Character Close-Up: Algy Lacey’s First Appearance

Algy (from Biggles Works It Out)
Image taken from http://algylacey.0catch.com/

When Biggles first receives the letter from his aunt (Algy’s mother), asking him to take care of his cousin, his reaction is one of annoyance. Clearly, his memories of his young cousin are not fond ones:

“…if he’s anything like the little horror he was then, heaven help us—and him. His Christian names are Algernon Montgomery, and that’s just what he looked like—a slice of warmed-up death wrapped in velvet and ribbons.”

 One has to wonder exactly what the young Algernon did to the young Biggles to inspire the descriptions “little horror” and “warmed-up death”! And really, what is his issue with the name Algernon Montgomery? Was it too difficult for him to pronounce?

Even Mahoney is inclined to be skeptical about the new arrival to 266: 

“Well, go and get the letter done, telling her how bravely he died, and forget about it.”

 Algy’s first appearance is not, perhaps, that pleasing to the eye:

 “His uniform was dirty, his hair long, his face, which wore a permanent expression of amused surprise, was a mass of freckles.”

To add to that, his ten hours on Camels and liking for ginger ale must have made Biggles think to himself something along the lines of, “Bah! He’s just a kid. I’m going to need to write that letter.”

Having thus unconsciously alienated Biggles, Algy (who, by the way, is referred to as “Algernon” throughout the first Algy story, “The Boob”) proceeds to live up to Biggles’ “little horror” expectations, flying blissfully into the blue on the tails of five Fokkers, then coming back announcing that he has shot down his first Hun.

As Algy fans will know, it is this very same “little horror”-ness that finally thaws Biggles’ antagonism, and starts the friendship that will last for the entire Biggles series.

Did W. E. Johns intend for Algy to be Biggles’ best friend from the start? Or was he simply meant to be a passing character like Henry Watkins (“The Professor”), or perhaps a side character like Wilks or Mahoney, but was later developed into Biggles’ friend because Johns grew to like him too much?