F. G. TURNBULL
A BIBLIOGRAPHY
F. G. Turnbull (1901-1978)
Kallee and Other Stories
Published by Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
This is the only book collection of Turnbull's short fiction that was ever published.
Beautifully illustrated by Lunt Roberts, it contains the following short stories:
"Kallee", "Kalann's Last Flight", "The Hunting of
Methusaleh", "Salmagundi", "The Rebel of Glenlee", "That Bit
of Chenille", "Wind from the North", "B'Gad—He Bites!",
"Love-Song at Sunset", "Grumphie", "The Wings of Keloré",
"Kalang", "Crossed Trails", "Three Phases of Kirijee",
"Warden of the Wire", "Jimmy, the Gull", "Gauntlet of the
Pass", "Yolee and the Big Five", "Double Cross on Skarro",
"Murghi Sniffs the Dust", "The Egg of Contention", "Keetch Dines
at Dusk", "Cry in the Night", "An Egg from Kalchanka",
"Sentinel on the Wall", "Flight of the Sausage", "Trophy for
Jag", "Watcher on the Wall", "The Third Encounter", "Rock of
Terror", "The Last Duckling", "A Score to Settle", "Cave of
the Doomed", "No Warning for Jhorung", "The Eel",
"Remembering Suluri" and "Black Alliance".
"Wings Against the Sky"
The Cornhill Magazine, November 1934
"Wind from the North",
The Evening News, November 8, 1934
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, December 24, 1966
"The Bootlace"
The Telegraph (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), January 30, 1935
The Telegraph (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), January 31, 1935
This is almost certainly a syndicated reprint of a short story that had previously
appeared in a British periodical. The original publication details are unknown.
"Wings of Vengeance"
The Evening News, May 7, 1935
"A Very Rum Bird Was Salmagundi"
The Evening News, June 21, 1935
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947 (this short story
is reprinted here under the title "Salmagundi")
Fourth Coronet Girl's Stories, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston & Co.,
1959 (this short story is reprinted here under the title "Salmagundi")
"Grumphie"
The Evening News, July 20, 1935
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Coronet Story Annual for Girls, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston & Co.,
1956
The Evening Standard, August 22, 1961 (this short story is reprinted here under
the title "The Curling of Grumphie's Tail" and as part of the newspaper's
"Great Animal Stories" series)
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, December 3, 1966 (this short story
is reprinted here under the title "The Pig with the Curlable Tail")
"The Cat of Ben-a-lone"
The Cornhill Magazine, January 1936
"Gauntlet of the Glen"
The Evening News, March 27, 1936
"Owl of Black Rock"
The Cornhill Magazine, May 1936
"Ayok Dines at Sunset"
The Evening News, June 17, 1936
"Pot Luck"
The Telegraph (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), August 1, 1936
The Voice (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia), October 9, 1937
The Voice (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia), January 26, 1952
These are almost certainly syndicated reprints of a short story that had previously
appeared in a British periodical. The original publication details are unknown.
"Debtor's Pool"
The Evening News, September 2, 1936
"The Wooing of Terence M'Cafferty"
The Daily Mail, January 6, 1937
"Kalang"
Zoo, April 1937
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Commander Story Annual for Boys, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston &
Co., 1957
"Kalann's Last Flight"
The Evening News, April 6, 1937
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Commander Story Annual for Boys, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston &
Co., 1957
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, January 7, 1967
"Kitten Bait"
Truth (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), May 2, 1937
Short Story Magazine (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), No. 2, September 1944
These are almost certainly syndicated reprints of a short story that had previously
appeared in a British periodical. The original publication details are unknown.
"Interrupted Journey"
The Evening News, July 21, 1937
The Herald (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), October 23, 1937
"Gauntlet of the Gulls"
Zoo, September 1937
"Prize for Guile"
The Daily News (Perth, Western Australia), September 28, 1937
This is almost certainly a syndicated reprint of a short story that had previously
appeared in a British periodical. The original publication details are unknown.
"The Flight of the Rebel"
The Evening News, October 15, 1937
The Herald (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), March 24, 1938
The Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia), April 9, 1938
The Sunday Mail (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), March 5, 1939
"Gallimaufry"
The Evening News, January 12, 1938
"Kallee"
The Cornhill Magazine, February 1938
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"The Rebel of Glenlee"
The Evening News, February 8, 1938
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Wings into the Future"
The Evening News, April 28, 1938
"Happy Outlaw"
The Evening News, August 17, 1938
"Hunter's Reckoning"
The Evening News, September 7, 1938
"Gauntlet of the Falls"
The Evening News, September 28, 1938
Argosy (British edition), October 1952
"The Ultimate Trail"
The Evening News, November 11, 1938
"Warden of the Wire"
The Evening News, December 7, 1938
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"The Foster-Father"
The Evening News, February 1, 1939
"The Hunting of Methuselah"
The Evening News, March 25, 1939
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Pork to the General"
The Evening News, April 14, 1939
"M'Jinka's Journey"
The Star, July 11, 1939
" 'Gimme My Fish!' "
The Evening News, August 24, 1939
"The Wings of Keloré"
The Evening News, September 26, 1939
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
" 'Help—He Bites!' "
The Evening News, November 10, 1939
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947 (this short story
is reprinted here under the title "B'Gad—He Bites!")
"Who Said Rabbits?"
The Evening News, January 24, 1940
"Victor of the Ice-Trap"
The Evening News, February 29, 1940
"The Last Cache"
The Star, April 22, 1940
"Vengeance Strikes Twice ..."
The Star, May 31, 1940
"Homing Wings"
The Evening News, July 4, 1940
"The Bottle"
John O' London's Weekly, July 12, 1940
"Cloudburst"
The Evening News, July 19, 1940
"The Vigil of Kalarre"
The Evening News, October 9, 1940
"A Line on Skarro"
The Evening News, October 31, 1940
"Mr. Briggs Shows 'Em"
The Star, November 11, 1940
"Right-of-Way to Peril"
The Evening News, November 29, 1940
"Yaladi Dines Again"
The Evening News, December 19, 1940
"Yolee and the Big Five"
The Evening News, February 14, 1941
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"The Egg of Contention"
The Evening News, March 28, 1941
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Tyrant of the Pool"
The Evening News, May 30, 1941
"Screening Wings"
The Evening News, August 8, 1941
"Kejee Goes Out to Supper"
The Evening News, September 18, 1941
"Supperless to Bed"
The Evening News, October 30, 1941
"Ambush in the Glen"
The Evening News, December 4, 1941
"Duel on the Cliff"
The Evening News, February 6, 1942
"The Fallen Pine"
The Evening News, March 6, 1942
"That Bit of Chenille"
The Evening News, April 9, 1942
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Commander Story Annual for Boys, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston &
Co., 1957
"The Foxing of Sharik"
The Evening News, May 22, 1942
"Murghi Sniffs the Dust"
The Evening News, July 10, 1942
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, June 10, 1967
"Heron in Shackles"
The Evening News, July 31, 1942
"Nest Robber"
The Evening News, August 21, 1942
"Scalloped Gull"
The Evening News, September 18, 1942
"Frontier of the Sea"
The Evening News, October 15, 1942
"Two Jumps from Cover"
The Evening News, October 30, 1942
"King of the Night"
The Evening News, January 15, 1943
"Breakfast for Two"
The Evening News, February 19, 1943
"Supper to the Subtle"
The Evening News, March 25, 1943
"No Way Back"
The Evening News, April 16, 1943
"Sentinel on the Wall"
The Evening News, May 14, 1943
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, June 17, 1967
"Egg-Thief"
The Evening News, June 24, 1943
"Battle in the Glen"
The Evening News, November 19, 1943
"Giddy Goat"
The Evening News, December 17, 1943
"The Fluke"
The Evening News, January 14, 1944
"Quarry for Two"
The Evening News, February 25, 1944
"Code of the Killers"
The Evening News, April 21, 1944
"Rock of Terror"
The Evening News, May 19, 1944
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"He Dined at Dusk"
The Evening News, June 16, 1944
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947 (this short story
is reprinted here under the title "Keetch Dines at Dusk")
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, February 11, 1967 (this short story
is reprinted here under the title "Keetch Dines at Dusk")
"Wired for Sound"
The Evening News, July 7, 1944
"Ambush in the Pool"
The Evening News, August 11, 1944
"Sea-Poacher"
The Evening News, September 22, 1944
"Gone to Ground"
The Evening News, October 13, 1944
"Short Triumph"
The Evening News, November 2, 1944
"Sinister Refugee"
The Evening News, November 17, 1944
"Fox Leap"
The Evening News, December 15, 1944
"Night-Cap for Scrump"
The Evening News, January 5, 1945
The News (Adelaide, South Australia), March 16, 1946
"Stragglers of the North"
The Evening News, February 9, 1945
"Cage for a Killer"
The Evening News, February 23, 1945
"Remembering Suluri"
The Evening News, March 9, 1945
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Night of the Bats"
The Evening News, March 23, 1945
"Black Alliance"
The Evening News, April 6, 1945
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Odds Against Youth"
The Evening News, April 20, 1945
"Under the Falls"
The Evening News, May 25, 1945
"Shulk's Ambush"
The Evening News, June 29, 1945
"Privacy for Spog"
The Evening News, July 27, 1945
"Dove's Defence"
The Evening News, August 10, 1945
"Homing Flight"
The Evening News, August 24, 1945
"Quits"
The Evening News, September 14, 1945
"Slik's Triumph"
The Evening News, October 12, 1945
"Bill for Breakfast"
The Evening News, October 26, 1945
"Otter's Foot"
The Evening News, November 9, 1945
"Cave of the Doomed"
The Evening News, November 23, 1945
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (Newcastle, New South Wales,
Australia), November 11, 1950
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, May 27, 1967
"Jeudle's Victory"
The Evening News, December 7, 1945
"Fox in Love"
The Evening News, January 4, 1946
"Magpie in the Post"
The Evening News, January 18, 1946
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, August 12, 1967
"Peril in the Sun"
The Evening News, February 1, 1946
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, July 22, 1967
"The Butcher Runs Late"
The Evening News, February 15, 1946
"Song for Koeela"
The Evening News, March 1, 1946
"Citadel of the Sea"
The Evening News, March 29, 1946
"A Score to Settle"
The Evening News, April 12, 1946
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Homing Flight"
The Evening News, May 10, 1946
"Rat's Luck"
The Evening News, May 31, 1946
"Last Duckling"
The Evening News, June 21, 1946
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, June 3, 1967
"Soapy Wooing"
The Evening News, July 19, 1946
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, August 19, 1967
"Stoop to Kill"
The Evening News, August 16, 1946
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, July 29, 1967
"River Peril"
The Evening News, September 27, 1946
"Flying Visit"
The Evening News, October 18, 1946
"First to Breakfast"
John O' London's Weekly, November 1, 1946
"The Eel"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"No Warning for Jhorung"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Watcher on the Wall"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"An Egg from Kalchanka"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Double Cross on Skarro"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Gauntlet of the Pass"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Jimmy, the Gull"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Three Phases of Kirijee"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, April 22, 1967 (this short story is
reprinted here under the title "The Return of Kirijee")
"Crossed Trails"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
"Flight of the Sausage"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Coronet Story Annual for Girls, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston & Co.,
1956
"Love-Song at Sunset"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Coronet Girls' Annual, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1958
"Trophy for Jag"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, May 20, 1967
"The Third Encounter"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, June 24, 1967
"Cry in the Night"
Kallee and Other Stories, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1947
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, July 15, 1967
"Suitors for Migeli"
The Evening News, January 3, 1947
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), December 30, 1950
"Sealed Down"
The Evening News, February 20, 1947
"Key to the River"
The Evening News, March 13, 1947
"But This Was Sunday"
The Evening News, April 17, 1947
The Herald (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), August 4, 1949
"Duck's Luck"
The Evening News, May 8, 1947
"Battle of Bulls"
The Evening News, May 23, 1947
"The Last Net"
The Evening News, June 13, 1947
"Sandwich for Grumm"
The Evening News, June 26, 1947
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), July 14, 1950
"Ambush by the Stream"
The Evening News, July 25, 1947
"Killing Time"
The Evening News, October 17, 1947
"Flight to Peril"
The Evening News, December 5, 1947
"Bill for a Bite"
The Evening News, December 19, 1947
"Night for Murder"
The Evening News, January 30, 1948
"Battle with the Drift"
The Evening News, February 13, 1948
"Spring Trap"
The Evening News, March 6, 1948
"Conger Bait"
The Evening News, March 19, 1948
"Last But One"
The Evening News, April 9, 1948
"No Hold Barred"
The Evening News, May 7, 1948
"Ace in the Nest"
The Evening News, May 28, 1948
"Egg for Three"
The Evening News, June 25, 1948
"Out for a Duck"
The Evening News, August 13, 1948
"Fishing Fox"
The Evening News, September 24, 1948
Lincolnshire Echo, July 4, 1949
"Battle at the Fence"
The Evening News, October 22, 1948
The Herald (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), August 6, 1949
"Wings & Wire ..."
