Stalag Luft III Print Donald Duck Disney POW Prisoner Of War World War II Art
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:84440 | Modified Item: No |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: Canada |
"I Wanted Wings" Luft III Ltd edition printDisney WW IIinsigniaDonald Duck - Stalag Luft III
I amselling some limited edition prints, which were created around 10 years ago.These prints feature a Donald Duck image created by Emmet Cook, Sr., a WorldWar II, B-17 Bombardier who was shot down over Italy. Emmet created the imagein his YMCA-supplied War Log.
EmmetCook Sr. enlisted in the Cadet Air Corps in 1940 and signed-on with the RoyalCanadian Air Force in 1941. With America’s e...ntry into the war, he was calledback to the U.S. Army Air Force before he could report to Canada. Cook servedas a Bombardier aboard a B-17F named Holey Joe, and after that bomber wasdamaged, a plane named Junior.
Juniorand several of her crew would not survive the war. On March 22, 1943, Juniorwas hit by German anti-aircraft fire while on a bombing raid over PalermoHarbor. The bomber’s left wing caught fire and eventually tore-off, sending theplane into a spin. Five men including the pilot, co-pilot, engineer, radiooperator, and ball turret gunner were trapped and perished in the crash. Emmetwas able to bail out. “[I] had a rough landing in cactus as large as Texascactus. [I] was captured by six goat herders, one with a gun. [They were] allvery scared. The older one with [the] gun spoke broken English. He acted verynervous and scared. Later that evening they turned me over to the military.”The other two survivors included the Waist Gunner and the Navigator.
Cook wasincarcerated at Stalag Luft III, taking up residence in Block 108 in the NorthCompound. “I was impressed how well the senior RAF officers and USAAF officerswere organized. I played on the championship softball team [and] did a lot ofoil painting and cartooning in books. [I] ran about five miles every day, weather permitting, around the circuit. [I] stayed busy and in top physicalcondition despite the lack of food.”
The youngBombardier eventually joined the Camp’s Escape Committee and helped plan whatwould later be known as the “Great Escape.” Cook recalled, “[My duties were to]map the camp and locate blind sports for gardens and a place to dispose of sand[from the tunnels.] [I] stayed busy working with Flight Lieutenant Brian Evanson maps.”
In hisspare time, Cook dabbled with watercolor paints and pencil crayons. Putting hisartistic talents to work, Cook drew an emblem that would fast become the camp’sunofficial insignia. The design featured Donald Duck in jail and the caption “IWanted Wings. “I really don’t remember [how the design came about.] I alwaysenjoyed Disney’s cartoons, especially Donald Duck. I suppose it was thefrustration in Donald’s expressions. Believe me, there were many frustratedairmen at Luft III.”
Thedesign captured the emotions of fellow prisoners and as the cartoon circulatedthroughout the camp, many POWs approached Cook asking him to draw the Donalddesign for them. “They loved it. Many wanted me to draw it on a postcard sothey could send it home. I drew it on letters that they sent home to theirfamily.”
The imageI am offering for sale is a print of the design Emmet first created in his WarLog. There were 50 limited edition prints that were created. One was damagedand destroyed so there are 49 in total. The number for the one in this auction is 32 of 49.
Theprints were created on acid free, archival quality, paper. All of the imagesare numbered in sequential order, and all were hand-signed by Emmet, whoincluded his Prisoner of War number along with his signature on every print.Emmet signed the prints using an archive-quality marker.
Theprints measure 8x10 and the image measures about 9 x 6 ¼ inches.
For thosepurchasing a print, I will also include a six-page, almost 2, 700 word documentthat gives the whole history of the design, how Disney had artist Hank Portercreate a cleaned-up version of the insignia, and what happened to the originalart following the war’s end.
Thewatermark "Private Collection" seen in the listing does not appear onthe print. If you have any questions, please ask. This is a limited editionprint of Emmet's original art, and each print is hand-signed. I don't have manyof these left out of the run of 49 so if you want one act now.
