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Biggles #24
Biggles: Spitfire Parade
Biggles se stává velitelem letky stihačů, kteří jsou vynikajícími piloty, ale na zemi se chovají velmi výstředně.
56 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1941
92 people want to read
About the author
W.E. Johns
615 books114 followersInvariably known as Captain W.E. Johns, William Earl Johns was born in Bengeo, Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of Richard Eastman Johns, a tailor, and Elizabeth Johns (née Earl), the daughter of a master butcher. He had a younger brother, Russell Ernest Johns, who was born on 24 October 1895.
He went to Hertford Grammar School where he was no great scholar but he did develop into a crack shot with a rifle. This fired his early ambition to be a soldier. He also attended evening classes at the local art school.
In the summer of 1907 he was apprenticed to a county municipal surveyor where he remained for four years and then in 1912 he became a sanitary inspector in Swaffham, Norfolk. Soon after taking up this appointment, his father died of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
On 6 October 1914 he married Maude Penelope Hunt (1882–1961), the daughter of the Reverend John Hunt, the vicar at Little Dunham in Norfolk. The couple had one son, William Earl Carmichael Johns, who was born in March 1916.
With war looming he joined the Territorial Army as a Private in the King's Own Royal Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry), a cavalry regiment. In August 1914 his regiment was mobilised and was in training and on home defence duties until September 1915 when they received embarkation orders for duty overseas.
He fought at Gallipoli and in the Suez Canal area and, after moving to the Machine gun Corps, he took part in the spring offensive in Salonika in April 1917. He contracted malaria and whilst in hospital he put in for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and on 26 September 1917, he was given a temporary commission as a Second Lieutenant and posted back to England to learn to fly, which he did at No. 1 School of Aeronautics at Reading, where he was taught by a Captain Ashton.
He was posted to No. 25 Flying Training School at Thetford where he had a charmed existence, once writing off three planes in three days. He moved to Yorkshire and was then posted to France and while on a bombing raid to Mannheim his plane was shot down and he was wounded. Captured by the Germans, he later escaped before being reincarcerated where he remained until the war ended.
He went to Hertford Grammar School where he was no great scholar but he did develop into a crack shot with a rifle. This fired his early ambition to be a soldier. He also attended evening classes at the local art school.
In the summer of 1907 he was apprenticed to a county municipal surveyor where he remained for four years and then in 1912 he became a sanitary inspector in Swaffham, Norfolk. Soon after taking up this appointment, his father died of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
On 6 October 1914 he married Maude Penelope Hunt (1882–1961), the daughter of the Reverend John Hunt, the vicar at Little Dunham in Norfolk. The couple had one son, William Earl Carmichael Johns, who was born in March 1916.
With war looming he joined the Territorial Army as a Private in the King's Own Royal Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry), a cavalry regiment. In August 1914 his regiment was mobilised and was in training and on home defence duties until September 1915 when they received embarkation orders for duty overseas.
He fought at Gallipoli and in the Suez Canal area and, after moving to the Machine gun Corps, he took part in the spring offensive in Salonika in April 1917. He contracted malaria and whilst in hospital he put in for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and on 26 September 1917, he was given a temporary commission as a Second Lieutenant and posted back to England to learn to fly, which he did at No. 1 School of Aeronautics at Reading, where he was taught by a Captain Ashton.
He was posted to No. 25 Flying Training School at Thetford where he had a charmed existence, once writing off three planes in three days. He moved to Yorkshire and was then posted to France and while on a bombing raid to Mannheim his plane was shot down and he was wounded. Captured by the Germans, he later escaped before being reincarcerated where he remained until the war ended.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 4, 2015
What an absolute joy to discover that Biggles served his country not only in the First World War, but also in the Second. The real 666 Squadron, a Royal Canadian Air Force Air Observation Post, was formed in the last year of that War.
In these stories, Camels and S.E.5s of the earlier military service are replaced by Spitfires (commanded by Biggles, 666 as a Fighter Squadron) and Hurricanes (commanded by 701 Squadron Leader A.R. Wilkinson). Algy, Ginger, and Toddy (of 266) are Biggles’ first line of support, with a further line of the most wonderful hardened characters specially selected for 666 by Air Commodore Raymond.
W.E. Johns does successfully brings an out-and-out thoroughly WW2 feel to the plots and events described in these stories; with Biggles wisely adapting, not losing, the skills of strategy learnt during WW1. At first I found the spoken references to ‘archie’, ‘Huns’, and other WW1 terminology anachronistic; that is before it dawned on me that under pressure every generation tends to use language, especially slang, as it was in their youth. However, I didn’t have much time to dwell on such thoughts. The fast pace of this book saw to that. The author’s description of battle in the air is (as ever) technically and excitedly utterly superb; on several occasions I realised I was holding my breath as I read, on tenterhooks as to what the outcome of an air-fight would be! These are REAL men. I fell in love with them all!
In these stories, Camels and S.E.5s of the earlier military service are replaced by Spitfires (commanded by Biggles, 666 as a Fighter Squadron) and Hurricanes (commanded by 701 Squadron Leader A.R. Wilkinson). Algy, Ginger, and Toddy (of 266) are Biggles’ first line of support, with a further line of the most wonderful hardened characters specially selected for 666 by Air Commodore Raymond.
W.E. Johns does successfully brings an out-and-out thoroughly WW2 feel to the plots and events described in these stories; with Biggles wisely adapting, not losing, the skills of strategy learnt during WW1. At first I found the spoken references to ‘archie’, ‘Huns’, and other WW1 terminology anachronistic; that is before it dawned on me that under pressure every generation tends to use language, especially slang, as it was in their youth. However, I didn’t have much time to dwell on such thoughts. The fast pace of this book saw to that. The author’s description of battle in the air is (as ever) technically and excitedly utterly superb; on several occasions I realised I was holding my breath as I read, on tenterhooks as to what the outcome of an air-fight would be! These are REAL men. I fell in love with them all!
November 2, 2024
I'm tempted to think that Johns took Biggles away from his world-touring missions and gave him his own WWII fighter squadron, just so that he could quickly reshape some old WWI stories into a fresh publication. The stories are varied, but most carry the echo of being first World War stories and so don't come across as too fresh. What is good is the colourful array of new characters that Johns creates to make up the squadron. They each get some of their own action, and I'm looking forward to seeing where their characters develop in the future. 3 stars.
April 21, 2013
...for tears must find no place in the eyes of those who hunt the skies.
I was fascinated to see that Bertie has a bit of steel in him. I know that he seems like such a joke in later books, but occasionally reveals his value.
I really liked seeing the small beginnings of the magnificent 666 squadron.
They're all such strong characters from the oversensitive Carrington to the cocky O'Hara.
Biggles seems more younger in this one because he's just a war pilot – no spying or desperate situations or having to use much of his detective brain. Though his “favours” for Air Commodore Raymond are sort of in a more humorous light now. He advises his colleagues, in reference to his first adventure involving a pigeon.
‘Take my tip and never volunteer for anything,’ he said sadly. ‘I did once, in a rash moment, and I’ve been doing it ever since.’
Some of my favourite chapters were The Record Breakers and The Coward. I like the Record Breakers because I love how Ginger expects Biggles to hold up the reputation of the squadron and how Wilks feels so entitled to his shooting down German planes. I like the Coward because it's cutesy and a good spin-off Percy the goldfish in The Camels are Coming.
‘Dumb?’ queried Tex.
‘Yes – it [the pig] can’t talk.’
‘Yeah, I’d already got that figgered out,’ said Tex slowly.
‘Well, therefore it’s dumb.’
‘I still don’t get it. Do some of your English pigs talk?’
‘Of course not.’
I was fascinated to see that Bertie has a bit of steel in him. I know that he seems like such a joke in later books, but occasionally reveals his value.
I really liked seeing the small beginnings of the magnificent 666 squadron.
They're all such strong characters from the oversensitive Carrington to the cocky O'Hara.
Biggles seems more younger in this one because he's just a war pilot – no spying or desperate situations or having to use much of his detective brain. Though his “favours” for Air Commodore Raymond are sort of in a more humorous light now. He advises his colleagues, in reference to his first adventure involving a pigeon.
‘Take my tip and never volunteer for anything,’ he said sadly. ‘I did once, in a rash moment, and I’ve been doing it ever since.’
Some of my favourite chapters were The Record Breakers and The Coward. I like the Record Breakers because I love how Ginger expects Biggles to hold up the reputation of the squadron and how Wilks feels so entitled to his shooting down German planes. I like the Coward because it's cutesy and a good spin-off Percy the goldfish in The Camels are Coming.
‘Dumb?’ queried Tex.
‘Yes – it [the pig] can’t talk.’
‘Yeah, I’d already got that figgered out,’ said Tex slowly.
‘Well, therefore it’s dumb.’
‘I still don’t get it. Do some of your English pigs talk?’
‘Of course not.’
June 28, 2016
Een aantal korte verhalen in een bundel. Heb liever een lang goed verhaal dan 10 kleine.
Deze verhalen spelen zich allemaal af tijdens de start van het Biggles - squadron (het 666e squadron) aan het begin van de tweede wereld oorlog.
Pas onlangs realiseerde ik me dat het squadron nummer ook het duivelsgetal is.
Deze verhalen spelen zich allemaal af tijdens de start van het Biggles - squadron (het 666e squadron) aan het begin van de tweede wereld oorlog.
Pas onlangs realiseerde ik me dat het squadron nummer ook het duivelsgetal is.
April 16, 2018
I love this one, actually one of the first I bought my self as a youngster)
However, like many other parts, it is a collection of individual short stories, that are individually unrelated.
Even far worse: WEJ copied TWO stories from WW1 to WW2, just slightly altered the names.
Is that laziness, cheating on your readers, or both...
However, like many other parts, it is a collection of individual short stories, that are individually unrelated.
Even far worse: WEJ copied TWO stories from WW1 to WW2, just slightly altered the names.
Is that laziness, cheating on your readers, or both...
April 16, 2019
hilariously funny, introducing the final member of the quartet, lord Bertie Lissie
Read
April 20, 2023i liked it when biggles sprained his wrist trying to avoid an overexcited dog. truly humbling moment
December 22, 2025
I am reviewing the series as a whole, rather than the books individually
The Biggles series is great adventure fiction: we get high stakes, aerial action (in most of the books), and a hero who is endlessly loyal, competent, and calm under pressure.
I love the dogfights, recon missions, and wartime scenarios.
Where the series falls short is character depth. Some attitudes and simplifications reflect the period in which the books were written. There are very definitely dated elements, but considering the era the books were written - overall the series performs well. More than a few of the stories defy plausibility, but who doesn't love to curl up with a good adventure book or 10?
“Never say die.”
The Biggles series is great adventure fiction: we get high stakes, aerial action (in most of the books), and a hero who is endlessly loyal, competent, and calm under pressure.
I love the dogfights, recon missions, and wartime scenarios.
Where the series falls short is character depth. Some attitudes and simplifications reflect the period in which the books were written. There are very definitely dated elements, but considering the era the books were written - overall the series performs well. More than a few of the stories defy plausibility, but who doesn't love to curl up with a good adventure book or 10?
“Never say die.”
April 2, 2013
O Biggles original foi um personagem do escritor W. E. Johnson que encantou gerações de jovens ingleses com as suas aventuras nos céus da I e II guerra mundial em noventa e seis livros. Este Spitfire Parade adapta o romance do mesmo nome e centra-se nas aventuras de um esquadrão muito especial de pilotos de aeronaves Spitfire. Constituído por descontentes, excêntricos e inadaptados vão dando sob a liderança de Biggles provas de coragem e destreza em combate. É uma leitura leve, encadeamento de pequenas histórias cheias de aventura que funcionam como boa desculpa para empolgantes vinhetas que retratam aeronaves icónicas em voo e combate que se distinguem pelo uso inventivo de perspectiva e pontos de vista. São estas sequências que dão interesse a um livro essencialmente banal.
August 27, 2014
A series of loosely-connected short stories rather than a novel but a good introduction to characters we come to know and love in later books. Bertie, in particular, benefits from the author's attention to characterisation but all of the 666 Squadron gang are vividly presented. There's lots of humour and some great combat writing.
August 8, 2016
This is a dozen connected short stories that follows the formation of the 666 squadron, with Biggles as the squadron leader and with pilots too unruly to be anywhere else as members.
In some ways it feels like some of the WWI stories have just been transplanted to WWII and in one case it is very similar (the pig one - compare to a flower one from WWI).
Still, easy read, lots of action.
In some ways it feels like some of the WWI stories have just been transplanted to WWII and in one case it is very similar (the pig one - compare to a flower one from WWI).
Still, easy read, lots of action.
Read
April 11, 2010Spitfire Parade: Biggles 1 by F. Bergese (2008)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews