Jean Bonney Island

In Biggles and the Deep Blue Sea, Biggles is sent to investigate reports that someone might be operating from or living at Jean Bonney Island. Jean Bonney Island was a British possession in the middle of the Bay of Bengal. During WW2, an emergency landing strip and refuelling stop had been established there to service aircraft transiting from India to lower Burma. After the war, various witnesses reported what appeared to be aircraft heading in the direction of the island. Concerned to protect British interests, the British government sends Biggles and Algy.

Jean Bonney Island is described as a mainly volcanic rock about 1 mile long and lying in the northwest-southeast direction. On one side is a lagoon which according to reports does not have an opening. The location is around 15 degrees north of latitude and the island is in the middle of the Bay of Bengal about halfway between India and lower Burma. When a witness, Squadron Leader Stonehouse reported seeing an aircraft flying east along 15 degrees, he thought it still had about 800 miles to the nearest landfall. Here again, and not for the first time, Johns is not being careful with his distances. 800 miles is far to great a distance and would take one right across the Bay of Bengal.