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A diminutive but comprehensive Friend or Foe? Museum of Aircraft Recognition is located in Santa Barbara, California as an adjunct to the CollectAir aviation art gallery. The museum is dedicated to the exhibit of teaching materials used by the armed forces during World War II to train gunners and aircrew in the identification of aircraft, ships and ground vehicles. The ability of servicemen to identify "friend or foe" in an instant was crucial to combat survival and the subject of recognition was taught in just about every World War II service school.

A 1956 book, Operation Watchdog, by C.B. Colby, covers the national defense system and it has several pages devoted to the 1950's GOC. The following paragraphs and photos are from the book.

GOC - All Important Link. In spite of all the electronic devices, the far-flung radar stations and high-flying radar aiarcraft, the ships and subs and "Texas Towers," the most important link in the entire radar defense of our country is the Ground Observer Corps. This consists of some 16,000 observer posts, manned by over 370,000 volunteer civilian observers. These spotter towers blanket our coastal areas and our northern border, but there are still not enough of them. One and a half million more volunteer observers are needed, and nearly ten thousand more observation posts, like those shown on these pages. All posts are vitally important links in our defense system, for radar cannot spot low-flying aircraft, which must be picked up, identified and reported by the GOC spotters before it is too late.

Usually many local volunteers pitch in to keep a GOC spotter post manned twenty-four hours of each day. This means that teams of two or three are there, each perhaps an hour or two a week, working to spot, identify and report upon all aircraft in the area. The observers check a plane's direction and distance from the tower, while one of the trio relays this all-important information to the GOC Filter Center where it is evaluated and added to other data on this plane reported from other GOC posts in the area.

The reports of the observers manning the GOC spotter posts come into a GOC Filter Center, where trained civilian volunteer personnel, aided by USAF officers and men, establish the track of the aircrft reported. This information, once ascertained, is sent on to a Direction Center, where service personnel take over for further action if the identity of the aircraft cannot be instantly be established as that of a friendly craft. The track of an aircraft is plotted across a board covering perhaps hundreds of square miles of territory. Each section is marked off in squares with code numbers and designations for fast reporting.

A "Ski-mobile" observation post site on Mt. Cranmore near North Conway, New Hampshire. Note the quaint "one person at a time" ski lift.

Dr. Garber also devised a controllable Target Kite which was used for gunnery practice; a fully rigged example of his Mk 1 kite, made by Spaulding, is on exhibit with a Mitsubishi "Zero" screened on the kite fabric. Paul Garber became aware that Admiral John H. Towers reported that the Navy required some sort of airborne moving gunnery target; Garber believed that a kite might solve the problem. He worked after hours along with two kite flying buddies, Lloyd Reichert and Stanley Potter, and also with Paul Gwillow, to come up with a rough target kite which had a keel and rudder and could be controlled by two lines. Work on a prototype target kite leading to production began in earnest in the Fall of 1942. Firing tests were conducted in January, 1943 and the first production units from a trial order with Comet Models reached the field for test by May, 1943.

A very thorough history of the target kite program, Garber's involvement, and documentation and manuals (including a 53-page tech manual, U.S. Navy Target Kites Navaer 30-30RC-55) is located at http://www.rtpnet.org/robroy/targetkites/. This is a very informative website.

Navy Commander Luis de Florez of the U.S. Navy Special Devices Division (L) with Dr. Paul Garber (R). In 1944, Captain Luis de Florez USNR, was awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy for 1943 for his contribution to the rapid training of combat pilots and crews through the introduction and development of inexpensive synthetic devices.

The high school model building program enjoyed a rapid beginning, springing from a January 1942 idea, to plans drawn by Comet Model Airplane & Supply Co. and distribution to schools all over the country by March 1942, making the cover of an edition of Life magazine in that month. The pattern drawings, sets A through G, for the U.S. Navy aircraft recognition model program for high schools are available from the Smithsonian by clicking Here. Rear Admiral John H. Towers, U.S.N., Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Division, wrote the following letter to Air Trails magazine:

"On the 23rd of February the high schools throughout the country received their first sets of model airplane plans. This was the beginning of a program that would enable the youth of America to become an essential part of the war effort, the building of exact scale, model planes.

"As the war continues, the importance of this work increases. Pilots must be able instantly to recognize plane types. Their training is aided with practice on model planes. Gunners on the ground, in the air, and spotters at lookout stations must have complete training in plane identification. This training includes the use of model planes.

"All those who are taking part in the building of model planes, both students and instructors, have accepted a responsible job. Obviously, these models are useless for training purposes unless they are accurate reproductions of the true plane. Shoddy, careless work has no place in aviation. It's too costly. The same rigid care and craftsmanship must be the rule for the school workbench."

Jim Alaback, a modelling historian associated with the San Diego Air&Space Museum, wrote an interesting article on the school model building program in the September 1996 KAPA newsletter, "The KAPA Kollector". This issue may be obtained for $3.00 from KAPA, 1788 Niobi Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92804-2630.

I received interesting comments from a wartime recognition model builder, Royce Childress, who constructed the wood models in Huntington Park, California. Royce states that, "I made several of these (recognition models) during WW2. I would go to the Post Office and they had a list of the models wanted. I'd pick one and they would give me the plans and suitable pine or fir wood blocks to build it. When finished, I'd take the model back to the Post Ofice and get another one." Does anyone else remember using the Post Office for this purpose?

American recognition training didn't begin in ernest until our entry into World War II. Well over a year later, the Life magazine-style publication, U.S. Army-Navy Journal of Recognition, was first published in September, 1943. It's mission was stated in a foreword, "No Margin for Error" in issue number 1; a portion of that statement is reprinted below. The magazine changed its name to Recognition Journal with issue 9 and ceased publication following the August, 1945 issue.

"More training is needed. The accepted teaching methods of recognition place great emphasis on seeing an object as a whole and being able, through constant practice, to recognize that object (plane, tank, ship, etc.) from any angle. There are no short cuts to recognition. To promote recognition three methods are used: small, handy manuals covering almost every operational ship, plane and tank either have already been published by one of the services or are forthcoming. In addition courses utilizing such teaching methods as movies, slides, silhouettes and photographs are produced for men in training. Lastly, in the field, on warships and at front line airfields are specially trained recognition officers.

