BIGGLES - AIR COMMODORE
Book First Published in May 1937 - 255 pages
Re-published in 1994 as Biggles and the Secret Mission
This story was first published, in ten parts, as BIGGLES FIGHTS
ALONE in The Modern Boy,
issues 452 to 461, dated 3rd October 1936 to 5th December
1936
The original first edition dust wrapper. The book was originally priced 3/6.
This is a somewhat torn example of the 1940 reprint dust wrapper,
now showing a price of 4 shillings.
CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
I – AN UNUSUAL ‘WHETHER’ REPORT
Biggles
is intrigued by a mystery. Supply ships have been disappearing in the Indian
Ocean and before they sank they managed to broadcast a final message. In all
cases, when they referred to the word "weather" it was misspelt as
"whether". Biggles concludes that the same person sent the messages
otherwise the coincidence would be too great. Biggles approaches Colonel
Raymond, now with Scotland Yard, but formerly with the Air Intelligence staff
when Biggles was in 266 squadron, to find out more information. Before he knows
it, Biggles is dining in the Foreign Office and setting out his ideas about how
to deal with the problem. Biggles is given a temporary commission in the Royal
Air Force with the rank of Air Commodore and his plans are put into effect. A
decoy supply ship has been sent out called the Bengal Star. A Royal Navy
ship called the Seafret then follows this. Biggles, Algy and
Ginger then follow on in an amphibian aircraft named Nemesis. The plan
is too lure out whoever is attacking the British ships with the Bengal Star and
then follow them to their base and launch an RAF attack on it. Things go wrong
from the start when the Bengal Star is quickly torpedoed and the crew
killed. Biggles manages to save one survivor called Ladgrove, although he later
dies, but not before he is able to tell Biggles which direction the submarine
took on leaving. Exploring in this direction, Biggles comes across a crashed
plane. Algy and Ginger take off in their plane in order to send a signal to the
Seafret but a hostile plane attacks them. Ginger manages to shoot it
down before it gets them. Meeting up with the Seafret and Biggles,
further casualties are suffered. At a council of war, Biggles catches a spy who
has come from a nearby junk. Biggles leads an attack on the junk and captures
it. Inside, maps are found which seem to indicate that Elephant Island may be
the enemy base and the junk was taking further supplies to the Island. The junk
is scuttled and its crew marooned. Biggles and Ginger set off on a recognisance
mission to Elephant Island. Splitting up, Ginger discovers a submarine base
hidden in a cave in a cliff whilst Biggles is pursued by hostile natives. Both
Ginger and Biggles escape to rendezvous with the Seafret but it doesn't
arrive. Algy arrives in the Nemesis to say that the Seafret has
been torpedoed but the Captain managed to beach her to avoid her sinking.
Biggles and Ginger return to investigate the submarine base and finding a
supply of mines, they lay one in the entrance cave. However, they are trapped
by the unexpected return of a submarine, which sets the mine off. Biggles and
Ginger then have a desperate fight to get out of the enemy submarine base.
Meanwhile, the RAF has been called up for an aerial attack and they bombard
Elephant Island setting off the supplies of gas bombs kept there by the enemy.
The base is destroyed and Biggles returns to England, his mission a success.
Click here to see the story illustrations from the original HARDBACK first edition of this book
Biggles - Air Commodore
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
The spine and cover illustrations from the original Oxford first
edition
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail