Spring Military Aviation and Militaria Auction
Lot 93:
Description
This collection of original black-and-white silver gelatin photographic prints documents the operations of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, specifically associated with the 325th Fighter Group, known as the Checkertail Clan. The images feature various aircraft, including North American P-51 Mustangs, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, and Boeing-Stearman PT-17 biplane trainers. One photograph depicts a P-51 Mustang with the distinctive checkerboard tail pattern and fuselage number 79. Another photograph shows a vertical stabilizer with the number 8060. The collection includes images of captured German Luftwaffe equipment, including a fuselage and a tail fin bearing a swastika, resembling a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Personnel are shown in various uniforms, including officers in crusher caps and Class A uniforms, and pilots wearing A-2 leather flight jackets and HBT fatigues. One photograph captures the entrance to a wooden building with a sign stating THROUGH THESE PORTALS PASS THE BEST DAMN FIGHTER PILOTS IN THE WORLD. Other scenes include airfield hangars, flight lines, service vehicles, and group portraits of ground crews and squadrons. The prints vary in size from small snapshots to larger professional-style prints.
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