| In his first appearance, Biggles was a scout (fighter) pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during World War I. He joined the RFC in 1916 at the young age of 17, having conveniently "lost" his birth certificate. The original Biggles stories were based on Johns' experience — and stories he had heard from other pilots — during his time in France. (Johns, unlike Biggles, did not fly scouts: he was in a bomber squadron.) Biggles was supposedly based on Cyril Lowe. While the purpose of the Biggles stories was to entertain young men, Johns paid attention to historical detail and helped recreate the primitive days of early air combat — when most pilots died in their first combat and before devices such as respirators and parachutes had become practical. Throughout his career, Biggles flew a number of planes which almost delineate the early history of British military aviation, from Sopwith Camels during World War I to Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires in World War II. |
