© D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

Note - series published under the title:- The 'Tec Nobody Knows.

A series of text stories from the Victor.

See The Victor issues 128 to 135 (03rd Aug. 1963 to 21st Sept. 1963). Eight episodes.

Note - this series was originally published in the Rover text comic - first series issues 1249 to 1261 (1949); second series 1274 to 1282 (1949 / 1950); third series 1328 to 1331 (Dec. 1950); 1361 (28th July, 1951); 1363 (11th August, 1951); 1469 (22nd Aug. 1953). Assuming none of these stories are reprints, that means there have been twenty-nine text stories.

Writer:- The Victor editorial team. Artist:- Not known.

Main cast:- John Martin.

Time period:- 1960's.

From the 'next week' box of Victor issue 127, 'One day he is a flashily-dressed spiv, the next a breezy, burly Covent Garden porter. John Martin is a master of disguise. He can step into a new personality as easily as the normal man puts on a new suit. Fingerprints are his friends as he tracks down missing persons for Scotland Yard's Ghost Squad.'

Scotland Yard did indeed have a Ghost Squad, which operated between 1946 and 1949. The small team of four detectives were called the Special Duties Squad, but became known as the Ghost Squad. The squad was formed to fight the soaring crime rate due to the austerity period after the end of the Second World War. Criminals were stealing, forging, hi-jacking lorries and so on to feed the black market. The squad 'were told: 'Go out into the underworld. Gather your informants. Do whatever is necessary to ensure that the gangs are smashed up. We will never ask you to divulge your sources of information. But remember - you must succeed.' (Kirby, Scotland Yard's Ghost Squad, 2011).

Several books have been written about the squad and there was also an ITC TV series made entitled Ghost Squad. The television series though bore no resemblance to Scotland Yard's squad. In the series the characters were often globe-trotting around the world breaking up international scams and crimes. Still it was an interesting series and is available to buy from the Network company.

For those interested in finding out more about the Ghost Squad please see the recommended books below:-



Gosling, John The Ghost Squad.- W.H. Allen, 1959.-
Kirby, Dick Scotland Yard's Ghost Squad.- Barnsley: Pen and Sword Ltd, 2011.-

The following adventures of John Martin are from issues 128, 130 and 131.

Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd Artist unknown. © D.C. Thomson Co. Ltd

© Adrian Banfield, 2013.