JOYSTICKS AND FIDDLESTICKS WWI Royal Flying Corps AUSTRALIA Early History QANTAS
Item History & Price
Joysticks and Fiddlesticks (The Unofficial History of a Flying Kangaroo) or The Flying Kangaroo
by F. S. Briggs and S. H. Harris Foreword by E. C. Johnston, Director-General of Civil Aviation, Commonwealth of Australia
This is the First Edition, circa 1936
Front cover and spine Further images of this book ar...e shown below
Publisher and place of publication Dimensions in inches (to the nearest quarter-inch) London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd 5½ inches wide x 8¾ inches tall Edition Length There is no date of publication given; however, this First Edition dates from circa 1936. 222 pages + Publisher’s advertisement Condition of covers Internal condition Original red cloth blocked in white. The front and rear covers are rubbed and quite faded, more noticeably around the edges. The spine has faded to a far greater extent with significant loss of original colour. The spine ends and corners are bumped and frayed with some splits in the cloth. There are no internal markings and the text is clean throughout though on noticeably tanned paper, and with some scattered foxing. Also, the illustrations have acquired a distinct yellowish tinge (please see the images below). The end-papers are very browned and discoloured and the edge of the text block is dust-stained and foxed. Dust-jacket present? Other comments No The text is perfectly readable though on noticeably tanned paper, while the covers are faded, particularly the spine. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating account of First World War flying and, especially, the origins of civil aviation in Australia. Illustrations, maps, etc Contents Please see below for details Please see below for details Post & shipping information Payment options The packed weight is approximately 700 grams.
Full shipping/postage information is provided in a panel at the end of this listing. Payment options : UK buyers: cheque (in GBP), debit card, credit card (Visa, MasterCard but not Amex), PayPal
International buyers: credit card (Visa, MasterCard but not Amex), PayPal Full payment information is provided in a panel at the end of this listing.
Joysticks and Fiddlesticks Contents Foreword
Prologue—"The Birdman"
An Introduction
Book I
In The Lap of The Gods
Book II
Still in The Lap of The Gods Illustrations
E. C. Johnston (now Director-General of Civil Aviation, Commonwealth of Australia) and F. S. Briggs when cadets at Oxford, 1916
"Alone I did it." This pupil adds one more to the daily total
The Original Experimenters in Cloud Flying, Orfordness Test and Experimental Station, 1917. Standing {left to right) : 2nd Lieut. Weller, Capt. Bell, Staff-Captain Bouidillon, Lieut. Barrett, Lieut. McKerrow, and 2nd Lieut. Troubridge. Sitting {left to right) : 2nd Lieut. Briggs, 2nd Lieut. Horwood, Lieut. Fairburn, Lieut. Montmorency, Lieut. Duncan
An aerial view of Stonehenge aerodrome and establishment when completed
This is the Kite Balloon at 4, 000 feet from which Briggs and his companion were "forced" to jump
Warming up the converted D.H.4 flown by Pilot Briggs in the communication squadron
The Sopwith "Gnu" (no h.p. Le Rhone rotary engine) which crashed at Berri en route to carry the Prince of Wales' mail
The Boulton and Paul P9, with a 90 h.p. R.A.F. engine, used by C. J. de Garis and F. S. Briggs in setting up their first records. They are standing by the machine. Inset, Francis Stewart Briggs {left), Clement John de Garis {right)
The Old Way. Refuelling through a chamois leather stretched over a funnel as a filter
And the New. Two Cierva C.30 Autogiros (140 h.p. Armstrong-Siddeley "Genet Major") and Imperial Airways' Short "Scylla" (G-ACJJ) refuelling at Le Bourget (Paris) from a modern aviation fuelling equipment
With Crowd. "Crowd" at Belmont Racecourse (Perth, capital of Western Australia) greeting the first aeroplane to land in Western Australia from the Eastern States, 1920
And Without. The D.H. pegged down on Belmont Racecourse, Perth, W.A. There was no aerodrome, no hangar, or any other facility in those days
A close-up of "C. J., " George Bond (mechanic) and Briggs about to start on the first flight from Melbourne to Brisbane
Not a mask—but Birtles with his back to the direction of flight, taken at 8, 000 feet
The belle of the village. A gin, or female aboriginal, with grass for a gunyah (hut)
Pilot Briggs among wild flowers (everlasting) on Stuart Range near Alice Springs, Central Australia. This country is often ignorantly described as "desert"
The first landing in the heart of Australia The geographical centre of Australia, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. In the middle distance, near the building, is an orange and lemon grove, the only fruit trees growing in that area in 1921 for thousands of square miles
