Toons At War

3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group - insignia

2009-06-06T22:34:00.001-07:00

In honor of the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which took place on the beaches of the Norman coast, June 6, 1944, I present the insignia art for the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group, which came into my possession a couple of years ago.

From what I have been able to glean off the internet, the 3rd was one of the early precursors to a modern day MASH unit. Portable surgical hospital teams consisted of an operating surgeon, two assistant operating surgeons, an anesthetist-internist, and up to four enlisted technicians. They were attached to clearing stations, field hospitals, and evacuation hospitals and performed procedures on patients in whom delay or transport would likely be fatal.

The 3rd had previously seen action in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, before being deployed to England in advance of Operation Overlord. I haven't been able to find out much about the unit, but what few facts I have located are presented below:

Of the Group's 18 portable surgical teams, 12 landed on Omaha Beach, while six landed at Utah Beach.

Two surgical teams from the 3rd accompanied the glider assault wave - their mission was to establish aid stations on the fields of the landing zone and to set-up an operating room for major surgical procedures.

A group of eight men from the 3rd also volunteered to go in on D-Day with the 101st Airborne Division - this detached service was an experiment to see if there was any advantage in taking a surgical team to where the casualties were, rather than transporting those casualties back to evacuation hospitals. The volunteers involved called themselves the 1st Airborne Surgical Team and they were attached to the 326th Airborne Medical Company.

Prior to the Battle of the Bulge, two surgical teams from the 3rd were sent to the 44th Evacuation Hospital in Malmedy, Belgium. Trucks carrying members of one of the teams passed through the main crossroads outside of Malmedy just minutes before German units took control of the intersection.

Dr. Norman Kornfield was a member of one of the 3rd's surgical teams. On December 22, 1944, in Liege, Belgium, Kornfield anesthetized the German officer who was thought to have ordered the Malmedy Massacre. Fifty years later, a newspaper article recounted Kornfield's experiences:

"...he needed blood badly. But blood supplies for Allied soldiers were scarce. I decided to just give him saline, and he died...an hour later, an American military intelligence team came to the hospital and asked to interrogate the captured German officer. Kornfield...regretfully told the intelligence team that the patient had died only an hour before. I could have saved him, Kornfield said. But the intelligence men told him not to regret his decision to withhold the needed blood. You did the right thing, Doc, one of the men said. We know everything we need to know about the Malmedy killings."

I am not quite sure what animal is depicted in this design and why it was chosen. it looks to me to possibly be a mole, but I'm not sure. I've been meaning to contact my friend at the Disney Archives to see if they still have the original correspondence related to this insignia to see if the letter can provide any more information. I'm also not sure what type of medical instrument the animal is holding.

206th Coast Artillery, Battery B - insignia

2009-05-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

Love the patriotic color combination in this piece, which was created by Hank Porter in the spring of 1941. I thought the colors were appropriate for a Memorial Day post, which my friends in the USA are celebrating to honor their veterans. I added this piece of original art to my collection a year or so ago. Enjoy!

Happy Easter !

2009-04-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

I bought this neat little Easter card a few months ago and seeing this weekend is Easter, I thought it appropriate to publish this post now. The card is marked on the reverse "Hallmark" and "Copyright 1943 Walt Disney Productions."

The inside of the card reads:

"Behind this little Easter card
Are many thoughts of you,
And many special wishes
For good luck in all you do,
And may the luck and happiness
You're being wished today
Be with you always, everywhere,
Along your future way."

The card was mailed in April 1943 to Private First Class Ralph F. Bupp, who was stationed with the Headquarters Detachment, 33rd Medical Ambulance Battalion.

Ralph F. Bupp

I've been unable to find any information on the 33rd Medical Ambulance Battalion, but a search of the internet for Pfc Bupp yielded the following: Ralph F. Bupp was born on February 2, 1921 and died March 7, 2007 at the age of 86. His obituary stated he had worked at the York Haven, Pennsylvania, Hydroelectric Plant. This has to be the same person the Easter card was mailed to as the return address on the envelope was also in Pennsylvania. The obit also stated Mr. Bupp was a veteran of WW II and was the recipient of the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

I really enjoy collecting WW II related Disneyana. Part of the joy is researching the history behind the items and I am very happy I was able to find out at least a little bit of info on this WW II veteran.

