W. E. Johns

W. E. Johns (1893 - 1968) was an English pilot and writer of adventure stories, best known as the creator of the ace pilot and adventurer Biggles.

William Earle Johns was born in Hertfordshire. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, and stayed with it and then the Royal Air Force until 1930, leaving with the rank of Flying Officer.

After leaving the RAF, Johns became a newspaper air correspondent, and founded the magazine Popular Flying; it was in the pages of Popular Flying that Biggles first appeared. The first Biggles book, The Camels are Coming, was published in 1932.

At first, the Biggles stories were credited to "William Earle", but later Johns adopted the more familiar byline "Capt. W. E. Jonns".

Johns continued writing Biggles until the his death in 1968. In all, nearly a hundred Biggles books were published.

Other less-famous characters created by W. E. Johns include commando Captain Lorrington "Gimlet" King; female aviator Joan "Worrals" Worralson (essentially a feminine Biggles, created at the request of the Air Ministry to inspire more young women to join the WAAF); and pioneering astronaut (ex-RAF, naturally) Group Captain Timothy "Tiger" Clinton, who first rocketed into space in 1954.