BIGGLES' SECOND CASE

Book First Published in March? 1948 - 191 pages

(The W. E. Johns biography says this book was published in August 1948, second editions refer to the first printing as being April 1948, but I have a first edition of this book presented to an original owner on 13th March 1948.

Correspondence in my collection shows that Johns was sent the proofs on 5th December 1947 to approve.  I suspect that publication was March 1948, if not earlier.  It was certainly earlier than August 1948)

 

This story was first published, in eight monthly parts, as BIGGLES’ SECOND CASE in the Boy’s Own Paper  Volume 68, issues 5 to 12, dated February 1946 to September 1946

 

The first edition dust jacket showing the original price of 6 shillings

 

CHAPTERS

Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or see the general story summary below

I – AFTERMATH OF WAR

II – BIGGLES ASKS SOME QUESTIONS

III – VON SCHONBECK STRIKES FIRST

IV – BIGGLES LOOKS ROUND

V – THE WHALER

VI – TRAGEDY ASHORE

VII – DITCHED

VIII – ALGY TAKES A HAND

IX – WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ICE

X – ALGY CARRIES ON

XI – CUT AND THRUST

XII – GINGERS STARTS SOMETHING

XIII – VON SCHONBECK TRIES AGAIN

XIV – THE PACE QUICKENS

XV – THE CLOCK THAT TICKED AGAIN

XVI – BIGGLES OFFERS TERMS

XVII – CLEAN-UP ON KERGUELEN

XVIII – THE END OF THE TRIAL

 

Air Commodore Raymond asks Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie to help in the hunt for a German submarine, U-517, believed to have a hoard of gold stolen from various allied ships during the war. Now the war is over the ruthless Captain of the U-boat, called Von Schonbeck, plans to keep the gold. Setting up a base at Kerguelen Island down towards the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere, our heroes have to find the Sub and then try to locate and recover the gold. Based in the middle of nowhere, with nothing between them and the South Pole, they are first alerted to the presence of the U-boat when it sinks their supply ship. Whilst trying to depth charge the submarine, Biggles and Ginger are shot down and later taken prisoner. Ginger saves Biggles from a firing squad before they manage to escape. With the help of some Norwegian sailors, the submarine is eventually trapped in its own secret harbour and its crew takes to the island. Biggles and his allies have to fight it out with them before Von Schonbeck meets a nasty fate in a bog. The dust cover of the book shows Biggles' seaplane flying over the submarine.

 

Click here to see the story illustrations from this book

 

Biggles' Second Case

Subtitle - A Biggles Adventure

Publication Details - published by Hodder & Stoughton

 

Frontispiece

Click on the above to see it in more detail

 

Original artwork for the title page of the book

 

Original artwork of Ginger from the book

 

Original artwork of Bertie from the book

 

 

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