MIlitary surplus motorcycles for sale in 1946 (great photo) in bulk, it was between 5 and 10 you had to buy to get any.

from http://momentdinspiration.blogspot.com/

Flying Tiger pilot and plane, 1944, China (refers to the last photo in this post)

The "Flying Tiger" insignia was designed by the Walt Disney company, who also did logos for submarines like the Pogy SS 266, the Drum SS 228, and the Nautilus SSN 571 (which Walt signed and once was at the USS Nautilus museum in Groton Ct) among other individual logos.

"Before the war had ended, Disney had created some 1,200 cartoon insignias. With the exception of Bambi, virtually every Disney character appeared at least once on a logo. The most requested character was Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy and even Grumpy of the Seven Dwarfs appeared on decals. Mickey Mouse was never linked to a combat unit. His affable, nice guy image made him better suited for the home front defense industry. Snow White appeared as a military nurse, and Flower the Skunk was on the emblem of three chemical warfare units. Dumbo the Flying Elephant appeared on bomber planes and bombs. In cases where Disney characters seemed out of place, the studio created new mascots, as it did for the Mosquito Fleet, the Flying Tigers and the Seabees." http://www.atissuejournal.com/2010/08/10/wwii-military-logos-by-disney/

After looking around the internet, I can only find two sites that show images of the Disney created designs http://www.skylighters.org/disney/ Use the forward (yellow pointing gloves) arrows to see more on that site

Here is a fantastic site with a couple dozen, all in color http://www.2719hyperion.com/p/service-with-character-disney-world-war.html

The Chinese characters read: "This foreign person has come to China to help in the war effort. Soldiers and civilians, one and all, should rescue and protect him"

Above photos and some following info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers

The group consisted of three fighter squadrons with about 20 aircraft each. It trained in Burma before the American entry into World War II with the mission of defending China against Japanese forces. Arguably, the group was a private military contractor, and for that reason the volunteers have sometimes been called mercenaries. The members of the group had lucrative contracts with salaries ranging from $250 a month for a mechanic to $750 for a squadron commander, roughly three times what they had been making in the U.S. forces. Plus a $500 bonus for each aircraft they destroyed.

The Tigers' shark-faced fighters remain among the most recognizable of any individual combat aircraft of World War II, and they demonstrated innovative tactical victories when the news in the U.S. was filled with little more than stories of defeat at the hands of the Japanese forces. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers

General Hap Arnold said this about the Flying Tigers "You know, you AVG (American Volunteer Group) boys have an impressive combat record over there," and he added "but you know, more than the planes you destroyed, your main contribution was really the morale boost you gave this country" He continued; "The six or eight months you fellas operated in the beginning of the war, there wasn't much good news for us. We, nor the British or anyone else were able to beat the Japanese in those early months of the war. You guys were really the glimmer of hope because you were the only ones getting results. That meant an awful lot back here."

Many became captains in the airlines such as Pan Am, others became test pilots, some went on to very successful military careers including Major General.

There was a doctor, a lawyer and one that was both. The presiding judge in the infamous Charles Manson murder trial was a Flying Tiger. Several became successful in agriculture, businesses like restaurants and manufacturing. One member who wrote television scripts in Hollywood.

There were some who pursued successful non-flying careers in aviation as consultants, or one who was a state aviation director. One of the group helped pioneer the development of the jet engine and held many patents for engine components used today.

One group member distinguished himself as a state senator for over 20 years. Another became an Olympic diving coach on top of other successes.

Read more about the Flying Tigers at http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/tiger1.htm
photo from http://www.johngutmann.org/

railway station in Budapest bombed in WW2 left to rest in peace, still shows a 1940's moment in time

photos from http://altoman.blog.hu/2011/05/28/urbex_mav_temeto_es_halott_palyaudvar_part_i found via the great guys who somehow keep astonishing us with incredble things http://stipistop.com

1942 BMW r75 Wehrmachtsgespann in Afrika Korps colors and insignia

Nobody messes with King Kong

Howitzer, 1946 is the label on the photo. Found on the HAMB

Harley Davidson buried for 48 years in Belgium, dug out by the grandson

Wow, I'd freak out to find a Harley... and the buried treasure aspect. Wouldn't that make your year !?!?

