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Biggles' Day Off is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy issue 295, 30th September 1933 under the title Biggles' Day Off!. The story was subsequently collected as the 12th short story of the third Biggles book Biggles of the Camel Squadron, published in March 1934. In the book, this story is preceded by The Dragon's Lair and followed by Scotland for Ever!.

Synopsis[]

Biggles decides, on the spur of the moment, to make a flying visit to his godfather, an eccentric inventor. There he is persuaded to help test a new type of bomb in an antiquatd homebuilt aeroplane.

Plot[]

(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)

Characters[]

Aircraft[]

  • Sopwith Camel
  • Farman
  • British flying boat
  • Fairey seaplanes
  • Handley Page 0/400
  • British blimp

Places[]

Visited[]

  • 266 Squadron, Maranique
  • Walmer, Kent - near Dr Duvency's residence on the Kent coast
  • Marquillies
  • Dover
  • Yarmouth - the blimp drops Biggles there
  • Manston - Biggles gets hitches a ride from Yarmouth to Manston enroute back to Dr Duvency's place

Mentioned[]

  • Rosyth - the destroyer which picked Biggles up was headed there but Biggles hitched a ride on the blimp to Yarmouth.

Editorial Changes[]

Other Research Notes[]

References to the past[]

Incongruities[]

Chronology[]

(see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories)

  • The 2nd paragraph mentions the Independent Air Force which was only established on 6 June 1918.
  • However in the some paragraph, the text mentions that German aircraft were concentrating south of the Somme "where the clouds of a great offensive were fast gathering." The very next story actually narrates events during the early part of that offensive. The text there clearly indicates that this is in March and mentions the "Great Cambrai retreat" of 1918. This is thus a historically accurate reference to what is otherwise known as Operation Michael, the German spring offensive which began on 21st March 1918.
  • Taking dressing from Operation Michael, Biggles' Day Off would be set in the weeks just before, which would place it in early March.

Publication History[]

  • The Modern Boy, Issue 295, 30th Sep 1933 (as Biggles' Day Off!)
  • Biggles of the Camel Squadron, John Hamilton, 1934 and reprints
  • Biggles Goes to War, Boys' Friend Library, 1938
  • Biggles of the Camel Squadron, Thames, 1954 and reprints
  • Biggles of the Camel Squadron, Dean and Son, 1960s and reprints
  • Biggles of the Fighter Squadron, Red Fox, 1992 and reprints
  • Biggles of the Camel Squadron, Norman Wright, 2011

References[]

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