The Desert Battalion

2009-04-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 1942, Gladys "Robbie" Robinson, wife of the great actor Edward G. Robinson, formed the "Desert Battalion," a service organization with the purpose of providing entertainment to U.S. military servicemen stationed in California.

Mrs. Gladys Lloyd "Robbie" Robinson poses with film and television producer Collier Young at a gala event in the Robinson home. The painting overtop the mantle is a Renoir, part of Edward G. Robinson's renowned art collection.

The "feminine battalion" of so-called "brigadears," was composed of women between the ages of 18 and 25. During the week these young women contributed to the war effort on the home front, where they worked in offices, factories and war plants. On weekends they paid their own bus fare and traveled to desolate military bases, where they danced non-stop for hours in the sweltering heat with lonesome G.I.'s.

Women volunteering for the battalion worked under strict guidelines: they had chaperones; were not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages; were not allowed to engage in any sexual activity including kissing; and they had to promise not to divulge military information. Over the course of the organization's two year existence, the 600 young women of the Desert Battalion covered some 350-thousand miles.

In 1944, Mrs. Robinson and Jack Preston published a soft-cover book titled, The Desert Battalion. Mrs. Robinson personally phoned Walt Disney asking if he would be willing to supply the illustrations. As with many dozens of other home front requests, Disney obliged. At least two Disney artists, (Roy Williams and Freddie Moore, as noted in a copy of a letter from Mrs. Robinson to Don Douglas), created 12 india ink illustrations for use in the book. The book's dust jacket and several other illustrations were created by famed newspaper strip artist Milt Gross.

Original Disney Studio illustration found in the book.

According to an inter-office communique, in order to avoid legal problems with their existing publisher, Disney agreed to have the drawings marked "c WDP." The acknowledgment in the front of the book also stated: "The Walt Disney drawings in this book were produced and contributed by the staff of Walt Disney Productions - supervised by Don Douglas."

Original Disney Studio illustration found in the book.

In a December 2, 1944 letter to Mrs. Robinson, Disney wrote:

"Dear Mrs. Robinson.

Many, many thanks for the very handsome cigarette case which you sent to me through Don Douglass.[sic] It is extremely elegant and I hardly know how to thank you for it.

Mrs. Disney and I regretted our inability to come to your party but we had some out-of-town guests with us that week which made it necessary for us to decline your invitation.

I want to thank you, too, for the generous supply of autographed copies of THE DESERT BATTALION. I am sending them out to friends and members of our staff who I know will enjoy them. I think the finished book turned out very well and the fellows who worked on it got quite a kick in doing the sketches.

Thank you again for the beautiful case, and my best wishes for your continued success in the splendid work you are doing. I am,

Sincerely,

Walt Disney"

Letter sent by Walt Disney to Mrs. Robinson regarding a gift and the book.

The Robinson's granddaughter recently decided to dispose of her collection of material related to the Desert Battalion, which was passed down to her through the family. The group includes 11 original Disney illustrations; two original Gross illustrations; an original letter from Walt Disney to Mrs. Robinson; two original copies of the book; a shadow box display of insignia of the units the Battalion entertained; 95 patches, pins ribbons and wings; six scrapbooks containing over 425 related photographs; over 350 letters from servicemen, press, parents and military officers (including one from Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight David Eisenhower); a Disney ad for the book; and numerous other pieces of ephemera.

The pre-auction estimate of lot number 334 in sale number 52 is $40,000 - $50,000. The auction will occur in the offices of Goldberg Coins in Beverly Hills, on April 25th, 2009. The start time of the auction, which also includes two other non-WW II Disney autographed items, is 10am. All items pictured in this post are courtesy goldbergcoins.com

It will be interesting to see where the bidding settles when the hammer drops on this lot.