Found on http://motorcycle-74.blogspot.com/

Digging for the story on the internet was finally successful, the story briefly was that a small town young guy has a new Harley shipped to him in Belgium. Eventually he crashed on it, put it in the backyard, had a family, and in 1961 his young daughter was paying on it, fell, and it made the guy so mad he buried it. So the man dug up an old well and dumped the bike into it.

Just recently in Oct 2009 the story made it into the news http://www.editiepajot.be/regios/15/articles/9032 after months of trying to talk the (now Old man) reluctant grandad into allowing an excavation, and a bottle of gin to lubricate the deal, he got some buddies to help shovel... and unearthed it after 48 years of a dirt nap

Rare duece type 18 with a custom coach-built cabriolet body

The car varies from the American-made convertible sedan styles; the top has no side rails to slide on.

The car was originally purchased by a high-profile German official. In 1938 or 1939, the car was hidden, actually walled up in a basement in Austria, to prevent military confiscation. In 1947, the car was shipped to England. It arrived stateside in 1964, as the possession of a Wisconsin antique dealer. From there, it was sold to the current owner in Jacksonville.

The bodywork is from Deutsch of Koln, the chassis assembled by the Ford Werks A.G. Koln. Unusual features abound such as an underhood siren, dual flag shafts, a Bosch driving light and spotlight, and trafficators. This is the only known example by this coachbuilder and one of five German-built convertibles known.

Former Staff Car for the Third Reich. Owner was a non-Nazi and hid the car from confiscation by the German Army.

The car has all of its original parts, with the exception of the engine (now correct) that was lost during long ago restoration. There are currently only seven of this body type known in the World.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397594&page=61

WW2 was instrumental in changing the American culture in so many ways, but did you ever hear of car bumpers being donated to the scrap drives?

Rita Hayworth did her part... so if you come across her big old car with no bumpers, now you'll know what happened to them.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/28/Worldwarii/War_changes_fashion.shtml

For an example of immense largese in donating to the scrap drives, read about Panmsy Yount's 1933 Duesenberg Model J Judkins Berline that was turned over to the war effort for it's use as metal for armor plate, or whatever they did with all that steel http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/08/ive-posted-before-about-ww2-scrap.html

Rita was so good looking, the richest man in the world Prince Ali Khan gave her a Ghia bodied 1953 Cadillac series 62

WWII German barricade made from TP2 & TP4 locomotives; Baltic Sea shores

A real unusual and perhaps desperate need for steam locomotives during WW2 via:

http://melisaki.tumblr.com/

the proving grounds of WW2 vehicles demonstrated positive proof that "American Made" meant durability

via: "my life on $54.58 a day" http://gsglbc.blogspot.com

Uncle Bob the Corsair pilot, heroes don't always die in battle

HAMB member MAZOOMA wrote about his Uncle Bob, I have to repost it.

Uncle Bob with his Corsair.

He was killed one month after I was born when an airman in another Corsair, who my uncle was training over Riverside, clipped my uncle's wing. The other pilot bailed out and parachuted to safety.

Uncle Bob stayed with his plane because it was headed into a school playground. He managed to guide what was left of his plane into a dirt lot killing him instantly. I still have the letters from eye-witnesses that were mailed to my grandparents saying how they could see him struggling to get the plane away from the crowded playground. Many people from the neighborhood where the crash took place made the drive to Monrovia where his funeral was held. All came to pay their respects for a man they would never meet.

Via: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446547&page=14

Dauntless in formation

Proabably from Mega Moto, I'm not sure
I mistakenly called it a Corsair, and then had two guys correct me, and they didn't agree on what these are... either Avengers or Dauntless

WW2 railgun, effing huge!

Don't recall where I got this from

Roar! 1943 Studebaker Weasel

Via: http://www.autogallery.org.ru/k/s/43studWeasel1_MVS.jpg for one that made it through the war and came though ok, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/08/1944-studebaker-weasel.html

Cool nose art! P40 called Old Red

Wow. That is bitchin... apropos too
Via: http://zelastchancegaragedu78.blogspot.com/

1944 Studebaker Weasel

For a brochure: http://202.63.50.228/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=2114&g2_GALLERYSID=7ba8d706a5715abc56cd8f2bf2ae30cc

World War 2 had a lot of effect on Americans who weren't fighting oversea, and were dealing with rationing of gas and tires

For another WW2 effect on the civilians and their automobiles: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/04/1930-model-happened-across-while.html