THE RESCUE FLIGHT
Book First Published in May 1939 - 256 pages
This story was first published, in ten parts, as BIGGLES’ RESCUE
FLIGHT in Modern Boy,
issues 33 to 42, dated 1st October 1938 to 3rd December
1938
I honestly don’t know which is the first edition dust jacket out
of these two, but I have good reason to believe the above is the FIRST edition
dust wrapper. It was priced at 3/6.
The above dust jacket is identical to the one in the British
Library I am given to understand. I
think the real clue is in how thick is the actual book. The first edition is 47 mm.
The above would therefore have to be the second edition dust
wrapper. The first edition was May 1939
and then the second edition was later in 1939. Both editions state “Printed 1939”!
The clue is that the second
edition book is only 35 mm wide. I think
you need to find the book with a wrapper that fits and measure how wide it is
to determine which is the first edition.
I don’t have either wrapper so can’t do this. Perhaps somebody out there who has either or
both books in dust wrapper can do so and tell me? This second edition was also priced at 3/6.
BOOK CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
I – PETER FORTYMORE RECEIVES BAD NEWS
V – A DISCUSSION IN CONFIDENCE
IX – FORTY MAKES A PROPOSITION
XI – RESCUE FLIGHT TO THE RESCUE
XVI – ‘CAPTAIN FORSYTH OF THE BUFFS’
When
16 year old Peter Fortymore (nicknamed
"Thirty") receives notification that his brother, Nigel (nicknamed
"Forty"), is missing, believed killed, during the Great War, he and
his school friend Dick Ripley (nicknamed "Rip") run away from their
public school with a view to going to France. Thirty's brother, Forty, had
written a last letter saying that if ever he was shot down and escaped from a
German prisoner of war camp he would head for a certain location where the two
boys used to holiday as children. Thirty and Rip use two of Forty's old
uniforms to pose as Officers in the R.F.C. and then "borrow" two Sopworth Camels and fly to France. They land at the first
aerodrome they find after being saved from being shot down by another Camel
pilot. The aerodrome belongs to 266 squadron and the pilot who saved them
introduces himself as Bigglesworth. Bluffing that they are new pilots sent out
from England and they have lost their papers, both get to meet Algy and the
squadron C.O. Major Mullen. However Biggles finds out who Thirty and Rip really
are when he receives an old newspaper from England. Thirty explains that he has
come to France to rescue his brother and Biggles has some sympathy with him,
particularly as he knew Nigel Fortymore. It is not
long before Biggles, Algy, Rip and Thirty set off to Forty's prearranged
location to see if he is actually there. Amazingly he is! After some
considerable peril they manage to rescue Forty and bring him back to the 266
squadron aerodrome. Major Raymond is informed and Forty suggests that a regular
rescue flight could be set up for any escaped soldiers or airmen. All it needs
is for Forty to return and be recaptured to enable him to spread the word
amongst trusted men as to where the prearranged landing grounds are. Three
grounds are prepared in advance, with food supplies to assist any escapee until
a plane arrives to pick them up. A signalling system is set up so that it can
be ascertained from the air whether anybody is waiting to be picked up or not.
As time passes a number of successful rescues are carried out. Then everything
goes wrong when Thirty and Rip crash on one of the landing grounds. They are on
a mission to take a vital telegraph part to a spy in the German held French
town of Belville-Sur-Somme. Thirty carries on with the mission while Rip waits
at the landing ground as had been planned. After some nerve racking adventures
Thirty passes the part on and gets back to the landing ground. Here he finds
that Rip has met an escaped army officer, Captain Forsyth of the Ninth Buffs.
Returning to 266 squadron however, all is not as it seems and Thirty finds out
that his brother is under arrest and that the Germans know about the rescue
flight. Thirty risks everything for his brother as he once again returns to the
landing ground where he had previously crashed. Returning with Forty, there is
a desperate flight home through thick and thin. Successful, Thirty is
recommended for the Military Cross but officially he doesn't exist. Both Thirty
and Rip are given a commission in the field so the Military Cross can stand and
they are allowed to stay on to serve in 266 squadron.
Click here to see the story illustrations from the original HARDBACK first edition of this book
Click here to see the story illustrations from the PAPERBACK edition of this book
The Rescue Flight
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
The spine and cover illustrations from the original Oxford first
edition
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail