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Camouflage is a short story which first appeared in the very first Biggles book The Camels are Coming, published in September 1932. The story was subsequently republished in The Modern Boy Issue 262, 11th February 1933 where it was given the title The Mystery Gun.

The story also appeared in Biggles of the Special Air Police published in 1953.

In 1990, the story was adapted and formed part of the narrative in Biggles od velbloudích stíhaček (Biggles of the Camel fighters) a comic strip adaptation of the stories in The Camels are Coming in the Czech language. The comic strip was written by Václav Šorel and drawn by Jiří Petráček and first published in the "ABC" Magazine over 14 issues between 1990 and 1992. In the coming strip the story had the title "Biggles and the Wandering Church".

Synopsis[]

Biggles comes across a cleverly camouflaged German gun.

Plot[]

(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)

Characters[]

Aircraft[]

Places[]

Visited[]

  • 266 Squadron, Maranique
  • Bonvillier - likely fictional. There is a Bonviller but this is east of Nancy and too far away
  • Berniet - fictional
  • Morslede - Belgian town near Passchendaele

Mentioned[]

  • Lille

Editorial Changes[]

In the Special Air Police version, the following editorial changes were made:

  • "Dammit, it is," becomes "So it is".
  • "I haven't seen a damned thing the whole afternoon" becomes "I haven't seen a thing the whole afternoon".
  • "I'm damned" becomes "I'm dashed".
  • "My God!" becomes "Strewth!"
  • "Good Lord!" becomes "Good Lor'!"
  • "That damn tabernacle's on wheels" becomes "That fake tabernacle's on wheels".

Other Research Notes[]

References to the past[]

Incongruities[]

Chronology[]

(see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories)

  • This story belongs to the time period when Biggles has just become a flight commander but Algy has not arrived yet - so June-July 1917.

Publication History[]

  • The Camels are Coming, John Hamilton, 1932
  • The Modern Boy, Issue 261, 4th Feb 1933 (as The Mystery Gun)
  • Biggles in the Camels are Coming, Boys' Friend Library, 1938 (as Chapter 6: The Mystery Gun)
  • Biggles of the Special Air Police, Thames, 1953 and reprints (as Chapter 12: Camouflage)
  • Biggles: The Camels are Coming, Red Fox, 1993 and subsequent reprints and editions
  • The Camels are Coming, Norman Wright, 2010

References[]

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