The Flying Tiger Collection. Offered here are a selection of photographs signed by the famous 'FLYING TIGERS' of World War II.

Claire Chennault retired from the United States Army Air Force in 1937 and was retained by Chiang Kai-shek to serve as an advisor to the Chinese Air Force. Chennault went on to organize the country into a series of small air fields and air raid warning networks. He also organized what became the Flying Tigers which was a group of pilots from the United States Army and Navy who volunteered for duty in Asia.The primary purpose of the group was to guard the Burma Road but they also engaged in multiple combat missions against the Japanese. Using aircraft the were castoffs from the Curtis Airplane Co. that had no gun sight, no auxiliary fuel tanks and and no bomb racks the 'tigers" went on to destroy between 350 and 500 enemy aircraft and and to carry out attacks on enemy ground forces with few if any losses of their own. Their kill ratio was probably in the range of at least 20 to 1, The group was finally disbanded in 1942 at which time Chennault rejoined the Air Force. While he commanded the 'Tigers' his only status was as a consultant to the Bank of China.This group was indeed a great bunch of heroes and expert airmen and the work done by Chennault to establish air fields and warning networks throughout China proved to be invaluable as the air war developed later in the Pacific War.Some of those very airfields were projected to be used by the Doolittle Raiders.

The 8 in x 10 in color photograph which was taken at their Asian base and which is shown above is signed by 10 'Tigers' including Tex Hill, Dick Rossi, Charles Mott, Bob Scott (author of God Is My Copilot) and 6 others. Included with this photograph only is an original China-Burma theater shoulder patch vintage 1940's exactly like one that would have been worn by the Tigers. Nice for framing with the photograph.

We have additional B &W photgraphs of individual Flying Tigers either as portraits or of them standing by their planes. Price list avialable upon request.

Price:$375.00

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