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Biographical notes pending development of a full article. Please add to this and don't worry about formatting.

William Earl Johns (5 February 1893 - 21 June 1968) was an English pilot and writer of adventure stories, usually written under the name Captain W. E. Johns. He is best remembered as the creator of the ace pilot and adventurer Biggles.

On 6 October 1914, Johns married Maude Penelope Hunt (1882–1961), the daughter of the Rev. John Hunt, vicar of Little Dunham, Norfolk.

Their only son, William Earl Carmichael Johns (usually called "Jack") was born in March 1916.


Service in Iraq and India[]

There is some debate about whether Johns served in Iraq and India as he claimed. RAF service records do not show this. Peter Masefield asserted categorically that Johns did not serve in India and that this was another example of him "gilding the lily". Masefield however does not comment about Iraq.[1]

On the other hand Johns does describe the Baghdad scene rather vividly: "I was out there in the old days and well remember letters being carried between Egypt and Iraq by R.A.F. bombers. When Imperial Airways were formed in 1924, this was one of the first pieces of overseas routes that it took over. The service then operated once a fortnight. Now five services leave England for Baghdad every week...."[2]

Johns biographers Beresford Ellis and Jennifer Schofield have also noted that Johns accounts of his experiences in India and Iraq are detailed and specific. From 1927, Johns also produced a series of aviation paintings about Iraq and India. Some other postings were also missing from Johns' service records which have had to be confirmed with other sources.[3]

Places associated with Johns[]

Hertfordshire[]

  • Fairfield Cottage, Molewood Road, Bengeo - Johns was born here but the exact street address is not known.[4]<[5]
  • Richard Hale School - formerly Hertford Grammar School. Johns attended school here. Real life setting for Biggles Goes to School.[6]
  • 41 Cowbridge, Hertford - Johns lived here with his parents c.1900-1912. There is a plaque on the building commemorating this.[6]
  • 9 Elton Road, Bengeo - "Laburnum Villas". Residence of Johns' maternal grandfather, William Ayers Earle, a master butcher. Johns spent much time here as a boy and learnt the art of gardening.[6][7]

Norfolk[]

  • The Rectory, Little Dunham - Johns lived here, 1914-20.[8]

Surrey[]

  • The Thatched Cottage, Lingfield - Johns rented this place when moving here in 1927. A plaque on the cottage commemorates this.[9]
  • Larger house adjacent to the Thatched Cottage - Johns moved here in 1928. Doris' mother, Mrs Leigh and Howard Leigh moved into the Thatched cottage. Johns moved out in January 1938.[9]
  • Colley Close, Colley Manor Drive, Reigate - Johns lived here c.1938-1944.[10]

Scotland[]

  • Pitchroy Lodge - in the Ballindanoch estate. W. E. Johns lived here from 1947-1953 and wrote many of his stories here.[11][12]

Hampton[]

  • Park House, Hampton Court - Johns lived for the last 15 years of his life and died here in 1968.[13][14]

Monte Carlo[]

  • A staff reporter at the Express mentioned in Johns' obituary (1968) that he had a villa in Monte Carlo.[15] The exact details are unknown.

References[]

  1. Mavis Priestly, "W E Johns", May 2008, Factsheet published by the RH7 History Group. URL
  2. W. E. Johns, "Baghdad's Getting Nearer!" Modern Boy, Issue 73, 8 Jul 1939.
  3. Peter Beresford Ellis and Jennifer Schofield, By Jove, Biggles! The Life Story of Captain W. E. Johns, (Watford: Norman Wright, 2003), 99-101.
  4. "Biggles and his daring Hertford author WE Johns," Hertfordshire Life, 5 February, 2018. Archived URL
  5. Margaret Collins, "Young Biggles," 1994, 6.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Jennifer Ayto, "Captain W E Johns," Our Hertford and Ware, 23 January 2013, accessed 30 June 2019 Archived URL
  7. Margaret Collins, "Uncle Bill Amateur Gardener", Biggles & Co. No. 20 (1994): 4.
  8. Roger Davies, "W. E. Johns at Home Part 5. The Rectory, Little Dunham," Biggles Flies Again Vol. 1 No. 2 (1998): 8.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Roger Davies, "W. E. Johns at Home Part 2. Lingfield," Biggles & Co. No. 23 (1995): 7.
  10. Roger Davies, "W. E. Johns at Home Part 3. Reigate," Biggles & Co. No. 25 (1995): 4.
  11. Roger Davies, "W. E. Johns at Home Part 1. Pitchroy Lodge," Biggles & Co. No. 22 (1995): 4.
  12. Roger Davis, "North to South and Back Again: W. E. Johns in Scotland", Biggles Flies Again Vol. 2 No. 2 (2004): 28.
  13. Roger Davies, "W. E. Johns at Home Part 4. Park House," Biggles Flies Again Vol. 1 No. 1 (1997): 36.
  14. "Captain W. E. Johns," The Twickenham Museum Website, accessed 30 June, 2019. Archived URL
  15. Norman Wright, "50 Years On," Biggles Flies Again Vol. 5 No. 4 (2018): 18.

External Links[]

Wikipedia article on Johns

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