BIGGLES DEFIES THE SWASTIKA
First Published in August 1941 - 249 pages
Biggles
is on a mission to Norway, posing as a Norwegian citizen called Sven Hendrik, to chart useful landing sites for British Air
Intelligence when the Germans invade. The speed of the invasion leaves Biggles
trapped in the country but with his passable Norwegian and his fluent German he
is able to pass off as a German sympathiser. Returning to the air club at Boda that he was using as his base, Biggles finds that the
Germans have now taken it over. Due to bluff and circumstance, Biggles is
admitted into the German Air Force with the rank of "Leutnant".
Biggles manages to escape by motorcycle to Sweden where via the British Consul
he is able to speak to Colonel Raymond of Air Intelligence. Raymond asks him to
return to Norway to use his position to spy for Air Intelligence. Biggles
reluctantly agrees, on condition Algy and Ginger are sent over to work as his
back up team. Returning to his air base, Biggles is cross-examined by Oberleutnant Ernst von Hymann of
the Gestapo. Explaining that he once worked in Canada for Arctic Airways (see Biggles Flies North), Biggles (still posing as Hendrik) is asked if he knows a former pilot of theirs
called "Bigglesworth". When he says that he does, Biggles is told
that "Bigglesworth" has been spotted in Oslo by a German agent called
Brandt, who knows him and Biggles is then enrolled into the Gestapo and sent to
find and identify "Bigglesworth". He is given a Gestapo pass and
allocated the number 2001. Biggles is now in a bizarre and difficult situation
with orders to find himself! Returning to Oslo,
Biggles makes enquiries and discovers that his old enemy Erich von Stalhein has now flown to Norway to join the hunt for him
and they are already starting to get suspicious about a certain Norwegian
called Sven Hendrik. Biggles reports to Gestapo HQ by
telephone and says that he is following Bigglesworth to Narvik.
On the way, he meets some stranded British sailors and taking them into his
confidence, he gets them to say, when they are captured, that a man called
Bigglesworth had been with them and had escaped. Interviewing other British
prisoners at Narvik, under his Gestapo agent
disguise, Biggles is shocked to find Algy one of them. British destroyers
attack Narvik and Biggles uses the opportunity not
only to get important information to the ships but also to help Algy and the
other prisoners escape. Biggles is then given a lift by a German pilot called
Schaffer back to his aerodrome at Boda. Biggles again
reports to von Hymann by telephone and is told that
von Stalhein needs to speak to him urgently about
Bigglesworth. Obviously, this is something that Biggles must avoid at all costs
as von Stalhein would recognise him straight away! Biggles
is contacted by Raymond via a spy and sent on a mission to Stavanger Airport to
find out details of its defences and take the information to Fiord 21. This he
does, where he finds Ginger waiting for him. Biggles is all ready to leave
Norway as things are too hot for him but Ginger says that Algy has gone back to
Boda to try to find him. Biggles knows he has to
return to Boda. Returning to Boda,
things are even more dangerous for Biggles because suspicion is mounting
rapidly. Biggles is forced to speak to von Stalhein
by telephone and he tries to disguise his voice. Convinced that von Stalhein will not be fooled, Biggles has to get away but
only after locating Algy. Succeeding in this, both Biggles and Algy get back to
Fiord 21 only to find a fleet of German Dornier flying-boats have now taken
over and Ginger has gone! Ginger attempts to return and rescue both of them but
things go wrong. Algy is taken prisoner whilst Biggles resumes his Gestapo
identity. Biggles learns vital information that the British North Sea Fleet is
about to sail into a trap. Biggles then bumps into Schaffer who is by now
highly suspicious of Biggles and his activities but scared to arrest him
because he is a Gestapo agent. Schaffer offers to fly Biggles back to Oslo and
Biggles accepts and then hi-jacks the plane. Flying the German machine, Biggles
is then attacked by Ginger but Ginger is shot down by some Messerschmitts.
Biggles rescues Ginger from the water and gives him the vital information to
take to the British fleet. Ginger then drops Biggles off to attempt to rescue
Algy. Biggles tries to rescue Algy but walks straight into a trap set by von Stalhein. Fate has seen Ginger captured as well, but not
before he delivered the vital message, so now von Stalhein
has all three of them. Ginger arrives with an escort but Biggles and Algy are
able to overpower the escort and leave in their place. Grabbing a Dornier they
are at last able to return to England and safety.
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Biggles Defies the Swastika
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
Frontispiece
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