"Miss Alice Springs"—waitress, parlour and chambermaid in Central Australia
Cartage in Central Australia. This building material was carried in this manner for six weeks over a distance of 340 miles . The uncovered wagon—which has pulled in at Oodnadatta . The top of Mt. Blatherskite, eastern side of Big Tree Gap, Central Australia. The origin of the name of this gap is obvious A "freight train" grazing at Big Tree Gap, the gateway to Central Australia
Birtles makes a cinematographic record of the heart of Australia Birtles "struts his stuff" to the native inhabitants of Central Australia Resident whites, representatives of the total population for thousands of square miles, gather at the "aerodrome" at Alice Springs to see the first aeroplane to penetrate Central Australia At the time, "the only way" in the heart of Australia Central Australia expresses utter disdain
Major Norman Brearley, Managing Director of Western Australian Airways, Ltd., successful tenderers for the first subsidised air mail service in Australasia. On his right is Pilot Fawcett, and on his left Pilots Charles Kingsford Smith and Taplin, who inaugurated the service between Geraldton and Derby
The Old—The First Machine used by Quantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, Ltd.) to inaugurate the subsidised air mail service between Charleville and Longreach, on the 22nd November, 1922
—And the New. The latest machine used by Quantas Empire Airways, taxying in at Archerfield (Brisbane) on the completion of a flight from Singapore with the Royal Mail from London . The "Overland" used in Western Australia as "advance agent" for Pilot Briggs' joyriding. This car at the time was the holder of the major road records in that State
Pilot F. S. Briggs photographed by an admiring passenger
The first aerial mail into Sydney. Left to right: Pat Saunders, Pilot F. S. Briggs, C. A. Butler
"Mim"
"Briggsie" (to-day) checks the amount of fuel put into a Quantas [sic] Empire Airways machine at Archerfield, the Australian terminus of the Empire air route
Joysticks and Fiddlesticks Excerpt: CHAPTER ONE
Croix du Bac, France.
May 20th, 1916.
"Hey! Briggs, you're wanted at divvy headquarters, toot sweet."
One of the boys shouted the above news to me as I rode into the horse-lines of the battery after repairing wire between Armentieres and the front line. My future service in the world is predestined, no doubt.
Reported to Divisional Headquarters this afternoon, rapidly thinking of all my past sins and wondering which one had been detected. Thought out several passable answers for each, but to my astonishment was greeted by the Brigade Major with quite an affable smile and asked : "How would you like to be seconded to the Flying Corps, Briggs ?"
The question staggered me ! Had just sufficient presence of mind to mumble "Very much, sir." Did not add that I'd give anything to get away for a change from the blasted mud and being wet nurse to a bunch of telephone lines which the troops will persist in cutting lengths out of for boot strings.
Seems too good to be true. Here's hoping !
June 2nd.
This morning found me saluting the C.O. of 16th Squadron R.F.C. at La Gorge Aerodrome, or in the language of the censor, 'Somewhere in France, ' and reporting for duty.
June 14th.
Took a day off duty to-day to revisit my own unit for a yarn with the troops. On the way back noticed a shell which had not exploded lying exposed ; a faint hissing sound which persistently came from it removed any desire on my part to investigate it further. As it was, I did not hear the hissing until I bent over it to make an examination. If anybody had been watching me they would have had a great laugh at the way my head jerked back, my back straightened and my body leaped two feet off the ground and six feet back all in the one motion, when I detected the hiss. I thought the darned thing was about to explode.
When I came back to the squadron I told Bill about the 'dud' I found. Of course, in no time Intelligence got to hear of it and I received a visit from a Staff Officer who requested me to 'lead him to it'. If only one could read the iniquity in some people's minds ! Like the most unsophisticated lamb I led that bloody Staff Officer over three miles of 'pitch and toss' to that darned 'dud'. The very grammatical S.O., much to my dismay, after thoughtfully rolling the thing over a few times with the toe of his boot, turned to me and ordered : "Pick that up, Briggs. We'll take it back where I can have a look at it in comfort." Before I could think of a smart retort, he was giving me a hand to lift the damned thing on to my shoulder and back we started to the drome with the 'dud' hissing sinister stories straight from Hades into my right ear.
