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Capt W E (william Earl) Johns

Male : Writer of stories for boys and girls. Painter of aviation pictures. Joined Territorial Army and fought during WW1, transferred to the Royal Flying Corps 1917. Shot down and imprisoned (although some say he in fact crashed his plane as he was a useless flyer) he stayed in the RAF until 1927, leaving as a Flying Officer. Separated from his wife in 1921, met Doris Leigh in 1924, and lived with her for the rest of his life
Nationality : English Place of Birth : Hertford

Date of Birth : 1893 Date of Death : 1968 Age : 75

Pseudonyms : William Earle, Jon Early

Education : Hertford GS
BIGGLES
[The first Biggles story appeared in "Popular Flying"
(of which Johns was editor) in April 1932
Seven further stories appeared between April and October 1932]
1932-1935
John Hamilton
The Camels are Coming
(1932)
[A copy sold at auction in 2004 for £3450]
The Cruise of the Condor : A Biggles Story
(1933)
Biggles of the Camel Squadron
(1934)
Biggles Flies Again
(1934)
Biggles Flies Again
(1941 Penguin) - pb
Biggles Learns to Fly
(1935 Boys' Friend Library) - pb (1955 Brockhampton Press. Hb)
[By Flying-Officer W. E. Johns]
OUP
Biggles Flies East
(1935) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles Hits the Trail
(1935) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles in France
(1935 Boys' Friend Library)
The Black Peril : A Biggles Story
(1935 Hamilton)

1936-1940
Biggles in Africa
(1936) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles & Co
(1936) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles - Air Commodore
(1937) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles Flies West
(1937) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles Flies South
(1938) - Howard Leigh & Jack Nicolle
The Biggles Omnibus
(1938 OUP)
Biggles Goes to War
(1938) - Howard Leigh & Martin Tyas
Biggles Flies North
(1939) - Howard Leigh & Will Narraway
Biggles in Spain
(1939) - Howard Leigh & J Abbey
The Rescue Flight : A Biggles Story
(1939) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles in the Baltic
(1940) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles in the South Seas
(1940) - Norman Howard
Biggles - Secret Agent
(1940) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
The Biggles Flying Omnibus
(1940 OUP)

1941-1945
Spitfire Parade : Stories of Biggles in War-time
(1941) - Ratcliffe Wilson
Biggles Sees it Through
(1941) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
Biggles Defies the Swastika
(1941) - Howard Leigh & Alfred Sindall
The Third Biggles Omnibus
(1941 OUP)
Biggles in the Jungle
(1942) - Terence Cuneo
Sinister Service
(1942) - Stuart Tresilian
Hodder & Stoughton
Biggles Sweeps the Desert
(1942) - Leslie Stead
Biggles - Charter Pilot
(1943 OUP) - Mendoza
Biggles 'Fails to Return'
(1943) - Leslie Stead
Biggles in Borneo
(1943 OUP) - Stuart Tresilian
King of the Commandos
(1943 Univ of London Press)
All Leslie Stead illustrated from here on
Biggles in the Orient
(1945)

1946-1950
Biggles Delivers the Goods
(1946 Hodder & Stoughton)
Sergeant Bigglesworth CID
(1947 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Hunts Big Game
(1948 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles' Second Case
(1948 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Breaks the Silence
(1949 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Takes a Holiday
(1949 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Gets His Men
(1950 Hodder & Stoughton)

1951-1955
Another Job for Biggles
(1951 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Goes to School
(1951 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Works it Out
(1951 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles - Air Detective
(1952 Latimer)
Biggles Follows On
(1952 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Takes the Case
(1952 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles and the Black Raider
(1953 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles in the Blue
(1953 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles in the Gobi
(1953 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles of the Special Air Police
(1953 Thames)
The First Biggles Omnibus
(1953 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles and the Pirate Treasure & Other Biggles Adventures
(1954 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Cuts it Fine
(1954 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles, Foreign Legionnaire
(1954 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles, Pioneer Airfighter
(1954 Thames)
Biggles' Chinese Puzzle and Other Biggles Adventures
(1955 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles in Australia
(1955 Hodder & Stoughton)

1956-1960
Biggles of 266
(1956 Thames)
Biggles Air Detective Omnibus
(1956 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Takes Charge
(1956 Brockhampton Press)
No Rest for Biggles
(1956 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Makes Ends Meet
(1957 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles of the Interpol
(1957 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles on the Home Front
(1957 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Buries a Hatchet
(1958 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles on Mystery Island
(1958 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Presses On
(1958 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles at World's End
(1959 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles' Combined Operation
(1959 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles in Mexico
(1959 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Leopards of Zinn
(1960 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Goes Home
(1960 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles and the Missing Millionaire
(1961 Brockhampton Press)

1961-1965
Biggles and the Poor Rich Boy
(1961 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Forms a Syndicate
(1961 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Goes Alone
(1962 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Sets a Trap
(1962 Hodder & Stoughton)
Orchids for Biggles
(1962 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Plane that Disappeared
(1963 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Flies to Work
(1963 Dean)
Biggles' Special Case
(1963 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Takes a Hand
(1963 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Takes it Rough
(1963 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Black Mask
(1964 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles and the Lost Sovereigns
(1964 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Investigates, and other Stories of the Air Police
(1965 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Blue Moon
(1965 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Plot that Failed
(1965 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Looks Back
(1965 Hodder & Stoughton)
Biggles Adventure Omnibus
(1965 Hodder & Stoughton)