The Evening News, December 17, 1948
"Brushed Aside"
The Evening News, January 6, 1949
"Avenging East"
The Evening News, January 28, 1949
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), December 9, 1949
"Hour for Siesta"
The Evening News, February 18, 1949
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), April 14, 1951
"Cold Store"
The Evening News, March 4, 1949
"Home River"
The Evening News, March 24, 1949
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), November 11, 1949
Lincolnshire Echo, December 5, 1949
"Peril in the Sun"
The Evening News, April 8, 1949
"Doe and Dare"
The Evening News, May 12, 1949
"Marked Bird"
The Evening News, May 27, 1949
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), December 2, 1949
"Gun and Buck"
The Evening News, June 17, 1949
"Fish on the Road"
The Evening News, July 22, 1949
"Short Wait for Oik"
The Evening News, September 9, 1949
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), February 1, 1950
"Two Hooks for Thala"
The Evening News, November 25, 1949
The Herald (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), February 8, 1950
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), June 13, 1951
"Fall for Love"
The Evening News, January 6, 1950
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), April 14, 1950
"Perilous Escort"
The Evening News, February 3, 1950
"Meal for One"
The Evening News, February 25, 1950
"Dangerous Bend"
The Evening News, March 18, 1950
"Homecoming"
The Evening News, March 31, 1950
"Taking Ways"
The Evening News, April 21, 1950
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), July 4, 1950
"Cast Adrift"
The Evening News, May 12, 1950
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), August 21, 1950
"Mask Wanted"
The Evening News, September 8, 1950
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), January 15, 1951
"Stormy Wooing"
The Evening News, September 29, 1950
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), February 15, 1951
"Cage for a Killer"
The Evening News, November 24, 1950
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), July 17, 1951
"Apprentice Pirate"
The Evening News, December 15, 1950
"Fox on Ice"
The Evening News, January 5, 1951
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), April 26, 1951
"Beyond the Bar"
The Evening News, February 9, 1951
"Hoodoo on Shumm"
The Evening News, March 9, 1951
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), December 5, 1951
"Buzzed Off"
The Evening News, April 6, 1951
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), September 19, 1951
"Family Man"
The Evening News, June 1, 1951
"Fishing Crow"
The Evening News, August 24, 1951
"Run Down"
The Evening News, February 7, 1952
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), May 6, 1952
"Skeleton Cairn"
The Evening News, February 29, 1952
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), September 4, 1952
"Fog Landing"
The Evening News, March 27, 1952
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), August 8, 1952
"Bellow Below"
The Evening News, April 17, 1952
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), August 4, 1952
"Once Bitten"
The Evening News, May 16, 1952
The Daily Mirror (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), November 19, 1952 (this
short story is reprinted here under the title "Bitten Once")
"Beyond Defeat"
The Evening News, October 29, 1954
"Buck's Luck"
Answers, December 25, 1954 (this short story was billed in Answers
magazine as a "Christmas TV Interlude Story" with the following instruction to
readers: "While you wait for the next item on your viewing list"!)
"The Long Haul"
The Evening News, January 11, 1955
Boy's Own Paper, December 1959
"Desperate Resolve"
The Evening News, June 24, 1955
"The Egg"
Coronet Book for Girls, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1957
"Bung Ho the Bull"
Boy's Own Paper, August 1957
"Challenge of the Pass"
Fourth Coronet Girl's Stories, ed. Eric Leyland, Sampson Low, Marston & Co.,
1959
"Song for Supper"
The Evening News, January 31, 1961
"Lost Sheep"
The Evening News, February 25, 1961
"Son of Toil"
The Evening News, March 9, 1961
"Hedgehog's Dream"
The Evening News, April 26, 1961
"Blue for Danger"
The Evening News, May 4, 1961
"Current Affair"
The Evening News, May 23, 1961
"Poacher's Profit"
The Evening News, June 8, 1961
"Looking for Trouble"
The Evening News, January 2, 1963
"Dog and Fox"
The Evening News, January 23, 1963
"Haunted River"
The Evening News, March 7, 1963
"A Bone to Pick"
The Evening News, April 16, 1963
"The Old Doe"
The Evening News, May 28, 1963
"Damp Duckling"
The Evening News, June 20, 1963
"Enough Light to Kill"
The Evening News, July 9, 1963
"Thunder Bull"
The Evening News, August 29, 1963
"Stern Code"
The Evening News, November 28, 1963
"Birthday Fish"
The Evening News, January 8, 1964
"The Straggler"
The Evening News, March 18, 1964
"Something in the Wind"
The Evening News, March 11, 1965
"Raven Look-Out"
The Evening News, April 1, 1965
"Over the Wall"
The Evening News, May 24, 1965
"Safe to the Sea ..."
