BIGGLES OF THE SPECIAL AIR POLICE

by Captain W. E. Johns

First published September 1953

REGENT CLASSICS – A list of 19 books ending with ‘Lorna Doone’ followed by a list of 5 books, four of which are by W. E. Johns

COLOUR FRONTISPIECE - The frontispiece that is actually in “Biggles of the Special Air Police” is a picture of Algy in the cockpit of an aeroplane. It is captioned “Algy shot straight underneath the hostile machine”. This is a scene from the book ‘The Black Peril’, later called ‘Biggles and the Black Peril’ and this picture had originally been used in the Modern Library edition of that book. The line in that book is actually “The amphibian shot straight underneath its escort” and it can be found in the Modern Library version on page 97 and in the Regent Classic version, split over pages 169 and 170. In the original 1935 John Hamilton published version of ‘The Black Peril’ the line was “The Vandal shot straight underneath its escort” and it was on page 152. The correct frontispiece that should be in this book is in fact in “Biggles and the Black Peril” and it is captioned “The crumpled figure in the cockpit came to life” – this illustration shows the black gauntlet on the fuselage so it is definitely from the first story of “Biggles of the Special Air Police”. Somehow the two frontispieces were transposed in the production of both books!

CONTENTS – Page 5

I. THE CASE OF THE BLACK GAUNTLET (Pages 7 – 30)

“Sorry to seem uncooperative, but you can tell your Editor that for security reasons we don’t want any publicity. Good-bye”. Air Detective-Inspector Bigglesworth puts the telephone down. He tells Air-Constable Ginger Hepplethwaite that “Some magazine wanted to make a photo-feature of us”. (Johns has spelt Ginger’s surname wrong here! It should be Hebblethwaite with two B’s and not with two P’s. This error is in every UK edition of the book, including all the paperbacks. Strangely, the error is not in the French translation of this book ‘Huit Affaires Pour Biggles’ where the name is spelt correctly with two B’s!). He refused as “There are crooks who would love to have photographs of us and our Operations Room”. Ginger passes Biggles a package which is marked ‘Personal’. Biggles opens it to find a single black leather gauntlet and no message. Algy asks if it is one he has left somewhere. “If it were mine, I wouldn’t be likely to decorate it with this particular device,” returned Biggles, holding up the gauntlet, to reveal, on the back of it, a gold Swastika. “There was a time when a gauntlet was a challenge,” put in Algy. “It looks as if someone is after your blood”. The gauntlet makes Biggles recall seeing it or something similar before. At Marham aerodrome in Norfolk, during the (Second World) War, there was a squadron of American Fortresses stationed there. Biggles had landed there as his Spitfire engine was a bit rough and he wanted it checked. While he was there, the “Yanks” were attacked by another Spitfire which shot the aerodrome up. “Obviously, the pilot was a Nazi, flying a captured machine. I went up and knocked him down. He crashed on the runway. I went out with the Yanks to try to put the fire out; but it was no use. Curiously enough, one object had been thrown clear. It was a gauntlet – this one, or one exactly like it. I took it to be the fellow’s mascot. He deserved all he got, because the trick was one no decent pilot would play. That’s all there was to it, except that the Yanks very nicely wanted to give me a decoration, which got my name into print, much to the annoyance of the Higher Command, who, was you know, take a dim view of personal publicity”. Biggles is called to see Air-Commodore Raymond and when he enters his office, he meets an old acquaintance called Gainsforth. Biggles knew him as ‘Wizard’ when he was in Photographic Reconnaissance during the war. Raymond says Gainsforth is now in charge of the Crown Film Corporation. Biggles says to Gainsforth, “By the way, weren’t you at Marham, in Norfolk, the day I shot down a Spitfire?” Gainsforth says he was; he photographed the wreckage. Biggles says “What a queer thing coincidence is. Believe it or not I was talking about that very incident not five minutes ago”. Raymond says that “Gainsforth has come here with a proposition. It’s a Crown Film job, so it’s okay with us if you’re interested. He’ll explain”. Gainsforth says he has been asked to make the most important air picture since ‘The Lion Has Wings’ (a 1939 black and white propaganda film produced by London Film Productions and Alexander Korda Film Productions to prepare the nation for war and shine a light on the power of the R.A.F.). Gainsforth hopes his film will be shown at the International Peace Film Festival at Geneva where a prize is on offer for the best film. “It struck me that the most effective way of showing the value of peace might be to illustrate the heartbreak of war”. Gainsforth wants Biggles to act as Technical Adviser on the air-combat shots as the Air Council has ruled out the employment of any active members of the armed forces. The film will feature a stunt pilot called Max Petersen and a German film actress called Thea Hertz. Biggles agrees. (The next part of the story is prefixed with a “II”). Biggles visits the film studios and meets Petersen and Hertz. When he meets Thea Hertz “he came under the scrutiny of a pair of ice-blue eyes that seemed to appraise him with unnecessary candour”. She tells him she is so glad to have a real war-pilot to advise them and it was only in those circumstances that she agreed to make the film. Gainsforth takes Biggles to have a look at the Messerschmitt they are using and Biggles is astonished to see “an upraised gauntlet” painted on the side of the plane. He asks how it got there. Gainsforth says the Art Department painted it on the aircraft on his instructions. He knows Biggles saw the original when he shot down the Spitfire at Marham. Gainsforth