The Charlie Chaplin tin cutouts of Captain Arthur Cobby

The Australian Flying Corps leading ace was Arthur Cobby whose Sopwith Camel aircraft while with 4 Sqn AFC bore two Charlie Chaplin aluminium cutouts on either side of the aircraft as personal insignia. Cobby designed, painted, and attached the Chaplins himself before leaving England in December 1917.

Cobby relates, "Before I left England I had cut out two figures of Charlie Chaplin in aluminium, painted them according to the latest screen version of his get-up, and screwed one on to each side of the fuselage. I had also "borrowed" two notices from a train in England, one "CAUTION - IT IS DANGEROUS TO LEAN OUT OF THE WINDOWS." and the other "PLEASE DO NOT SPIT". These graced the positions above and below Charlie respectively."

The Chaplin cutouts are approximately 40cm's high.

From "High Adventure", by Arthur Cobby.

RAAF Museum Point Cook, Arthur Cobby's Charlie Chaplin. Image courtesy of Gordon Branch

RAAF Museum Point Cook, Arthur Cobby's Charlie Chaplin. Photograph March 2001. The light has yellowed the colour in the picture, the colours of the Chaplin figure in pure light are better represented in the photo by Gordon Branch above. Image courtesy of Cameron Riley