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Tom Cleaver
908 articles

Following up Michael Woodgate’s good idea VJ Day 75

August 16, 2020 · in Aviation · · 5 · 1.1K

Some of my models from the :

  1. Erik Shilling's AVG P-40, flown on the first Allied offensive mission of the war, December 10, 1941, to photograph JAAF at Bangkok.

  2. P-40E "Tarheel," 2nd Lt George Preddy, 49th Fighter Group, Darwin, May 1942.

  3. P-40E-1 "Stardust" Captain "Bitchin'" Ben Irvin, 49th FG, Darwin, June 1942.

  4. SB2U-3, VMSB-241, Midway, June 1942

  5. SBD-2, VMSB-241, Midway, June 1942

  6. SBD-3 LT Richard H. "Dick" Best. Jr., VB-6, sank the Akagi at Midway.

  7. F4U-1 Corsair, 1LT Ken Walsh, first Marne Corsair ace, 1943.

  8. F4U-1A, Lt(jg) Ike Kepford, VF-17 leading ace, 1943-44.

  9. F4U-2 LCDR Chick Harmer VF(N)-101 Enterprise detachment, January-June 1944.

  10. TBM-1C Lt(jg) George H.W. Bush, VT-51, Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 1944.

  11. F6F-5 "Minsi III," CDR Dave McCampbell, CAG-15, USN Ace of Aces, Leyte Gulf October 1944.

  12. F6F-3, LT Jim Shirley, VF-27, Leyte Gulf, October 1944.

  13. SB2C-3, LCDR John Bridgers, XO VB-15. sinking of Zuikaku, last Pearl Harbor attacker, October 25, 1944.

  14. SBD-5,VB-9 USS Essex, Rabaul strikes November 11, 1943

  15. F4F-3, LT Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, VF-3, first Navy ace of World War II.

  16. TBM-3, VT-84, first Tokyo strikes, February 1945.

  17. B-25D "Red Wrath, 345th BG, LCOL Clinton True, leader Rabaul strike October 18, 1943.

  18. P-61 "Lady in the Dark," last victory of WW2, August 15, 1945.

  19. B-25J "Betty's Dream," 345th BG, flown by my friend the late Vic Tatelman to escort the only copy of the surrender documents from Okinawa to Tokyo, August 20, 1945.

Reader reactions:
4  Awesome

17 additional images. Click to enlarge.


5 responses

  1. Flattery, as they say, will get you everywhere, Mr. Woodgate. 🙂

    I love chiming in on things like this. VJ Day is a good thing to remember, 75 years on, particularly when the achievements of that day are under so much threat nowadays.

  2. Profile Photo
    said on August 16, 2020

    Thank you Tom for joining in on the VJ Day tribute. Your models look so great! I was hoping you would join in and you did! Your work is an inspiration to us all. We are indebted to all those who fought for freedom all those years ago.

  3. This is a wonderful collection, Tom, to commemorate this significant Day.

  4. Very nice collection.

  5. Quantity without sacrificing quality. Nice collection Tom, and great tribute to the air-going US service branches and their personnel in the PTO.

    All of these a/c are on my built or to-be-built shelf, in one form or another.

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