"Thank the powers that be for Sapper."
-Punch Magazine
H.C. McNeile, better known as Sapper, was an English soldier and writer who became famous for his war stories and thrillers from 1915 until the end of his life in 1937. His most famous character, Bulldog Drummond, would become the inspiration for the writers of Biggles, and James Bond, and twenty-four Hollywood and British Cinema films were made based on his books, with actors such as Ronald Colman, Ralph Richardson, Ray Milland and Walter Pidgeon playing the lead roles.
McNeile was described by his friend and colleague Gerald Fairlie as “not everyone’s cup of tea” because of his loud voice and laughter that could be heard everywhere and his boisterous, easy-going ways. His characters are always English gentlemen looking for some fun and excitement, and although there are now some unfair criticisms concerning his books, they are, nevertheless, greatly loved and full of patriotism for England and all that it used to stand for.
Herman Cyril McNeile was born in 1888 in Bodmin Naval Prison where his father Malcolm McNeile was governor. McNeile first attended a prep school in Eastbourne and then was further educated at Cheltenham College. On leaving the College, he attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, where he was later posted to the Royal Engineers (commonly known as the ‘Sappers’) as a second lieutenant in 1907.
Unfortunately, not much is known about McNeile’s experiences during the war because the majority of his records were destroyed in World War 2 bombings. But the small amount of information to be found is that he spent most of his military service fighting in the French trenches – this is also where he founded his first ideas to write his short stories Reminiscences of Sergeant Michael Cassidy and The Lieutenant and Others. He then fought as a Lieutenant in the First and Second battle of Ypres and the Battle of the Somme, and in 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross. From the beginning of 1918 to the end of the war he commanded a military battalion of the Middlesex Regiment and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.
Due to the fact that McNeile was a serving officer at the time he started writing war stories for the Daily Mail, he was not allowed to write under his real name and so he used the pseudonym ‘Sapper’ for the rest of his writing career. His first books to be published were Men, Woman and Guns, No Man’s Land, and The Human Touch. After the war, McNeile left the army (but still signed up as a reserve officer) and continued writing, although he changed from writing war books based on his experience in the trenches to thrillers. His first crime book was Bulldog Drummond which was published in 1920. It featured Captain Hugh ‘Bulldog’ Drummond, D.S.O, M.C, who was "a demobilised officer …… finding peace incredibly tedious would welcome diversion”. The book was a tremendous success and nine sequels were later published featuring Drummond’s gang of helpers - Peter, Ted, Toby and Algy- as well as his sworn enemy Carl Peterson. Gerald Fairlie (a great friend of Sapper's) also wrote Bulldog Drummond at Dartmoor with Sapper, and it is said that Drummond himself was based on Fairlie.
Other great successes were books like Mufti and two novels featuring the “footloose English sahib* in foreign lands”, Jim Maitland. Also, Sapper introduced a similar character to Captain Drummond - Ronald Standish who appeared in the last three Drummond serials the Knockout, Bulldog Drummond at Bay, and Challenge, before having his own two books of short stories. Bulldog Drummond was such a success that they adapted the book to the stage and later to the screen with Ronald Colman playing the lead part. After that, Sapper wrote two more plays, both comedy, Bulldog Jack and The Way Out.
Unfortunately, in 1937 when Sapper and Gerald Fairlie were writing a play together, Sapper was diagnosed with throat cancer. It is also thought that he had lung cancer from constant gas attacks during the war. He died on the 14th of August at the young age of forty-eight. He had a funeral with full military honours and was cremated at Woking Crematorium. Under Sapper’s request, Fairlie finished the play and carried on writing Drummond books.
*Sahib meaning: name for military officer or officials in colonial India.
"Demobilised officer finding peace incredibly tedious, would welcome diversion. Legitimate, if possible; but crime, if of a comparatively humorous description, no objection. Excitement essential. Would be prepared to consider permanent job if suitably impressed by applicant for his services. Reply at once. Box X10."
:- from Bulldog Drummond
List of Most Famous Written Works:
"[Communists are] The 'get all the money, but do none of the work' brigade."
:- from the Black Gang
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