1943 “Fighting Planes Series”
Allen’s Confectionary, Ltd., Melbourne, Australia

Series Title: Fighting Planes Series
Issued by: Allen’s Confectionary, Ltd.
Australian & New Zealand Index №: AL2-15
Packaged with: Irish Moss Gum Jubes, Butter Menthol Cough Drops, Q-T Fruit Drops, and Steam Rollers (9-cards for each product)
Country: Melbourne, Australia
Number of Cards: 36
Card Numbering: 1 to 36
Type of Card: Package insert card
Card Dimensions: 65.70 × 40.30 mm
Circa: 1943
Checklist: Download

Allen’s Confectionary, Ltd.

Allen’s is currently an Australian brand of confectionery produced by Nestlé. Allen’s was founded by Alfred Weaver Allen (1870-1925), a Melbourne confectioner. Originally employed by MacRobertson’s, Allen commenced confectionery production in the 1890s at his Fitzroy confectionery shop. By 1909, Allen’s was the third largest confectionery business in Melbourne, after those of MacRobertson and Abel Hoadley. It was launched as a public company in 1922 and erected a vast factory to the design of prominent Melbourne architect Joseph Plottel in South Melbourne on the banks of the Yarra River. It’s animated neon sign was a local landmark up to its demise in the 1980s. Allen’s abandoned chocolate production after World War II, however it became Australia’s largest confectionery company. Allen’s was purchased by the UK-based Rothmans Holdings in 1985, and later sold to Nestlé. Allen’s is the top brand in sugar confectionery in Australia. ^[2]

During the 1920s through the early 1940s, Allen’s Confectionary, Ltd. was also known for their trading cards. Allen’s issued trading cards as inserts packaged with their various confectionary products. Subjects included:

1. Bradman’s Records (1931);
2. Butterflies and Moths (1920),
3. Cricketers (4 sets 1933-38);
4. Footballers (3 sets, 1933-1939);
5. Kings & Queens of England (1937);
6. Medals (1938);
7. Soldiers of the Empire (1938);
8. Sports &
9. Flags of Nations (1936);
10. Wrestlers (1926); and
11. Film Stars (1934). ^[3]

They also issued at least 5 series of aviation/military related trading card sets, including: ^[4]

1. 1926 “Flyers Series” (AL2-18) 24-cards
2. 1938 “Aeroplanes” (AL2-1) 72-cards
3. 1939 “Defence Series I”
4. 1939 “Defence Series II” (AL2-13b) 36-cards
5. 1943 “Fighting Planes Series” (AL2-15) 36-cards

Overview

During 1943, Allen’s Confectionary, Ltd. issued a 36-card set of “Fighting Planes Series” package insert airplane trading cards. The 36-card set was issued with four distinct back designs (shown below). These card backs promoted the following four Allen’s Confectionary Ltd. products:

1. Irish Moss Gum Jubes,
2. Butter Menthol Cough Drops,
3. Q-T Fruit Drops, and
4. (team Rollers.

At first glance, one might assume that there were four different sets, each containing 36 cards. However, that was not the case. In a very clever marketing scheme, Allen’s Confectionary Ltd. issued four subsets of nine cards each. For example:

1. Card #1 had an “Irish Moss Gum Jubes” back;
2. Card #2 had a “Butter Menthol Cough Drops” back;
3. Card #3 had a “Q-T Fruit Drops” back; and
4. Card #4 had a “Steam Rollers” card back.

Unlike most of the card sets issued during World War II, Allen’s 1943 “Fighting Planes Series” does not limit itself to aircraft from one particular side of World War II. Instead, the set covers a wide range of military aircraft deployed by both the Allied and the Axis powers. Since the set was produced in Australia, there is a slight hint of favoritism towards Australian aircraft.

The fronts of the cards are rather simplistic. Each card contains a color artwork of aircraft, printed and centered on thin eggshell white card stock, without any borderlines or text, and with a relatively large white margin. A reference card front is shown above.

The backs of the cards are also rather straight forward. Printed with black ink on thin eggshell white card stock, the card backs (shown below) are divided into upper and lower sections, each framed by a thin black-borderline rectangle. The top section of the card back contains the company’s name (Allen’s) plus advertising copy for each of the four Allen’s products represented in the series. The bottom section of the card back includes:

1. (1) the series name,
2. (2) the card number,
3. (3) the card title, and
4. (4) a brief descriptive text of the subject aircraft.

Image-Guide

The following Image-Guide shows computer enhanced images of the fronts and backs of the 36 cards set. In addition, we have provided links to the Original Scans used for this series.

Checklist

1943 “Fighting Planes Series” Allen’s Confectionary, Ltd., Australia Checklist
№	x	Card Title
1		The Super Marine Spitfire
2		Vickers-Wellington
3		Bristol Blenheim
4		The Short “Sunderland”
5		Vickers-Wellesley
6		“Hawker” Hurricane
7		The “Wirraway”
8		The “Wirraway” Trainer
9		“Fairey” Battle Bombers
10		The Potez 63
11		The Leo 45 Bomber Monoplane
12		The “Caudron”
13		“Heinkel”
14		Messerschmitt Fighter
15		The B.F.W.
16		The “Dornier” D17
17		The “Breda” 65
18		The “Caproni” CA124
19		The Savoia-Marchetti SM79
20		The “Nakajima Ani”
21		The “Koken”
22		A Twin-engine Russian Bomber of the Z.C.KB 26 Type
23		A Modern Russian 4-engine Military Monoplane
24		A 1.5 Single Two-Seat Fighter Biplane
25		The Bell XFM-1
26		The Boeing B17
27		The Curtiss P-36A
28		The Curtiss A18
29		A Fairey “Feroce”
30		The Bristol Bombay Bomber
31		A Danish-Built Gloster Gauntlet
32		The “Junkers” JU86K
33		The Fokker T5
34		The Fokker D21
35		The IAR15
36		The Rogojarsky

References

1. Wikipedia: Allen’s Confectionery
2. Australian Dictionary of Biography: A.W. Allen
3. Bob Dros: Re: “1943 Allen’s Fighting Planes Series,” Message to Skytamer Images. 9 Sept. 2015. E-mail.
4. Neville Fletcher: Re: “1943 Allen’s Fighting Planes Series.” Multiple messages to Skytamer Images. 29 Sept. 2015. E-mail.
5. John A. Shupek: 1943 Fighting Planes Series, Allen’s Confectionary, Ltd., Skytamer Images Digital Image Database.

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