Spring Military Aviation and Militaria Auction
Lot 98:
Description
A collection of original black-and-white silver gelatin photographs documenting the service of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) personnel during World War II, circa 1943 to 1945. The archive includes large-format group portraits and smaller candid snapshots. Personnel are depicted in various flight gear including A-2 leather jackets, B-3 sheepskin jackets, Mae West life vests, and crusher-style officer caps. Aircraft subjects include P-51 Mustang fighters with visible nose art and squadron markings 35 and 90, as well as C-47 Skytrain transports. Notable images feature USAAF personnel with captured or wrecked German Luftwaffe aircraft, including a fuselage with a Balkenkreuz and the code Z + A and a tail fin with a swastika. Geographic locations documented include Belgium, Paris (featuring the Arc de Triomphe and Palais Garnier), and sites in the Mediterranean or North African theater. One large group photo bears the handwritten inscription Belgium 1944 and a signature reading C. Taylor. Other visible aircraft numbers include 82 and 90.
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