Dolf

Dudeman, Rick mentions a Major General Pavel Selivestrovich GAVRIKOV. Dolf

It looks like these Red Army Military used to write like Doctors... Many thanks gentlemen! Fantastic research, Rick! Dolf

A Major General, now a Vice-Admiral autograph... Wow! Wow! And Wow again! Many thanks, Rick! Dolf

And finally a closeup of the Def of Sevastopol Doc. Many thanks, Dolf

And the Def of Polar Regions closeup. Thank you. Dolf

Hi again Rick, Well, not sure if this is good enough, anyway here are the closeups for those two Docs. Please let me know if this is ok, or if not what should I do. Thanks again. Def of Caucasus closeup: Dolf

Amazing details! Wow! Thanks a lot for helping with those unknown words. Now, I was wondering about your Comrade who got the Sevastopol Medal and also the Military Merit Medal. A civilian, even a Party functionary, could be awarded with a Military Medal? So you think that my Comrade was more important than yours because my Doc is signed by the Big Boss himself and yours "only" by the Deputy? Many thanks for the pic of Major General Pavel Selivestrovich GAVRIKOV! Wow! Dolf

Rick, Many thanks for all the details! I tried to find what a few words mean in English, but no result... "Starshina"=? "Starshy"=? As for the sharper closeups of the areas you mention for the Def. of Caucasus and Polar Regions Docs, I'll try and see what I can get, even thought I find it difficult to get a better result from my HP PSC 2355 Sevastopol Doc: issued to a civilian? You really mean that Comrade Grigoriy Piotrovich Shishko was not a Red Army guy? Was this a common practice, to award these Medals to civilian personel? Wouldn't they rather be awarded with Partisan Medals instead, for example? Or these Medals were awarded to those civilians inhabitants of those cities, who fought side by side with the military, when those cities were attacked? Odessa Doc: Thanks a lot for all the amazing details! So I do have an autograph of a Major General on that Doc! Wow! Btw, does this mean that Sergeant 1st rank Maksim Ivanovich Iliyn was a Navy Sergeant? Many thanks once again Dolf

Hi Bryan, I guess you're kidding, anyway no thanks, buddy. Dolf PS: btw, what would I do with two Sevastopol Medals and no more Odessa Medal?...

RichieC, Check also this other thread, Post #7: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8148 The Doc for my Medal for the Defense of Sevastopol is dated 1943. Dolf

Wonderful pics, Ed! Thanks a lot for posting them! I love seing these old vets wearing all their Medals, old and official, as well as the new unofficial ones. If they wear them that's because they are important and have some meaning to them, so for everything they did for us all I suppose they deserve the right to wear whatever they wish. Dolf

The Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat. Considered the best aircraft based on carriers, a master piece of design and a decisive contribution for the victory in the Pacific. One of the Aces flying a Hellcat, Commander David McCampbell, number one Ace of the US Navy, was one of the most awarded pilot of WWII, including the Medal of Honor and other awards. This particular aircraft belonged to the VF-24 Squadron, in July 1945, but I have no info on the pilot. Dolf

The Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941, the Wildcat had the hard responsibility of fighting against the Japanese Zero. Despite the fact it was not as good as the Japanese fighter, 54 American pilots became Aces flying on the Wildcat! Eight of them were awarded with the Medal of Honor. This one, that participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal, in September 1942, was flown by Commander Robert E. Galer, whom by the end of 1942 already had 14 confirmed kills, becoming the 4th Wildcat Ace. Dolf

The Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless. Flown by Lieutenant Dale Hinton (pilot) and Jack Leaming (not sure of the name in English, anyway, the gunner on the back). Based on the USS Enterprise. This aircraft was shot down on March 4 1942, on the attack on the Marcus island, NW of the Marian islands. Dolf

Now the birds from the Pacific war. The Vought F4U-1A Corsair. One of the most famous Corsair of the US Navy. Flown by Lieutenant Ira C. Kepford, with 16 confirmed kills. Based on Bougainville, Papoua New Guinea, January 1944. Dolf

The Curtiss P-40N Warhawk. I love the design of this plane! This one was flown by Lieutenant-Colonel William N. Reed, 7th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Fighter Group. based in Liagshan, China, 1944. Lieutenant Reed fought for the American Volunteer Group, under the command of General Chennault, and got 9 confirmed kills in dogfights, also destroying 7 enemy aircraft on land. Dolf

The Bell P-39Q-5 Airacobra. This one was Lieutenant William A. Shomo's aircraft. New Guinea, Mars 1944. On January 11 1945 Lieutenant Shomo engaged alone in a fight with 12 Japanese fighters (no info about how many he shot down!) and for this action he was awarded with the Medal of Honor! Dolf

The Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. This one was flown by Captain Cameron Hart, from the 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group. Based in the Boxted airfield, UK, December 1944. Hart had at least 6 confirmed kills. Dolf

The Lockheed P-38J Lightning. I like this aircraft for its unusual shape. Saint-Exup?ry (the author of "The Little Prince") was flying in a P-38 when he disappeared. Apparently the P-38 was the Allied fighter that shot down the largest number of enemy aircraft, and they participated in every front of the War. This one was flown by Lieutenant H.H. Sealey, from the 459th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, based in Chittagon, India, 1944. Dolf

Hi Laurence, Yes, the main body comes complete. Only have to glue a few small pieces, such as the wheels (can usually opt between "in flight" or "in land" position, it comes with pieces for both options), the antenas, the bombs/rockets/fuel tanks... The propeller just have to put it in place, it "works" in all aircraft The main body is in die cast, those other small pieces are in plastic. Dolf

And now the American birds. Starting with probably one of the best fighters ever, the North American P-51D Mustang. This one, the "Big Beautiful Doll", flown by Lieutenant-Colonel John D. Landers, from the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, based in England in 1945, was probably one of the most famous Mustangs of WWII. Landers was the pilot from his unit who got the most kills, 145 in dogfights, but also destroyed a number of enemy aircraft on land. Dolf

The Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien. Flown by Captain Teruhiko Kobayashi. One of the best Japanese pilots, but from his claimed 14 kills apparently only 3 B-29 bombers and 2 F6F Hellcat have been confirmed. Dolf

The Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai. Flown by Lieutenant Naoshi Kanno, May-June 1945. Dolf

The Aichi B7A2 Ryusekai. Dolf

The Nakajima KI-43-II Hayabusa. Flown by Sergeant Akira Sugimoto. On a dogfight on January 7 1945, he shot down the American pilot Tom McGuire (38 kills) but the Japanese pilot was also killed during the fight. Dolf