Roger Harris Presents

W.E. JOHNS IN THE GIRLS OWN PAPER

A GUIDE TO THE WORK OF W. E. JOHNS INCLUDING ALL "WORRALS" STORIES SERIALISED IN THE GIRLS OWN PAPER

W. E. Johns first article for ‘The Girl’s Own Paper’ was in April 1934

It was called “Looking Up For a Living”

Just click on any cover to see it in more detail and click on the story part below the cover to see the internal illustrations from that particular W. E. Johns story

Volume 62 October 1940 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part One This issue also features an article headed ‘Our Post Bag’ which introduces Captain W. E. Johns and describes the character of Worrals. View here	Volume 62 November 1940 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Two This issue also features an article headed ‘Captain W. E. Johns describes LIFE IN THE W.A.A.F’ View here	Volume 62 December 1940 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 48 PAGES) Part Three	Volume 62 January 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 48 PAGES) Part Four
Volume 62 February 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Five	Volume 62 March 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 48 PAGES) Part Six	Volume 62 April 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 44 PAGES) Part Seven	Volume 62 May 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 44 PAGES) Part Eight
Volume 62 June 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 44 PAGES) Part Nine This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There is also an uncredited article called ‘Why Not An A.T.C. For Girls’ which just seems to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included it in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see it.	Volume 62 July 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Ten This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There is also an uncredited article called ‘Careers Aloft’ which just seems to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included it in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see it.	Volume 62 August 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Eleven This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There are also two uncredited articles called ‘Chivalry in the Air’ and ‘Women and Wings’ which just seem to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included them in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see them.	Volume 62 September 1941 Worrals of the WAAFs (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Twelve This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There is also an uncredited article called ‘The World as the Airman Sees it’ which just seems to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included it in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see it.
Volume 63 October 1941 Worrals Carries On (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part One This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There are also two uncredited articles called ‘Cooking for Victory’ and ‘Women at War’ which just seem to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included them in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see them.	Volume 63 November 1941 Worrals Carries On (Size 11 x 8 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Two This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There is also an uncredited article called ‘They Spot the Bombers’ which just seems to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included it in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see it.	Volume 63 December 1941 Worrals Carries On (Size 11 x 8 inches – 48 PAGES) Part Three This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There is also an uncredited article called ‘Winged Wonders’ which just seems to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included it in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see it.	Volume 63 January 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 11 x 8 inches – 32 PAGES) Part Four This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here There is also an uncredited article called ‘Mysteries of the Air’ which just seems to me to be so like the work of Captain W. E. Johns that I have included it in this guide. Click ‘view here’ above to see it.
Volume 63 February 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 11 x 8 inches – 32 PAGES) Part Five This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here Advert for Worrals of the W.A.A.F on the rear cover	Volume 63 March 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 11 x 8 inches – 32 PAGES) Part Six NOTE THAT CHAPTER NUMBERS NO LONGER APPEAR This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ edited by Captain W. E. Johns headed ‘Between You and Me and the Joystick’ View here	Volume 63 April 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 10 x 7.5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Seven NOTE THE SLIGHT REDUCTION IN SIZE DUE TO THE WARTIME PAPER SHORTAGES This issue also features an article called ‘The World on Wings’ but now it is by ‘Pilot’	Volume 63 May 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 10 x 7.5 inches – 32 PAGES) Part Eight
Volume 63 June 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 10 x 7.5 inches – 32 PAGES) Part Nine	Volume 63 July 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 10 x 7.5 inches – 32 PAGES) Part Ten	Volume 63 August 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 44 PAGES) Part Eleven NOTE THE FURTHER SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SIZE DUE TO THE WARTIME PAPER SHORTAGES	Volume 63 September 1942 Worrals Carries On (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 44 PAGES) Part Twelve
Volume 64 October 1942 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part One	Volume 64 November 1942 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Two	Volume 64 December 1942 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 44 PAGES) Part Three	Volume 64 January 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Four
Volume 64 February 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Five	Volume 64 March 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Six	Volume 64 April 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Seven	Volume 64 May 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Eight
Volume 64 June 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Nine	Volume 64 July 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Ten	Volume 64 August 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Eleven	Volume 64 September 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Twelve
Volume 65 October 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Thirteen	Volume 65 November 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 40 PAGES) Part Fourteen	Volume 65 December 1943 Worrals Flies Again (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 50 PAGES) Part Fifteen N.B. – ISSUES FROM JANUARY 1944 TO OCTOBER 1945 INCLUSIVE FEATURED NO ARTICLES OR “WORRALS” STORIES BY W.E. JOHNS	Volume 67 November 1945 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 48 PAGES) Part One
Volume 67 December 1945 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 60 PAGES) Part Two	Volume 67 January 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches - 48 PAGES) Part Three	Volume 67 February 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 48 PAGES) Part Four	Volume 67 March 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 48 PAGES) Part Five
Volume 67 April 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Six N.B. – THIS ISSUE FEATURED THE FIRST COLOUR ILLUSTRATION	Volume 67 May 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Seven	Volume 67 June 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Eight	No Volume Number July 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Nine
No Volume Number August 1946 Worrals in the Wilds (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Ten	No Volume Number October 1946 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part One N.B. – ISSUE SEPTEMBER 1946 FEATURED NO “WORRALS” STORY BY W.E. JOHNS	No Volume Number November 1946 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Two	No Volume Number December 1946 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 68 PAGES) Part Three
No Volume Number January 1947 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Four	No Volume Number February 1947 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Five	No Volume Number March 1947 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Six	No Volume Number April 1947 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Seven
No Volume Number May 1947 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Eight	No Volume Number June 1947 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Nine	No Volume Number July 1947 Worrals Down Under (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) Part Ten	No Volume Number September 1947 Worrals Works It Out (Size 7.5 x 5 inches – 56 PAGES) A Complete Story

