BIGGLES
– AIR COMMODORE
by Captain W.
E. Johns
IV. ‘REPORTED
MISSING’ (Pages
68 – 76)
“Half an hour later, after a hasty toilet
and breakfast, they all foregathered in the captain’s cabin to discuss a
revised plan of campaign made necessary by the loss of the decoy ship. It was not a cheerful gathering, for the fate
of the crew of the Bengal Star, in
particular the captain and wireless operator whom they knew, weighed heavily
upon them”. Biggles notes the enemy have
changed their plan. Instead of sending
out a false S.O.S., they jammed the wireless equipment so that Turrell couldn’t
broadcast a message. Captain Sullivan remembers
he has a letter for Biggles and gives it to him. It is from Tom Lowery, the man Biggles met at
the beginning of the story. The letter
tells Biggles he has seen about his flight to Australia in the papers and that
he, Tom, is flying a new Gannet flying boat back to Singapore and will be
flying over the Mergui Archipelago. He
hopes to meet Biggles either in Alor or Singapore. The Mergui Archipelago was the direction the
submarine was heading. Biggles tells
Sullivan to hide up on the coast opposite the Mergui Islands, while he flies to
Singapore to see the R.A.F. and then he will fly around looking for the
submarine. “I shall go on looking while
you have any petrol left” Biggles tells Sullivan. The Nemesis
lands at Singapore and Biggles goes to see the Group Captain in command. Biggles tells him about the enemy submarine
base. “I’m looking for that base, and
when I find it I’ve got to wipe it out of
existence. If I can find a way of doing
that single-handed I shan’t trouble you, but if I
can’t I shall send you a signal and you’ll have to do it for me with as many
machines as you can get into the air”.
Biggles says he will put out a Zone Call, that they used to use in the
(First World) war with a password, “Nomad”.
(The ninth short story in the very first Biggles book published in
1932, The Camels are Coming is called “The Zone Call”). Biggles says his supply ship, the Seafret, has about eight thousand
gallons of petrol on board which they can use for refuelling. Biggles asks to speak to Tom Lowery, only to
be told that he has been reported missing.
“Biggles stared. “Missing!” he
ejaculated”. “Well, he’s four days
overdue. No one has seen or heard a word
of him since he left Rangoon a week ago”.
A search has been made for him but they believe he’s down
somewhere. Biggles asks if the mess
secretary can put them up for the night and then says “I’ll go and see my
aircraft put to bed”.