In some respects, Amy Johnson was the British version of Amelia Earhart. Although she never achieved the same fame both of the women were pioneers in flight, both set multiple world records and both died young in tragic, water related accidents.
The M-41 Walker Bulldog Tank was put into production in 1950 and first saw action in Korea in 1953, the tank was designed to be light enough for air transport and was used mostly for scouting missions.
The humble enamel mug might be an odd thing to love but the little tin cups hold enormous personal significance for me, they remind me of my Grandfather and of camping trips with my Dad when I was still wearing short trousers.
WWII documentaries always fascinate me, this film by Ewan MacGregor is a brilliant insight into lives of the Lancaster crews of the war. There is some special significance here for me because my Great Uncle Alf was a bombardier or bomb aimer on the Lancaster during the war, he was one of the lucky ones who survived.
The Vought F4U Corsair was an astonishing airplane, I never knew it was this versatile though.
It isn’t widely known that there was a 4×4 Beetle produced in Germany during the second world war, the car was dubbed the “Volkswagen Kommandeurwagen” as it was primarily designed for use by the Wehrmacht.
In 1929 some of the first attempts at refuelling planes in flight were being undertaken. This famous photograph of Operation Question Mark shows a 10,000lb Fokker C-2A being refueled in flight by a modified Douglas C-1 transport aircraft.
I’ve heard rumours of balloon tires being used on WWII motorcycles in North Africa…
The inset text reads “A scout suddenly discovering the enemy flops his cycle to return fire with his Sub-Tommy Gun. Fort Knox, Kentucky, 1942.”
The classic World War II Jeep is a car that I’ve always wanted, perhaps not as a daily driver but certainly as a weekend warrior. Having an original WWII vintage, non-modified version with the military paint-markings still in place like the jeep here would be a major bonus and the temptation to smoke a cigar and shout at people whilst driving around in it would be almost too much to resist.
The Messerschmitt Me 323 D was the single largest fixed-wing aircraft of WWII, this behemoth had a maximum carrying capacity of 20 tonnes, was powered by…
The SR-71 Blackbird was so incredibly quick, that when it detected a surface to air missile launch, the pilot simply hit the throttle and accelerated to out run the missile, using raw speed as it’s primary defence mechanism.
