All in a Day's Work (Action Comics)

All in a Day's Work
Cover Art	One of the rare occasions when the cover actually relates to a story within. That's actually Ginger with the portfolio. He has retrieved it and is now being pursued by members of Wolfe's gang.
Author	drawings by Arthur de Vine
Series	Issue 6, The Adventures of Biggles comic series
Publisher	Action Comics
First Published	1954
Other Editions	--
Period	Postwar Special Air Police
Setting	Mostly France
See all	Category Page of Derivative works

All in a Day's Work is the first of two stories in Issue 6 of the Adventures of Biggles comic series published by Action Comics of Sydney, Australia probably in early 1954. The story takes up 13 pages and is followed by the 12 page The Mysterious Gunshots. After this there is a picture page depicting the latest jet aircraft: Avon Sabre, Turbomeca Palas, Dassault Mystere 4, Fouga Magister. Both Biggles stories are drawn by Albert de Vine. All in a Days Work is an adaptation of All in the Day's Work (note: "the" instead of "a") from Biggles Takes the Case.

Synopsis

Biggles and Ginger must intercept a thief who has stolen some top secret documents.

Plot

(Click on expand to read)

The adaptation actually follows the original plot quite closely except for the rather implausible replacement of the Austers and Proctors with high performance fighter jets and a jet air combat sequence. Like in the original, Biggles and Ginger are told to pursue Lester Wolfe who has escaped with valuable top secret defence plans. Biggles and Ginger are testing a jet fighter recently purchased for the air police. Wolfe is also in a jet of different design. They catch up with Wolfe, who manoueuvres his jet to attack. Biggles evades his fire and loses himself in the clouds. Wolfe then heads for Bron, thinking he has shaken off his pursuers. Unknown to him, Biggles follows him into the airport and Ginger disembarks to follow the thief. Here, Wolfe hands his portfolio of stolen plans not to a stout man but one in a black beret. The airliner is not a Bellatrix but looks like a DC-4. Like in the original, Ginger follows him all the way to Marseilles. There, Ginger fails to snatch the portfolio during disembarkation. He is stopped by officials but another official comes up and lets him through. He dashes to the lounge buts the man in the black beret appears to have gone. However outside, Ginger catches sight of him about to board a taxi. Ginger charges at him with a rugby tackle, snatches the portfolio and then heads for the runway, hoping that Biggles had followed him to Marseilles. The man in the black beret gives chase with a mob of thugs. Fortunately, Biggles has landed his jet and taxis close to Ginger. He jumps onboard and they make good their escape with the all important plans.

Characters

The Special Air Police

• Biggles
• Ginger Hebblethwaite

Others

• Lester Wolfe

Mentioned

• Algy
• Air Commodore Raymond

Aircraft

• Air Police jet - like a Hawker Hunter with tip tanks
• Wolfe's escape jet
• Airliner from Bron to Marignane - not a Bellatrix this time, looks like a DC-4

First appearance of this Hunter-like jet. It will appear in subsequent issues.

Wolfe himself has stolen a jet. There will be a rather implausible air combat sequence between the two before both end up at Bron Airport.

Not a Bellatrix here. The undercarriage door helps to identify this airliner as a DC-4.