Gordon M. Coombs

Another scriptwriter for the Fleetway war libraries about whom nothing is known. He lived at 75 Mount Pleasant, Ruislip around 1964/70 and may have subsequently moved to nearby Pinner, but I've no confirmation of that.

Gordon Coombs seems to have begun his comics career writing for Express Weekly where he penned 'Glory of the Fireships' and its sequels (1957-58), 'Battle Brothers' (1957-58). He appears to have departed from the paper around Spring 1958 and became one of the regular writers of 'Battler Britton' for Thriller Picture Library from 1959. I've no information on whether he also wrote BB yarns for the weekly Sun. A handful of full-length war stories followed for War Picture Library in 1959-61 but I've found no further trace of his work.

Despite an extensive search in the death records I have found only one possible candidate: Gordon Maurice Coombs, born 2 October 1919, died in Somerset in 2001. Unfortunately, I've no way of knowing whether this is Gordon Coombs the writer.

STRIPOGRAPHY

Tank Alert, illus. Annibale Casabianca (War Picture Library 29, Nov 1959)
Fix Bayonets, illus. Fred Holmes (War Picture Library 34, Jan 1960)
Operation Fury, illus. Harry Farrugia (War Picture Library 46, Apr 1960)
The Voice of the Guns, illus. Renzo Calegari (War Picture Library 79, Dec 1960)
Desert Furies, illus. Aurelio Bevia (War Picture Library 102, Jun 1961)