BIGGLES BURIES A HATCHET
Book First Published on 8th September 1958 - 184 pages
This
story was first published, in seven monthly parts, as BIGGLES BURIES A HATCHET
in the Boy’s Own Paper Volume 80, issues 6 to 12, dated March 1958 to
September 1958
First edition dust jacket showing the original price of 8
shillings and 6 pence
Fritz Lowenhardt,
the nephew of Erich von Stalhein, visits Biggles. Lowenhardt
tells Biggles that von Stalhein is now a political prisoner on the island of
Sakhalin off the coast of Siberia. This is because Biggles has always beaten
von Stalhein in their encounters and it is suspected that von Stalhein has been
passing information to him. Lowenhardt warns Biggles
that Biggles' life is in danger as there is a plot to assassinate him. Lowenhardt also asks Biggles whether he would be willing to
mount a rescue mission to save his Uncle. Biggles turns him down flat. Later,
attempts are made to murder both Lowenhardt and
Biggles. After this, Air Commodore Raymond asks Biggles to go and rescue von
Stalhein. Biggles, Algy, Bertie, Ginger and Lowenhardt
(who speaks Russian) fly to Sakhalin and hide their plane in the rushes on a
river near the prison camp. Here they meet Ivan Miskoff,
a former prisoner, who is prepared to help them, as he hates the guards so
much. Finding the prison and viewing a work party, a prisoner escapes. Meeting up with him later, Biggles finds he is Pat
Manton a US pilot who was unfortunate enough to have been captured after engine
failure brought him down. With Manton's help, Biggles is able to establish
where von Stalhein will be in a work party digging coal. Biggles builds a hide
out of discarded turf near the location. Here Biggles and Lowenhardt
hide to enable them to communicate with von Stalhein. They are able to speak to
von Stalhein but find his legs have been shackled. This foils their initial
plan. On a later occasion, Biggles (wearing Manton's prison clothes) swaps
places with von Stalhein, allowing von Stalhein to enter their hide so Lowenhardt can cut through his shackles without him being
missed. With Bertie and Ginger using a fire as a diversion, they manage to get
von Stalhein away and escape back to their hidden plane. Von Stalhein agrees to
return to England with Biggles and this they do, but not without being chased
by three Russian Mig fighters and this is the picture
that appears on the dust cover of the book.
Click here to see the story illustrations from this book
Biggles Buries a Hatchet
Subtitle - An adventure in which Biggles and his pilots of the
Air Police offer the olive branch to an old enemy under dire misfortune in a
distant land
Publication Details - published by Brockhampton
Press
Frontispiece
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