BIGGLES IN BORNEO

A "Biggles Squadron" Story of the Second Great War

By Captain W. E. Johns

First Published July 1943

CONTENTS – PAGE 3

I. INVITATION TO SUICIDE (Pages 5 - 14)

Biggles, who is introduced in this book as "Squadron Leader James Bigglesworth" goes to meet Air Commodore Raymond, his old chief. Raymond introduces him to Captain Rex Larrymore, who was a pilot in the First World War and went on to be a prospector, specializing in gold and diamonds, on the island of Borneo. Rex explains that he has found and set up at aerodrome in the centre of Borneo at a location he has named "Lucky Strike". He discovered the location by chance when engine trouble forced him to land on blue moss that he initially thought was water. Here he has befriended the local natives, about 500 Punans, after helping treat a spear wound in the arm of the chief, Suba. Rex's idea is to use this ready made aerodrome, that the Japs know nothing about to strike at their lines of communication, "it could play the very devil with the Japs". Biggles needs time to think about it and says he will report and make recommendations tomorrow.