“BIGGLES” OF THE CAMEL SQUADRON

 

by Capt. W. E. Johns

 

X.    BIGGLES FINDS HIS FEET  (Pages 175 – 193)

 

Cruising over the Somme at fifteen thousand feet, Biggles finds himself battling a head wind in order to get back over his side of the Lines.  Shelled by archie (anti-aircraft fire) his engine begins to make an unusual sound and then catches fire.  Biggles has to go down “preferring to land behind the German Lines rather than be burnt to a cinder in the air”.  Crashing in ‘no man’s land’ Biggles finds himself “staring stupidly at the inferno raging about him” and under machine gun fire.  He jumps into a shell-crater where he finds a wounded Cockney soldier, “Bert Smart, ‘A’ Company, Twenty-third Londons”.  Bert has a knee wound and explains that “Jerry’ll be coming back in a minute” as the Germans have just been driven out.  Biggles admits “I’m no Samson to carry you, much as I should like to.  I’ll nip across and tell our fellows you’re here.  Then we’ll come and fetch you”.  “Biggles knew that in spite of his casual pose the Tommy was badly wounded, and would soon die from loss of blood if medical aid was delayed”.  Leaving his coat over the wounded man, Biggles goes down a ‘sap’ trench towards the British trenches as directed by Bert.  Entering the British trench he is nearly bayoneted.  Biggles “leapt aside and then flung himself into the trench”, knocking down a Colonel who snarls “Where the dickens have you come from?”.  “My Camel landed me in this mess,” complained Biggles bitterly.  The Colonel started violently.  “Camel?” he gasped.  “Have they brought up the Camel Corps?”  “That’s right.  That’s why everyone’s got the ‘hump’! punned Biggles sarcastically.  “A Camel’s an aeroplane in this war, not a dromedary!”  The Germans counter-attack and Biggles seizes a rifle.  However, Biggles wants to leave the trench to go and get Bert but the Colonel orders him to stay.  ‘A’ Company are ordered to retire whilst ‘B’ Company stand fast to cover their retreat.  Biggles is told they are surrounded.  “But I’m due for another patrol at six!” protested Biggles, aghast.  “You’ll be patrolling the Milky Way by that time, me lad!” observed the sergeant bitterly.  Biggles gets hold of a messenger and gives him a note, saying “Get through the Huns somehow, and don’t stop for anyone.  Grab the first motor-cyclist you see, and tell him it’s urgent!”  The Colonel rallies his men to defend the trench and Biggles takes over a Vickers gun where the crew are already dead.  “A line of grey-clad men in coal-scuttle steel helmets was advancing stealthily up a nearby trench, and Biggles’ lips parted in his famous fighting smile as he seized the spade-grips of the gun, thumbs seeking the trigger”.  A German Albatros plane flies over and Biggles machine guns it, knowing “what few infantrymen knew – the distance it is necessary to shoot in front of a rapidly-moving target in order to hit it”.  The plane flies straight into Biggles’ line of fire and is shot down.  “I wonder will that one count on my score?” he asked the Colonel.  “Although I don’t suppose they’ll believe it, anyway”.  “I’ll confirm it,” said the Colonel vigorously.  “That is, if we get out alive.  We’re in a nasty hole!”  The Colonel says they need a miracle “- and the day of miracles has passed”.  Biggles is not so sure having seen some specks in the sky.  “Give me a Very pistol, so that I can fire a light to show them where we are”.  Biggles recognises Mahoney’s plane and Mac’s – and also a squadron of S.E.s, with old Wilks leading!  “The C.O. must have ‘phoned 287 Squadron after he got my message”.  The British planes dive down and attack the German infantry.  Biggles says “Now, sergeant, I’ve got you out of a hole, and I want you to help me get someone else out of one”.  He gets the sergeant to help him go and get Bert.  Dodging grenades, they reach Bert and carry him back to the British trench.  The Colonel says that the machines have opened up the communication trenches and they can get through now, so they are all able to pull-out.  When being congratulated for getting the aeroplanes to hold up the German advance Biggles says he only did it “So that I could go and fetch Bert.  What else do you think?  I promised him I would, so I had to,” replied Biggles, grinning broadly.