Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an interesting souvenir piece painted by an American soldier at the end of World War II, a Japanese auxiliary propeller painted with the insignia of the 5th Air Force & Army Air Forces, along with Tachikawa / A.A.B. / Japan. The 5th Air Force had a base at Tachikawa after World War II.

The propeller measures roughly 23½” long and is in great shape without any heavy damage to the paint.

After the war, the United States occupied the Tachikawa base, with the airfield being in shambles. Given its proximity to Tokyo, Tachikawa Airfield was designated as a transport base, with a mission to provide transportation for priority passengers and cargo in and around the Tokyo Area; to support the Occupation Government in Japan, and provide strategic transport to the United States.

Air Transport Command (ATC) was given the assignment to get the airfield cleaned up and operational. ATC established the 1503d Army Air Force Base Unit (AAFBU) to manage the cargo and personnel operations at the airfield, and by 1 January 1946 the base was ready enough to permit C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando aircraft to operate from the base. Larger C-54 Skymasters began using the base by April 1946, and a day/night lighting system was installed and in operation by November 1946.

This is a great souvenir piece, perfect for any aviation collection. Comes ready for further research and display.