Flaming Onions

[celestialsphere]

I Say Chaps!

I think most of us have read a Biggles book or two (and if not, why not?)

What are those ‘Flaming Onions’ that our hero was always dodging?

As you were.

Celestialsphere

P.S. Smoke me a kipper! I’ll be back for Breakfast!

[leemitcheltree]

LOL!
“Flaming Onions” indeed!!
I’ve been reliably informed (thanks Lobbie) that “Flaming Onions” refers to tall tales or fibs - like a embellishment of the truth -
But I’ve never read a Biggle book - so I can’t vouch for this explanation.

[Lufbery]

There’s a great thread at the Aerodrome web forum on this very topic.

The flaming onions were a particular type of munition fired from a German Revolverkanone. Click the link to read about it and see some photos:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18423&highlight=flaming+onions

Here’s just a little more on them:

QUOTE:
The Revolverkanone (3.7 cm) was an older model and this gun was used by the “Fußartillerie” (lit.: "foot artillery) before. It was an improvisation. But you could be right that different models of Revolverkanonen were used before in the Navy too - at least I remember “Meyers Lexikon” (1885 or later) mentioned the Revolverkanone in use by the Navy.

Regards,