"This Journal, which will be published monthly, is a supplement to the methods now in operation. These methods form the backbone of this all-important subject; the Journal's function will be to bring out regularly the latest news. Being a monthly publication, it will emphasize last-minute changes in equipment and methods, both our own and the enemy's. The Journal will feature, as well as recognition, background material to enhance interest in ships, planes and tanks. Such interest leads to familiarity, and familiarity leads to instant recognition.

"In publishing the Journal, a joint effort of the Army and Navy, we are following the wellestablished lead of the British. The editors of the Journal are grateful for the cooperation extended by the various branches of U.S. services and the R.A.F.

"The U. S. Army-Navy Journal of Recognition is published as a joint effort by the Navy and by the Army to bring out the latest and most important recognition news. It is a restricted publication. As such. . . 'this document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States, within the meaning of the Espionage Act, 50 U. S. C., 31 and 32, as amended' " Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law." Although the Journal is marked Restricted it should receive full distribution. The purpose of the Journalis to disseminate material on recognition as rapidly as possible for the fullest use by officers and enlisted men and it should not be treated as a secret. It is distributed in fixed quotas through the regular channels of each service. A few additional copies are available, and may be. obtained upon request from each service. "

Issue number 3 of the Journal is shown above.

The Journal information also appeared as part of the "Recognition Instructor's Information Letter" - for interest, five silhouettes from a 1945 "Letter", all jets, can be viewed as a PDF file by Clicking Here.

Hundreds of Observation Posts ringed the U.S. manned with civilian volunteers from the Ground Observer Corps serving with the Aircraft Warning Service. Round-the-clock air-defense service as observers or in the Filter Centers or Information Centers, these volunteers spanned age groups, from Boy Scouts to grandmothers. In the early, uncertain days of World War II, the fear of enemy attack gained a foothold with the civilian population of coastal areas - indeed, there was an actual West Coast enemy nuisance shelling near Santa Barbara and many false alarms and on the entire East Coast, beachgoers witnessed countless sinking ships just off the coast in sea lanes, the victims of free roaming German U-boats in 1942. Rumors of attacks and the capture of German spies landing from subs fueled the alarm. Volunteer observers felt that they were doing "something" about the threat - neighbors of observers were then "safer" because there was someone watching the skies that they knew. Coastal cities were eventually blacked out but this took almost a year to institute. The museum has many documents, manuals, magazines and other GOC information from this interesting era.

1943 ad in "Collier's" for Airplane Spotter Playing Cards which are regular decks used for card games. These civilian cards were also purchased and used by military personnel while playing cards, unlike the flash card decks also pictured above which were used for training purposes only.

Ref. No. 953. IDENTIFICATION POSTER FOR A6M ZERO. July 1942. Original WWII poster made in the U.S. Wording at top reads: “Japanese Fighter Type Zero (“0”).” At bottom of poster it reads: “Identification Poster . . No. 3 7/42 D.I.T.-A.A.F.- Identification Unit. From Data currently available. Restricted. U.S. Government Printing Office; 1942-O-477937.” Poster image from http://www.warbirdsite.com of New Zealand, a website worth visisting.

A Douglas B-23 in 1:72 scale molded in plaster of paris, reportedly by a manniken manufacturer. The model is marked "B-23". These plaster types are quite rare and, as can be expected, were not satisfactory as they would easily break.

A 1:72 scale Lysander reportedly made by the Leominster Plastics Co., 45 Spruce Street, Leominster, Mass. It is a nice model made by a blow-molding process (hollow); has a paste-on sticker which has "England Lysander I. 5/43". This company also made a C-47.

A 1:72 scale solid metal model of the four-engine Heinkel He 177. This series was made early in WWII. The model is marked "HE.177. PROP U.S.A.C." The Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics handled the contracting for the plastic models but these metal models are obviously an Air Corps procurement, prpbably made by BronzeArt of New York. Heavy and breakable. The series includes a B-25 which is of the earliest version with a straight dihedral wing (in the museum collection) which gives an idea of the procurement date.

A 1:72 scale cardboard A-20A. These models came in a die-cut flat sheet contained in an envelope. When assembled, the model was an effective three-dimensional training piece. This particular model is marked with an impression "A.A.F. A-20A Br. BOSTON III A.B. or HAVOC II N.F.". This is an Air Forces model Number CM-510 dated 2/22/43. The Navy also had a similar series. The original series of 1942-43 was maintained throughout WWII with no changes. If you ordered this large set in 1945 you received a Brewster Buffalo and many others of obsolete vintage! A number of these models are for sale on the Ephemera Page Link.

Pictured above are two sets of 1:432 plastic "pocket" recognition models. These models were manufactured by Cruver (several appear in a Cruver ad shown in the Appendix). Most collectors assume that the military issue, wartime models (both metal and plastic) had a hole located at the c.g. - each of these models has a hole. The U.S. set is at the top with the British set below. Only a few models in each set actually have the Cruver identity mark, ©, but all have a date and airplane type marked on the underside of the wing or fuselage (the identity mark was only used on a single model of a "tree" as multiple models were molded at once. Comet Metal Products also made 1:432 models in white metal - these were usually painted olive drab and had a hanging or mounting hole (see below). Both of these types were sold to the public following WWII and in some cases were used as premiums for cereal etc. The "civilian" models came in different colors (grey plastic for example although the metal models were sold in olive drab as "Authenticast" models) and did not usually have the "hanging hole" although some are pictured in the Authenticast catalog mounted on a wire from a stand. Molds for the metal models have been used by various companies to make (cheaply molded with stiffened surfaces) pieces for wargamers, and more recently, a line of beautifully cast pewter models on stands (by DFC) which are no longer being made. These 1:432 models are arguably the longest used production airplane model molds ever used - 1943 to around 1993.

This 1:72 scale model of the PBY Catalina is not in my museum's collection but is located in the recognition model program exhibit case at the Garber Facility of NASM; this case was put together by Bob Mikesh when he was Senior Aeronautical Curator at the museum restoration facility a number of years ago. It is an unusual model because it is made of fiberglass and a notation in the exhibit states that the (then) unrefined process, "produced models that did not hold their shapes well." The Defiant at right is also fiberglass. Certainly rare models.

