Biggles

Major James Bigglesworth, known to all as "Biggles", is a fictional character created by W. E. Johns.

He first appeared in the story "The White Fokker", published in the first issue of Popular Flying magazine. The first collection of Biggles stories, The Camels are Coming, was published in 1932.

In his first appearances, Biggles was a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. He was supposedly based on Cyril Lowe. He joined the RFC at the young age of 16, having conveniently "lost" his birth certificate. The original Biggles stories were based on Johns' personal experience – and stories he had heard from other pilots – during his time in France. (Johns did not however fly "scout" – or fighter – aircraft such as Biggles did; he flew in a bomber squadron.) While the primary purpose of the Biggles stories was to entertain young men at the time, they paid close attention to historical detail and helped recreate the primitive days of early air combat – where most pilots died in their first combat engagement and before devices such as respirators and parachutes had become practical.

During the war Biggles flew the famed Sopwith Camel aircraft as a pilot of the fictional RFC Squadron 266.

Later stories told of Biggles' adventures after the War's end, his return to service in World War II, and further adventures in peace time; others filled in his equally adventurous childhood in India and the story of how he came to join the RFC.

Biggles has a small team of friends including Algy (Algernon Lacey), Ginger (Hebblethwaite) and Bertie (Lord Bertie Lissie), who share many of his adventures as pilots in the Special Air Police which they form after WW2, at Scotland Yard, under Air Commodore Raymond's command. Raymond is at this time an Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard.

Biggles' greatest opponent is the German spy officer Erich von Stalhein. They first meet when Biggles acts as a spy in the Middle East, where Biggles has some narrow escapes. Erich returns as an adversary in numerous other adventures. After World War II von Stalhein opts for the Communist bloc, until he gets imprisoned on the isle of Sakhalin from where Biggles helps him escape. And after that he and Biggles are chums.

Johns continued writing Biggles short stories and novels up until his death in 1968; in all, nearly a hundred Biggles books were published.

Most of the Biggles books are currently out of print, but Red Fox is now reprinting many of the titles.

Biggles was parodied in a series of skits on the 1970s British comedy television show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, including one titled "Biggles dictates a letter."

List of Biggles books

Biggles In Chronological Order

• 1. The Camels Are Coming - 1932
• 2. The Cruise Of The Condor - 1933
• 3. Biggles Of The Camel Squadron - 1934
• 4. Biggles Flies Again - 1934
• 5. Biggles Learns To Fly - 1935
• 6. The Black Peril - 1935
• 7. Biggles Flies East - 1935
• 8. Biggles Hits The Trail - 1935
• 9. Biggles In France - 1935
• 10. Biggles & Co - 1936
• 11. Biggles In Africa - 1936
• 12. Biggles - Air Commodore - 1937
• 13. Biggles Flies West - 1937
• 14. Biggles Flies South - 1938
• 15. Biggles Goes To War - 1938
• 16. The Rescue Flight - 1939
• 17. Biggles In Spain - 1939
• 18. Biggles Flies North - 1939
• 19. Biggles - Secret Agent - 1940
• 20. Biggles In The Baltic - 1940
• 21. Biggles In The South Seas - 1940
• 22. Biggles Defies The Swastika - 1941
• 23. Biggles Sees It Through - 1941
• 24. Spitfire Parade - 1941
• 25. Biggles In The Jungle - 1942
• 26. Biggles Sweeps The Desert - 1942
• 27. Biggles - Charter Pilot - 1943
• 28. Biggles In Borneo - 1943
• 29. Biggles Fails To Return - 1943
• 30. Biggles In The Orient - 1945
• 31. Biggles Delivers The Goods - 1946
• 32. Sergeant Bigglesworth CID - 1947
• 33. Biggles' Second Case - 1948
• 34. Biggles Hunts Big Game - 1948
• 35. Biggles Takes A Holiday - 1948
• 36. Biggles Breaks The Silence - 1949
• 37. Biggles Gets His Men - 1950
• 38. Another Job For Biggles - 1951
• 39. Biggles Goes To School - 1951
• 40. Biggles Works It Out - 1952
• 41. Biggles Takes The Case - 1952
• 42. Biggles Follows On - 1952
• 43. Biggles - Air Detective - 1952
• 44. Biggles And The Black Raider - 1953
• 45. Biggles In The Blue - 1953
• 46. Biggles In The Gobi - 1953
• 47. Biggles Of The Special Air Police - 1953
• 48. Biggles Cuts It Fine - 1954
• 49. Biggles And The Pirate Treasure - 1954
• 50. Biggles Foreign Legionnaire - 1954
• 51. Biggles Pioneer Airfighter - 1954
• 52. Biggles In Australia - 1955
• 53. Biggles' Chinese Puzzle - 1955
• 54. Biggles Of 266 - 1956
• 55. No Rest For Biggles - 1956
• 56. Biggles Takes Charge - 1956
• 57. Biggles Makes Ends Meet - 1957
• 58. Biggles Of The Interpol - 1957
• 59. Biggles On The Home Front - 1957
• 60. Biggles Presses On - 1958
• 61. Biggles On Mystery Island - 1958
• 62. Biggles Buries A Hatchet - 1958
• 63. Biggles In Mexico - 1959
• 64. Biggles' Combined Operation - 1959
• 65. Biggles At The World's End - 1959
• 66. Biggles And The Leopards Of Zinn - 1960
• 67. Biggles Goes Home - 1960
• 68. Biggles And The Poor Rich Boy - 1960
• 69. Biggles Forms A Syndicate - 1961
• 70. Biggles And The Missing Millionaire - 1961
• 71. Biggles Goes Alone - 1962
• 72. Orchids For Biggles - 1962
• 73. Biggles Sets A Trap - 1962
• 74. Biggles Takes It Rough - 1963
• 75. Biggles Takes A Hand - 1963
• 76. Biggles' Special Case - 1963
• 77. Biggles And The Plane That Disappeared - 1963
• 78. Biggles Flies To Work - 1963
• 79. Biggles And The Lost Sovereigns - 1964
• 80. Biggles And The Black Mask - 1964
• 81. Biggles Investigates - 1964
• 82. Biggles Looks Back - 1965
• 83. Biggles And The Plot That Failed - 1965
• 84. Biggles And The Blue Moon - 1965
• 85. Biggles Scores A Bull - 1965
• 86. Biggles In The Terai - 1966
• 87. Biggles And The Gun Runners - 1966
• 88. Biggles Sorts It Out - 1967
• 89. Biggles And The Dark Intruder - 1967
• 90. Biggles And The Penitent Thief - 1967
• 91. Biggles And The Deep Blue Sea - 1967
• 92. The Boy Biggles - 1968
• 93. Biggles In The Underworld - 1968
• 94. Biggles And The Little Green God - 1969
• 95. Biggles And The Noble Lord - 1969
• 96. Biggles Sees To Much - 1970
• 97. Biggles Does Some Homework - 1997 Note Johns died while still writing this story but it was ghost written :) and released as a limited edition.

External links

• International Biggles Association (http://www.biggles.nl/en/)nl:Biggles