Special Sub-Topic: "Biggles & Co" - a top 1930s Biggles story. Click Here To Play: "Biggles & Co" - a top 1930s Biggles story.

Where had the first consignment of gold been heading when the plane crashed and the crew were killed?

Paris. Cronfelt tells the story of the first bullion robbery in some detail and it turns out that Biggles had known the pilot who had been killed. Cronfelt goes on to point out the insurance problems and proposes that Biggles starts an airline on behalf of Cronfelt and Carstairs.

What is the name of Biggles' housekeeper?

Mrs. Symes. This lady makes a few appearances in the "Biggles" books but we learn very little about her. On occasions she seems to provide cups of tea and in "Biggles Flies West" she notices the mess left by a clandestine visitor.

What is Stella Carstairs' attitude towards the gold bullion business?

She does not like it and wants her father to get out of it as soon as possible.. Her description is of dealings between men "who are utterly unscrupulous" and who are "pagans" and "Twentieth century infidels who worship the golden calf with such fervour that life, death and suffering mean nothing to them."

How does the appearance of Stella Carstairs when she walks into Biggles' rooms betray the fact that she is used to a rich lifestyle?

She is wearing an expensive fur coat.. Other signs of her affluence include the fact that she can afford to have flying lessons and that she later manages to buy her own aeroplane.

What makes Biggles change his mind and accept Cronfelt's proposition that he should start an airline?

He receives a telephone call which tells him not to accept or he will lose his life.. Earlier Biggles had decided that if the airline ran smoothly they would all soon be bored. If there was danger they might find themselves in a "pretty nasty mess". However, an anonymous voice (really Erich von Stalhein's) telling him what he should do is not to be tolerated. Without consulting the others he says "Yes" to Cronfelt.

What name does Biggles decide to give to the airline that he starts?

Biggles & Co. Cronfelt protests that the name he has chosen sounds too frivolous for their serious business. However, Biggles points out that many people have good reason to know and respect the name "Biggles"

What is the design of the containers for carrying the bars of gold?

Little wooden boxes with rope handles.. The ingots of gold are of considerable weight but the small boxes with the rope handles make them relatively easy to transport. This allows the possibility of switching them from one plane to another. Because this container is standardised it means that Biggles can fill it with any metal and suggest it contains gold.

How did the crooks attempt to steal the gold on the first journey of Biggles' new business?

They sent a stolen bank van and bogus gendarmes to meet the plane at the airport.. Biggles outwits their plans by making up a dummy consignment which the thieves take away in the stolen van. The gold is later taken to the bank in Paris in an ordinary taxi.

What did Biggles advise Stella to do after he got back to London after delivering the first consignment of gold.

To buy 5,000 shares in Cronfelt and Carstairs.. Someone had told the newspapers that the gold had been stolen. This meant that there was little confidence left in the firm of "Cronfelt and Carstairs" and the price of its shares had fallen. Biggles knew that when the truth came out the shares would rise again and Stella and her father would make a profit if they bought soon.

What is the occupation of Sir Guy Brunswick to whom Biggles is introduced by Air Commodore Raymond?

He is the head of a large insurance company.. Sir Guy's interest in the insurance business has led him to suspect that some foreign European power is behind the theft of so many gold shipments. He offers a reward of ten thousand pounds if Biggles can destroy the gang of thieves and find out who is the man behind it.

How does Biggles outsmart the crooks on the second occasion when his plane is forced down by a smoke bomb?

He hid the gold in the cabin not the secret compartment.. The fact that the thieves knew that the Cormorant aeroplane had a secret compartment means that they must be getting information from an inside source. The astute reader has already decided which person is not all that he purports to be.

Which one of the comrades gets captured by the enemy?

Algy. Algy disappears but Biggles only knows for sure that he is in enemy hands when he receives a phone call which is routed through Berlin. The voice on the end of the line tells him he must take a consignment of diamonds to Aix la Chapelle instead of to Amsterdam. Again the reader has guessed that it is Erich von Stalhein.

Whose aeroplane does Ginger borrow in order to follow Biggles to Aix la Chapelle?

Stella Carstairs' plane. Once again Ginger decides to do things his own way in direct contradiction of Biggles' orders. Smyth fills the machine up with petrol and Ginger tells Stella that he won't be long.

How does Biggles warn Ginger that a guard with a dog was about to catch him near the moat of the castle?

He begins to sing a warning.. To the tune of "God Save the King" Biggles sings out, "Look out, there is a Hun, Quite near you with a gun." The song has the desired effect.

Where do Biggles and Algy hide when they are chased through the castle by von Stalhein's men?

On a ladder inside one of the large chimneys.. Biggles has to give himself up when Ginger faces the firing squad. However, Algy stays inside the chimney and later climbs down the inside to get behind von Stalhein and help Biggles to overpower him.