68th Tank Battalion - insignia

2009-03-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

From the collection of my friend Dennis Books, the original pencil art for the 68th Tank Battalion. This design was created by Hank Porter and features the Silly Symphonies character Toby Tortoise.

The 68th Tank Battalion arrived in England on February 24, 1944 and came ashore at Utah Beach on July 22, 1944. As part of the United States 6th Armored Division, (part of Patton's Third Army), the battalion participated in five major campaigns over the course of just 9 1/2 months.

The following statistics give some indication as to the battalion's participation in the war: 84 officers and enlisted men were killed in action; 212 were wounded; there were six battlefield commissions, while two Distinguished Service Crosses, 97 Silver Stars and 327 Bronze Stars were awarded. The 68th received 80 new light and medium tanks during their deployment and fired some 6,400 rounds of 76mm ammunition and 10,844 rounds of 105mm ammunition.

The next image shows 68th Tank Battalion T/4 Mickey Rue standing beside a Sherman nicknamed "Little Nell VII" that has been decorated with the battalion's Disney-designed insignia. One has to wonder what fate met the preceeding six "Little Nells."

To me, this photo shows the men in the unit thought highly enough of their Disney design to actually paint the emblem on a piece of their equipment. One has to wonder why the current crop of senior Disney Company managers is so afraid of this part of their corporate history when the servicemen who requested the designs showed them so proudly.

Dick Kelsey, Captain, United States Marine Corps

2009-02-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

The first image in this post was provided by a fellow collector who happens to be in the Marine Corps. The item was on display at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island Museum, when he snapped this photo.

The caption accompanying the piece of art read:

"Early in World War II, Disney Studios Art Director Richmond 'Dick' Kelsey joined the Marines. In 1943 Capt. Kelsey was stationed with the 1st Marine Division at Mt. Martha, 30 miles from Melbourne, Australia. At the request of two friends he created a series of pastel artworks to decorate the Officer's Club. One of those friends saved this scene, poking fun at the 1st Marine Brigade's 1941 service in Iceland."

Kelsey had a long career at the Disney Studio - he worked as an Art Director on Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. Other films he contributed to included Make Mine Music, Melody Time, So Dear To My Heart, and Alice in Wonderland. He also worked as an Assistant Designer during Disneyland's formative years.

Kelsey was listed on the reverse of the 1943 Dispatch From Disney's pin-up as:

The 1st Marine Brigade was created in July 1941 to garrison Iceland. The Brigade was composed of the Sixth Marines, Fifth Defense Battalion, and the Second Battalion, Tenth Marine Regiment. The unit was disbanded in March 1942, only to be reformed temporarily again, this time for the invasion of Guam in July 1944.

The Disney-designed insignia for the 1st Marine Brigade was created by artist Hank Porter in December 1941. The whimsical emblem featured a penguin in an ice-laden boat. The star on the penguin's scarf was Porter's way of indicating the unit's designation.

The 1st Marine Division, to which Kelsey belonged, saw extensive action in the South Pacific. The Division participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Cape Gloucester, Battle of Peleliu, and the Battle of Okinawa.

More Cy Young

2009-02-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

This just in, courtesy my friend Michael Barrier, an article that originally appeared in the November 27, 1944 Los Angeles Times:

Artists Sketch Women in War

Sgt. Cy Young, ex-cartoonist in the Walt Disney Studios, Ed Gerard and Cecil Maggi are on hand regularly in the U.S.O. Women's Service Center, Pershing Square, to make free sketches of woman Marines, Wacs, Waves and Spars to be sent home to the families of the service women.

One of the most popular features of this club's activities, the sketchers turned out almost 100 pictures in the U.S.O. lounge room yesterday.

Scroll down two posts to see a piece of original combat insignia art created by Cy Young in 1943.

Previously undocumented Navy training film

2009-01-31T23:53:00.000-08:00

A friend recently sent me the following screen grabs from a training film, which was part of a series produced at Disney's in 1943 for the Navy. While almost all of the Studio's training films were produced in black and white, for some reason two of the films in this series were produced in color - you're looking at shots from one of them.

