourt, to
rescue Henry. Biggles lands but is shocked to discover that the area is a
secret camouflaged base for the German bombers! When Henry runs out in front of
his plane, Biggles crashes. Algy and Harcourt then land in an adjacent field to
snatch both Biggles and Henry away before the Germans can get them. Biggles
holds onto the wing of Algy's Camel and Henry holds onto the wing of Harcourt's
Camel. They are then attacked by Fokkers and Biggles stands up to shoot a very
pistol at them. This is the picture portrayed on the cover of the 1993 reprint
of the Biggles
- The Life of Captain W.E. Johns which can be viewed by clicking the link above. They all get home
safely and arrange for the field holding the German Bomber Squadron to be
bombed to oblivion.
THE THOUGHT READER (pages 138 to 156)
Click here to see story illustration from the cover of the Thames reprint of this book
Biggles is suspicious about the
activities of a German plane that comes near his aerodrome at the same time
every day. He flies around to investigate and realises that a French peasant is
moving corn in a field in a way that sends secret signals to the German plane.
The corn is currently indicating the whereabouts of an Army Brigade. Flying
down and landing in an adjacent field, Biggles plans to change the signal.
However, the spy confronts him and shoots him in the head. Remarkably, Biggles
is just grazed by the bullet and recovers consciousness soon after. He sees the
spy has set fire to the French farmhouse and is escaping in a car. Biggles runs
back to his Camel and shoots the car up causing it to crash. He then has to fly
over to the Brigade and warn them to move out before an artillery bombardment
starts as the German spy plane would have seen the signal. This he does, just
in time. When the Thames Publishing Company republished this book in the
1950's, this story was one of two that were omitted from the reprint (the other
story being 'Biggles Finds His Feet'). This was because the stories had already
appeared in BIGGLES PIONEER
AIR FIGHTER. The cover of the
Thames book shows Biggles being shot at by the French peasant, a scene from
this story that was not actually in that book! You can see that cover by
clicking on the link below the title of this story
THE GREAT ARENA (pages 157 to 174)
Click here to see story illustration
When Biggles' guns jam against a
German Ace he is allowed to live. The German salutes and lets him fly away.
Later, Biggles finds out that the German, who flies a blue Fokker D.VII with a
yellow tail, is called Von Doering and he has been attacking new squadrons of
raw recruits as they fly over from England. 266 Squadron is sent to pose as a
new Squadron flying over from England in order to set a trap for Von Doering
and his 'circus' of 30 odd German aircraft. The trap is laid and the 10
aircraft of 266 Squadron aircraft are duly attacked. However there is a
surprise literally in the wings when 24 British S.E.5's turn up to join the
fight. Biggles gives Von Doering advance warning of their arrival by pointing
at the oncoming planes, which gives Von Doering an opportunity to escape and
this lets Biggles pay back his debt to him. Henry Watkins, 'the Professor', is
shot down in the mass battle.
BIGGLES FINDS HIS FEET (pages 175 to 193)
Engine trouble forces Biggles
down in 'no-man's land' where he has a taste of trench warfare. Jumping into a
shell hole, he meets Bert Smart a wounded British soldier whom Biggles promises
to help. Returning to the British trench under fire and under attack, Biggles
helps the British soldiers at that part of the front line repel a German
attack. He sends a message to his Squadron to come and assist and their planes
are able to shoot up the German attack. This allows Biggles to return to the
shell hole in no-man's land to collect Bert and bring him to safety. When the
Thames Publishing Company republished this book in the 1950's, this story was
one of two that were omitted from the reprint (the other story being 'The
Thought Reader'). This was because the stories had already appeared in BIGGLES PIONEER AIR FIGHTER.
THE DRAGON'S LAIR (pages 194 to 212)
Click here to see story illustration
Biggles, Algy and Henry Watkins
(the Professor) are out on patrol when they see a Bristol fighter mysteriously
shot down. Biggles later discovers it was done a huge new German anti-aircraft
gun, which fires phosphorus shells. The gun is concealed in the centre of the
ruins of Chateau Contrableu, which has a cleverly disguised removable roof. The
three aforementioned pilots resolve to get the gun. Biggles and Algy drop smoke
bombs to form a smokescreen and Henry flies over and bombs the gun with Cooper
bombs. The resulting explosion is so huge as to force Henry to land but he is
unharmed and able to fly back to base with the mission accomplished.
BIGGLES' DAY OFF! (pages 213 to 231)
With no activity in his sector
for a week, Biggles decides on the spur of the moment to fly to England to
visit his Godfather, Dr. Duvency. Landing his Camel in a large garden, Biggles
finds that the Doctor has invented a new type of anti-submarine bomb and has
even built a plane to try dropping it. Against his better judgement, Biggles
agrees to fly the home-made plane and test drop the bomb. Flying out to sea,
Biggles spots a real German submarine being pursued by the Navy. He drops the
bomb on it and the blast causes his machine to disintegrate. The next thing
Biggles knows, he is in the sea and being rescued by the Navy. Biggles then has
to solve the problem of how to get back to his Squadron in time for his next
patrol!
SCOTLAND FOR EVER! (pages 251 to 254)
Biggles gets the shock of his
life when he lands at the 266 Squadron aerodrome in Maranique only to find that
the Germans have broken through the British lines and taken it over! Algy and
the Professor who were flying in to land with Biggles manage to get away.
Biggles, however, is taken prisoner, but later has a chance to escape when
British planes come back to bomb the aerodrome to stop the Germans being able
to use the supplies they have taken. Biggles himself sets fire to the
ammunition store. Unable to leave the aerodrome without discovery, Biggles
decides to hide in the roofing space. The aerodrome is then the subject of a
fierce battle as the British counter-attack against the German advance. When
the Germans set up a machine gun post in Biggles' roof space, he is able to
deal with it. Scottish troops then take the aerodrome and Biggles is cheered by
the thought that he will be able to take the leave that was due to him.
"Scotland for Ever!" he tells the Scottish troops.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED (pages 251 to 254)
(NB The Glossary is at the back of the book in the original
Hamilton edition but after the forward in subsequent reprints)
The dust cover of the original book shows German planes under
attack.
Biggles of the Camel Squadron
Publication Details - published by John Hamilton
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail