Disney Animation’s Art Brought Color to World War II

Monday, March 07, 2022 at 04:25 PM ET

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The "Ruptured Duck," a a B-25 Mitchell bomber that was flown during the Doolittle Raid in 1942. {Courtesy: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]

Key Takeaways:

Walt Disney Studios made significant contributions to the U.S. World War II effort, utilizing its animation capabilities despite Walt's age.
A primary role involved designing approximately 1,300 military unit patches for various branches, frequently featuring popular Disney characters like Fifinella for the WASP and Donald Duck.
Disney animators also produced crucial training films for aviation cadets, propaganda shorts to boost morale, and permitted the military to use studio property for defense.

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Walt Disney was too old to be drafted during World War II but that didn’t stop him—and Disney Studios—from contributing to the war effort. Disney’s animation studios played a crucial role in the development of military unit patches used during World War II.

The designs were handpainted on leather, and then the patches sewn onto the flight jacket. The demand was so great that Disney created a special unit devoted to creating these designs. Approximately 1,300 units had a Disney-designed unit patch.