Cruver models were molded from various mixes of cellulose acetate. This particular P-80 had black paint over silver when I received it; many of the P-80 were painted silver and I'm not certain that this was limited to the Aristo-Craft line or not. After removing the paint, the basic plastic is not the usual shiny black but rather a somewhat striated buff color, a not unusual condition. It is shown here to demonstrate the variations to be found in the ID models.

Not an American-made model, this Beaufort is a German Luftwaffe recognition model in 1:50 scale, made of wood and is marked with an impression of "BEAUFORT" under the wing and a small "gur" on the fuselage. A teacher's scale model used in the classroom, this model has not been restored but is in the original paint scheme used. Nicely made, the 1:50 scale were reportedly made in Czechoslovakia. The museum has a number of these including a very nice "Fortress II".

An original German issue cardboard model template from WWII. This small "3-dimensional", 1:132 scale recognition model (printed on paper) is much less sophisticated than the American cardstock 1:72 scale models of the same period. This template was given to the museum by Georges Grod of France. I would like to find out more about these "models" - was there a cardstock copy accompanying this template? Many others in this 1:132 series included the Stirling, Wellington III, Fortress II, Lancaster, A-20B Boston III, Beaufighter I, Hurricane I, Spitfire V, Typhoon, Whirlwind, Ventura, Thunderbolt (has no silhouette views), Mitchell, Lightning, and Halifax I. The reverse side is blank.

German tank recognition model in 1:20 scale. This German wood model most closely represents the Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV) medium tank, Ausf G (toward the end of the G's production run) which entered service in May 1942. The Panzer IV tank, in all of its variants, was the most widely used German tank of WWII, the mainstay of the Panzenwaffe. Developed in 1934, the Panzer IV was in production throughout WWII and was used on all german battle fronts. The G model increased armament to the long barrel 48 calibre 7.5 cm KwK 40 (L/48) and late models had the antenna located at the left rear. The inscription on the right side states, "This is an official object, misuse is punishable." An outstanding model with much more attention to detail than necessary for a recognition model. Other German 1:20 tank models have surfaced which have much less replication of detailed tank features.

The symbol or maker's mark shown at left appears on the Panzer IV model's bow plate. If you can identify the meaning of this mark, I would appreciate hearing from you. No other identifying marks appear on the model. It has been suggested by a German correspondent that the mark could be from a a southern German manufacturer of wood Christmas decorations such as the "nutcracker."

A WWII German recognition training projector is pictured below. This unit is self contained for field use; the top lid with a carrying handle also serves as a container tray for the film strips and spare parts. A sample film strip portion for a "Liberator" is also pictured.

The museum collection includes many ship recognition models in scales ranging from a minute 1:5000 to 1:500; most of these models were issued in cased sets grouped by country. Several examples are shown below. The first is a U.S. Navy Identification Model in 1:500 scale of the OAKLAND, an ATLANTA CLASS CL made by H.A. Framburg & Co. of Chicago and dated 12-44. The model has a wooden hull and the rest is cast metal. The chart is an Army Air Forces Chart No. 18, July 1943, of Guadalcanal Island and Solomon Islands.

The model has the aircraft type, He 115, in raised letters on the bottom of the fuselage - no other markings. It is solid with a heavy feel, has no details of canopy, control surfaces etc. and is very smoothly molded.

The following brief overview of British recognition training programs is culled from various British magazines, books and manuals of the WWII period and from the very excellent book, Identification Friend or Foe, by Tim Hamilton. This book was published in 1994. In it, Tim Hamilton covers the complete spectrum of British recognition efforts, civilian and military, from the beginnings in WWI through the end of WWII plus a brief comment on postwar efforts. I doubt whether this book experienced many sales in the U.S. but copies may be found from British sources. Two other books have been published which are dedicated to the Royal Observer Corps; Derek Wood's Attack Warning Red (1979) and Forewarned is Forearmed by T.E. Winslow, published in 1948 (see below for further discussion concerning this book).

The British first experienced enemy aircraft overhead in December 1914 as the Isles were attacked by a German Taube monoplane. In January 1915, two German Navy Zeppelins dropped bombs on the Norfolk coast. Aircraft drawings and silhouettes began to circulate as the military recognized the need to familiarize forces with the aircraft seen flying overhead in greater numbers, particularly their own. RFC Observer aircraft were equipped with machine guns in the spring of 1915 and aerial warfare was born. The French produced the first recognition manual incorporating three-position silhouettes. In the early stages of WWI, pilots were to identify other airplanes they encountered by markings and paint schemes, an entirely unsatisfactory method of identification for many and obvious reasons. The British were shooting down French airplanes, proving that recognition training was necessary - at least the French thought so. By mid-1918, the British issued a series of recognition manuals as Air Council Field Service publications. These were the first British manuals devoted to recognizing aircraft. CollectAir has several of the British, French and American manuals from WWI in the museum collection.

British instruction in ship identification for Royal Naval Air Service Balloon Officers, circa 1916 - Photo IWM Q33769A.

During the inter-war period, aviation hit a high point in the public's eye with record setting flights and milestones during the 1920s but began a lull as the thirties approached. The Air League of the British Empire began an aggressive campaign to develop airmindedness with its Empire Air Day program following the example of the 1932 National Aviation Day Campaign. A Junior Air League section was formed by A.J. Holladay, called the "Skybird League" in 1933 and the decision was made to market commercial solid-scale model kits of current model airplanes in 1:72 scale. Many "Skybird" members who crafted models from these kits and drawings later became RAF pilots such as Neville Duke. This was a civilian commercial endeavour, nevertheless it was the progenitor of the government recognition model program for the British and for the U.S., both of which would come belatedly.

The British Observer Corps became more active by the mid-1930s, patriotic volunteers working for home defense by spotting airplane movements, sort of an "early warning" system. Recognition training was not requisite for the volunteers and the only information furnished was an Air Ministry silhouette book, AP.1480, which was inadaquate at best. The pastime of airplane spotting became popular and civilian enthusiasts were keeping detailed journals and specification sheets on countless airplanes throughout Great Britain.

