As far as I'm aware, there is only one mention of Mrs. Raymond in the Biggles books, and that is in Dark Intruder, an air police era book. Biggles calls Raymond at home to make a report, and is told by Mrs. Raymond that Air Commodore Raymond is out.
I know. I was shocked to learn that Raymond had a wife too.
So when did Raymond marry? Probably not during WWI, but perhaps during the inter-war years? Maybe they met on his private yacht, their eyes meeting over a lovely dinner prepared by Briny, Raymond's private cook?
I don't think he could have married during WWII--he would have been far too busy.
How old was she? What was her name? Why did she marry Raymond? Mrs. Raymond appears to be a character full of mystery!
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Hhm - bit of a poser that one. I suppose Raymond must have been quite a catch in his own way (though I never quite trusted him myself - In the Baltic he was happy to send not only Biggles and Co., but his own trusted cook, on a mission where he expected them to survive for just twety-four hours - that's friendship for you!)
ReplyDeleteBut he was high ranking, rich, owned a yacht....must have caught quite a few eyes.
I wonder if he married around about the time of Biggles and Co. when he left the Service to join Scotland Yard. Maybe a change in career was one of his new wife's provisos:"You're never at home enough - get a desk job closer to home and get home in time for dinner!"
"Alright darling. What about Scotland yard? With a bit of luck I'll still be able to order young Bigglesworth about."
Seems we need somebody to research the archives and find out more :-)
ReplyDeleteDid they have any children, I wonder.
Children...little Raymonds refusing to take responsibility and drowning in red tape.
ReplyDeleteJust...no.
I think marrying around Biggles & Co. era might be feasible. He did seem to have quite a lot of time on his hands then.
I've never really given much thought to when Raymond actually married Mrs Raymond, but the Biggles & Co timeframe seems quite feasible. Rather like Jumping Jupiter's scenario. Of course, Raymond would have had evenings at his club as well as probably having bridge nights and nights where he dined with Cabinet Ministers etc etc - maybe that's why we never read about any little Raymonds....
ReplyDeleteHe just seems like such a bachelor to me, though, if you know what I mean? I don't think he would know what to do around women.
ReplyDeletePoor Mrs Raymond - she sounds like a female version of a later-books Algy .... her only role is to stay behind and answer the phone....
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...and cook and clean and wait for her husband to get home.
ReplyDeleteAt least Algy got plenty of adventures in fanfics. No one ever writes about Mrs. Raymond's adventures.
Odd that Johns would have put her in there just to answer the phone. After all, Raymond could just as easily have had a valet or butler or someone answer the phone.
I imagine Mrs Raymond would have her very own Mrs Symes. Maybe WEJ thought that at least someone in his books should have a semi-normal life. Or maybe this happened. "Raymond. Got a top job for you at the Yard, what? Only thing, old boy, you'll have to get married. Can't have a bachelor in the job, you know. all that entertaining and whatnot."
ReplyDeleteSo some sort of arranged marriage? Her father knew his father kind of thing? Or maybe her father was Raymond's boss :O
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