Latest acquisitions

[HagarTheHorrible]

Had a good day today, picked up Biggles,

Pioneer Air Fighter at a charity shop

The second, and my absolute favourite is a pencil sketch of 2nd Lt W W Kilgour, 1916, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

 

“The war diary says that the first objective was the enemy front, "During the attack, 2nd Lt W.W. Kilgour, signalling officer, pushed out from Bn HQ in Q.17.a. and after repeated and determined efforts succeeded in establishing telephonic communication with Capt. Keddie in advanced trench in Q.18.a. This was done in face of dangerous fire from enemy mgs and snipers who commanded all the area lying between the two points, and also under considerable enemy shelling in the region of Q.17.b.1.6. Three linesmen were knocked out but more went up until the line had been established. It remained working throughout the day and until about 10 p.m. when it was cut by shelling".

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2019 by HagarTheHorrible

[OrLoK]

Biggles any good?

 

or Imperialistic gung ho teenage boy's fiction?

 

or is it the above and still top larks with lashings of ginger beer excellence?

 

 

[HagarTheHorrible]

I read Biggles of 266 a while back and yes it was all ginger beer and jolly japes. I've just read the first chapter of this one and it has a very different tone, 

 

Theres also the possibility of getting a morse code trainer gadget, that I now realise must have been his from the war, having found out a little about him.  There's also a trench art shell case, consisting of two German shell bases one is the lid and the other cut off at about 5" high, the whole thing topped off with a German rifle bullet as the handle.  I suspect my boss might want more money than I'm prepared to pay for it though.

Edited November 8, 2019 by HagarTheHorrible

[D_Ramstein]

How strange (well not really) but I just finished The Camels are Coming and Biggles learns to Fly.  Great WW1 short stories in both of those books.

Elsewhere I read the pathetic reasons why the Biggles books were removed from libraries as being unfit for children. In one of the short stories the CO offers a crate of whiskey to anyone who can shoot down a particular balloon and in another story he refers to some head hunters in Java as being savages so Biggles must be racist.

 

Edit.  I should point out the first  two books are gritty and real life as opposed to later books.  I recommend both of those I mentioned.
 

Edited November 8, 2019 by Ramseur

[J2_Trupobaw]

3 hours ago, OrLoK said:

Biggles any good?

 

or Imperialistic gung ho teenage boy's fiction?

 

or is it the above and still top larks with lashings of ginger beer excellence?

 

 

Biggles is a Camel romance losely based on authors actual experiences (first few tomes anyway, later it becomes pure serial pulp adventure of air pirates and what not), watered down to be suitable for children (CO offers a crate of lemonade to anyone who shoots down a troublesome baloon). Much like Snoopy, it did introduce general concept of WW1 air combat to generations of Anglosphere kids, but turned the conflict into pulp fantasy and (worst of all IMO  ) bade Camel recognizible by laics while helping push S.E.5.a into obscurity. 

I suppose if you were not exposed to it as a kid reading it now may make teeth hurt.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Biggles

Edited November 9, 2019 by J2_Trupobaw

[OrLoK]

Ta muchly, everyone!

 

Well, ive got hold of Biggles learns to Fly, Ill give it a shot and will feedback.

 

Tally ho! last one to the crates is a bounder!

[DD_Arthur]

 

[RhumbaAzul]

22 hours ago, J2_Trupobaw said:

Biggles is a Camel romance losely based on authors actual experiences (first few tomes anyway, later it becomes pure serial pulp adventure of air pirates and what not), watered down to be suitable for children (CO offers a crate of lemonade to anyone who shoots down a troublesome baloon). Much like Snoopy, it did introduce general concept of WW1 air combat to generations of Anglosphere kids, but turned the conflict into pulp fantasy and (worst of all IMO  ) bade Camel recognizible by laics while helping push S.E.5.a into obscurity. 

I suppose if you were not exposed to it as a kid reading it now may make teeth hurt.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Biggles

Very well put. I first encountered Biggles through my father. He served on Escorts from 1944 onwards and later served in the Merchant Navy and grew up  reading books like biggles and Billy Bunter. while i now recognise the biggles series literary shortcomings, in stuff such as accuracy and political correctness, they  were still the very thing that got me interested in military history.