The Air Ministry's AP.1480 silhouettes were the primary recognition training tool in 1937 even though the quality of the silhouettes was poor as was pointed out by critics working for major aviation magazines. A new recognition manual, AP.1764, with the same silhouettes, was issued to pilots and air gunners as Great Britain approached war with Germany. Several fatal military incidents occurred in 1939 as a result of mis-identification of RAF aircraft as enemy units, bring home the need for recognition training. The major British magazines, The Aeroplane and Flight started printing aircraft identification material in their publications and The Aeroplane published the first non-government identification book. The technical editor, Peter Masefield, known as PGM to his cohorts, promoted accurate aircraft recognition vigorously and became a patron of the newly formed "The Hearkers Club", a group devoted to recognition training within the Observer Corps. (NOTE: Sir Peter Masefield died on February 14, 2006, living to the age of 91.) Model airplanes entered the scene in 1940 as The Aeroplane kept expanding its recognition pages; as suitable photos were not always available, models from V.J.G. Woodason of Heston were photographed for the recognition charts. The Woodason models were being produced for the Air Ministry in the 1939-1943 period for use in filming and manuals. Some Woodason models were used in movies of the period. The July 16, 1942 The Aeroplane Spotter magazine has a picture of a Woodason Ju 88A6 at the factory in a rather large scale and is decorated with paint scheme and insignia. A history of the Woodason Aircraft Models company and Victor Woodason can be accessed at Woodason Aircraft Models History page on this website. The FROG Penguin plastic model kits in 1:72 scale were on the market in the late 1930s and mention is made in Tim Hamilton's book, Identification Friend or Foe, (p.84) that the FROG models were purchased as part of the models used in the new Army AA Aircraft Recognition Wing training program in 1940 at Biggin Hill for anti-aircraft batteries. The model kit shown here is the Penguin Blackburn Skua II, kit #57P, in the original type A1 box released by FROG in 1939; these kits are quite rare. Wartime ads by FROG mention that they are "Ideal for Identification Purposes" (The Aero-Modeller, February, 1940).

"Friendly fire" problems during the Battle of Britain were just one of many recognition snafus that eventually forced the RAF to form their own Aircraft Recognition Wing in late 1940. The RAF then established their own recognition school on the Isle of Man. Concurrently, a new civilian publication by Peter Masefield, The Aeroplane Spotter, mentioned above, came on the scene in January 1941. Air raids on Britain gave birth to "Raid Spotters" who alerted factory workers when enemy aircraft were approaching. The Raid Spotters formed into a new "Spotters Clubs" exclusive of the Observer Corps. Modelling clubs allied themselves with the spotters, and civilian-made solid models, in various scales, became part of the overall scheme. Controversy over how silhouettes should be drawn erupted when Penguin Books published a paperback, Aircraft Recognition, by R A Saville-Sneath using the AP.1480 silhouettes which had thick white lines showing minimal detail. PGM of The Aeroplane Spotter and The Aeroplane advocated thinner lines to outline greater detail within the silhouette and had been using this improved technique in his magazines and booklets.

Silhouette from The Royal Observer Corps Club flash card, Card Number (A)31A, Courtesy of The Aeroplane. FAIREY FULMAR I

Silhouette from M.A.P. flash card, Card Number 74(S), Issue 1. BOEING 314A
Identification Friend or Foe states on page 106 that by mid-1941 there were contractural requirements for 200,000 models for use as recognition teaching aids. Materials mentioned are wood, "Bakelite", and "buckram". Model manufacturers listed are Lines Brothers (FROG Penguin), and cabinet makers and boat builders such as Jack Holt. The material "Bakelite" shows up in many discussions of recognition models and, in some cases, it may be used as a generic term for plastic. Some of the British, and most American, plastic models were manufactured from cellulose-acetate which had many brand names during that period. Photographic models were made by V.J.G. Woodason of Woodason Aircraft Models at Heston. Training films were produced using both models and later real, captured aircraft for air-to-air, realistic scenes for recognition purposes.

The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) started publishing its own magazineThe Journal of the Royal Observer Corps in the fall of 1941. Not being a government publication, this magazine could not use classified material. By 1942, the Air Ministry was faced with the growing problem of co-ordinating recognition training for the three services, particularly as U.S. forces began to arrive in Great Britain. An Inter-Service Recognition Committee report spurred the RAF to form a new Visual Aircraft Recognition Training Committee. The Inter-Service Recognition Committee launched a new official publication, Aircraft Recognition, in September 1942 under the MAP and headed by Peter Masefield. This new publication doomed the ROC's journal and it lasted only until December 1942.

The history of the ROC, beginning in 1914, is covered in the 1948 book, Forewarned is Forearmed by T.E. Winslow, as pictured at left. WWI, the in-between war period, the first year of WWII, the Battle of Britain, 1942-1943, reorganization, 1944-1945, and stories and details of the many ROC operational areas fill the book. I particularly enjoyed the story of how the coastal Post No. 30 Royal Observer Corps Group (Durham Centre), on the night of May 10, 1941, picked up an aircraft and a subsequent track was kept at the Group's Operations Table; seven minutes later the Chatton Post reported the airplane and correctly identified it as a Me 110 at 50 feet. Two minutes later the Galashiels Observer Group No.31 started tracking the airplane, lost it and then it was reported by Jedburgh and Ashkirk Posts in the Forest of Ettrick area. The No. 34 Observers Group in the Glasgow area picked up the aircraft by sound and tracked until the Observer Post at West Kilbride identified the aircraft as hostile. The aircraft turned toward Glasgow and a report came from the Eaglesham Post that the aircraft was seen to crash in flames near Bonnyton Moor. Because of the speed of the aircraft, the Glasgow Centre believed the aircraft to be the Me 110 and dispatched a vehicle to the crash site. The pilot had been taken prisoner by the Home Guard where it is was eventually discovered that he was Rudolf Hess, the culmination of one of the most sensational events in Great Britain during WWII. A fold-out chart of Hess' flight and each ROC reporting Post is included. This book outlines the ROC activity and organization but only glosses over the subject of how aircraft recognition was taught. As described elsewhere herein this article, the author corroborates the fact that recognition was not a duty early in WWII. He mentions that "Curiously enough, at the outbreak of war it was not one of the functions of the Observer Corps to recognize the various types of aircraft. It was merely their duty to report and tell every aircraft that they saw or heard, irrespective of its type, although provision was made for distinguishing between bombers and fighters regardless of nationality. (Same for the U.S. system early in WWII.) It was soon realized that better use could be made of the Corps, and that it was essential that Observers should not only be able to distinguish friend from foe, but that one of their most valuable qualifications was the art of recognition of different types."

