Warbird Information Exchange

Happy New Year!!! ... And for those who have an interest in the AVG. These images are wonderful
Photos are from the 50-page scrapbook compiled by AVG pilot John Donovan and displayed on the National Museum of Naval Aviation website. Sadly it seems John Donovan was killed on May 12, 1942 during an aerial raid on Hanoi in what was then French Indochina. Donovan was credited with four aerial victories in his service with the American Volunteer Group.

All the images are shown here, wonderful stuff and pretty clean and clear. Shows the AVG in a different light IMHO. I'm not a big 'Link' posting guy as I'm always a little leary about opening Links, but this one is fine to open and shouldn't be a problem. Enjoy! and again Happy New Year!

http://naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdonc ... FQuery.php

And some interesting letters from John Donovan

http://naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdonc ... FQuery.php



AVG Group Commander Chennault


Composite photograph showing the staff of the American Volunteer Group including the Group Headquarters Section


Composite photograph showing members of the First Pursuit Squadron of the American Volunteer Group whose nickname was the "Adam and Eves"


Composite photograph showing members of the Second Pursuit Squadron of the American Volunteer Group whose nickname was the "Panda Bears"


Composite photograph showing members of the Third Pursuit Squadron of the American Volunteer Group whose nickname was the "Hells Angels"






Group photograph shows the pilots of the AVG










Photograph shows John Donovan with a Tomahawk

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

memorandum from Lt Col H P Chrisman to Col H W T Eglin regarding status of American Volunteer Group 13 January 1942


Original letter from Mrs Alice H Leonard to R ADM Randall Jacobs 21 August 1942


Original White House stationary from Mr Luchlin Currie to R ADM Chester Nimitz 4 December 1941 Subject Authorized individuals to recruit pilots for service in China

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

... And of course ... Mr. Boyington


Greg Boyington in China 1940

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

Certificate with photograph Mr Peter Wright member of the First American Volunteer Group


AVG Flying Tiger wings gold color Has AVG emblem in center Blue enamblem background with 12 points around white center On the back in the number 77239


Newspaper clipping from the Aurora Beacon News highlighting the visit of former AVG Flying Tigers Ralph Schiller and Robert Locke and detailing some of their experiences with the AVG

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

Great photos. Thanks for sharing. TM

_________________
.
.
.

"Welcome back Mr. Lasky."

Great stuff and nice to see all the folks who made up the flying contingent of the AVG.
GB stirs as many pots into foam here as CY does.

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I never realized it was such a large effort. Pappy's book makes it seem like it was on a wing and a prayer, but it had some serious weight behind it! Thanks again, Mark. I bet that set of AVG wings is darn near priceless these days!

_________________
"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Once again Mark, thanks for the post. Excellent!!

_________________
A&P/I.A., A.A.S./Aviation Maintenance technology
Warbird salvage/recovery
One day I'll get that P-40!

Although an original set of wings like that may command some value, they are not exclusive to the AVG and are not as rare as you would expect if they were. The emblem in the center is the Kuomintang AF insignia and similar wings would have been worn later by a lot of pilots in the CBI theatre, possibly Chinese as well as American, and by postwar Taiwanese pilots. Of course a set actually worn by an AVG pilot would be more valuable due to its provenance.

August

I've had the opportunity to hold that album and leaf through it's pages.
I look forward to the day NNAM debuts the new upgraded AVG exhibit.

Correct regarding the set of wings as not being exclusive to the AVG. Although the NMNA states the wings shown above are indeed the wings of an AVG pilot. Possibly Donovan's wings. BTW Donovan's letters are fascinating to read. I encourage anyone with an interest to spend a little time there. Good stuff.

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...