BIGGLES GOES TO SCHOOL

 

by Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

V.                    THE FIELD DAY  (Pages 56 - 72)

 

At the school is a cadet corps, the Malton Hall School, Officer's Training Corps, to which all the boys have to belong.  It was the Head's own creation and his pride and joy.  At least one half day a week is devoted to drill.  When local army volunteers have a "field day", the school corps gets to take part.  A token convoy (consisting of just a horse drawn covered van under the control of Colour Sergeant Buckle, the local recruiting sergeant) has to travel to Wanton.  It will be defended by a battalion of volunteers known as Red Force and to prevent it getting through would be the task of another battalion known as Blue Force.  The Cadet Corps are attached to Blue Force.  One of the boys, named Curtiss, has a repeating pistol that fires caps and he rushes around shouting "charge!".  "This picture was to flash back into Biggles’ mind when, five years later, he read in the London Gazette, in a citation of the award of the Victoria Cross, of how Captain Lionel Curtiss, Grenadier Guards, had died on the Somme at the head of his men in a gallant attempt to regain a lost position".  The convoy sets off in one direction and the Head leads his corps in the opposite, which Biggles finds very puzzling.  Biggles and Smith are assigned as scouts and sent to a copse on some high ground to watch for the convoy.  When Biggles sees the convoy he has the bright idea of capturing it.  While Smith distracts Colour Sergeant Buckle, Biggles rides the cart away and the horse pulling it bolts.  Biggles is able to capture the flag.  Biggles goes to see the Headmaster who is with a General and Biggles shows him the flag.  The Head is annoyed but Biggles repeats back to him that a good soldier always acts with initiative, which is what the Head always says.  When Biggles leaves, the General says "That boy should go far" and asks his name.  When told it is Bigglesworth, he asks if he is any relation of Brigadier General Bigglesworth and he is told that Biggles is his nephew.  "Ah! That probably accounts for it", he says.