The agency of the film was produced for, the Naval Air Operational Training Command, was stationed at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. JAX, as the base was referred to, started life as a Primary Flight School, where new pilots learned the basics. As the war progressed, JAX became one of the so-called "top gun" schools, where the cream of Navy pilots received advanced instruction in fighter tactics.

As an interesting side-note, the Studio designed five different combat insignia for units stationed at the base, beginning with the first created in March 1941.

There is a lot more information about this previously unknown and undocumented series of training films, which I hope to be able to share with you at a later date, but for now, enjoy the accompanying image!

2nd Signal Photo Lab Unit - insignia

2009-01-31T00:29:00.000-08:00

While this particular design was not created at the Disney Studio and does not feature a recognizable Disney character, I was very happy when a friend offered the piece to me at a very reasonable price.

This piece of original insignia art bears the initials "CY 1943" in the bottom right quadrant. According to a note penned in India ink on the reverse, the finished art was created by none other than Disney artist Cyrus S. (Cy) Young. (The emblem's design components were created by a fellow serviceman, but it was Young who put the idea to paper and painted the finished product).

Young, who was born in Hawaii in 1900, was an extremely talented artist who started the Disney Studio Special Effects Department in 1934. He was later joined by Ugo D'Orsi. The two artists were responsible for some of the greatest effects animation created in that time period.

Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston wrote in their book Disney Animation - The Illusion of Life: "Through the entire thirties, the entire Effects Department consisted of only two men: Ugo D'Orsi, a straightforward, stubborn, and dedicated Italian, and Cy Young...quiet and sensitive...who loved to play the bass fiddle as a hobby." Thomas and Johnston added, "Since [D'Orsi and Young] did most of the careful work themselves, they needed only a single assistant between them."

In his book Paper Dreams, John Canemaker noted Young had his start in animation at several New York silent cartoon studios including J.R. Bray's, Paul Terry's and Max Fleischer's. Canemaker added that in the 1920s, Young created technical animation at the Annapolis Naval Academy and medical animation for the Tuberculosis Society of America.

According to Canemaker a "1941 studio personnel report described Young as the 'most highly specialized technical animator in the industry'." Young was fired from Disney's the day before the infamous 1941 employee strike. He was rehired in July of that year, but then fired for good in mid-September.

During the war, Young served as a Sergeant in the 1st Signal Photo Lab, at Camp Livingston, Louisiana. Curiously, Young is listed as a member of the Armed Forces on the reverse of the pin-up gate-fold found in the Studio employee newsletter, Dispatch From Disney's. The notation was made despite the fact he was let go almost two years prior.

I have not been able to locate much information on either Young's unit, or the Signal Unit he created the art for. I recently sent an email to the Signal Corps Museum at Fort Gordon, Georgia, asking if they had any history for either unit and am currently waiting to hear back from the Museum historian.

After the war Young worked as a clerk with the Air Force. Sadly, and like so many other Disney artists before him, Young met a tragic end - he committed suicide on January 16, 1964.

Happy New Year greeting

2009-01-01T00:29:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my visitors a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009!

Cheers!

David

1st Polish Armored Divisional Signals - insignia

2008-12-29T00:04:00.000-08:00

This design was created at the Disney Studio for the First Polish Armored Divisional Signals.

Here's some background I have in my database for the unit:

"This unit was part of the 1st Polish Armored Division. The unit was formed in February 1942 and was comprised of men who had been evacuated from France in 1940. The Division saw action in Normandy in 1944, and then campaigned through Belgium, Holland and Germany. The Division ended the war with the capture of the German port of Wilhelshaven."

A friend who specializes in WW II Polish military history wrote to me recently adding, "The signals unit...was a Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. J. Grajkowski. "

This is one of the very few insignia designs created during the war to feature the likeness of Mickey Mouse.