The author also states in the section on 1942 reorganization that "At the commencement of the war, as we have seen, the Posts had merely to report the postion of aircraft continously to their Centres, and to co-operate in that duty with other Posts on the same telephone circuit, while aircraft recognition, as understood in 1942, was not the official duty of the Observers at the Posts at the time of the outbreak of war." Later, however, proficiency in Aircraft Recognition became one of the list of Post duties. Anyone wishing to further study the ROC should read Forewarned is Forearmed.

Sentinels of Britain - The Wartime Story of the Royal Observer Corps is a 155 minute DVD recently issued by Air Supply in Yeadon. Sixteen men and women who served during WW2 with the ROC tell their stories of duty as observers and spotters and each, in his own way, impart the great sense of duty, enthusiasm and dedication that these lonely sentinels felt. The individual tales are mixed with scenes of wartime England and the ROC activity. This is a fine effort to capture the way these individuals put the ROC in the forefront of their daily lives as they, along with their fellow post crew, manned observer posts or centres around the clock, reporting or plotting air movements with accuracy and diligence. The following photos are stills from the DVD and give just a hint of the stories that these wonderful people tell in their recollections of WW2 and the ROC.

Recognition model production centered both on government contract requirements for the three services and models for the civilian spotter groups. The Aeroplane Spotter of July 16, 1942, in its ROC column states that "A growing interest in models as an aid to recognition of aircraft is becoming evident. The increasing supply of the official models combined with the use of the Hunt Trainer have brought about a closer liason between the allied arts of recognition and aero-modelling. Mr. C.P. Dixon, who has long been associated with the production of models for recognition, has been supplying the Services and the Spotters' Clubs under special terms with his well-known series of Scalecraft kits." These kits were from the Adastra Works in Southport. The Spotters' Clubs held national contests for solid scale models. This is being pointed out because in-so-far-as I can determine, the recognition models which were built under government contract were probably not issued to the para-military ROC or to Spotters' Clubs, both of which diligently built their own models, in many scales, usually decorated and many with landing gear, clear canopies, propellers and such - pictures of ROC gatherings substantiate this. These models may have been from kits "officially" provided. Again, the March 26, 1942 issue of The Aeroplane Spotter has a complete page on "Models for Spotting" which is devoted to amateur building because, "The value of solid scale models to aircraft recognition at last appears to be receiving the attention it merits." and "Few attempts have been made in the past to promote scale modelling and to associate it with spotting..." In this article, several model manufacturers are mentioned; FROG "penguin" plastic models of course along with kits by Chingford Model Aerodrome, Model Aero Supplies of Halifax, Model Aircraft Stores of Bournemouth, Scalecraft of Southport, the Skybird League, and Skyleada Models of Croydon. A letter in a June 1942 issue from "Cockpit Models" states that "...it is a great pity that the importance of models was not recognized years ago, as in this we are a long way behind Germany." A September 1942 issue, on the ROC page, states that "Model Aircraft are now appearing more and more at Branches, Posts and in Observer's personal collections. Official and unofficial supplies are becoming easier." By November 1942, the ROC page confirms that there was a "battle" between advocates of 1:72 scale and 1:48 scale and that the 1:72 will win because "...this has been officially adopted." The Aero Modeller magazine of July, 1943 has an ad for Skyleada and Skyrova models which are called "The Spotters Aid, Aircraft Recognition Made Easy" and that these kits "contain Balsa wood and are for sale only to members of the R.A.F., A.T.C., R.O.C., Spotters' Clubs, A.A. Units, or Official Schools of Training in Aircraft Recognition." Other companies making models were The Authentic Model Co. Ltd. of Warrington and Aeromodels Ltd. of Liverpool.

"Even today (1943) this latter point is not fully appreciated. More often than not models issued to service and other units are stored away like museum pieces or, at the most, are festooned from the ceiling of a room which is out of bounds to the rank and file."

Woodason cites a R.O.C. Club Journal article describing a device for viewing a model at a distance and adjusting the orientation. A spotter's box, used on the H.M.S. Excellent, is specified as is the R.A.F.'s well known Hunt Trainer using mirrors and reflection methods; all of these devices used 1:72 scale models.

He also suggests, in the chapter entitled, "Why Build Scale Model Aircraft," that the maker of model airplanes can donate them to the local Observer Corps, Air Training Corps and Anti-Aircraft posts for training in recognition.

Woodason's motto is "Watch And Make", WAM, or Woodason Aircraft Models. An ad for his activity at the Heston Airport in Middlesex reads, in part, "When Aircraft Manufacturers, Air Line Operators, Exhibition Committees and the Museums require aeroplane models of high quality they consult Woodason Aircraft Models, the firm whose specialised experience and workmanship is unsurpassed - Remember the Name!" Woodason Aircraft Models History page gives additional information on the Woodason models.

Available government furnished, official recognition models were listed in the first issue of Aircraft Recognition with the statement by editor, PGM, that "...silhouettes and models that have been issued in the past have been inaccurate, and replacements are now in hand and will shortly be available." Forty-seven models were listed in issue No. 1 followed up by an additional nineteen models in issue No. 5. Probably the largest collection of British recognition models in England has been amassed by collector George Cox (museum collections are sparse). In addition to his collection, George has listed all the models that he and several fellow collectors have run across, both wartime and postwar, and this list runs to something like 210 models. I will be happy to send you a copy of this list if you send CollectAir a SASE. George asks that if you can add to this list, please let us know. George has contributed his knowledge of the subject to this article.

Ron Crawford, a 1:200 scale airplane guru, undoubtedly knows more about 1:200 models than anyone else in the world; Ron both manufacturers and collects 1:200 scale models and has researched and documented the history of Wiking Modellbau and other 1:200 manufacturers throughout the 20th century. Ron has added some information to the British aspect of 1:200 aircraft recognition models in use during WWII. 1:200 scale aircraft models were made for the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, most likely by two different manufacturers. These models were designed for use by anti-aircraft personnel and aerial gunners. The Royal navy models were grey metal castings with very limited detail and were issued in small sets of about twenty models that varied in type based on the theater of operations. The Merchant Navy models were limited to the few types most likely to be encountered at sea. Ron says that he has encountered both types, some in raw casting and some airbrushed. Recently, a British WWII, 1:200 scale recognition and aiming trainer set was offered at auction. This boxed set was a "Portable Aiming Teacher Mk.II Pat. No. 10698". The box measured 21 inches by 15 inches and housed about sixteen metal 1:200 models, each on a rod extending from the tail section. Each model has a clear plastic disc representing a rotating propeller, similar to the Wiking models. A hand-held device fastened the model in such a way that is was viewed through a peep-hole and a cross-hair was positioned to teach how to aim correctly. Two pictures of this trainer are shown below; the manufacturer's label can be seen on the bottom of the box, AEROS (?) LTD., London.

