THE CAMELS ARE COMING

by W. E. Johns

XIV. ON LEAVE (Pages 193 – 208)

Biggles sees on the Squadron notice-board “Captain J. C. Bigglesworth. Posted to 69 F.T.S. Narborough. W./48 P./1321.” (This is the first time we are told Biggles middle initial. We are never told his middle name, although in “Biggles Goes to School” we find out that the name of Biggles brother is Charles, later to be killed in the First World War. Could it be that his middle name is Charles? It is interesting to note that in the first edition of ‘Biggles Flies Again’, published August 1934, in the story ‘The Shiekh and the Greek’ on page 188, Biggles gives his name as J. H. Bigglesworth!). A FTS is a “Flying Training School”. Biggles is being posted home and he goes to see his Commanding Officer, Major Mullen, to ask why. The C.O. tells him “I know when a man’s cracking up; I saw you start weeks ago; when Batson went West you were at breaking point”. “Already you’re drinking more than you used to; that’s the beginning of the end” (this line is cut out of “Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter”). The C.O. has previously wanted Biggles to go on leave but he has constantly refused. Now he agrees to go on leave if the posting is cancelled. He gets ten days leave from tomorrow and will fly home in a Camel being sent back for reconditioning. When Biggles has gone, Major Mullen winks at “Watt” Tyler (here Watt is spelt with two “t’s”) and says that posting trick worked to get Biggles to take leave. Biggles flies back to England and lands at Lympne (by Folkestone) and gets the train to London. “Arriving home, he discovered the house closed; he telephoned a friend of the family, only to find out that his father and brother, his only living relations, were in the Army and “somewhere in France”. (A footnote on page 10 of “Biggles Goes to School” tells us that Biggles’ brother, Major Charles Bigglesworth, D.S.O, M.C., was killed in action in September 1918, so one assumes this story is set before then). Whilst walking down Shaftesbury Avenue, Biggles bumps into Dick Harboard, “his father’s greatest friend and business associate” and Biggles is invited to his house in Felgate, Kent which is near Folkestone and also near Lympne. Biggles says “I’ll come down in mufti I think, and forget the war for a bit”. Later, Biggles is “deep in a Sabatini novel from his host’s library”, (Rafael Sabatini, 1875 – 1950 wrote a number of books, his most famous ones being ‘The Sea Hawk’ in 1915, ‘Scaramouche’ in 1921 and ‘Captain Blood’ in 1922. The first and last of these became famous Errol Flynn films), when a group of “men and girls” come in, headed by an obnoxious man called Frazer. “Biggles did not like the easy air of familiarity with which he had addressed him”. Biggles is introduced as “Mr. Bigglesworth”. Frazer teases Biggles about not being in the army, although Frazer himself is not, and then the party leave to go shooting. The phone rings and Lea, the butler, answers it. He tells Biggles that two German seaplanes are bombing Ramsgate. Biggles gets the chauffeur to drive him urgently to Lympne, where 15 minutes later, he gets his Camel out. Biggles flies to Ramsgate and searches until he finds the two seaplanes. Biggles shoots down one Brandenburg seaplane and the other tries to land on the sea, but crashes. Returning to Dick Harboard’s house, Biggles is telephoned by a Major Sidgrove and told the crew of the first seaplane are dead, whereas the crew of the second had been captured alive. The pilot of the second, who was an N.C.O. on his first show, had two black eyes where he had been punched by his observer, who was the officer commanding! Sidgrove asks where he can get hold of Biggles and Biggles says “Maranique” (which is the first mention of the location of 266 Squadron). Frazer and his group return and one of the girls gives Biggles a white feather, the symbol of cowardice. “Thanks,” said Biggles evenly, “I’ve always wanted a feather in my cap. I’ve got one to-day”. Dick Harcourt comes into the room and congratulates Biggles on his adventure. “I shouldn’t be surprised if you got the D.S.O. Well done, my boy, you deserve it”. (In later books, Biggles is often credited as having the D.S.O. but we are never told why – was it this incident?). Frazer is astonished to learn what Biggles has done. “He’s not the Bigglesworth – the fellow we read about in the papers – the flyer – is he?” “Of course he is,” says Harcourt. Biggles offers to fly Frazer up to Newcastle, an offer Frazer declines. Biggles gets a dig in at Frazer’s expense, quoting back something that Frazer had said to him. “I can’t understand some people being so careful about their skins”.