1966-1999
Biggles in the Terai
(1966 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Gun Runners
(1966 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Penitent Thief
(1967 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Sorts it Out
(1967 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Dark Intruder
(1967 Knight)
Biggles in the Underworld
(1968 Brockhampton Press)
The Boy Biggles
(1968 Dean)
Biggles and the Deep Blue Sea
(1968 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Little Green God
(1969 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles and the Noble Lord
(1969 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles Sees too Much
(1970 Brockhampton Press)
Biggles of the Royal Flying Corps
(1978 Purnell)
The Bumper Biggles
(1983 Chancellor)
The Best of Biggles
(1985 Chancellor)
Biggles Does Some Homework
(1997 Wright/Schofield)
Biggles Air Ace : The Uncollected Stories
(1999 Wright £19.50)

Other Books
1922-1935
Mossyface
(1922 Weekly Telegraph Novel) - as William Earle
(Ed) Wings : A Book of Flying Adventures (1931 Hamilton)
Modern Boys Book of Aircraft
(1931 Amalgamated Press)
Desert Wings by Covington Clarke
(1931 John Hamilton) - W E Johns
Aces Up by Covington Clarke
(1931 Hamilton) - W E Johns
Far Valour by Covington Clarke
(1931 Hamilton) - W E Johns
The Pictorial Flying Course
(1932 John Hamilton) - by H M Schofield & W/O W E Johns
Fighting Planes and Aces
(1932 John Hamilton)
The Spy Flyers
(1933 Hamilton) - Howard Leigh
The Raid
(1935 Hamilton)
C CLARK : Desert Night
(1935 John Hamilton)
[This book was illustrated by W E Johns]
The Air VCs
(1935 Hamilton)
Some Milestones in Aviation
(1935 Hamilton)
(Ed) Thrilling Flights (1935 Hamilton)

1936-1940
Blue Blood Runs Red
(1936 Newnes) - as Jon Early
Modern Boy's Book of Adventure Stories
(1936 Amalgamated Press)
Ace High
(1936 Ace)
Air Adventures
(1936 Ace)
Sky High : A Steeley Adventure
(1936 Newnes)
Steeley Flies Again
(1936 Newnes)
Flying Stories
(1937 Hamilton)
Murder by Air : A Steeley Adventure
(1937 Newnes)
The Passing Show
(1937 My GHarden/Newnes)
Desert Night : A Romance
(1938 Hamilton)
The Murder at Castle Deeping : A Steeley Adventure
(1938 Hamilton)
Champion of the Main
(1938 OUP) - H Gooderman
Wings of Romance : A Steeley Adventure
(1939 Newnes)
Modern Boy's Book of Pirates
(1939 Amalgamated Press)
The Unknown Quantity
(1940 Hamilton)

1941-1955
Sinister Service : A Tale
(1942 OUP)
Comrades in Arms
(1947 H & S)
The Rustlers of Rattlesnake Valley
(1948 Nelson)
Dr Vane Answers the Call
(1950 Latimer House)
Short Sorties
(1950 Latimer)
Sky Fever & other Stories
(1953 Latimer)
Kings of Space : A Story of Interplanetary Explorations
(1954 H & S)
Adventure Bound
(1955 Nelson) - Douglas Relf
Return to Mars
(1955 H & S)

1956 Onwards
Now to the Stars
(1956 H & S)
Adventure Unlimited
(1957 Nelson) - Douglas Relf
The Outer Space
(1957 H & S)
The Edge of Beyond
(1958 H & S)
No Motive for Murder
(1958 H & S)
The Death Rays of Ardilla
(1959 H & S)
The Man Who Lost His Way
(1959 Macdonald)
The Biggles Book of Heroes
(1959 Parrish)
Adventures of the Junior Detection Club
(1960 Parrish)
To Worlds Unknown : A Story of Inreplanetary Explorations
(1960 H & S)
Where the Golden Eagle Soars
(1960 H & S) - Colin Gibson
The Quest for the Perfect Planet
(1961 H & S)
Worlds of Wonder : More Adventures in Space
(1962 H & S)
The Biggles Book of Treasure Hunting
(1962 Parrish)
The Man who Vanished into Space
(1963 H & S)
The Cockpit
(nd. John Hamilton) - contains the Johns story 'Ace of Spades'
Out of the Blue
(nd. John Hamilton)
Air Stories by Flight Lieutenant
(nd.)

WORRALS BOOKS
(All illus Leslie Stead)
W of the WAAF
(Lutterworth 1941)
W Carries On
(Lutterworth 1942)
W Flies Again
(Hodder & stoughton 1942)
W on the Warpath
(Hodder & stoughton 1942)
W Goes West
(H & S 1944)
W of the Islands
(H & S 1945)
W in the Wilds
(H & S 1947)
W Down Under
(Lutterworth 1948)
W Goes Afoot
(Lutterworth 1949)
W in the Wastelands
(Lutterworth 1949)
W Investigates
(Lutterworth 1950)

GIMLET
Gimlet Goes Again
(1943 Univ of London) - Leslie Stead
Gimlet Comes Home
(1946 Univ of L)
Gimlet Mops Up
(1947 Brockhampton Press)
Gimlet's Oriental Quest
(1948 BP)
Gimlet Lends a Hand
(1949 BP)
Gimlet Bores In
(1950 BP)
Gimlet Off the Map
(1951 BP)
Gimlet Gets the Answer
(1952 BP)
Gimlet Takes a Job
(1954 BP)

PERIODICALS
Illustrated London News
Modern Boy
Popular Flying

READING
John Pearson : Biggles - The Authorised Biography
(1979 Sidgwick & Jackson)
Peter Berresford Ellis & Piers Williams : By Jove, Biggles : The Life Story of Captain W E Johns
(1981 W H Allen)
(2004 Norman Wright, Watford £20.50)
Norman Wright : W E Johns & Modern Boy - An Index
(1994 Norman Wright £4.40)

Related Writers

Peter Berresford Ellis