The Case of the Black Sheep

The Case of the Black Sheep is the first short story in the anthology Biggles Air Detective which was first published in May, 1950. By this time, Biggles was already a Detective Air-Inspector. His promotion took place in Another Job for Biggles which was serialised as Biggles in Arabia from February 1950, predating the Air Detective by 3 months. In the anthology, this story is followed by The Case of the Visiting Sultan.

In the 1953, the story was adapted as The Case of the Black Sheep, the second story in issue #1 of the Australian Adventures of Biggles comic series comics series.

In 1967, a French comic strip adaptation of this story was included in the small format comic book Biggles dans le désert under the title Contrebande. The book was part of the Biggles comic series published by by Artima/Aredit.

Synopsis[]

Biggles solves a case involving the smuggling of nylons into Britain. This was a time when postwar rationing and austerity was still in force.

Plot[]

See article under Mr Videll for a summary of the plot.

Characters[]

The Special Air Police[]

Air Commodore Raymond
Biggles
Ginger Hebblethwaite

Others[]

Mr Videll - liaison between Board of Trade and H.M. Customs and Excise
Flight Lieutenant R. Q. Paullson
Louis Vanberger

Aircraft[]

Ships[]

Sirocco
MacRowden's Scottish west coast steamer service

Places[]

Visited[]

London - Scotland Yard
Lagganmalloch

Mentioned[]

Baltroonie
Rockall, Malin, North Channel
Northern Ireland
Western Isles

Other points of interest[]

Cars[]

Newspapers/magazines/books[]

Biggles consults the Register of Civil Aircraft and Private Landing Grounds

Firearms and other weapons[]

Brands/products[]

Dupont Crystal nylon stockings
Unspecified brand of American cigarettes

Food and Drinks[]

cigarettes
Paullson poured himself a stiff drink and offered Biggles one

Organisations[]

Board of Trade
HM Customs and Excise

Research Notes[]

This is the first Air Police story where Biggles becomes undertakes routine domestic police work, albeit with an aviation angle (but see the Air Police participation in Gimlet Mops Up).