BIGGLES IN AUSTRALIA

by Captain W. E. Johns

V. A WORD WITH SERGEANT GILSON (Pages 52 – 60)

Biggles goes to the police station where he introduces himself to Sergeant William Gilson. Gilson says it must be something important to bring Biggles all this way. “It’s important to me, it’s important to you, and it may be more important still for Australia,” answered Biggles. “In fact, it’s so important that I thought hard before coming even to you. But you may be able to help me. In all seriousness I warn you that if word of this conversation leaks out, with my name attached to it, you may do your country an immense amount of harm”. “I can keep my trap shut,” promised Gilson, a trifle curtly. Biggles tells Gilson that one of the survivors of the wrecked ship that came ashore on Eight Mile Beach is “the most notorious enemy agent in Europe”. Biggles ask how many ships were lost in the last willie-willie (Willy-willy is an Australian word for whirlwind, cyclone, tornado or dust devil). Gilson says three. From Biggles description of the body and the pearl tin he is able to produce, Gilson is able to identify the dead man on the island as Toto Wada, “an Australian-Jap”, who runs his own lugger and is known to Gilson. Biggles asks Gilson to take charge of the pearls and the ring for his next of kin, which Gilson said would be his wife. Biggles explains that Toto Wada was shot twice and he describes the lifeboat, which Gilson is able to identify as belonging to Toto Wada’s lugger. Biggles asks the police to do nothing yet, as “If you start making inquiries on your own account you may upset my applecart”. Gilson agrees as long as the delay is not too long. Biggles shows Gilson the list of names and addresses that Ginger found. Gilson doesn’t recognise any names and he says that he hasn’t even heard of some of the places referred to. Gilson says he will ask Joe Hopkins, when he comes in, a local ‘digger’ or prospector. One name on the list is a man called Adamsen at an address in Perth. Gilson makes a telephone call to the Perth office and finds out that Adamsen is a known “agitator, trouble-maker, and so on. He’s an electrian by trade. Politically, he’s a red-hot Communist of the loud-mouthed type”. Gilson has been thinking and wants to go and identify Toto Wada’s body and “maybe bring it back here for burial”. “You’ve got to produce a body before you can charge anyone with murder” he adds. Biggles offers to fly Gilson out to the island and suggests he meets them at 6.00 am the next morning at the airfield. Thanking Gilson and leaving, Biggles goes to update Ginger. They discuss the situation and speculate that maybe someone is compiling a network of spies for when they will be needed. They decide to get something to eat.