THE BLACK PERIL

A “Biggles” Story

by W. E. Johns

First published March 1935

CONTENTS – Page 5

Illustrations – Page 7 (Frontispiece and four plates all by Howard Leigh. The plates are facing pages 56, 110, 150 and 210)

I. FORCED DOWN (Pages 9 – 29)

The book opens with Biggles (he is merely introduced as ‘Biggles’) and Algy flying their Vandal amphibian aircraft northwards up the Eastern British coast. Biggles had rung Algy and suggested a joy-ride and they had travelled by road to Brooklands Aerodrome where they had parked the amphibian after their return from South America. (A footnote tells us to read ‘The Cruise of the Condor’ but, although they returned from South America in that story, the reference is wrong. The previous book was ‘Biggles Flies Again’ and in that story they had also returned from South America. The reference is corrected in the Red Fox editions but the line about returning from South America is completely omitted in Dean and Son editions). The sun had been shining in an autumn sky and now the weather had turned bad so Biggles turns around to fly back. They are enveloped in a thick mist and Biggles is forced to land in a creek on the Norfolk coastline. (The Vandal tilted in a swift “S” turn, sideslipped, flattened out - is the frontispiece illustration taken from a line on page 12). Planning to stay the night, they go ashore looking for a house or somewhere to eat. Finding no habitation at all, they come across a wartime pillbox, a small, square concrete structure. Going inside, Algy finds a piece of paper with German writing on ‘Gesellschaft Deutsche Contermann. Berlin” reads Biggles. (In the Dean and Son reprints, the Russians are the villains rather than the Germans, so this becomes “Written in Russian, which I can’t read to any extent,” said Biggles turning the paper over. “Murski – looks like a name”). On the wall they find a triangular marking and what appears to be an indication of something being buried half a metre down. They dig and find a row of large electric accumulators, some intricate wiring, and a switch. The name on the accumulators is ‘Gontermann, Berlin’ (another continuity error here, with a G being used in place of the previous C). They cover up their findings and leave. Making their way back to their aircraft they hear heavy aircraft engines. They then see a light moving in the pillbox they have recently vacated. Underwater lights are turned on and a big heavy aircraft comes in to land. Luckily, Biggles and Algy’s own aircraft is out of sight. “That machine is a foreigner; I can just make her out. Looks as big as the Do.X. There’s something fishy here and no mistake; I’ve never even seen a picture of such a machine” says Biggles. Biggles decides he needs to investigate as they may never get another chance. He wants to find out the nationality of the aircraft and sets off to do so. Algy goes back to the hut where he sees five men and hears them speaking in a language he does not understand. One man has a distinctive black beard. Algy returns to the Vandal to await the return of Biggles and when he does not come, he goes looking for him. Algy searches for a long time and calls his name, but there is no reply. When dawn comes Algy takes their aircraft up to search for Biggles but “there was no sign of the man who was tied to him by bonds of friendship that only years of peril could forge. Suddenly making up his mind he swung the machine round, and with a lump in his throat headed south”.