BIGGLES FOLLOWS ON

by Captain W. E. Johns

XII. WUNG REPORTS (Pages 130 – 137)

Six hours later, having bathed, rested and breakfasted, everyone gathers to hear what Wung has to say. Firstly, Wung says that Ross is there as he has spoken to him. Wung was able to work in the compound and heard a man call him Ross. Wung told Ross to be ready because friends were near. “You should have seen his face!” Wung smiled at the recollection. “He could not think it was me, a dirty Chinese coolie, speaking in English”. (“He could not think it was me, a dirty Chinese coolie, speaking in English” – is the second illustration between pages 128 and 129). Wung walked on before Ross could reply. Wung says the local people had been mustered into gangs for labour. He says a single track railway is being built and an airfield is also under construction. Everything comes in by air, including fuel oil for a generator. Wung thinks there are twelve prisoners, five British, four Americans, two Frenchmen and one other. Wung explains where the barbed wire fences are and which buildings are which. The prisoners are under supervision of an English sergeant “shouting at them with much beastly language”. There is a Chinese soldier on duty at the gate sentry box, changed every four hours. The surrounding terrain is boggy, making escape very difficult if you got out of the camp. There are wireless rooms, a power station and a bungalow for the commander, a Russian known at Commandant Kubenoff. Some trusted prisoners have already been taken from the camp and infiltrated back to Korea to act as spies and saboteurs says Wung, adding that a North-Korean boasted to him of this. “The headquarters of these renegades happens to be in his own village, a place on the coast called Fashtun, near the Russian frontier”. Biggles asks Wung if he had heard the name Macdonald in the camp, but he hasn’t. Biggles proposes they go in that night as if they wait, alterations in the camp might throw their plan out of gear. Biggles says they have two tasks. “The first, is the rescue of Ross, and any other British or foreign troops who have had enough of Communism”. “The second part of the operation is the silencing of the propaganda factory”. Biggles will lead the rescue party and Captain King the demolition squad. Wung asks if he can come as well and Biggles says he will be useful as a guide. Algy will remain in the machine as second-in-command. “This being second-in-command does me out of all the fun that’s going,” protested Algy. Biggles acknowledges that, but says you have to have the first or second in command in reserve in case things come unstuck. They decide to eat then get ready.