“BIGGLES” OF THE CAMEL SQUADRON

by Capt. W. E. Johns

V. THE TRAP (Pages 78 – 96)

Out on patrol, approaching Duneville, Biggles sees an observation balloon without any escort aircraft and he notices that the two occupants are curiously static and unmoving. As he approaches, there is no “archie”, (anti-aircraft gun fire) to keep him away. Suspecting some sort of trap, Biggles races away hurriedly and immediately comes under fire. (Without warning a furious bombardment of archie broke out around him - is the frontispiece illustration taken from a line on page 80). Back at his aerodrome at Maranique, Biggles warns the other officers of his squadron and then he rings Wilks to warn him and his squadron. He is told young Tom Ellis has just gone off to try and get the balloon. Biggles runs out to get in his plane and fly to warn him. Biggles gets within a mile of Tom’s plane, only to see Tom’s S.E.5 draw level with the balloon and the balloon explode! Tom’s plane is blown to bits. Biggles returns to his aerodrome and throws a glass tumbler into the fireplace in order to try to vent his frustration. He then leaves. Major Mullen tells Algy that Biggles is “going over the German Lines, and he’ll shoot at everything that moves on legs, wheels or wings. His machine will probably be a ‘write-off’ when he comes back – if he does. The odds are about ten to one he doesn’t. But it’s no use trying to stop a man in that state. He’s stark, staring, fighting mad. I’ve seen it before”. Even, Smyth, the Flight-Sergeant comments as Biggles takes off “Well, that’s the last we shall see of him!” Biggles had spent the previous evening with Tom Ellis and the sight of his death “had shaken his nerves as nothing had ever done before, and although he did not know it he was perilously near a breakdown”. Biggles shoots up machine gunners, trenches, a gun battery and a German staff car. He then bombs a train and sends the locomotive crashing into another stationary train. An encounter with a Fokker D.VII leaves Biggles realising he is out of bullets and he zooms back to the British lines and on to Maranique where Algy awaits his return. Biggles instructs the waiting mechanics to have his machine ready for dawn tomorrow, telling them they will have to work all night as he himself will. Biggles says he is going to the R.E. Depot over at St. Olave and Algy is to get either Mac or Mahoney and go to Duneville for 6.30 am. “You’ll see something you won’t forget in a hurry!” The next morning Algy and Mahoney are there and they see Biggles’ Camel flying low over the German anti-aircraft batteries. He rolls the plane and to their horror they see the pilot drop out and fall to the ground! Men rush to the body, about 40 or 50 people gather round it on the ground and then there is a thundering detonation leaving a huge crater. Returning to base, they find Biggles waiting. “What was it?” asks Mahoney. “A hundred and fifty pounds of high explosive wrapped up in a bag of nails inside a flying-suit, cap, goggles, flying-boots, and gloves,” observed Biggles calmly. “Did you ever hear the saying that dead men don’t bite?” he went on slowly. Algy nodded, incapable of speech. “Well, the next time anybody tells you that you can tell him he’s a liar,” continued Biggles. “That one did!”