W. E. Johns
William Earl Johns was an English author born on February 5, 1893, in Hertford, Hertfordshire. He initially struggled with formal education, leaving school to become an apprentice surveyor and later earning income as a theater pianist. His military career began in 1913 when he enlisted in the Norfolk Yeomanry, leading to significant experiences during World War I, including combat in Gallipoli and service with the Royal Flying Corps. Johns gained recognition for his aviation-themed writings, most notably the series featuring the character James Bigglesworth, or "Biggles," which he began publishing in 1932. His works reflected his personal experiences and were noted for their authenticity, appealing to readers for their adventurous themes and heroism during wartime. He also served as an editor for flying magazines and lectured during World War II. Johns passed away on June 21, 1968, leaving behind a legacy of popular novels that inspired various adaptations in radio, television, and film.
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Subject Terms
W. E. Johns
- Born: February 5, 1893
- Birthplace: Bengeo, Hertfordshire, England
- Died: June 21, 1968
- Place of death: Park House, Hampton Court Road, London, England
Biography
William Earl Johns was born on February 5, 1893, in the Bengeo suburb of Hertford in Hertfordshire, England, to tailor Richard William Eastman Johns and Elizabeth Earl Johns. He started attending Hertford Grammar School in January, 1905, but did not enjoy his studies. His parents permitted him to quit school to become an apprentice, conducting surveying work in Hertford from 1907 to 1912. He also earned income playing the piano for a theater. Johns worked at Swaffham in Norfolk, England, enforcing sanitation requirements until October, 1913, when he enlisted in the Norfolk Yeomanry of the British Territorial Army.
On October 16, 1914, Johns married Maude Penelope Hunt, a preacher’s daughter eleven years his senior with whom he later had one son. He served with the Norfolk Yeomanry through the next year. In September, 1915, Johns went to Gelibolu (Gallipoli), Turkey, where he served in trenches during World War I combat. By the end of December, he was sent to Egypt to protect the Suez Canal. The next year he developed malaria and was hospitalized at Thessaloníki, Greece.
After his medical release, Johns was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917. He attended the Oxford School for Officer Cadets and the School of Aeronautics at Reading. Flying with the Fifty-Fifth Squadron, Johns participated in dogfights. German pilot Ernst Udet successfully downed Johns’s plane on September 16, 1918, injuring Johns, who was captured. Confined in the Landshut prisoner-of-war camp, Johns escaped, then was caught and placed in another camp until the war ended.
When he returned home in 1918, Johns and his wife separated. Johns worked as a flight instructor and recruiting officer. Although still legally married, he resided with Doris May Leigh, considering her his common-law wife. His father-in-law forbade Johns to divorce his daughter.
Johns retired in 1930. He served as editor of Popular Flying magazine from 1932 to 1939 and of Flying from 1938 to 1939. During World War II, Johns lectured to the Air Defense Cadet Corps. In 1953, Johns bought a London mansion known as Park House on Hampton Court Road, adjacent to the royal family’s property. Suffering a coronary thrombosis, Johns died on June 21, 1968, at Park House.
Johns’s early nonfiction and fiction writing featured airplanes for both young and adult readers. Starting in 1932, his World War I adventures featuring ace James Bigglesworth, known as Biggles, were released annually for the remainder of Johns’s life. His other series characters included World War II pilot Joan Worralson of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.
Reviewers appreciated the realism and authenticity of Johns’s aviation-themed novels, many inspired by his wartime service and insights. They noted that the simplistic heroic stories, emphasizing bravery and victories, bolstered the World War II homefront. Many critics disliked Johns’s non-aviation books, considering them weak. Contemporary readers enjoyed Johns’s books, which sold well. Many radio, television, and film adaptations were produced.