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Quote1 What about all the WORKERS in the FACTORY ?! They're LOCKED IN !! Our fight isn't with the German people .. it's with the NAZIS !! Quote2
Del van Dynesrc

The Death Patrol was a ragtag group of volunteer pilots fighting Nazi oppression in Europe and across the European Theater of WWII. Most of the founding members of the Patrol were escaped convicts, and their striped uniforms were designed to commemorate this. The Death Patrol's famous insignia was a skull wearing a hat.

History

Right after getting fired from his airline pilot job, Del Van Dyne, millionaire owner of his own Stratoliner, got hijacked by five escaping convicts. All of them claimed to be ace pilots, and ordered him to fly to Boston. He instead flew to England, and along the way persuaded these desperados to fight for the R.A.F., as "a foreign legion of the air." They arrived in English airspace during a German bombing raid, and managed to destroy one German bomber by using an improbable tactic: dropping two oil drums onto it, in mid-air. Some R.A.F. officers saw this, and were very anxious to recruit all six of them.

Early on, there was friction between the British regular military, especially their commanding officer Colonel Rider, and the unruly convicts. But they accomplished several very difficult assignments, and eventually earned the grudging respect of the established military authorities.

In its early adventures, this unit suffered severe attrition, losing one member in nearly every adventure.

Current Members

  • Del van Dyne, former airline pilot, founding member, apparently died in Military Comics #8, when he was shot in the back at close range by Mademoiselle from Armentieres, but was rescued from a Naziland hospital in Military Comics #9.
  • Gramps, ex-pickpocket, founding member, apparently died in Military Comics #6, when he threw himself onto a grenade and it went off, rejoined the team in Military Comics #12, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
  • Hank, ex-rustler, founding member, apparently died in Military Comics #9 amid a hail of gunfire, rejoined the team in Military Comics #12, was absent when the team re-appeared in Military Comics #20, returned to the team in Military Comics #22. This was amid a continued story, set in Japan. Between the 1st and 2nd episodes, Hank simply appeared in Japan, without explanation, and Del was simply absent from Japan, without explanation. Hank and was still on the team at the end of the series.
  • Chief Chuckalug, ex-rodeo performer, joined in Military Comics #4, was absent when the team re-appeared in Military Comics #20, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
  • King Hotintot, African ruler, joined in Military Comics #5, apparently died in Military Comics #10, amid a hail of machinegun bullets (and the caption described him as "fatally wounded"), rejoined the team in Military Comics #12, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
  • Boris, joined in Military Comics #6, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
  • Frere Jacques, the Patchwork Kid, joined in Military Comics #7, was absent when the team re-appeared in Military Comics #20, returned to the team in Military Comics #23, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
  • Yogi telekinetic telepath, joined in Military Comics #20, and was still on the team at the end of the series.

Former Members

Paraphernalia


Transportation:

Notes

  • Del Van Dyne learned German in college.[2]
  • The Death Patrol appeared in Military Comics #s 1 ~ 12, then disappeared. Under Will Eisner's editorship, the team suffered one fatality in nearly every story.
  • The "skull with hat" insignias were introduced in Military Comics #4. Each member had an individualized logo, in which the skull's hat resembled the member's own hat.
    • When the Death Patrol returned in Military Comics #20, the planes no longer had the death's-head insignia.


See Also

Links and References

Footnotes

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