Oddly, although the Bassett-Lowke book is profusely illustrated with photos, and has hundreds of ship model illustrations, including some larger scale Admiralty models, there are no recognition models pictured and only the brief mention quoted above. I have found it difficult to obtain much information concerning the British recognition ship model program. Ron Crawford mentions that a number of wood shops made recognition models but that the Bassett-Lowke models were works of art in scales of 1:1200, 1:500 and 1:300. I would appreciate any information and pictures which could be included in this discussion of the British wartime program.

A small booklet, Progress of Transport by Water by W.J. Bassett-Lowke, is a text of a talk that Mr. Bassett-Lowke made to civic organizations in 1949. He used a set of hand-made 1/1200 actual size waterline ship models, primarily commercial vessels, to demonstrate his lecture. Included in this booklet is a catalog of 1:1200 commercial ship models, but there are two pages devoted to wartime models. A quote from Chief of Naval Air Service, Rear-Admiral AL. St. G. Lyster, C.B., C.V.O., D.S.O. is given: "...I wonder if those who make these models really understand the great part their models play in the training of the Royal Navy in their work at sea.

"Ship recognition plays such a vital part in all sea warfare, and as far as my own branch of service is concerned, that is, the Fleet Air Arm, an early appreciation by the aircrews and recognition of what they see during their reconnaissance flights over the ocean is invaluable and I do not think we should be able to reach the high state of training which we get, without the assistance of the Bassett-Lowke models.

"During my extensive experience at sea in this war, it has been very rare for the Fleet Air Arm to make a mistake in the recognition of enemy ships, ships which they could not actually have seen before, but have been able to recognize by being trained on your models..."

The two pictures below are from this booklet. Shown are a set of 1:1200 waterline models, a destroyer, cruiser, battleship and aircraft carrier (I'll leave it up to you to identify each!). The second picture is a 1:300 scale model of the H.M.S. King George in camouflage. Of interest, the 1949 booklet lists twenty-two 1:1200 warship models for sale, the most expensive being the H.M.S. Illustrious at 61/-.

Here is a selection of official recognition models covering different materials and manufacturers, both from WWII and postwar (Korean War) era. All are in 1:72 scale. Some of the WWII models were generously donated to the museum by Tom Harkenrider whose father brought them back from England after serving in the 8th Air Force so their provenance is unquestioned. I welcome any additional information that you can offer.

The following models are 1:72 scale postwar wood identification models. Markings are different on all shown here so could be from different sources.

That's my selection of British recognition models to present you with a few mysteries. Any Sherlock's out there? For more information on the Royal Observer Corps you can go to http://freespace.virgin.net/richard.wordsmith/roc/rochist.htm. Return to Top of Page

493rd B.S., 7th B.G., 10th A.F. , in India, gets briefing on November 24, 1943 for a mission to Rangoon. Note the many recognition models hanging from the ceiling. I suspect that these models provided more decoration in the briefing room than training but constant exposure was important. This display arrangement for the models has been recreated in the Friend or Foe? museum training room.

Recognition is all-important when unidentified planes approach a task force at 300-plus m.p.h.

A squadron of planes appears heading toward a U.S. task force in the Pacific. There is no radio contact. If the planes are ours they are probably in trouble and lost; preparations must be made to help them. If they are enemy, a few seconds delay may mean the difference between voctory and defeat.

The admiral of the task force hesitates and turns to his recognition officer.

"What do you advise?" he asks.

"They're Kates, sir," says the recognition officer.

"Are you sure?"

The recognition officer has another look through his glasses. Behind him are months of training and a new but fine tradition that has been built up since the war began by Yankee ingenuity, college psychologists and a collection of practical recognition experts, which includes an ex-hotel executive and the manager of the baseball farms of the Cincinnati Reds. In a few seconds, the man on the battleship lowers his glasses.

"Fixed landing gear - never mind the details - they're enemy torpedo planes," he says.

The ack-acks swing into action. One Kate blows up in midair from a direct hit, another crashes in the sea and explodes. Those that survive miss their targets and fly off in ragged formation.

The Navy's recognition system, made in the U.S.A. and a bellwether for systems used by the Air Forces and ground troops around the world, has scored another victory.

This true story of recognition-in-action today is the rule rather than the exception. But the happy ending often failed to come off early in the war. Recognition was one of the least-known quantities in the entire panorama of war problems when the Japs struck at Pearl Harbor. In other wars it had not been an important factor. Soldiers in the War Between the States had only to recognize the color of the enemy's uniform and begin shooting. A vague knowledge of what the speed of the airplane was introducing into modern warfare was picked up by recognition experts in World War I and a few pamphlets were published. But until the shooting began in World War II nothing of importance was done about the recognition problem and nobody considered it important.

The British were the first to change their minds. They quickly learned the vital need for recognizing an enemy plane instantly and opening fire - or seeking an air raid shelter. Intensive recognition education resulted. Models, movies and instructors were used, with the emphasis on aviation, and civilians were organized under the Royal Observer Corps. Everybody from children through service men to old men and women participated in the training program, which one U.S. Naval officer officially described recently as a "whale of a job."

U.S. work in the same field, spiced by some typical Yankee innovations, picked up where the British left off. Because the Navy usually had first and most frequent contact with the enemy, especially in the Pacific theater, it was the first to realize the seriousness of the recognition problem and to do something about it. By spring of 1942, the Naval Aviation Training Division in the Bureau of Aeronautics had completed plans for training recognition officers.

Up to this time, recognition had been taught by the so-called WEFT System - the letters representing wings, engine, fuselage and tail - but difficulties were discovered almost immediately. It took too long to teach instructors and they, in turn, found difficulty in getting their knowledge across quickly to men in the field. Some of the latter, in typical GI style, thought up a new set of words for WEFT that were neither complimentary nor printable.

