Great Biggles Mysteries #14: Algy And The Camel In Flies East

I’m not the first person to wonder how it was that Algy was not in the Camel Biggles’ gunner shot down in Flies East. Some have even accused Johns of pulling an unfair twist given that the Camel ought to have been the only one of its type in the area at the time, as evidenced by the following conversation:

“I’ve been busy,” retorted Biggles. “…I repeat, where did you get that Camel?”
“It’s a special one that’s been sent up for headquarters use. Fellows were beginning to grouse because a Hun—Hess, we hear his name is—is playing Old Harry up and down the lines with one of the Pfalz D. III’s, and we’ve nothing to get near him in.”
“So I believe. I was talking to Hess this morning. The Huns think he’s a prize piece of furniture, but, as a matter of fact, he’s the prince of all swine.”
“Well, we got a Camel up from Heliopolis, and it’s been handed over to me pro tem,” went on Algy.

 So, yes, it’s fairly obvious that Algy’s was the only Camel in the vicinity at the time. (By the way, how lovely is it that they got a Camel in and the first person they handed it over to was Algy? “Here’s a Camel, you’re obviously a fantastic air ace, take it and go get Hess”.) So what happened to the Camel after Biggles did this:

“Yes rhymes with Hess, and so does mess, which is as it should be,” observed Biggles, “because I’m going to do my best to get Mr. Hess in the biggest mess he was ever in.”

(Really, Biggles, have you ever considered an alternate career as a rapper? Or possibly writing a Cat-In-The-Hat type book? This quote is almost on par with the sing high sing low remark of Hits The Trail.)

According to Flies East, Biggles shot down Hess and went home to Zabala in time for lunch. Presumably Algy, in his Camel, did the same (it probably took around the same time as the oasis was almost an equal distance between the two bases, although possibly Algy made better time because Biggles was in a Halberstadt, not that that makes too much of a difference either way). So far so good.

Biggles then made his report and went in to lunch, after which he was told to lead six machines out to bomb an aerodrome. It took half an hour to get the six machines ready, and an hour to get to the aerodrome (!). Assuming that Biggles’ report and subsequent lunch took about half an hour to an hour, a rough total of two hours to two and a half hours passed since Biggles and Algy reached their respective bases.

I’m guessing that Algy also made a report (to Raymond, perhaps?) regarding the Hess affair and then went in to lunch. At this point, I’m guessing that either (a) confirmation came in of Hess’ death and Algy was relieved ownership of the Camel, or (b) Algy saw the pilots going out to attack the Huns coming to bomb the aerodrome, and offered one of them the use of his Camel. Either way, the point is that the Camel that Biggles subsequently shot down was the same one that Algy (and Biggles) had flown earlier that day.

Further proof of this, I think, is the fact that the Camel is never again mentioned afterwards. When Algy is later captured and taken prisoner, he says that his engine let him down in enemy country, but no mention is made of what plane he was flying, although the fact that its engine failed so easily is perhaps proof that it was a more obsolete type. Incidentally, I find it interesting that the Huns managed to get Algy not due to their own skills, but only because Algy’s engine failed. (Because, of course, Algy is completely awesome.)