This week we have a story from the prolific pen of Thomson Burtis. Burtis is primarily remembered today for the Rex Lee and Russ Farrell series of books he did, but Burtis was way more than that. In his heyday of the 1920’s—he was cranking out the stories for magazines like Adventure, Argosy, Peoples, Air Stories, Wings, McClure’s and The American Boy. In looking into his previous stories I discovered that a vast majority of them are centered around the pilots of the southern Boarder Patrol. There was Tex McDonnel, Slimuel X. Evans, Sleepy Spears, Streak Sommers and Dumpy Scarth circulating through the pulps, while Russ Farrell covered the boarder patrol for The American Boy stories.

“Crash Proud” from the April 1930 issue of Wings features Dumpy Scarth. Dumpy first appeared in a 1921 issue of Adventure—he was one of the first members of the boarder patrol Burtis introduced us to. Despite his name and matching appearance, Dumpy is one of the most skilled fliers in the patrol.

In the story Corpus Christi has been hit by a flood and the boarder patrol is out looking for and helping the isolated survivors. To make matters worse, the same flood that decimated the town also allowed a homicidal maniac to escape from prison!

Scarth admitted he was the best in the flying game. Then came the flood, and a doomed city looked to the air.

• Download “Crash Proud” (April 1930, Wings)

This story is based upon real events Burtis lived through during the four years he was an Army flyer—in the March 1924 issue of Everybody’s he recounted the experience as being his most depressing time as an aviator.

THIS week we have a different kind of story by one of our favorite authors—Harold F. Cruickshank! Cruickshank is popular in these parts for the thrilling exploits of The Sky Devil from the pages of Dare-Devil Aces, as well as those of The Sky Wolf in Battle Aces and The Red Eagle in Battle Birds. He wrote innumerable stories of war both on the ground and in the air.

This week we have one of those stories that took place on the ground. It a piece and bloody tale of “Watson’s Guts Brigade”—a troop of Canadian horse artillery down in the mud and mire of the trenches, ordered to stop the German’s advance upon the Allied position. From the March 1929 number of War Novels, it’s Harold F. Cruickshank’s “Drawn Sabers!”

For a long, miserable winter, this troop of Canuck Horse had served as infantry in the mud-filled trenches, but now they were withdrawn and rehorsed. The Boche threatened the Allied lines, and these hard riders of the West were ordered to stop them!

• Download “Drawn Sabers” (March 1929, War Novels)

THIS week we have a story by H.P.S. Greene. Henry Paul Stevens Greene was a newspaper man who wrote aviation tales from the late 20’s to the early 40’s for magazines like Wings, Air Stories, Sky Fighters and, the magazine this story appeared in—Aces.

While visiting a girl he had previously met at a chateau in the French countryside, Jimmy Brill stumbles upon a Russian plot to go to the American headquarters in Froidvalle where they plan to kill the guards at the general’s office; steal all the maps and plans; blow the place up, and set it on fire to create a diversion while they get away, flying the maps and plans to Germany. Success or failure of the Russian’s plans rely on if Jimmy can stop the “Red in the Sky!” From the pages of the April 1932 Wings.

It was a quiet, peaceful meadow—a haven in the horror of war. Or so Jimmy Brill thought when he slanted down. But it proved to be the hot spot of the whole sector!

• Download “Red in the Sky” (April 1932, Wings)

As a bonus, here’s brief letter H.P.S. Greene had published in then letters pages of the December 1928 Flying Aces, wherein he gives a quick account of himself and his flying ability.

THIS week we have a short story by renowned pulp author Frederick C. Davis. Davis is probably best remembered for his work on Operator 5 where he penned the first 20 stories, as well as the Moon Man series for Ten Detective Aces and several other continuing series for various Popular Publications. He also wrote a number of aviation stories that appeared in Aces, Wings and Air Stories.

This week’s story features that crack pilot for Tip Top News, the greatest gelatine newspaper that ever flashed on a silver screen—Nick Royce! Davis wrote twenty stories with Nick for Wings magazine from 1928-1931.

After an assignment where things go from bad to worse, Nick and Art are sent out to redeem themselves by covering the big Air Derby. They find out when they get there that the lead ship is nothing but a publicity stunt for their arch competitor’s new aviation themed movie. What can they do but fulfill their assignment and hope that something goes wrong with Super-Art’s publicity ploy.

From the March 1929 Wings, it’s Nick Royce in Frederick C. Davis’ “Winged Showdown!”

The Goddess of Chance sent them into the skies with clipped wings. But Nick Royce lived by one code—and he dared all in one last cloud-gamble to get the shots!

• Download “Winged Showdown” (March 1929, Wings)