In Biggles Follows On, Joe Clutson was an American serviceman who deserted to work in the propaganda base at Kratsen. Originally from Arizona, Clutson had apparently been enticed into deserting by someone known as "the Sergeant", a brutal man, apparently a renegade British soldier, who was put in charge of the other deserters at Kratsen. The sergeant had apparently murdered a girl while he was in Berlin as part of the occupation force there. Presumably he had also met Clutson in Berlin as well. Clutson had a grudge against the sergeant. He blamed the sergeant for goading him and his buddy Johnny Briggs into deserting. Later the sergeant had also murdered Briggs during a quarrel.
During Biggles' rescue of the prisoners at Kratsen, Clutson managed to snatch Bertie's pistol from him, shoot the sergeant and then return the weapon. This action alerted the camp and put the entire operation at risk.