This piece originally ran in the November 2025 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
This clock was removed from the cockpit of a Grumman TBF Avenger that was aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6) in June 1945. The Avenger was the U.S. Navy’s premier torpedo bomber, seeing service in many major battles, as well as playing a major role in sinking Japan’s largest battleship, the Yamato. It replaced the obsolete TBD Devastator, which suffered horrible losses during the Battle of Midway. The USS Enterprise was the most decorated ship of World War II. It served the entire duration of the war, seeing combat in nearly every major naval battle in the Pacific theater. This clock was likely used in combat and was likely aboard the ship during kamikaze attacks. Due to it still being functional, it was probably removed, along with many other usable parts, from an aircraft that was too damaged to continue fighting.