FORMOSA FILES PODCAST S4-[ENCORE] - World War II Aviation Stories: An American “ghost pilot,” and the Japanese fighter pilot who became a god in Tainan 台南
Formosa Files presents two incredible stories about WWII airmen in this week’s remastered, re-edited encore episode (first released in Sept. 2022). First, a tale by the author of “God is My Co-Pilot” about a U.S. pilot who cobbled together a plane – with bamboo “skis” instead of wheels – and flew it on an epic raid a year after the Pearl Harbor attacks. And second, the story of how a young Japanese fighter pilot from Mito (near Tokyo) became “General Flying Tiger,” a deity worshiped at a temple in Tainan City, Taiwan. We recommend listening to the whole episode; however, if you're only interested in the “General Flying Tiger” story, skip to about minute 14.
Note: This remastered, re-edited encore episode was first released in Sept. 2022.
Cover images left: illustration from cover of Damned to Glory via GHOST P-40 - LORE, LEGENDS AND HER WHEREABOUTS.
Center: 杉浦茂峰, Sugiura Shigemine, a Japanese fighter pilot in WWII who is now recognised in Tainan, Taiwan as the deity Feihu Jiangjun 飛虎將軍, or "General Flying Tiger." - Via Wikimedia Commons.
Right and below: Image by Katakura Yoshifumi, a Japanese writer living in Taiwan.
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The Formosa Files podcast is sponsored by the FRANK CHEN FOUNDATION (陳啟川先生文教基金會)
Website: https://www.frank-chen.org.tw/
This top-rated history podcast tells stories from the history of Formosa (Taiwan) from circa 1600 C.E. - 2000 C.E., via interesting, lesser-known short stories presented in a non-chronological order.
HOSTS: John Ross is an author and co-founder of publisher Camphor Press, which specializes in books on Taiwan and China in English, while Eryk Michael Smith has worked as a writer and journalist for multiple media outlets in Taiwan, including the island's only English-language radio station ICRT (FM 100.7). Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for well over 20 years and call the island home.
