Of all the events in Flies East, one of the most emotionally satisfying has to be the
Kurt Hess affair. The way it’s set up, with the in-your-face arrogance of Hess,
and his boasts that he will shoot down his twenty-seventh Englishman on his
birthday, is enough to make readers detest him—and cheer Biggles on when he
asks Algy to lend him the Camel.
(Which has to be one of the most adorable
Biggles and Algy moments:
“Good! Now lend me that Camel for half an hour. You can wait here for me; I’ll bring it back.”Where do I begin? Everything about this conversation is adorable: Algy gaping at Biggles’ sudden desire to fly a Camel and asking him if he’s got a touch of sun, Biggles trying so hard to be nonchalant about it, and his subsequent exasperation when Algy refuses to lend him the Camel without a thorough explanation, Biggles’ complete confidence in the fact that he will be back within half an hour…sometimes it’s hard not to love our boys.)
Algy’s jaw dropped. “Lend you the Camel?” he gasped.
“That’s what I said,” returned Biggles. “What are you gaping at; is it an unnatural request?”
“Er—no. But what do you want it for?”
“Because I’ve a strong urge to be myself for a few minutes.”
“Be yourself? What are you talking about? Have you got a touch of sun or something?”
“My goodness! You are dense this morning. I just have a feeling that I’d like to forget that I’m Brunow for a little while and be what I am—a junior officer in the RFC.”
“But what for?”
Biggles looked exasperated.
I did find some parts of the
shooting-down-Hess operation somewhat redundant—the flying up alongside Hess
and tearing off his goggles so that Hess could see his face, for example—but
overall it was satisfying to see Hess get what he deserved (although a tiny
part of me can’t help feeling that Biggles was stealing Algy’s thunder somewhat
by doing what was supposed to have been Algy’s job. But then again, Biggles had
actually met Hess, which made it
personal.)
If only all the arrogant people we meet in
our lives could be dealt with in such a satisfying manner *daydreaming smiley*…
Biggles had to fly up beside Hess and tear off his goggles because he wanted Hess to know who had shot him down, didn't he. That was part of the satisfaction - and quite vindictive really, not the usual 'Biggles in air combat'.
ReplyDeleteHe was of course taking a big risk. If Hess had managed to escape and tell… But I suppose Biggles was sure he was the better pilot - Mr Confident - in the better, or at least equal aeroplane - Sopwith Camel.
It is the first of two times in 'Flies East' where Biggles theoretically wittingly puts his mission in jeopardy, the other time being when he fires the red Very light to tell the 'supposed' Algy in the Camel that it is him in the German bomber. I suppose there is a third time when he rescues Algy from the prison cell, but by then Biggles thinks he has it all wrapped up so that possibly doesn't count. And anyway, he'd never have got rid of Brunow on his own...
Also… I don't think it was Algy's job to shoot down Hess, or for that matter anybody else, unless he met them and had to. His job was the vitally important one of trustworthy reliable link person between Biggles and Raymond and the other brass hats.
ReplyDeleteAs the Camel was brought up to get Hess, and as the Camel was given to Algy I'd naturally assumed that it was Algy's job to look for Hess (which would make some sense, given that he had more free time on his hands compared to other officers, since he wasn't on active duty). Of course this was never mentioned in so many words, so it is possible that my assumption was wrong.
ReplyDeleteYour guess is as good as mine Soppy **big smile**
ReplyDeleteMaybe an alternate history fic where Algy did shoot down Hess...?
ReplyDelete