M.C.A.S. El Toro - insignia

2008-12-28T23:51:00.000-08:00

The first item in this post was acquired a couple of months ago. The image shows part of the cover of a hardcover unit history yearbook-type book, published for men who served at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. The book is filled with numerous black and white photos of the base and some of the units that trained or were stationed there.

At one point in time the servicemen added a rather large anatomical part to the bull, which was eventually removed upon orders emanating from higher up the command chain. The second item is a matchbook cover with an image of the design that I have had in my collection for years.

Disney Christmas card

2008-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

Walt Disney began issuing corporate Christmas cards in the early 1930s. Beginning in the late 30s the cards often promoted the current or soon to be released animated feature film. This post shows the 1943 card.

The images come to us via my friend Lance Fontenot, who owns a near complete run of Disney corporate Christmas cards.

13th Armored Division - Christmas card

2008-12-10T23:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the second version of the Division's Christmas card. I have been trying to obtain this particular design for a couple of years now and was successful this past summer in finally obtaining one. The other version can be seen here.

I now own 5 items that depict this unit's Disney-designed insignia including:

2 Christmas cards
stationary
soft-cover large format book detailing the Division's pre-deployment history
program for a musical stage play the men performed before deploying overseas

USS Satyr - insignia

2008-10-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

This piece of insignia art was offered on eBay a couple of months ago. The design was created for the USS Satyr, a Landing Craft Repair Ship.

Satyr was laid down in August 1944 and through a series of commissioning and decommissioning ceremonies, eventually arrived at Guam as the war ended. After being repaired following a collision, Satyr performed Occupation Duty in Japan.

Satyr did see action during the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. She was eventually decommissioned and transfered to the South Vietnam Navy in September 1971 and with the fall of the South Vietnam government, the vessel served in the Philippine Navy.

This design was created in the spring of 1945.

Donald Duck Scrap Drive newspaper strip

2008-10-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

This strip appeared in the August 2, 1943 edition of the Tucson Daily Citizen newspaper. During the war Disney supported various home front campaigns including a publicity event for the Los Angeles scrap drive, details of which can be found here and here.

When Donald's request for scrap goes unheeded, he changes his strategy with great success - sort of like the "No Dumping" sign found on the vacant lot at the end of many a street that draws people with wheelbarrows full of yard clippings, like flies to honey.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Victory Beer

2008-10-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

I have decided to combine two old posts with a recently acquired new item this one new, updated post.

One of the more unique Disney war-related items I've come across over the many years of collecting, has been this series of so-called "Victory Beer" labels. The labels in this post appeared on bottles of beer produced by the Koppitz-Melchers Brewery. This Detroit, Michigan, brewery employed a novel idea to cash-in on home front patriotism. Beginning in 1942 the company began production and distribution of "Victory Beer." One hundred different label variations were produced for this particular brand. While most of the labels featured illustrations of military weapons and vehicles, at least three showcased Disney-designed combat insignia.

I have seen two bottles with labels, one was a stubby and the other a long neck. I have also seen two labels sell on eBay. Of these four labels, two were of the same design, so at this time I know of three different labels.

They include the following: From my collection a long neck bottle featuring the design for the "Mosquito Fleet" of patrol torpedo boats. The design depicts an angry mosquito astride a torpedo streaking towards its intended target. The caption reads: "Mosquito Fleet emblem by Disney shows Uncle Sam has wartime sense of humor. Other emblems are brightly emblazoned on ships, tanks, truck and planes." To read more about the Mosquito Fleet design, which was one of the first designs to be created at the Disney Studio, click here.

The second label, (which I recently acquired), features three air insignia designs. Pictured on this label are the emblems for the 45th Air Base Squadron (Baby Pegasus from Fantasia); 62d Pursuit Squadron (boxing bulldog); and the very first design created for the Jacksonville Naval Air Station (flying squirrel). All of these designs were created by artist Hank Porter in March 1941.

The third label, and one which escaped my successful bidding, also features three designs including: the Alaska Defense Force (seal balancing letters on its nose); the 69th Quartermaster Battalion (figure made-up of tools); and the Bombardment Training Unit, Ellington Field (Stork form Dumbo).

