BIGGLES - AIR DETECTIVE

by Captain W. E. Johns

Undated but first published by Marks and Spencer, Ltd. London in May 1950 and illustrated by Leslie Stead

It is interesting to note that the first story in this book refers to Biggles as "Detective Air-Inspector Bigglesworth". Biggles was promoted to Detective Inspector in the book

"Another Job for Biggles" published in February 1951 (i.e. AFTER publication of this book), so these stories, which were written especially for this book, would appear to have been written after Johns wrote that book. I have a letter in my private collection dated 3^rd August 1949 from Peter Watt, Johns’ literally agent, to W. E. Johns acknowledging receipt of Johns’ draft of “Another Job for Biggles” and six other short stories – (The Case(s) of the) “Unknown Aircraft”, “Black Sheep, “Wounded Agent”, “Stolen Aircraft”, ”Unregistered Operator” and “Mysterious Gunshots”- “under the general title of “Biggles – Air Detective”. Only four of those stories went on to appear in this book. Johns then wrote another three stories especially for this publication.

There were no chapters as such in the original publication and neither were the SEVEN stories numbered.

CONTENTS – Page 4

THE CASE OF THE BLACK SHEEP (Pages 5 - 16)

Air Commodore Raymond calls Detective Air-Inspector Bigglesworth, better known as "Biggles" into his Scotland Yard office and introduces him to Mr. Videll, Liaison Officer between the Board of Trade and His Majesty's Office of Customs and Excise. American nylons (women's stockings) are coming into the country far beyond the official quota and affecting the home market. The hosiery trade is complaining. In terms of profit, a pair of nylon stockings weigh less than half an ounce. A parcel weighing fifty pounds would contain 2000 pairs. They can be bought in America wholesale for less than 10 shillings a pair. On the black market they sell at 25 to 30 shillings a pair, which means a fifty pound parcel would yield a profit in the order of £2000. Four times a year for the past twenty months the market has been flooded and then there is a gap until the next consignment arrives. Intensive investigations have revealed that the appearance of the nylons coincides with the arrival of a certain cargo boat - the "Sirocco" (incidentally, "Sirocco" was the name of two different yachts owned by Errol Flynn) which, flying the Panama flag, takes the north route to Liverpool. The boat is currently 200 miles out in the Atlantic, Biggles is told. Biggles and Ginger fly out to see the "Sirocco" in a Police Service Saro amphibian and they can see her track as it is a broad line of oily water. Biggles sees a barrel painted orange on top with a black cross. Landing on the sea and examining the item, Biggles finds a hermetically sealed box. Leaving the item there and then taking off and flying high, Biggles and Ginger wait for someone to collect the barrel. A Moth seaplane arrives and flies to Lagganmalloch Island. Enquires back at the Yard reveal the island was a temporary Service Seaplane Base and was bought in 1946 by Flight-Lieutenant R. Q. Paullson, D.F.C. who has a private owner's licence for a Moth seaplane. Paullson bought the island for farming and specialises in black St. Kilda sheep. Biggles and Ginger fly up to see him and examine his produce, including bales of wool. Biggles confronts Paullson with the fact they saw him picking up a parcel from the "Sircocco". Paullson says the parcel contained cigarettes and is to be consigned to a man named Louis Vanberger in Glasgow. Biggles says the parcels contain contraband to the tune of £2000. "Listen to me," said Biggles earnestly. "Somebody is going to gaol over this business. If Vanberger has his way, it'll be you. If you've any sense it'll be him. You've one chance to save yourself, and because I believe your version I'm going to give you that chance. You've got to turn King's Evidence". Paullson tells what he knows about the smuggling and how he came to be involved. Biggles returns to London and tells Mr. Videll all he has learned and asks that Paullson is let off with a caution and doesn't have his pilot's licence cancelled. Paullson may be in the line of business of black sheep "But he isn't one of them" says Biggles.