Postageis $12.50 anywhere in the world.
I amselling some limited edition prints, which were created around 10 years ago.These prints feature a Donald Duck image created by Emmet Cook, Sr., a WorldWar II, B-17 Bombardier who was shot down over Italy. Emmet created the imagein his YMCA-supplied War Log.
EmmetCook Sr. enlisted in the Cadet Air Corps in 1940 and signed-on with the RoyalCanadian Air Force in 1941. With America’s e...ntry into the war, he was calledback to the U.S. Army Air Force before he could report to Canada. Cook servedas a Bombardier aboard a B-17F named Holey Joe, and after that bomber wasdamaged, a plane named Junior.
Juniorand several of her crew would not survive the war. On March 22, 1943, Juniorwas hit by German anti-aircraft fire while on a bombing raid over PalermoHarbor. The bomber’s left wing caught fire and eventually tore-off, sending theplane into a spin. Five men including the pilot, co-pilot, engineer, radiooperator, and ball turret gunner were trapped and perished in the crash. Emmetwas able to bail out. “[I] had a rough landing in cactus as large as Texascactus. [I] was captured by six goat herders, one with a gun. [They were] allvery scared. The older one with [the] gun spoke broken English. He acted verynervous and scared. Later that evening they turned me over to the military.”The other two survivors included the Waist Gunner and the Navigator.
Cook wasincarcerated at Stalag Luft III, taking up residence in Block 108 in the NorthCompound. “I was impressed how well the senior RAF officers and USAAF officerswere organized. I played on the championship softball team [and] did a lot ofoil painting and cartooning in books. [I] ran about five miles every day, weather permitting, around the circuit. [I] stayed busy and in top physicalcondition despite the lack of food.”
The youngBombardier eventually joined the Camp’s Escape Committee and helped plan whatwould later be known as the “Great Escape.” Cook recalled, “[My duties were to]map the camp and locate blind sports for gardens and a place to dispose of sand[from the tunnels.] [I] stayed busy working with Flight Lieutenant Brian Evanson maps.”
In hisspare time, Cook dabbled with watercolor paints and pencil crayons. Putting hisartistic talents to work, Cook drew an emblem that would fast become the camp’sunofficial insignia. The design featured Donald Duck in jail and the caption “IWanted Wings. “I really don’t remember [how the design came about.] I alwaysenjoyed Disney’s cartoons, especially Donald Duck. I suppose it was thefrustration in Donald’s expressions. Believe me, there were many frustratedairmen at Luft III.”
Thedesign captured the emotions of fellow prisoners and as the cartoon circulatedthroughout the camp, many POWs approached Cook asking him to draw the Donalddesign for them. “They loved it. Many wanted me to draw it on a postcard sothey could send it home. I drew it on letters that they sent home to theirfamily.”
The imageI am offering for sale is a print of the design Emmet first created in his WarLog. There were 50 limited edition prints that were created. One was damagedand destroyed so there are 49 in total. The number for the one in this auction is 32 of 49.
Theprints were created on acid free, archival quality, paper. All of the imagesare numbered in sequential order, and all were hand-signed by Emmet, whoincluded his Prisoner of War number along with his signature on every print.Emmet signed the prints using an archive-quality marker.
Theprints measure 8x10 and the image measures about 9 x 6 ¼ inches.
For thosepurchasing a print, I will also include a six-page, almost 2, 700 word documentthat gives the whole history of the design, how Disney had artist Hank Portercreate a cleaned-up version of the insignia, and what happened to the originalart following the war’s end.
Thewatermark "Private Collection" seen in the listing does not appear onthe print. If you have any questions, please ask. This is a limited editionprint of Emmet's original art, and each print is hand-signed. I don't have manyof these left out of the run of 49 so if you want one act now.
Postageis $12.50 anywhere in the world.