says he kept the gauntlet as a souvenir. Biggles ask to see it. In Gainsforth’s office, he produces a cardboard box, but when opened, the gauntlet is missing; the box empty. Biggles says it was sent to him by post and asks Gainsforth if he has any idea who did it. Gainsforth shrugged. “How should I know?” He smiled curiously. “You’re the detective. Work it out yourself. I must go. I can’t hold up production for a thing like a glove”. (The next part of the story is prefixed with a “III”). Biggles is back at the studios the following morning. There is a Moth to serve as the camera-plane and a Spitfire and Messerschmitt to do the fighting. Two black camera-trucks are on the ground as well. “Everything looked real – uncomfortably so, thought Biggles. Even the cans of film that technicians were handling looked like drums of ammunition”. “Gainsforth came bustling up, using strong language”. Biggles asks “Now what’s the matter?” Petersen the stunt pilot hasn’t turned up. They have to finish the film this morning otherwise they will miss the entry date for the Festival and Thea Hertz has another contract in Germany in two days time. Gainsforth asks Biggles to fly the Spitfire. “Why should I risk my neck for a strip of celluloid?” inquired Biggles coldly. “Risk your neck!” Gainsforth looked incredulous. “Don’t say you’re losing your nerve!” A voice behind broke in. “Nerves? What is this talk. No one would question the famous Bigglesworth’s courage”. Thea Hertz walked up. She stands by the fuselage of the Messerschmitt and “allowed a casual finger to follow the lines of the black gauntlet”. “Biggles stared. The curious thought struck him that the mystery of the gauntlet was on the point of being solved. He couldn’t imagine how. But he would soon settle the matter”. “All right,” he said curtly. “I’ll fly the Spitfire”. Biggles is told he will be in touch with Thea by two-way radio and his guns are only loaded with dummy tracer that will leave a vaper trail for the film. He has to remember to switch on his cameras. They all take off. Thea Hertz asks Biggles over the radio if he is ready. Then she says “You remember the black gauntlet, Herr Bigglesworth? It belonged to my brother. I saw you shoot him down. I, too, was working on the American aerodrome that day – for the Fuhrer”. She says that when she has finished with Biggles, she will drop incendiaries on the studios below and then fly to Eastern Germany, adding that she has an advantage: Her bullets are real ones. Biggles knows his early type of Spitfire can’t outfly the Messerschmitt, but his skill enables him to evade her. They dive, zoom and bank. Gainsforth would have a good picture thinks Biggles. It is clear that Hertz is quite prepared to kill herself with her flying if she can kill Biggles at the same time. Biggles flies under some telegraph-wires and Hertz follows but doesn’t appear to see them. The Messerschmitt is caught under one of its elevators. “It staggered, snapping off two posts, came down on a wing tip and cartwheeled. By a miracle it came to rest right side up”. “Biggles sideslipped down, made one of the riskiest landings of his career, and raced tail-up for the spot. Jumping down he ran on wildly, for a cloud of vapour, caused as he knew by petrol running over the hot engine, told him what was likely to happen. One spark would be enough”. “He was only a few yards away when the crumpled figure in the cockpit came to life”. (“The crumpled figure in the cockpit came to life” – is the colour frontispiece in “Biggles and the Black Peril” and it is there by mistake. It should have been in “Biggles of the Special Air Police” but somehow the two frontispieces were transposed in the production of both books!). “Don’t shoot!” yells Biggles but the gun fires and lights the vapour. The aircraft, with Hertz in it, goes up in flames. (The next part of the story is prefixed with a “IV”). “A wonderful film. You deserved to win the Geneva prize. I think it justifies us in withholding the true story of Thea Hertz” says Air-Commodore Raymond to Gainsforth, sitting in a box in a West End cinema. “The lights came up, revealing also Biggles and his assistants”. Biggles says to Gainsforth there are still one or two points that he doesn’t understand. Gainsforth says “If I straighten things out, have I your word for it that it won’t go any further?” “Provided you haven’t broken the law” says Raymond. “I haven’t done that – at least, I don’t think so”. Gainsforth says he knew Thea Hertz was the sister of the man Biggles shot down at Marham. She was there at the time and must have seen him pick up the gauntlet. He offered the film contract to Thea, who agreed to accept on the understanding an expert directed the combat sequences and it was she who suggested Biggles. Gainsforth thought flying opposite Biggles would make Hertz act superbly. Gainsforth deliberately kept Petersen out of the way in order to get Biggles into the Spitfire. He didn’t think Hertz would go as far as she did. He had her watched and when he discovered she had live ammunition, he was shaken to the core, but put back the dummy tracer. “So you see, you were quite safe. She couldn’t have hurt you”. “Why didn’t you tip me off?” asked Biggles. “Because if I had, you wouldn’t have flown as you did. I shouldn’t have got my picture, or the prize”. “By thunder! You’ve got a brass face to admit that,” rasped Biggles. (Brass face means having the will to do something bold, rude or impudent). Biggles asks who sent him the black gauntlet and Gainsforth confesses it was him. He wanted him in the cast and the curiosity would induce him to fly. “The film’s the thing. That’s all that matters,” said Gainsforth tritely. “Do you still insist that your name should be left out of it?” “Definitely,” replied Biggles. “Publicity is the last thing I want.” As the lights dimmed again he got up. “This is where we came in,” he remarked. “Come on, let’s go”.