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The Zone Call is a short story which first appeared in as the ninth chapter of the very first Biggles book The Camels are Coming, published in September 1932. The story was subsequently republished in The Modern Boy Issue 265, 4th March 1933 where it was given the title Secret Orders.

The story also appeared as the third short story of Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter published in 1954 and as the fifth short story of Biggles of the Royal Flying Corps published in 1978.

Synopsis[]

Biggles captures an enemy aircraft whose pilot who tells British intelligence about a tempting target. Soon every aircraft the British can muster is being sent for a massive raid. Biggles has to stay behind because of a tooth-ache but on searching the enemy aircraft, he discovers a clue that suggests that the British have been misled.

Plot[]

(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)

Characters[]

Aircraft[]

Places[]

Visited[]

  • Lagnicourt
  • Clarmes
  • Forest of Duvigny

Mentioned[]

  • Lille

Editorial Changes[]

  • In the Pioneer Air FIghter version, several instances of "My God" and "Good God" are changed to "My gosh" and "Great Scott" and such like. One instance of "a hell of a joke" is changed to "a deuce of a joke".

Other Research Notes[]

  • Other R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. Units mentioned:
    • 287 Sqn - flying S.E.5s
    • 299 Sqn - scout squadron, aircraft type not stated
  • Location of Maranique - can be inferred from position of Lagnicourt

References to the past[]

Incongruities[]

  • Biggles says that Lagnicourt is 30 miles northwest of Maranique. This is not possible. There is no British position on the Western Front which can have a German location 30 miles to its northwest. Unfortunately, the Forest of Duvigny (which Biggles seems to imply is "Northeast") is a fictional location.
  • Biggles' squadron is very close to Major Benson's 301 Squadron at Cassel (see Biggles' Borrowed Plumes). Lagnicourt is about 30 miles southeast of Cassel. I suspect "southeast" is what W.E. Johns meant to write.

Chronology[]

(see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories)

  • This is one story where the date is precisely stated. It is July 20. It would be 1917 because Algy has not joined the squadron yet.
  • It can't be 1917 because the text reads "The words of the old R.A.F. song". The R.A.F. didn't exist in 1917, so it has to be set after March 1918, meaning Algy just isn't in this story.
  • 266 squadron is having a party. It's hot inside the mess, Biggles and Wilks step outside and it is still daylight. This is consistent with a July summer timeframe.

Publication History[]

  • The Camels are Coming, John Hamilton, 1932
  • The Modern Boy, Issue 265, 4th Mar 1933 (as Secret Orders)
  • Biggles in the Camels are Coming, Boys' Friend Library, 1938 (as Chapter 9: Secret Orders)
  • Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter, Thames, 1954 and reprints (as Chapter 3: The Zone Call)
  • Biggles of the Royal Flying Corps, Purnell, 1978 (as Chapter 5: The Zone Call)
  • 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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