Implementing the educational work which resulted from the Renshaw theory was the use of flash exposures, which gave the student only time to see the total form. Silhouettes were flashed on a screen at a speed up to 1/100th of a second.

Incidentally, the Renshaw theorists toyed with the idea that, bersides training a student in recognition, they would also improve his sight. There are two schools of thought on the subject, the other believing that eye-sight is not actually improved but that the student learns to use his eyes more efficiently, broadening his "cone of vision." Whatever the truth, recognition training was speeded up tremendously and became progressively effective in the field.

This is not to say that progress was steady. As was the case in almost every other aspect of the war effort, time became thhe chief ally of setbacks and failures. There wasn't enough time left in a world war to train all the necessary personnel quickly enough to supply the immediate combat needs. Although every available recognition officer worked until he dropped to sleep on his feet, there was not enough time to train enough men to carry the colossal recognition load during the invasion of Italy - and a tragic number of our paratroop transports were shot down by allied surface craft who mistook them for enemy dive bombers. Recognition of ground and surface equipment, as well as aircraft, had to be taught. And it was found by recognition officers that while the basic psychology of the total form system was excellent, practical application in the field called for a number of changes.

Typical revisions were those made following the return from fighting areas of such men as Lieut. Friedrich Fleig, former baseball farm manager for the Cincinnati Reds. Fleig joined up for action and got it as a recognition officer at Guadalcanal. There he discovered he did not know enough about planes and especially new enemy models. Hating desk work, he nevertheless asked for transfer to Washington to set the informational material aright.

Gradually the werinkles have been ironed out and typical American mass production methods installed. In May, 1942, a two weeks course for 25 A-V(S) officers brought in from Naval pre-flight schools was established at Ohio State University. An index to the lack of emphasis placed on recognition at the time was that this school was to be discontinued at the end of four months. But so many requests for recognition officers came in from the fleet that the work was continued.

Recruitment of civilians was required to meet the demands. By November, 1942, the first indoctrination class of 75 ex-civilians was opened, a 60-day course which eventually was taken by 550 men who are today serving on ships and at air bases of the Navy's far-flung battlefront. Men back from the fleet also continued to receive training.

By January, 1943, the quota of recognition officers was more than doubled, to 1,200 officers - training to go forward at the rate of 170 per month. On graduation these men went to all Naval activities other than aviation, the plan being to have recognition officers assigned to the ship's company of all units of the fleet from capital ships to destroyer escorts, and in shore-based activities.

Another sea-duty bug in the program was that the recognition officer often found time hanging heavily on his hands. Not infrequently his total contribution was a few seconds' work similar to that recounted at the beginning of this article. Beginning in March, 1943, this was offset by sending all officers at Ohio State on graduation to Purcell, Okla. where they had 30 days' training at the Naval air gunners school. A few men were sent to air combat information school at Quonset Point, R.I.

By August, all recognition training for A-V(S) officers was completed after about 800 men had been trained. Refresher training is, of course, continuing.

As time went by a fleet commands recognized the the value of recognition officers, duties at sea were increased according to the ideas of the command. There are more than 400 men aboard a capital ship who at one time or another must do look-out work. Recognition officers have been put in charge of intensive courses for these men. Lectures on the up-to-the-minute intelligence on enemy equipment are frequent. Many recognition officers have graduated into intelligence work or added it to their schedule.

On the receiving end of the information, Naval aviators, of course, are at the top of the list. From the day a cadet pilot starts training until he goes into combat, he gets approximately 175 hours of recognition training. Refreshers when on active duty are numerous and detailed. Surface craft, both friendly and enemy, get almost as much attention as friendly and enemy planes.

A painting from a wartime National Geographic magazine article entitled "A Navy Artist Paints the Aleutians". The painting is by Lt. William F. Draper, U.S.N.R. Because of the muddy Aleutian base, these naval fliers are wearing Army clothes. Note the "Air News" magazine on the table along with the model project being worked on by Lt. (j.g.) Carl Dillon.

Another painting from the wartime National Geographic magazine article entitled "A Navy Artist Paints the Aleutians". The painting is by Lt. William F. Draper, U.S.N.R. Captioned "Friend or Enemy? Navy Officers Memorize Warship Outlines. Long winter nights allow ample time for classes in ship identification. By lamplight, Lt. (j.g.) R. Deladield, air combat intelligence officer, instructs. Seated, left to right, are F.R. Robinson, warrant carpenter; Lt. (j.g.) J.W. Sahlman, Ensign J.J. Romero, and Lt. (j.g.) Royal A. Lett. Silhouettes of enemy planes line the walls of their Yakutat hut on Umak. When the Japanese sneaked into the Aleutians in June, 1942, ship identification became supremely importatnt..."

In addition to cadet training, recognition instruction is given to enlisted personnel in technical training commands, Naval air gunners' schools, and operational training commands. For keeping these men up to date recognition officers also serve at Naval air stations, aviation free-gun units and Naval air transport squadrons. Groups are, as noted, assigned to fleet commands, including Comairlant, Comairpac, Confair West Coast, Alameda and Seattle. Recognition officers are also attached to the staffs of the Naval air training command, Naval air primary training command, Naval air technical training command, and the free gunnery standardization committee.

The over-all program is under the recognition sub-section of the aviation training division, headed by Lieut. C.D. Coffman, former officer in charge of the recognition courses at Ohio State - and an assistant manager of the Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C., before he went into uniform. The program was organized in the spring of 1942 by then Captain, now Rear Adm. A.W. Radford, then director of Naval Aviation Training. At that time the work was supervised by Lieut. Comdr. W.W. Agnew.

Aiding in co-ordinating and disseminating information to the field is a committee meeting bi-weekly whose membership includes RAF and Army ground and air force officers as well as Navy leadership in the recognition field.

Even today the program is far from static. Fraction-of-a-second slides of planes are still "required reading" in refresher courses and to supplement lectures in the field and at sea, but a number of somethings new have been added. Among them are the shadowgraph, moving pictures and balopticans, not to mention a device that only American brains could have adapted to the uses of war - the pin-ball machine.

