BIGGLES SEES IT THROUGH
Book First Published in August 1941 - 254 pages
I believe this was the first Biggles book not to be serialised
elsewhere. If anybody knows differently
then please E-MAIL ME
The first edition dust jacket showing
the original price of 4 shillings. Note
the word “found” is at the end of the first line on the inner jacket
information
The third edition dust jacket showing
the same price of 4 shillings. Note the
word “found” is now on the second line of the inner jacket information
CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
I – AN EVENTFUL RECONNAISSANCE
The
Air Ministry have allowed Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Smyth to accompany a party
of volunteers to help Finland in their struggle against Soviet aggression. Whilst on a reconnaissance flight, Biggles
finds a dying Polish scientist called Petolski, who had been working on
important experiments with metal alloys for aircraft. He had the results of seven years' labour in
a portfolio with him and rather than let the research fall into German hands,
(Poland having been invaded by Germany), he has hidden it. The portfolio has been hidden by the wreckage
of the plane Petolski was in when it crashed just over the Russian border. Reporting the matter to Colonel Raymond,
Biggles is instructed to recover the portfolio.
Whilst searching for the plane wreckage, Ginger discovers a party of
Russians and Erich von Stalhein is with them.
An initial clash with them confirms that they are also after the
portfolio. Von Stalhein is first to find
the crash site and the portfolio, but it doesn't take long for Biggles to take
the papers off him. Trying to take off
from a frozen lake, Biggles hits an obstruction and their plane is put out of
action. Russian parachutists drop and
they are captured, but not before Biggles has a chance to hide the portfolio
again. The prisoners are handed over to
von Stalhein, who tells Biggles that unless the portfolio is handed over to
him, he will have his friends shot.
Biggles agrees to take von Stalhein to the papers and through a clever
ruse manages to escape, steal the plane they went in, and return to rescue
Algy, Ginger and Smyth. Stealing a horse
drawn sledge, our heroes return to the lake where they crashed in order to get
food from the supplies on board the aircraft.
However, fate has a trick to play on them and they are all caught in an
avalanche. Biggles is knocked
unconscious and loses his jacket. Algy
captures a Russian bomber and they fly back to Finland where Raymond is waiting
for the papers. Biggles regains
consciousness only to say that the portfolio was in his missing jacket! Biggles flies back alone to find the
portfolio but a thaw has set in and his aircraft is unable to take off from the
frozen lake due to the amount of water now on the surface of the ice. Ginger flies out (as prearranged) when
Biggles fails to return and Biggles is able to pass the portfolio to him.
Biggles then tries to walk back to Finland but has a dangerous encounter with a
bear. He is saved by Ginger who has had
his own problems and had to land. Biggles and Ginger now have to return to the
lake to meet Algy who will be flying out when neither Biggles nor Ginger
returns, (again as prearranged). Before
they do, Ginger hides the portfolio in a hollow tree trunk. Arriving at the
lake, Biggles is able to signal to Algy, but Algy is shot down before he can
fly away. Algy is able to join the
others and they all return to pick up the papers. However, now there is a Russian camp right on
the site where Ginger hid the papers and whilst gathering wood for fires, the
papers have been found and given back to von Stalhein! Biggles goes into von Stalhein's tent and
relieves him of the portfolio at gunpoint.
Our three heroes then escape and using a stolen boat hide out on a small
island. Now desperate for food, Ginger
raids a nearby large house and finds von Stalhein is using it as a base. Here, he sees a Swede named Olsen who is also
flying with the Finns and realises that he is a traitor working for the other
side. When Biggles is made aware of this
he arranges to ambush Olsen, who is shot whilst trying to escape. Stealing a single-seater aircraft, Ginger is
sent with the portfolio back to Finland.
Ginger meets Smyth flying a flying boat and is able to lead him back to
rescue Biggles and Algy in the nick of time.
Click here to see the story illustrations from the original HARDBACK first edition of this book
Biggles Sees it Through
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
The first issue dust
wrapper can be hard to determine but it has the word “found” on the
FIRST line of the front flap, not the second line and the 13 Johns titles on
the back of the book are listed in BLUE font (from Baltic to Spitfire Parade)
with an aerodrome above and fish below.
If “found” is on the first line but the font is RED then you
have the second issue dust wrapper. If
the word “found” is on the second line of the front flap and there is a blue
font on the back, you have a third issue dust wrapper.
The spine and cover illustrations from the original Oxford first
edition
On 21st May 2018, Howard Leigh’s original cover art
for this book sold on eBay for $3100 (US dollars) plus fees, delivery and 20%
import duty! I didn’t get it sadly; I was
the person who was outbid.
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail
Dust jacket of the 1960 Brockhampton Press reprint (NB – This is
one of only FOUR Oxford books that were reprinted by Brockhampton Press)
Click on the above to see it in more detail
Frontispiece of the 1960 Brockhampton Press reprint
Click on the above to see it in more detail