Interesting link for War Bond aircraft.
- Thread starter Robert Porter
- Start date
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Interesting stuff. I know nothing about the US system. Their is a long standing tradition for the 'donation' of specially marked weapons to the combatants this side of the pond, dating back several hundred years. It really took off in WW1. In mid 1918 a depot in Kent was receiving so many memos ordering photos to be taken of new presentation aircraft that it had the requisite inscription painted onto a piece of doped fabric which could be temporarily fixed to the nose of any aircraft for a photo opportunity! £1,500 got you a B.E.2c, a more substantial £3,500 got you a Short floatplane. This was a lot of money in 1918.
In WW2 the Air Ministry set the rates. £5,000 got you a single engine fighter, £20,000 for a twin and an eye watering £40,000 for a four engine bomber. £5000 in 1940 is equivalent to at least £200,000 today, a substantial sum. Some towns couldn't raise the money alone and would join forces with another fund to reach the target. This led to some bizarre names such as 'Accrington Church and Oswaldtwistle' from two Lancashire towns, or 'Newport Hundreds and Wolverton Urban District', both in Buckinghamshire (pretty much Milton Keynes today).
The Ministry seems to have rounded down the donations. The people of Taganyika managed to raise £17,436, but only got three Hurricanes, and no money back
Donations were received from all over the Commonwealth and Empire, which led to some unfortunate mistakes. The people of Vizagapatam would have been surprised to see their aircraft, flying with No. 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, with the misspelled name Vizigapatum II.
Madras is now Chennai, unless you are ordering a fairly hot curry
Cheers
Steve
In WW2 the Air Ministry set the rates. £5,000 got you a single engine fighter, £20,000 for a twin and an eye watering £40,000 for a four engine bomber. £5000 in 1940 is equivalent to at least £200,000 today, a substantial sum. Some towns couldn't raise the money alone and would join forces with another fund to reach the target. This led to some bizarre names such as 'Accrington Church and Oswaldtwistle' from two Lancashire towns, or 'Newport Hundreds and Wolverton Urban District', both in Buckinghamshire (pretty much Milton Keynes today).
The Ministry seems to have rounded down the donations. The people of Taganyika managed to raise £17,436, but only got three Hurricanes, and no money back
Donations were received from all over the Commonwealth and Empire, which led to some unfortunate mistakes. The people of Vizagapatam would have been surprised to see their aircraft, flying with No. 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, with the misspelled name Vizigapatum II.
Madras is now Chennai, unless you are ordering a fairly hot curry
Cheers
Steve
Interesting stuff!
