A Dog's Life

Bonzo the dog was a fictional character (a chubby little white pup with sparse spots, a stubby tail and big blue eyes) created by British artist George E. Studdy in the early 1920's.

"Bonzo became the inspiration for much commercial merchandise, such as cuddly and mechanical toys, ashtrays, pincushions, trinket boxes, car mascots, jigsaw puzzles, books, calendars, candies, and a profusion of postcards.

Bonzo, wearing a set of headphones, became associated with the "Crosley Pup", an affordable mass-produced AM radio introduced by Powel Crosley Jr. in the United States in 1925. Years later, both Bonzo commercial items and Crosley Pup radios became valuable as collectibles. A paper mâché Crosley Bonzo is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C."

So what's the Ma.k connection you ask? I'm getting to it ...

Just as they had borrowed America's Mickey Mouse, the Luftwaffe also chose to adorn their aircraft with Britain's Bonzo the Dog who became the staffel insignia for I./JG 2.

So finally we come full circle ... Bonzo (as he was depicted by I./JG2) was included on the 1/6 Nitto Melusine decal sheet as the insignia for the 7th Armour Hunting Soldier Battalion, 1st company, 3rd Platoon.  

"7th Armored Hunting Soldier (Army) Battalion 1st Company 3rd Platoon "Fighting Dog" Unit. The unit was unprepared for the New Zealand combat and suffered many casualties but for 8 months after the end of the war, they continued occupying this same territory. The diagram shows the camouflage from winter to early summer."

... Bonzo appeared again on the decal sheets of both Modelkasten Melusine releases.