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that knows of any additional Disney designs used on the labels of this line of beer.

USS Pelias AS-14 - insignia part 2

2008-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

A recent addition to my collection, a Thanksgiving Day menu for the men who served aboard this submarine tender. The menu is dated November 25, 1943 and while I'm a month and a bit early by American standards, this weekend is actually Thanksgiving here in Canada.

The menu is printed on heavy stock paper and lists all of the great food items available to the crew including: shrimp cocktail, roast turkey, baked spice ham, giblet gravy, cream of tomato soup, sage dressing, cranberry sauce, snowflake potatoes, butter asparagus, vegetable salad, butter peas, sweet pickles, celery stalks, olives butter, bread and parker house rolls. To finish off this fantastic feast the menu lists ice cream, cocoa, and cigarettes.

The tender's mermaid insignia has been printed in the middle of the menu. She is surrounded by the small silhouettes of merbabies. This design was created by Disney artist Hank Porter in the spring of 1942.

To read more about the history of the Pelias, click here to see a previous post.

Air Base Detachment, Gray Field - insignia

2008-09-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

The insignia design in this post is from the collection of my good friend Sam Grabarski. This design was created by Hank Porter in December 1941, for the Air Base Detachment, Gray Army Airfield, Fort Lewis.

Fort Lewis is located on the American west coast in Washington State. The Fort began life as a military camp, established in 1917, when the residents of Pierce County voted in favor of purchasing and then donating 70,000 acres of land to the Federal Government for use as a military base. The Camp was named for Captain Meriwether Lewis of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Camp became a Fort in September 1927.

Between the spring of 1939 and the spring of 1941 the camp expanded with construction of a northern garrison that occupied some 2,000 acres. During World War II the Fort served as the training facility for the 3rd, 33rd, 40th, 41st, 44th and 96th infantry divisions, as well as several smaller divisions. A prisoner of war camp also operated in the vicinity of the base between 1943 and 1946.

A recent addition to my collection is this war-era photo, showing servicemen attached to the Gray Army Airfield, Air Base Detachment. The unit's Disney-designed insignia is visible on the sign in the background.

The Fort Lewis airfield became Gray Army Airfield in April 1938. The field was named in honor of Captain Lawrence C. Gray, who lost his life during a balloon flight in 1927. Gray had served as a private during World War I. After the war he became a commissioned officer serving in the Air Service and Airship School, where he conducted test flights.

Close-up detail of the sign, which was located in front of the Air Base Headquarters.

Over the course of the Second World War, the 116th Observation and 116th Photographic Squadrons, which were stationed at Gray Field, conducted anti-submarine patrol duty over the waters off the state's coast.

Home Front Scrap Drive - part 2

2008-09-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

I came across this photo the other day. It is a companion to the image that appeared previously in this post.

I'm actually not sure if these two deer ever made their way to the foundry to be melted down into bombs and bullets. I recall reading recently the ornamental deer were seen at Disney's Holmby Hills residence in the 1960s, but I could be mistaken.

Coast Guard Infantry Drill booklet

2008-09-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

A recent acquisition, this publication was produced for the Captain, United States Coast Guard, Port of Los Angeles.

The 24-page soft-cover booklet covers proper drill procedures and a manual of arms and is profusely illustrated with images of Bugs Bunny as the Drill Instructor and Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and some other non-descript cartoon characters trying to do what the rabbit is ordering, sometimes with comical consequences.

While the illustrations were not created by a Disney artist, Donald Duck at least is pretty true to character.

UPDATE: September 14, 2008

I have received several requests asking that I show some of the illustrations found in the booklet. So, here they are...not all of them, but a representative sampling. Enjoy!

47th Air Depot Group insignia - part 3

2008-08-21T23:13:00.001-07:00

A frequent visitor of this blog sent me an image of this patch, which he recently acquired, to share. He wishes to remain anonymous at this time. My friend says the leather patch was made in-theatre.

For more on the 47th Air Depot Group, please click here to see my previous posts.