I will say that S.O. is a good chap.
The 'dud' was darned heavy and put a few kinks in my knees, and I had to change shoulders about every quarter of a mile. Every time I made the change he gave me some quite sound advice how to make it without dropping my bundle. As the S.O. did not divulge to me his ideas concerning the 'dud', in my ignorance I expected it to pop at any minute, and my head to seek independence as a result. Of course, my fears were unfounded.
When we got back to the drome the S.O. told me to stick the 'dud5 in the guardroom, which order I carried out pronto with fiendish delight and to the consternation of the guard. The S.O., after lowering the tide considerably in sundry bottles in the officers' mess, then removed himself and his precious 'hisser', much to the relief of us all.
June 15th.
Learnt to-day that my friend the 'dud' was a Hun lachrymatory gas shell and the hiss was gas escaping from a minute fracture in the casing. The S.O. knew that but bloody well didn't think to tell me. He only wanted the darned thing back so that the gas could be analysed ! Sweet creature !
June 27th.
To-day a Hun plane came over and was being strafed with 'Archies.' I made myself comfortable to watch the show by leaning along a tent guy-rope. While thus occupied and enjoying to the full the antics of the Hun and 'Archie, ' I felt a sudden stinging pain on the side of my neck. I instinctively put my hand up to the spot and felt something liquid and warm. I found my hand was covered with blood. To my knowledge, I, an onlooker, am the only person wounded in that episode of the air, for the Hun flew away apparently unharmed. I have been wounded by a piece of 'Archie' shell casing which fell out of the skies to give me a good nick on the side of my neck ! If that piece of casing had been larger and had hit me in the right spot it probably would have proved a case of no more rubberneck.
July 13th. Have spent six weeks with 16th Squadron and have learnt to love an aerodrome and all things animate and inanimate to which it means 'home.'
Will always recall with mixed feelings my first flight, which really was a ride in an aeroplane. The pilot is a young Englishman and has just joined the Squadron. He has a total of about 18 hours solo to his credit. This seems to be the average flying experience of new service pilots.
The flight was intended to be a short one only, our orders being to cruise about in a reasonably safe and peaceful manner just on our side of the lines to give our fledgeling pilot an opportunity to learn the boundaries of the sector that 16th Squadron is responsible for. I was to accompany him as observer, already having a knowledge of it obtained on the ground.
Despite the fact we weren't going to cross the lines, there was no guarantee that a Hun would not cross ours, so before taking off we carried out the prescribed procedure of testing and warming our guns ; this over we climbed into our 'Super Scout, ' a B.E.2c powered with a 90 h.p. engine and proceeded to take off. Headed across the aerodrome towards a canal which was bounded on the aerodrome side by a towpath and hedge. We rapidly accelerated over the ground. I saw the hedge looming ever nearer and nearer, but as I was entirely innocent of any flying knowledge I was not a bit perturbed. We charged straight into that hedge—the machine reared up and over, and came to rest on its back, half on the hedge, and the other half—the tail portion—supported off the tow-path by the carcass of an ox, which we killed in the course of our gyrations.
We were not injured, but the inevitable insult that follows was added. My pilot and I were hanging upside down in our seats and helpless to extricate ourselves. Of course, when we crashed the lads of the aerodrome all hurtled across to pick up the bodies, but when they found us unhurt and in such a ridiculous situation, they just doubled up with laughter that could be heard all over France, and did nothing to help us out till the full stock of witty thoughts born of our predicament had been exhausted by everybody.
Thus ended my first 'ride' in an aeroplane.
Please note: to avoid opening the book out, with the risk of damaging the spine, some of the pages were slightly raised on the inner edge when being scanned, which has resulted in some blurring to the text and a shadow on the inside edge of the final images. Colour reproduction is shown as accurately as possible but please be aware that some colours are difficult to scan and may result in a slight variation from the colour shown below to the actual colour. In line with eBay guidelines on picture sizes, some of the illustrations may be shown enlarged for greater detail and clarity.
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