And daily from the battle areas come comminiques testifying how the program has paid huge dividends by saving U.S. lives and personnel and by helping to destroy the enemy.

Despite the much-publicized transport tragedy dury the Sicilian invasion and the fact that only 22 recognition officers participated, Adm. R.E. Ingersoll reported after the fighting was over that "the efficiency of the identification officers in the operation was extremely gratifying." As a result of the Sicily incident, Rear Adm. Alan G. Kirk, in charge of amp hibious operations then as well as against France, recommended that a recognition officer be stationed on all battleships, cruisers, destroyers, transports and cargo ships in amphibious operations. This recommendation has since been adopted and there are today more than 2,000 recognition officers on active duty.

Scores of anecdotes spice the reports from battle areas. Ther is the one of the U.S. dive bomber squadron leader who peeled off in a contested area in the Pacific which he thought was patrolled by enemy ships only. His target was a battleship. And then he remembered its lines - it was one of our own fleet. Had he continued his dive, death to himself and his companions or destruction of a $100,000,000 battlewagon and los of its crew might have resulted.

Fleig, teaching in a grass hut in Guadalcanal, had one of his students come back from his first combat with a Jap Hamp to his credit. The Hamp had come upon him suddenly but the young American pilot had immediately opened fire. Why?

"It was a Zeke with square wings," said the victor. "I recognized it immediately from the slides we used to study."

Recognition - or lack of it - works both ways. A Jap pilot who apparently hadn't studied up recently sidled up to a Liberator in a "Jake," Jap single-engine float observation plane sometimes used as a dive bomber. He thought he was among friends - until it was too late for him to get away.

One of the most enthusiastic partisams for recognition training is Vice Adm. Marc Mitscher, skipper of the now famous Task Force 58. Admiral Halsey is another.

But perhaps the best example involves a carpenter's mate on a destroyer in the Atlantic fleet. With a battle station below decks, he began to study under his recognition officer as a hobby. He proved to be an expert in short order and today, when the shooting begins, his station is on the bridge beside the skipper.

My theory on the whole "melting" situation is that Cruver used various batches of cellulose acetate granules and some of those batches used a plasticizer that was less than adequate to last over 60 years! It is obvious that the best plasticizers were not available to the industryso you had to take what you could get. All collectors are familiar with the phenomenon of just part of a model melting. Many of the larger Cruver models were constructed from several parts, each of which would have gone through an individual manufacturing cycle, not necessarily at the same time or using the same batch of granules. A good example is the PBY Catalina; it's rare to find a PBY wing that hasn't begun to shrink or melt but I've never seen a bad PBY fuselage. Certainly a heated environment can warp IDs but I don't believe it materially contributes to melting unless the plastic already has a propensity to shrink. I have a perfectly good PBM Mariner hanging from my museum's classroom ceiling; I got that particular model from a Sunnyvale, California garage where it hung from the ceiling for about 30 years - a hostile environment yet it didn't bother this flying boat. Certain model types have exhibited a much greater propensity to melt. To my knowledge, information on specifications, number of models manufactured (or even how many runs were made of a particular model) was not kept so we have nothing today to check against. We are pretty much stuck with conjecture coupled with some science. Of interest is the fact that the dozen Design Center models (a molder's mark of a square with an interlocking "DC" inside) seem to hold up better with few experiencing "melting" - perhaps the Design Center had a better supplier.

There's only one thing you can do with a shrinking model - toss it out when it gets too ugly! No home remedy is going to restore a melter or shrinker. It's not catching like a virus nor treatable. Many models will exhibit a slight vinegary smell even though they're not shrinking or "wet". Wetness is a sure incipient sign of a deteriorating model and is absolutely non-reversible. If purchasing a genuine WWII recognition model, be certain that it is in perfect material condition; broken parts, even warps, can be fixed, but not shrinking. I'm convinced that a good percentage (75%?)of the Cruver models will continue to last well into this century and are excellent collectibles. Many of us have learned the expensive way that deteriorating cellulose acetate airplanes are heading for the boneyard. Replacing a shrinker is a gamble that one should take only if willing to take the risk. Several pictures of "shrinking" models are presented below; some of these are not from my own collection (I've had plenty of melters) but are pictures taken right off of eBay of models for sale! So, watch it out there. The B-17 appears as if it was severely blasted by flak but be assured that this is not a battle scar but spontaneous "melting."

Postwar recognition models, made in much smaller quantities, by many other companies, weren't hampered by strategic material priorities and are made from a much more stable plastic, cellulose acetate butyrate, although even some of these can exhibit problems. Contrary to a widely held belief that the cellulose acetate butyrate plastic models of the postwar era are immune to "plastic fatigue", I have recently discovered two grey models which have experienced plastic deterioration or "melting". During an inventory of several hundred, stored postwar recognition models, I ran across the first bad "grey" models that I've seen. An AD-5W Aug 57 and a P6M-1 Seamaster June 1957 both having significant decomposition in the fuselage/wing area. Still, a very small percentage loss.

Please use the Feedback Link if you have anything to add to this discussion or would like to comment on the mystery of the Disappearing Recognition Models.

SOURCE OF RECOGNITION MODELS

How did the collectible recognition models get into civilian hands? Numerous avenues. Some were "liberated" during the war, many were sold surplus at military surplus stores (25 cents each in a barrel), and many were sold by model shops through the wholesale source, Polk's Model Craft Hobbies in New York and Chicago, who called the surplus Cruver models the "Aristo-Craft" line. Ads for these models began appearing in model airplane magazines in 1944 and continued for about three years. Initially the models were quite expensive for the time, particularly for a marketplace that was inexperienced with all-plastic models of any kind. The models must not have sold well as the price kept dropping the ads into 1947.

Obviously Polk's had a glut of the Aristo-Craft models by the 1947-48 period and tried to move them out of inventory by having an "auction" for dealers. A wholesale flyer was sent out with the details of the "By-Mail Auction" for lots of the Aristo-Craft plastic models (Cruver IDs). One page of the flyer is shown below.

The following pitch appears on the reverse side: "Your chance to name your price for America's leading line of finished scale models, 100% complete - need no sanding or shaping. Die cast in durable, non-shrinking (?!?) plastic from precision molds, 1/72 scale, hairline exactness. Every minute detail of the full size aircraft is faithfully reproduced. Each mo