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE GIRL'S OWN PAPER

The Girl’s Own Paper was first published on 3^rd January 1880, virtually a year after the launch of the Boy’s Own Paper was first published on 19th January 1879.

It was originally published by the Religious Tract Society but was taken over by Lutterworths Press.

In October 1929, the title became Girl’s Own Paper and Woman’s Magazine but in 1930 the Woman’s Magazine became a separate publication.

In December 1947, the magazine became ‘Girl’s Own Paper introducing Heiress’ (up until and including the August 1948 issue) and then from September 1948 this became ‘Girl’s Own Paper and Heiress’

However the “Heiress” was in a far bigger font. By 1950 the magazine was just called ‘Heiress’ with the tag line ‘The magazine for the older girl’.

This change of emphasis may explain why the last three Worrals books (Worrals in the Wastelands, Worrals Goes Afoot and Worrals Investigates) were not serialised in ‘Heiress’.

The Magazine finally folded in 1956.

Johns first wrote an article for the “The Girl’s Own Paper” in APRIL 1934 and that article also appeared in “The Girl’s Own Annual LV” (Number 55), pages 327 to 329.

It was entitled Looking Up For a Living

W. E. Johns had Worrals stories serialised in 60 issues of the Girl’s Own Paper which is a remarkable co-incidence because he had stories serialised in 60 issues of the Boy’s Own Paper as well!

This site displays all the covers of the 60 W. E. Johns “Worrals” issues as well as the first “April 1934” issue.

The magazine was edited from 1880 to 1907 by Charles Peters and from 1908 to 1931 by Flora Klickmann. Gladys Spratt was the editor from 1931 onwards.

The magazine cost 6d in October 1940 and this increased to 8d in March 1941 and 9d in October 1941 (no doubt due to wartime shortages of paper). The price remained 9d until the 1950s.

The numbering of the pages of the issues from October 1940 to September 1941 is unusual.

There are (usually) 16 pages numbered 1 to 16 but in the centre of these pages (i.e. between pages 8 and 9) there are 24 pages numbered, in the October 1940 issue, as pages 1 to 24.

In the November 1940 issue, these pages then are numbered 25 to 48 and this progression continues until the September 1941 issue when the 24 central pages are numbered 265 to 288.

These central pages, numbered 1 to 288 were then bound and published as THE GIRL’S OWN ANNUAL – VOLUME SIXTY-TWO.

However, the Girl’s Own Annual Volume 62 didn’t stop at page 288. It actually had 480 pages!

I haven’t been able to find out if these extra pages were ever published elsewhere, other than in the annual.

What is of interest is that those additional pages contain THE RAVENSDALE MYSTERY by a certain William Earle, who was of course, W.E. Johns!

That was the last of the 62 Girl’s Own Annuals to be published – no doubt due to wartime paper shortages.

From the October 1941 issue onwards, the pages of the magazine are just numbered 1 to 40 in the conventional way.

This web site actually took me many YEARS to build! – simply because I found obtaining copies of THE GIRL’S OWN PAPER from the years 1940 to 1947 so difficult to do! They appear to be VERY rare.

I believe this is because the wartime issues of the magazine strongly encouraged their readers to recycle copies to aid the war effort and I imagine British girls were particularly good at doing so, making copies scare.

The copyright in all of W.E. Johns work is owned by the estate of W.E. Johns as represented by W. E. Johns (Publications) Limited.

This private limited company have appointed literary agent Pat White of Rogers Coleridge White to represent the interests of the estate. Their web site is here: http://www.rcwlitagency.com/

This is a non profit making fan based web site purely for the information of fellow fans - no infringement of copyright is intended.

The intention of this web site is to encourage people to read the works of William Earl Johns, one of the great authors of the 20th Century

Don’t forget to visit Biggles.com and Worrals.com and W. E. Johns.Com for information about W. E. Johns books

E - ME

This website was launched on 1^st April 2014 – the 82^nd Anniversary of the creation of Biggles! – but I didn’t get the one missing issue (June 1942) until 5^th February 2015 – W. E. Johns 122^nd birthday!