The Evening News, June 29, 1965
"The Bleak Eye"
The Evening News, September 14, 1965
"Tooth and Claw"
The Evening News, October 4, 1965
"Braw Lad"
The Evening News, December 14, 1965
"Fox in Air"
The Evening News, January 18, 1966
"Buried, All But His Head"
The Evening News, March 10, 1966
"You Could Hear Nothing for the Thunder"
The Evening News, March 28, 1966
"A Car for Cludy"
The Evening News, May 4, 1966
"The Rivals"
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, February 4, 1967
"The Great Egg Battle"
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, February 25, 1967
This is possibly a reprint of "The Egg of Contention", a short story that first
appeared in the March 28, 1941 issue of The Evening News.
"Double Danger for Giath"
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, July 1, 1967
"The Last Defence"
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, August 5, 1967
"Slumm's Luck"
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, August 26, 1967
"Turkey Trouble!"
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, September 2, 1967
"Fish and No Chips"
The Evening News, March 13, 1968
"To See the End"
The Evening News, April 18, 1968
"The Saving of Brunty"
Look and Learn Incorporating Ranger Magazine, May 25, 1968
"Herald Pushes His Luck"
The Evening News, June 27, 1968
Sources and Acknowledgments:
In the process of compiling this bibliography, as well as referring to my own
collection of literature and the research I have done at the British Library Newspaper
Library, a number of online sources were consulted, not the least of which was Philip
Stephensen-Payne's Galactic Central
website, the home of William G. Contento's Fictionmags Index.
Further Reading:
For those wishing to know more about this author, a short biographical piece I
wrote for him can be read here.
It was while researching the history of short fiction in the London Evening News
that I discovered and fell in love with his nature stories. Susan Price's wonderful appreciation
for the collection Kallee and Other Stories is also well worth a read.
Illustration in The Star for the story "M'Jinka's Journey".
Addenda:
Please note that in the Short Stories
section of this webpage, The Evening News and The Star refer to the
London evening newspapers that bore those titles and The Evening Standard to the
London evening newspaper that is still with us today.
It is possible that Turnbull had several of his poems published, but the only one I have
been able to identify so far is "Kingfisher", which appeared in the September
1935 issue of The Cornhill Magazine.
Similarly, at the time of writing, I have managed to track down only two articles by
Turnbull: "Wings Against the Sky", which appeared in the November 1934 issue of The
Cornhill Magazine and "Ginger: An Outlaw", which appeared in the February
1935 issue of the same periodical. I think it likely there are a number of other articles
by him that are buried in old issues of newspapers and magazines that have not yet had
their contents indexed.
As Turnbull is so little known today, I feel a few words about his short fiction are
appropriate. A lifelong native of Scotland, he wrote stories about the wildlife and rural
landscape of his home country. A number of his tales are set in the wilderness of the
Highlands. Turnbull's depictions of whichever type of terrain he was describing are
notable for being richly detailed, while not slowing down the flow of the narrative.
Writing in such a short form, he showed considerable skill in this. Turnbull painted vivid
pictures of secluded glens, moorlands and turbulent streams, with all manner of animals
being the subject of his briskly told stories. He would offer the reader a keen sense of
place, for example in the mountainous landscape depicted in "Crossed Trails", a
memorable story about an encounter between a fox and a stag, both fighting to stay alive
in a world stricken by the extremities of winter. It was often the case in his stories
that denizens of the wild would battle it out for survival against a background of natural
beauty and sometimes grandeur. A hostile, unforgiving environment where wild animals
struggle to exist. Turnbull's dramatic stories of survival and conflict between creatures
in various habitats often reach heights of poetic intensity, with dramas unfolding on
cliff-tops, within rivers or misty valleys. Or up in the sky, as was the case in
"Kalann's Last Flight", an evocative tale of migratory barnacle geese. It has
been said that he was once keen on fishing and game shooting, until an incident with a
dying partridge, which served as an inspiration for the story "Kallee", led to a
personal epiphany and a resolution to become, thereafter, a naturalist. Human characters
feature in quite a few of his stories, with incidents involving farmers, gamekeepers,
poachers and anglers interacting with various animals in often humorous circumstances. For
the most part, however, the wild beasts he so keenly observed in the Scottish countryside
are the stars of the show. Turnbull's love for his subject matter shines through clearly
in his stories, and I cannot recommend them highly enough!
Email: marks3789@gmail.com
Copyright © 2025 Richard Simms