BIGGLES FLIES EAST
Book First Published in August 1935 - 256 pages
This story was later published, in fourteen parts, as BIGGLES
FLIES EAST in The Modern
Boy, issues 399 to 412, dated 28th September 1935 to 28th
December 1935
Here is a picture of an excellent restored first edition dust
jacket. The book was priced 3/6.
BOOK CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
XII – A NEW PILOT – AND A MISSION
XIII – VICKERS VERSUS SPANDAUS
During
the First World War, whilst on leave in London, Biggles is mistaken for a
Captain Brunow and offered the chance of working for the Germans. Reporting the
matter to Air Staff Intelligence, Biggles is asked to assume the identity of
Brunow and take up the offer so that he can act as a double agent. Before he
knows it, Biggles finds himself at Zabala, the HQ of the German Intelligence
Staff and also the station for two German squadrons. In command is Count von
Faubourg and his second-in-command is a certain Hauptmann Erich von Stalhein,
who is to become Biggles' greatest enemy over numerous future stories. Von
Stalhein is suspicious of Biggles immediately. Biggles' first task for the
Germans is to find some Australian cavalry. Meeting with Major Raymond at a pre-arranged
oasis rendezvous, Biggles is told where the Australians are and that they are
moving out tonight so there would be no harm in him telling the Germans. They
could merely bomb an empty camp. Biggles is also given a bomb and asked to blow
up the German's reservoir. Suddenly, Biggles spots a German plane, a pilot
called Leffens has spotted him meeting with Raymond
and Biggles has to shoot him down to maintain his cover. This Biggles does and
he lands to make sure Leffens is dead. Arriving back
at Zabala, von Stalhein examines Biggles' plane and finds a bullet in it. Leffens had been firing a new type of German bullet and
Biggles fears that von Stalhein is on to him. Biggles sneaks out during the
night and blows up the Germans' reservoir. Soon he is being confronted by the
Count about this, but he manages to come up with a believable story to save
himself. Biggles' main mission is to find a German spy called 'El Shereef' and
after seeing von Stalhein dressed up as an Arab on a secret night time flight,
Biggles begins to suspect that he is 'El Shereef'. Biggles is caught in a storm
and forced to land by an oasis. Here he is captured by Arabs and sold to the
British. Biggles then has to pretend to be German, until he is surprisingly
sprung from prison and picked up by a German pilot called Mayer. On route back
to Zabala, Mayer is shot down (by Algy of all people) and crash lands. Mayer
breaks his leg and Biggles has to get him to safety, a feat for which he is
nominated for the Iron Cross! Next Biggles meets and falls foul of Kurt Hess,
an arrogant German pilot who is looking to shoot down his 27th British victim -
"like roast beef in his own oven". Biggles is incensed and the next
time he meets with Algy, he borrows his Sopworth
Camel to go and shoot down Hess. Biggles makes sure he knows who he is before
he sends Hess down in flames. A mock airfield has been set up by the British to
allow Biggles to give the Germans some information. Biggles is asked to lead a
bombing raid on this airfield and he distinguishes himself with his excellent
bombing and by accidentally saving his colleagues from a British attack.
Biggles later goes to search von Stalhein's room and is hidden in a cupboard
when an Arab attacks Von Stalhein. The Arab is killed. Next, Biggles is told
that the British have captured El Shereef and he is sent by the Germans to free
him. Biggles is convinced the British have the wrong man and returns to the
Germans to say he is too late, the British have already shot him. On his way
back, Biggles is attacked by members of his own German squadron because his
secret identifying marks are not present. Von Stalhein is trying to have him
killed. Before Biggles can do anything about this, the real Captain Brunow
arrives and Biggles has to deal with him before his cover is blown. Biggles
knocks Brunow unconscious and then is shocked to discover that Algy has been
captured by the Germans. Freeing Algy, Biggles sends him back to the British
lines with Brunow as a passenger. Time is short now for Biggles and he knows he
must leave Zabala. He does so by substituting himself for von Stalhein's
special mission pilot and flies von Stalhein to the British lines. On arrival
von Stalhein is not there - he has bailed out! However, Biggles has one more
trick up his sleeve to capture von Stalhein and El Shereef for good!
Click here to see the story illustrations from the original HARDBACK first edition of this book
Biggles Flies East
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
The spine and cover illustration from the original Oxford first
edition
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail
Dustjacket from the Hodder & Stoughton May 1942 edition (the
first EVER Hodder & Stoughton Biggles book)