Beschreibung:

8th A.F., 96th Bomb. Group, 337, 339 & 413th B.S. This lot includes the following medals and ribbons; WWI Service Medal with attached ribbon, PLUS boxed WWII Air Medal with back engraved Mayer Taylor/Bombardier USAAF England 1944 with two ribbon bars, collar pin and two extra ribbons, PLUS 2nd Air Medal boxed, not engraved, and also with collar bar, one extra ribbon and ribbon bar with attached silver oak leaf cluster and two attached bronze oak leaf clusters, PLUS enameled Sterling silver marksman's medal (WWI or Span-Am), PLUS 1.5" long sterling bombers pinback wings, PLUS ribbon bar with WWI & WWII Service ribbon and American Campaign Medal Ribbon. The archive includes a wonderful collection of photographs, most taken by Taylor including 36 aerial photographs of bombing missions, all ca 8" x 10" or close to that size, some with B-17 going down in flames, others with German fighters, others with bomb impact on German cities. There is a photograph album with archive with four 8" x 10" photos of Taylor and his crew in front of their B-17 the Monica Peach. This album also includes 134 photographs from 6" x 8" and smaller of the crew, training, many different planes with nose art, interiors of planes, images from bombing missions, off duty play images, downed German & American aircraft, images of receiving Distinguished Flying Cross and much more. Captain Taylor was something of an artist and archive includes many pencil drawings of fellow crew members, most caricature, others appear to be done for Army publications, and some of an erotic nature. There is a watercolor painting on card stock (10" x 14") entitled Presidential Citation England '43-'44 96th Bomb. GP. (H) with six painted shoulder patches from the group, unsigned but likely done by Taylor. Lot also includes 44 other photographs, most 4" x 5" of bombing missions and crew. There are five air-men's survival maps printed on silk, including Germany Protectorate Slovakia, Poland, Hungary (2 copies); Greece, Albania, Turkey in Europe, Turkey in Asia, Crete: Holland, Belgium, France, Germany (2 copies), all ca 28" square, double sided and printed in color, PLUS four more air-men's survival maps printed on silk, ca 16" x 24" including France (3 copies) & North Africa. Lot includes Taylor's Army Air Corps-issued cello Computer, Dead Reckoning calculator in original leather case, 9.5" long, and his cello Time Distance Computer Type D-4, 4.25" diameter, PLUS pair of cased 1942 R.W.J. binoculars with his name on the shoulder strap, PLUS M-1 Bayonet complete with scabbard and Mark 2 USN marked fighting knife. This lot also includes eleven 8th Air Force and other U.S. Army Air Corps pamphlets. Finally the archive includes Taylor's manuscript notebook with descriptions of each of his 25 combat missions and 20 Missions of his second tour of duty, with notes on the whole crew spending 30 days in States between tours. The entry for 13th mission of 1st tour reads as follows March 23, 1944/13th Mission/No. 2 ship lead element/low sq. 96 Gp./Ship 782-/Pilot Barkalow-437/Nav. M. Taylor/Target Brunswick/Germany/Remarks Carried 10-/500 lbs. H.E. G.P./I rode as navigator had/enlisted man as gunner/ and bombardier. Bombed/by P.F.F. Had heavy/flac in and all way/out. Heavy fighter/attack on way to/target...Bell. turret/destroyed E/A, this is a typical entry for a mission. Taylor and his crew were certainly a brave and patriotic group given the chances of not being shot down would have been around 27% for 25 missions and 13,5% for 50. Taylor was the winner of two Distinguished Flying Crosses (not included due to Stolen Valor Act). This archive also includes a collection of period Sad Sack cartoons kept by Taylor. Approximately 90 clipped cartoons by Sgt. George Baker all 5.25" x 9" and in 2 binders. Condition: Excellent.