Biggles Defies the Swastika by W. E. Johns was first published in 1941 by Oxford University Press. A straightforward wartime tale with plenty of action and little that might be objectionable, there have been at least 21 other editions in the English language, with the most recent being the 1992 edition by Red Fox. The events in the book take place early in World War 2 in 1940 in Norway. At this point, Biggles is in command of a R.A.F. squadron in France but has not yet taken over 666 Sqn.
Synopsis[]
Biggles is sent on a secret mission to Norway but is caught there when the Germans invade. He escapes but is sent back because he happens to be well placed to gather vitally needed intelligence.
(Insert by Fred Leander) A contradiction in terms here - this action could not take place "late in World War 2" as it happened in 1940 (as stated above) - that was early in the war. The war in Norway lasted April-June 1940.
If not objectionable, then at least doubtful, Biggles takes a car trip from Oslo to Trondheim during the fighting in Southern Norway - just like that! That is a distance of 540 km. on 1940 Norwegian roads - he would have to refill his fuel tank at least two times on those roads, but no mention of it. He drives through a lot of German control posts hiding between a Gestapo license issued by a prominent German, and in German uniform. That is OK but in that period most of that road was controlled by Norwegian troops. Unless Biggles waited until May to go there. If so, as he was present when the Germans arrived on April 9th, there is a rather large hole in the story.
As in many other Biggles books little fuss is made about how they jump in and out of enemy (German) planes, just pushing the starter button and racing off. Would have been nice with some background on this. The Dornier flying boats mentioned in the book would probably be the Do-18 or Do-24, either twin or triple-engine aircraft. That doesn't make the flying in an unfamiliar plane easier. The Red Fox edition has a Do-24 on the front page.
Of course, being a British book, the only way the Brits could lose was by local traitors. There are Quslings everywhere in the book. Apart from that it must have been a quite actual book in 1941, a year after the actual events. Good propaganda, surely.
Fred
P.S. 1: Using "Boda" as a city location is quite unfortunate. Before reading the book I was sure this was a stand-in for "Bodö", a Norwegian city south of Narvik. This in the book, however, is more like a village 30-40 minutes drive north of Oslo - with an airfield. That could only be Kjeller, near Lilleström, the main technical base for the Norwegian Army Air corps in 1940.
P.S. 2: Biggles also drives to Narvik (if I remember correctly). In 1940 the road stopped north of Bodö. After that one had to take several ferries across fjords to get there.
Plot[]
Note: The sections below contain spoilers. In particular, the plot subpage (click here) has an extended summary of the narrative in the book
Characters[]
Biggles and friends[]
- Colonel Raymond - at this point Raymond is still refered to as Colonel and he is in M.I.5, according to Biggles
- Biggles
- Algy Lacey
- Ginger Hebblethwaite
Others[]
- Kristen
- Bill Evans
- Hauptmann Baron von Leffers
- Erich von Stalhein
- Brandt
- Oberleutnant Ernst von Hymann
- Schaffer
Aircraft[]
- De Havilland Gipsy Moth
- Blackburn Shark
- Dornier flying boat - probably a Dornier Do 18
- Messerschmitt Me 109
- Unidentified German two seater
- Unidentified German amphibian
- Schaffer uses it to fly Biggles from Narvik to Boda.
- Blackburn Skua
- Bristol Blenheim
- Messerschmitt Me 110
- Unidentified British seaplane
- Ginger uses it to shoot Biggles down and is himself shot down by a force of Me 110s. Johns didn't specify the type. See discussion under Blackburn Shark.
Ships[]
Places[]
Visited[]
- Oslo
- Hotel Kapital
- Hotel Port
- Boda
- Stol
- Narvik
- Stavenger
- Bergen
- Sweden - Biggles crosses the frontier briefly
- Rodas - meets British vice-consul
- London
- The Savoy - Raymond takes them to dinner at the end
Mentioned[]
Other Research Notes[]
References to the past[]
- Questioned by Oberleutnant Ernst von Hymann, Biggles gives a precise account of the events and characters in Biggles Flies North. No continuity errors here. That book was written just about a year or two before.
Incongruities[]
Chronology[]
Editions[]
International titles[]
This Prisma Spectrum Dutch edition is another of those unusual Biggles covers. Here an A-4 Skyhawk is shown taking off from an aircraft carrier! Carriers were featured in the story, but the aircraft here is 25 years too late! In the 1960s, the Dutch navy operated a carrier, the Karel Doorman, so a picture of that might draw young readers? But no, the superstructure looks different and this carrier did not operate A-4s!
- Dutch: Biggles tart het hakenkruis (De Telg 1946) (Verba 1997)
- Dutch: Biggles in de vuurlinie (Het Spectrum 1965)
- Swedish: Biggles i Norge (Bonniers 1944, Bonniers Junior 1981, Junior Förlag 1981)
- Czech: Biggles vzdoruje hákovému kříži (Toužimsky & Moravec 1948, Riopress 1993)
- French: Biggles en Norvège (Arthaud 1948)
- French (Belgian): Biggles défie la croix gammée (Lefrancq in Le second guerre mondial 1 Omnibus 1994)
- Sinhala: ආක්රමණය – Akramanaya (Tharanga)