Running for over 20 years and over 1000 books, the White Circle paperbacks from Collins were for a long time a familiar sight, not only in Britain, but in Australia, Canada and India. Nowadays though their Indian editions are little known, and it’s difficult to find out anything much either about their series of Services Editions, produced for the British Forces from 1943 to 1946.
Collins contributed far more books than any other single publisher to Services Editions during the war. Although the Guild Books series was longer, the Guild was an association of over 20 publishers, with no individual publisher providing more than 20 to 25 books. Collins themselves provided at least 6 books to this series, in addition to 164 books in their own series.
They also seem to have met well the brief provided by the Services for the type of books required. In earlier correspondence between Allen Lane and the Services Central Book Depot, about the Penguin Forces Book Club, Lane referred to the Services asking for three categories of book -‘warm’ fiction, westerns and crime. Penguin’s inability to meet this requirement was one of the reasons for the failure of the Forces Book Club. Collins though were a perfect fit. They were probably the largest, and certainly the best known, publisher of crime fiction, through the Collins Crime Club. Their White Circle series already included a large selection of westerns, and although I’m not entirely sure what warm fiction is, I suspect that many of their general fiction titles probably fell into this category.
As with most of the other Services Editions, there is no complete list of the titles in the Collins series, and to the best of my knowledge, there is no collection of them in any library. There is an incomplete list on my Services Editions website, and although I can’t entirely tie up numbers and titles, I think I know the titles of all but 3 books. The western titles in yellow covers seem to be particularly difficult to trace, presumably because they were more frequently read than the others and disintegrated more quickly. I’d love to hear from anybody who has knowledge of these books, or even better has copies of them.
As with the Guild Services Editions, there are problems in identifying first printings and reprints. In the case of Collins the printing dates are shown correctly, but previous printings are not shown. For instance a copy of ‘Murder at Lilac Cottage’ by John Rhode, might show the printing history as ‘First published 1940. Services Edition 1946’. This looks like a first printing of the Services Edition, but fails to mention the previous printing in 1943. The best clue to this is the numbering of the books – books numbered roughly from c201 to c242 (or with no number) were first printed in 1943, from c243 to c283 in 1944, from c284 to c349 in 1945 and from c350 onwards in 1946. As ‘Murder at Lilac Cottage’ is numbered c217, a 1946 printing must be a reprint.
Of course reprints are much easier to find than first printings, and a high proportion of the books that turn up nowadays are those that were sold on to W.H. Smith for general sale when the Services Editions scheme came to an end in 1946. Perhaps 10 million copies of this series were originally printed, but the numbers remaining today, particularly of the early titles, are a tiny, tiny fraction of that.
Papers* j NOTICE. general that be has disposed of his Drapery, Clothing and Boot business at the corner of Rees and Beach-streets, to Messrs De Beer and Walde (late of Messrs L Hallenstein & Co) ; and it will be carried on by the said Messrs De Beer and Wtude, from the Ist March, 1873, in the same, but more extended, branches, viz., Drapery, Millinery, Clothing, Haberdashery, Stationery, Fancy Goods, Jewellery, &c, with a better assortment of Ladies' Drapery in all its details. Thanking all my kind supporters, I would request them to bestow the same kind feelings to my successors as they have so faithfully bestowed upon me. I remain, &c., JULIUS WEKKHEIM. February 28th, 1873. OUR COMPLIMENTS TO ALL. / E have much pleasure in announcing to the Ladies and Gentlemen of Queenstown and the surrounding district that we have purchased from Mr Julius Wenkheim the Stock-in-trade and Goodwill of his DRAPERY, CLOTHING, BOOT ESTABLISHMENT, Corner of REES & BEACH-STREETS, and intend carrying on the same, but with an extended and a more careful selection. We now beg to mention that we have every facility to enable us to meet the wishes and demands of this place and vicinity in abovesaid branches, and, as we have been here for upwards of six years, have gained full knowledge of the trade, and assure all those who will favor us with their kind patronage that we shall do all in our power to please and satisfy them, as regards prices, terms, and attention; our motto will be "LIVE and LET LIVE." We beg further to state that this purchase has been made on our own account, and not for any other firm, as has been reported. All orders entrusted to us will be executed with the greatest care, and anything not in stock, whether in our branches or not, can be procured through our friends in Melbourne and Dunedin, with a small advance on the original cost. Trusting to meet with the liberal support hitherto accorded to our predecessor, We are, Sincerely and respectfully, DE BEER & WALDE.
LADIES' DRAPERY, CLOTHING, BOOTS & SHOES. TT7E beg to intimate to oar Customers that, i order to make room for A VERY LARGE SHIPMENT OF WINTER GOODS, which we expect, DIRECT FROM HOME, about April, we have resolved to reduce the prices of our present well-assorted stock; and, notwithstanding the advauce in almost all goods, those who favor us with their custom will find that they never bought so well before. SPECIAL BARGAINS IN SILKS & LADIES' DRESS MATERIALS, MEN'S & BOYS' CLOTHING, BOOTS & SHOES. I. HALLENSTEIN & CO. Queenstown, March sth, 1873. WSERE CAN YOU GET THE MOST VALUE FOB YOUR MONEY? AT DE BEER & WALDE'S CORNER OF REES AND BEACH STREETS, WHERE YOU WILL FIND BEST WHITE CALICOES at 7d INFERIOR do. Bd. GOOD PRINTS, at 6d. SPLENDID SHEETINGS at 2s. DRESS MATERIALS, a Job Lot to be cleared at Very Low Prices. FRENCH MERINOES at 2s. 6d. in Good and Serviceable Colors. EXCELLENT FLANNEL, at Is 9d. LADIES' UNDER LINEN, a splendid assortment, to be sold cheaper than ever before here. LADIES'STAYS, a Job Lot, cleared at cost. TRIMMINGS, an Immense Stock, sold at astonishing Low Prices. LADIES'and CHILDREN'S HATS to be sacrificed at any price. ALLOA YARN at great reduction. MEN'S BEST SOCKS, at ls6d. A GOOD CRIMEAN SHIRT, from 7s. to 9s. MEN'S and BOYS' CLOTHING, nothing better in the trade, at remarkably Low Prices. MEN'S and BOY'S HATS and CAPS, all the Newes Shapes, a large stock, at great reduction. Those who are intending to buy a parcel should come and judge for themselves, whether they can do better, as we may state that we bought this stock at our own' terms, and are in a position to sell at GREATLY REDUCED PRICES. DE BEER & WALDE,