CIGARETTE CARD ROYAL NAVY

With the VBCW rumours that the "Bristol Fleet" is even now setting sail, intent on raiding along the coast of Wales, it would be remiss to exclude the Senior Service from the "cigarette card" treatment. Thankfully, blogger "Hatchfive" has already done all the work, in a series of five (very colourful) posts:

Life in the Royal Navy, Part One
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Two
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Three
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Four
Life in the Royal Navy, Part Five

All of these cards provide an insight into the Royal Navy in the 1930s, plus lots of useful modelling information for those adding "sailors" to their VBCW Platoons (hello, Giles), or intent on building a VBCW Fleet. On that note, in Bristol, the question on everyone's lips is whether HMS Woolworth, HMS Argos, or that new BUF Escort Carrier, the Joseph P. Kennedy, will ever make it home....

CIGARETTE CARD RAF

The ubiquitous cigarette cards of the 1930s - then faithfully collected by all small boys and girls of the better sort - now form a useful historical record for the VBCW player. Especially if collected together into the albums issued by the tobacco companies:

John Player's Aircraft of the RAF, published 1938

Blogger "Hatchfive" has kindly scanned all the cards and information from the 1938 RAF Album and published them in a series of links:

Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part One
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part Two (Bombers)
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part Three (Fighters)
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Part 4 (Flying Boats and General Purpose)
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force (RC and Trainers)

These cigarette cards - published in the very year of the VBCW - may provide inspiration for the 2020 Modelling Challenge, "Aircraft and Anti-Everything".