BIGGLES ON THE HOME FRONT
Book First Published in August 1957 - 190 pages
I believe this Biggles book was never serialised elsewhere. If anybody knows differently then please E-MAIL ME
First edition dust jacket showing the original price of 8
shillings and 6 pence
CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
X – LAXTER MAKES A PROPOSITION
XI – NEWS FOR INSPECTOR GASKIN
Biggles is asked by Inspector
Gaskin to help him catch a fence, that is, a handler of stolen goods. Gaskin
believes this mystery person must be using an aeroplane to fly stolen goods out
of the country. A fake news report of a serious theft is circulated in the
papers. Biggles then goes to the Barnstable Arms in Soho, a well known
watering-hole for criminals, to show off some of the proceeds and see who is
interested in them. Approaching a criminal called Gus Norman and pretending to
know of him through a mutual acquaintance, Biggles shows him a stolen gold
mount. This leads to an approach being made to Biggles to sell it, and he does,
to a mystery man wearing an RAF tie, at Victoria Station. Biggles is then
approached for the stone that was set in the mount. The police, by following
Norman, have trailed him to the train station at a place called Hertford.
Biggles and Ginger keep watch at this station and see a black Daimler car drop
Norman off. They then follow the Daimler to a large country house. Booking in
to a local hotel, Biggles bumps into an old friend, Bill Reverley who is with
the man in the RAF tie whom Biggles met briefly at Victoria Station. The man is
introduced as Verney Laxter. Biggles bluffs his way out of the situation.
Biggles and Ginger go and investigate the large country house by flying over it
and taking photographs. This is the picture on the dustcover of the book.
Reverley is murdered in a plane crash when sugar is put in his fuel after
turning down a job with the crooks. Biggles is then offered the job that
Reverley has turned down. When Biggles is taken, with Ginger, to the large
country house, they find that their cover has been blown and they are exposed
as police officers. They are locked in the cellar. Algy and Bertie go to investigate
the house after arranging a police raid with Inspector Gaskin. Further
jewellery thefts have taken place and the police raid is just in time, as the
crooks are vacating the house for good, having set fire to it. The fire was
meant to destroy any evidence as well as kill Biggles and Ginger locked in the
cellar.
Click here to see the story illustrations from this book
Biggles on the Home Front
Subtitle - An adventure of Biggles and his Air Police Pilots in
and around London
Publication Details - published by Hodder and Stoughton
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail