African Assignment is the first of two stories in Issue 7 of the Adventures of Biggles comic series published by Action Comics of Sydney, Australia probably in Feb 1954. The story takes up 15 pages and is followed by the 10 page Biggles Baits the Trap and a page introducing readers to some jet bombers. The first page of African Assignment carries a text box which specifically credits the drawings to Albert de Vine. The story is an adaptation of African Assignment from Biggles Takes the Case.
Synopsis[]
The Air Police investigates reports of trouble at the Ubeni reserve in Africa.
Plot[]
(Click on expand to read)
Just when one thought things could not get more implausible than the Air Police landing De havilland Vampire jets in the Sudd (see The Mysterious Gunshots in issue 6), here we have Biggles and Ginger flying out to Africa again, this time in a preposterous fictional delta winged aircraft. The aircraft is reminiscent of the De havilland Swallow except that it comes with two tail fins and two separate bubble canopies for the two crew! Otherwise the adaptation follows the plot of the original story reasonably closely. Once in Juba, Biggles and Ginger swtich to the more plausible Short Sealand and the Steiners use a plausible floatplane which looks like a Beaver. All the key events in the original story are depicted (see Angus Soutar for details).
Characters[]
The Special Air Police[]
- Air Commodore Raymond
- Biggles
- Ginger Hebblethwaite
Others[]
Mentioned[]
Aircraft[]
- Air police delta jet
- The Steiner floatplane - looks like a DHC Beaver but the configuration of the float struts is different.
- Air police amphibian - specifically named as a Short Sealand
- RAF flying boat
Places[]
Visited[]
- Juba
- Ubeni
Mentioned[]
Research notes[]
Illustrations[]