BIGGLES IN AUSTRALIA
Book First Published on 31st March 1955 - 188 pages
This story was first published, in ten parts, as BIGGLES
SPYCATCHER in Junior
Mirror issues 23 to 32, dated 2nd
February 1955 to 4th May 1955
First edition dust jacket showing original price of 7 shillings
and 6 pence
(Even though it has the higher number of 44 on the spine, it was
in fact Biggles in Australia that was the first Biggles book to be numbered – Biggles in Australia was
published
on 31st March 1955 whereas Biggles Chinese Puzzle,
numbered 43, was published later, on 9th May 1955. They must have been allocated numbers in
advance.)
CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
V – A WORD WITH SERGEANT GILSON
VIII – THE OPPOSITION STRIKES BACK
A picture of Erich von Stalhein
in an Australian paper is the clue that starts this adventure. Von Stalhein was
rescued with others after apparently being shipwrecked. Biggles flies to
Australia to investigate exactly what von Stalhein was up to. Searching the
islands and atolls of northwest Australia, Biggles and Ginger settle on a
lagoon for the night. Here a giant squid attacks their seaplane and this is the
picture that is on the dust cover of the book. Eventually, they find the island
where the shipwreck happened. They also find a number of bodies, a Geiger
counter and what appears to be part of a list of German agents in Australia. It
appears that another boat was also shipwrecked and a fight ensued to get the
one and only lifeboat. Biggles enlists the help of local police officer
Sergeant William Gilson and they take him to the island to show him the bodies.
However, von Stalhein has returned in a boat called the Matilda and
cleaned away all evidence of any crimes. Enquiries about the Matilda
lead to further clues. A man name Smith chartered a plane to rescue von
Stalhein and his cronies after they were shipwrecked. Meanwhile, Algy and
Bertie have arrived and an Aborigine tries to kill Biggles. It appears that
various Iron Curtain agents are stirring up the local natives and encouraging
them to murder white people. Travelling to Tarracooma
with Bill Gilson there is a confrontation with the bad guys and some arrests
are made. Meanwhile, von Stalhein is unexpectedly found at the airport. His
pilot, a man called Cozens is befriended by Biggles and his comrades. He knows
nothing of the villain's affairs, as he is just a pilot. However, by just
talking to Biggles, Cozens' life is now in jeopardy and he is taken away on the
Matilda. Biggles has to fly to Sydney and so it is down to Algy, Ginger
and Bertie to rescue Cozens. This they do by flying after the boat. Cozens
jumps into a crocodile infested river to escape and get to the Seaplane. Cozens
takes Ginger and Bertie to the Smiths' operational base at a place called Daly
Flats. Here they find that hostile Aborigines have already attacked and they
have to fight them off. Smith is killed in the fighting but von Stalhein
escapes to fight another day.
Click here to see the story illustrations from this book
Biggles in Australia
Publication Details - published by Hodder and Stoughton
Frontispiece
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