WINGS: FLYING ADVENTURES
Subtitled inside “A Book of Flying Adventures”
First Published by John Hamilton in August 1931 - 255 pages (with
an advert on page 256) – Original price 3 shillings 6 pence.
(NB – THIS BOOK IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED
WITH WINGS: FLYING STORIES – DETAILS BELOW)
An original price clipped dust jacket
from a second edition. I don’t know if
this is identical to the first edition.
The artwork is by W. E. Johns
himself. Note ‘Johns’ signature to the
bottom right.
This book
was EDITED by W. E. Johns and contains TWO stories out of ten by him
The book has a colour frontispiece – a painting by Johns called “The
Day’s Work” and then four other plates, two photographic and two by other
artists
I. - THE DAY'S WORK by W. E. Johns -
Page 9
II - SAVED BY PARACHUTE by Charles Dixon - Page 27
III. - A SPIRITED FIGHT by John Templer - Page 49
IV. - SOLO TO SYDNEY by F. C. Chichester - Page 71
V. - NIGHT BOMBING ADVENTURES - by A. R. Kingsford - Page 105
VI. - SPYING FROM THE AIR - by "Vigilant" - Page 121
VII. - CAMEL NO. 9214 - by Elliott White Springs - Page 139
VIII. - MAJOR JAMES McCUDDEN, V.C., D.S.O, M.C., M.M. - His Own
Story - Page 157
IX. - THE SPYFLYER - by W. E. Johns -
Page 209
(Interestingly, the title of this
chapter has the word “Spyflyer” as all one word but then at the top of each
page of the story it is headed “The Spy Flyer” as separate words!)
Subtitled “The true story of Charles Legrange and one of the
greatest epic flights ever achieved”
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH W.E. JOHNS’ BOOK “THE SPY FLYERS” WHICH
IS A TOTALLY SEPARATE NOVEL
X. - THE FLYING CHANCE - A Story of the North West Frontier by
John Templer - Page 229
Wings: Flying Adventures
Subtitle - A Book of Flying Adventures
Publication Details - originally published by John Hamilton
First Edition – the cover illustration is by W.E. Johns himself – click on the picture to enlarge
it to a full version showing front, spine and rear
Book Cover
Frontispiece by W.E. JOHNS
Click on the Frontispiece to enlarge it
The end piece of the first edition
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The flying illustrations at the back of the first edition (click
on each one to enlarge)
THE ABOVE BOOK IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH
WINGS: FLYING STORIES
THIS BOOK CONTAINED REPRINTS OF FOUR
ISSUES OF A FLYING PERIODICAL PUBLISHED BY JOHN HAMILTON LTD
Believed to be published in 1935 – 128 pages + 128 pages + 128
pages + 112 pages (a total of 496 pages) – Original price 5 shillings 0 pence.
This book contained various short stories by W. E. Johns, the bulk
of which were later published elsewhere – particularly in the book “THE RAID”
in April 1935
VOL. 1 NUMBER 1 – WINGS - Subtitled “Flying Thrills” – Originally published in 1934 (Presumably around 1st July 1934 as issues are
every 3 months?)
I. – ALL’S FAIR by
Captain W. E. Johns - Page 5
This story was reprinted in April 1935 in
Johns’ book “THE RAID”
II – TIME ON BOARD by Arch. Whitehouse - Page 13
III – FLYING SECTION 17 by Haupt. Heydemarck – Page 29
IV – THE WORLD ON THE WING by Captain W. E. Johns - Page 90
V – FROM AN OBSERVER’S LOG by Major James McCudden V.C. – Page 95
VI – DOG-FIGHT DANNY by Arch. Whitehouse – Page 102
VII – OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE by Captain W. E. Johns - Page 116
This story was reprinted in April 1935 in
Johns’ book “THE RAID”
VIII – SPY FLYING by “Vigilant” – Page 120
VOL. 1 NUMBER 2 – WINGS - Subtitled “Flying Stories” – AUTUMN NUMBER – Originally published
1st October 1934
I.
– THE
RAID by Capt. W. E. Johns - Page 5
The
introduction to this story says “This story by that popular author, Capt. W. E.
Johns, is placed in Iraq, a country that he knows well.
The
Armistice found him a prisoner of war and shortly after his return to England
he was posted to Iraq, where he served for some years”
II – CAREERING INTO AVIATION - author unknown but text says that
this is an article reprinted from the August issue of “Air Review” - Page 61
III – WITH DESERT BELOW by J. Railton Holden – Page 68
IV – ERNST UDET: THE PETER PAN OF THE AIR by Vigilant – Page 102
V – DEMONS OF THE NULLAH by Arch. Whitehouse – Page 113
VOL. 1 NUMBER 3 – WINGS - Subtitled “Flying Stories” – WINTER NUMBER – Originally published 1st January
1935
I.
–
STRANGE FREIGHT by Captain W.
E. Johns - Page 5
This
story was reprinted in April 1935 in Johns’ book “THE RAID”
II – WAR FLYING IN MACEDONIA by Haupt Heydemarck - Page 13
III – BIG BERTHA AND THE PLANES by “Vigilant” - Page 89
IV – “OUR TRICK, PARTNER!” by W. Tremellen - Page 98
V – EL KHIYAL FLIES by J. Railton Holden - Page 106
VOL. 1 NUMBER 4 – WINGS – (Not
Subtitled at all) –
SPRING NUMBER – Originally published 1st
April 1935
I. – THE LATINS by Wilfred Tremellen - Page 5
II – V.C.’S WON IN THE AIR by Captain W. E. Johns - Page 12
This article is taken from Johns’ book
“THE AIR V.C.’s”
III –BULLY-BEEF PATROL by J. Railton Holden – Page 22
IV – FOR MODEL-MAKERS by Howard Leigh -
Page 42
This brief article by Johns’
brother-in-law and well known “Biggles” artist, contains information about four
different aircraft, the Airspeed Envoy, the Handley Page Heyford, the Monospar
S.T.10. and the Lockheed Vega
V – THE DAWN OF AVIATION by Capt. W. E. Johns - Page 50
This article is taken from Johns’ book
“SOME MILESTONES OF AVIATION”
VI – AIR INTELLIGENCE by “Vigilant” – Page 64
VII – THE UNCERTAIN WEAPON by Major
George Fielding Eliot - Page 74
VIII – THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE, 1918 by Roger Vee – Page 88
Although this last issue concluded with
“The next number of WINGS (Summer issue) will be published 1st July
1935” I believe that no further issues were ever published.
First Edition
Book Cover