Victorville A.A.F. - insignia

2008-08-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

From my collection, a great copy of Bombs Away, the official newsletter publication, "produced by the Public Relations Department for the personnel of Victorville Army Air Field, 3035th Army Air Forces Base Unit."

This particular issue is dated July 1, 1944 and was Volume 2, Number 12. The cover of this issue pictures the new insignia created for the station by Disney artist Hank Porter, in the spring of 1944. The accompanying article related the story of how the design came to be:

"...it all began...on February 19th of this year That was the date Bombs Away announced a contest, offering a $25 War Bond to the person who submitted a design considered most representative of the Field. More than 20 entries resulted. The drawings were then judged by a committee...Donald won...and so off he went to the Walt Disney Studios for a little retouch work. Disney artists liked the idea and set to work making it a professional job."

The article also stated decals, which I have seen offered for sale on eBay, were going to be sold in the Post Exchange. "If the insigne proves popular, the PX has agreed to obtain leather reproductions for wear on jackets and flight suits." A second, shorter story referred to the image as "Shack Smackin' Don."

A photo of Walt Disney holding the original art was also published in this issue. The image is interesting as the finished art does not, at this point, bear Hank Porter's scriptive "Walt Disney" signature. Porter signed Walt Disney's name to each piece of insignia art he created. Given the fact Walt holds what appears to be a writing instrument in his right hand, I wonder if he personally penned an inscription to the base C.O. before putting the art in the mail?

A very nice image of a determined Donald Duck being trained as a bombardier on a fairly hard to find publication.

127th Airborne Engineer Battalion - insignia

2008-08-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

What better way to start this blog's third year, than by showcasing a recent addition to my collection. I purchased the original art for the 127th Airborne Engineer battalion last month. The determined look on Donald's face epitomizes the true grit of the men lucky enough to become member's of this elite force.

The 127th AEB was instituted on November 12, 1942 and was activated as an element of the 11th Airborne Division on February 25th, 1943. The Battalion consisted of Companies A, B, and C, plus a Headquarters and a Service Company. The 127th was just the second unit of airborne engineers activated during the war. The main responsibilities of the Battalion included road and airfield construction.

127th AEB, Company B. Courtesy ww2-airborne.us

Men in the unit received their training at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. After almost one year of training, the entire 11th Airborne Division moved to Camp Polk, Louisiana, for intensive jungle warfare training.

On April 30th, 1944, the 11th Airborne departed San Francisco for a 26 day cruise that ended on the island of New Guinea in the South Pacific. The first tasks accomplished by the 127th were construction of a jump school and housing for divisional personnel.

In November the 11th AD was sent to Leyte, in the Philippines, where the Engineers helped construct roads and bridges along a major supply route, which were previously destroyed by torrential rains.

San Pablo airstrip, circa 1946. Courtesy ibiblio.org

Between December 6th and 8th, elements of the 127th and a few other miscellaneous service units were attacked by 250-300 Japanese airborne forces, while on duty at the San Pablo airstrip. Despite enemy infiltration of their position, which resulted in the destruction of several planes, vehicles and two gasoline dumps, the 127th, reinforced with men from the 674th Field Artillery Battalion, successfully routed the Japanese.

Private Charles S. Wylie was KIA, December 7, 1944, while defending the San Pablo airstrip.

Over the course of the war, 16 men in this Battalion were killed in action, while 21 men received the Silver Star for valor. On July 1, 1958, the 127th AEB was re-designated the 3d Engineer Battalion and deployed to Bavaria, Germany.

Disney artist Hank Porter created this design in the summer of 1943.

Something to celebrate

2008-08-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

August 8th marks the second anniversary of this blog. Hard to believe it's been two years, 200 posts and almost 50,000 visitors already. While I wish I could spend more time posting material, family and other commitments keep me busy elsewhere.

The upcoming year looks interesting to say the least. Between my work with the Walt Disney Museum in San Francisco and this blog, I hope to continue sharing interesting facts and pieces of memorabilia from this largely unexplored chapter of the Walt Disney Studio's history.

Thanks for stopping by...