W. E. Johns facts for kids

William Earl Johns (born February 5, 1893 – died June 21, 1968) was a British pilot from the First World War. He became a famous writer of adventure stories. He often used the name Capt. W. E. Johns for his books. He is best known for creating the brave air-adventurer Biggles.

Growing Up and Early Life

William Earl Johns was born in Bengeo, Hertford, England. His father, Richard Eastman Johns, was a tailor. His mother, Elizabeth Johns, was the daughter of a butcher. William also had a younger brother named Russell.

From a young age, William wanted to be a soldier. He was very good at shooting a rifle. He went to Hertford Grammar School starting in 1905. He also took evening art classes. Johns later wrote about his school days in his book Biggles Goes to School (1951).

In 1907, he started learning to be a surveyor. This was like an apprenticeship, where he learned a skill on the job. In 1912, he got a job as a health inspector in Swaffham, Norfolk. In 1914, he married Maude Penelope Hunt. They had one son, William Earl Carmichael Johns, born in 1916.

Joining the Military and World War I

In 1913, Johns joined the Territorial Army. He was a soldier in the Norfolk Yeomanry. When World War I began in August 1914, his regiment was sent to fight. They went overseas in September 1915 on a ship called RMS Olympic.

His unit fought in the Gallipoli area until December. Then they moved to Egypt. In September 1916, Johns joined the Machine Gun Corps. While fighting in Greece, he became sick with malaria.

After getting better, he joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in September 1917. He became a temporary second lieutenant and went back to England to learn how to fly planes.

Learning to Fly Planes

Johns started his flight training in Reading. He flew a plane called the Farman MF.11 Shorthorn. Later, he moved to a flight school in Thetford, closer to his family.

On April 1, 1918, Johns became a flying instructor in Yorkshire. Planes back then were not very safe. He crashed three planes in three days because their engines failed! He also had problems with his machine gun shooting off his own propeller twice. The commander at Marske was a Major Champion, who was nicknamed 'Gimlet'. Johns later used this name for a hero in his own book series.

Flying in Combat

Johns continued as a flying instructor until August 1918. Then he joined No. 55 Squadron RAF. This squadron was part of the Independent Air Force. Their job was to bomb targets deep inside Germany. Flying these missions was very dangerous.

On September 16, 1918, Johns was flying a DH.4 plane to bomb Mannheim. His plane was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire. He had to drop his bomb and turn back. But then, several Fokker D.VII fighter planes attacked him.

During the fight, Johns' observer and rear-gunner, Second Lieutenant Alfred Edward Amey, was badly hurt. Their plane was shot down. Johns was injured in the leg and in the crash. He became a prisoner of war. Sadly, Amey died from his injuries that same day. Johns remained a prisoner until the war ended in November 1918.

After the War

After the war, Johns stayed in the Royal Air Force. He worked as a recruiting officer in London. He even met T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) when Lawrence tried to join the RAF.

In 1927, Johns moved to the reserves. He officially left the RAF in 1931.

Becoming a Writer

W. E. Johns wrote many books and articles. In his 46-year writing career (from 1922 to 1968), he wrote over 160 books. This included almost 100 Biggles books! He also wrote more than 60 other novels and many magazine articles.

His first novel, Mossyface, came out in 1922. He used the name "William Earle" for it. After leaving the RAF, Johns became a newspaper writer about planes. He also edited and drew pictures for books about flying.

In 1932, he helped create a magazine called Popular Flying. This is where the character Biggles first appeared.

The Birth of Biggles

The first Biggles book, The Camels are Coming, was published in August 1932. Johns continued writing Biggles stories until he died in 1968. At first, he used the name "William Earle" for Biggles stories. But later, he used his more famous name, "Capt. W. E. Johns". Even though his RAF rank was Flying Officer (like an army lieutenant), "Captain" is often used for someone in charge of an aircraft.

Johns also wrote for The Modern Boy magazine. He edited Popular Flying and Flying magazines. In the 1930s, Johns often said that Britain needed to train more pilots. He believed that if war came, there wouldn't be enough trained airmen. He warned that untrained pilots would die in accidents or in fights against better-trained German pilots.

He was removed as editor of Popular Flying in 1939. This was likely because he strongly disagreed with the government's policy of trying to avoid war by giving in to other countries. He also criticized some politicians.

Johns' books sometimes showed his views. For example, in The Black Peril (1935), the story is about Germany getting ready for war. In Biggles Air Commodore (1937), he even hinted at Japan preparing to take over British lands in Asia.

Other Famous Series

Besides "Biggles", Johns wrote other popular book series:

• The "Steeley" series (6 books, 1936–1939): These stories were about a former World War I pilot who became a crime-fighter.
• The "Worrals" series (11 books, 1941–1950): These books followed the adventures of a brave female pilot named Joan "Worrals" Worralson. The Air Ministry asked Johns to write these to encourage young women to join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force.
• The "Gimlet" series (10 books, 1943–1954): The hero of these books was a daring British commando named Captain Lorrington "Gimlet" King.
• A science fiction series (10 books, 1954–1963): These books were about space adventures. They featured a retired RAF Group Captain, his son, a scientist, and his clever butler.

Johns also wrote other books for young people and adults. He wrote factual books about aviation, pirates, and even gardening.

One special thing about Johns' writing was that he included a working-class character as an equal in the Biggles team. This was "Ginger" Habblethwaite, the son of a miner. This was unusual for children's writers at that time.

Later Life and Death

From 1953 until he died in 1968, Johns lived at Park House. This house was near Hampton Court in Middlesex.

W. E. Johns passed away on June 21, 1968, at the age of 75. He was writing his last Biggles story, called Biggles does some Homework, when he died. In this story, Biggles was getting ready to retire. The twelve chapters he wrote were published later in 1997.

Johns was cremated at the Kingston-upon-Thames Crematorium.

Biography

A book about Johns' life, called By Jove, Biggles!, was published in 1981. It was written by Peter Berresford Ellis and Piers Williams. It was later re-released as Biggles! The Life Story of Capt. W. E. Johns in 1993.