What about all the WORKERS in the FACTORY ?! They're LOCKED IN !! Our fight isn't with the German people .. it's with the NAZIS !! 
The Death Patrol was a ragtag group of volunteer pilots fighting Nazi oppression in Europe and across the European Theater of WWII. Most of the founding members of the Patrol were escaped convicts, and their striped uniforms were designed to commemorate this. The Death Patrol's famous insignia was a skull wearing a hat.
History
Right after getting fired from his airline pilot job, Del Van Dyne, millionaire owner of his own Stratoliner, got hijacked by five escaping convicts. All of them claimed to be ace pilots, and ordered him to fly to Boston. He instead flew to England, and along the way persuaded these desperados to fight for the R.A.F., as "a foreign legion of the air." They arrived in English airspace during a German bombing raid, and managed to destroy one German bomber by using an improbable tactic: dropping two oil drums onto it, in mid-air. Some R.A.F. officers saw this, and were very anxious to recruit all six of them.
Early on, there was friction between the British regular military, especially their commanding officer Colonel Rider, and the unruly convicts. But they accomplished several very difficult assignments, and eventually earned the grudging respect of the established military authorities.
In its early adventures, this unit suffered severe attrition, losing one member in nearly every adventure.
Current Members
- Del van Dyne, former airline pilot, founding member, apparently died in Military Comics #8, when he was shot in the back at close range by Mademoiselle from Armentieres, but was rescued from a Naziland hospital in Military Comics #9.
- Gramps, ex-pickpocket, founding member, apparently died in Military Comics #6, when he threw himself onto a grenade and it went off, rejoined the team in Military Comics #12, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
- Hank, ex-rustler, founding member, apparently died in Military Comics #9 amid a hail of gunfire, rejoined the team in Military Comics #12, was absent when the team re-appeared in Military Comics #20, returned to the team in Military Comics #22. This was amid a continued story, set in Japan. Between the 1st and 2nd episodes, Hank simply appeared in Japan, without explanation, and Del was simply absent from Japan, without explanation. Hank and was still on the team at the end of the series.
- Chief Chuckalug, ex-rodeo performer, joined in Military Comics #4, was absent when the team re-appeared in Military Comics #20, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
- King Hotintot, African ruler, joined in Military Comics #5, apparently died in Military Comics #10, amid a hail of machine gun bullets (and the caption described him as "fatally wounded"), rejoined the team in Military Comics #12, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
- Boris, joined in Military Comics #6, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
- Frere Jacques, the Patchwork Kid, joined in Military Comics #7, was absent when the team re-appeared in Military Comics #20, returned to the team in Military Comics #23, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
- Yogi, telekinetic telepath, joined in Military Comics #20, and was still on the team at the end of the series.
Former Members
- Peewee, ex-forger, founding member, died in Military Comics #1, shot from behind during an otherwise successful escape.
- Stoney Rock, ex-arsonist, joined in Military Comics #2, died in Military Comics #2, shot in the chest during a train board gunfight.
- Slick Ward, ex-con-man, founding member, died in Military Comics #3, aboard an experimental German dirigible that got shot down.
- Butch O'Keefe, ex-safe-cracker, founding member, died in Military Comics #4, when he deliberately crashed his airplane into an enemy troop-transport plane.
- Zazzy, kleptomaniac, joined in Military Comics #3, died in Military Comics #5 in an explosive demolition of an enemy factory.
- Mademoiselle From Armentieres, assassin, joined in Military Comics #8, disappeared without explanation between Military Comics #11 and Military Comics #12.
- The Goucho, ex-cowboy, joined in Military Comics #9, disappeared without explanation between Military Comics #11 and Military Comics #12.
- Prince Totinhot, son of King Hotintot, joined in Military Comics #10, disappeared without explanation between Military Comics #11 and Military Comics #12.
Paraphernalia
Transportation:
- Boeing 307 Stratoliner
- Fairey Swordfish, with RAF insignia, starting in Military Comics #2
- Six Hawker Hurricanes, with RAF insignia, starting in Military Comics #3
- Six individualistically self-designed home-built fighter planes, with the death's-head insignias, starting in Military Comics #4
Notes
- Del Van Dyne learned German in college.[2]
- The Death Patrol appeared in Military Comics #s 1 ~ 12, then disappeared. Under Will Eisner's editorship, the team suffered one fatality in nearly every story.
- The feature returned in Military Comics #20, and ran until Modern Comics #52. Under John Beardsley's editorship, the characters stopped being killed off, and several formerly dead characters were brought back.
- The "skull with hat" insignias were introduced in Military Comics #4. Each member had an individualized logo, in which the skull's hat resembled the member's own hat.
- When the Death Patrol returned in Military Comics #20, the planes no longer had the death's-head insignia.
See Also
- 47 Appearances of Death Patrol (Quality Universe)
- 1 Images that include Death Patrol (Quality Universe)
- Team Gallery: Death Patrol (Quality Universe)