Long before television dominated American living rooms and decades before superheroes filled movie theaters, young readers eagerly followed the exploits of daring aviators, naval intelligence officers, and globe-trotting adventurers. During the 1930s and 1940s, few fictional heroes were more popular than Don Winslow and Dave Dawson. Today, these characters are largely forgotten outside of collector circles. Yet during their heyday, they entertained millions of readers while reflecting the anxieties, hopes, and realities of a world moving toward—and eventually engulfed in—war.
Several works by the creators of these beloved characters are preserved in the Battleship North Carolina‘s collection, offering a fascinating glimpse into how Americans experienced the World War II era through popular culture.
Frank V. Martinek: The Man Who Tried to Warn America
The creator of Don Winslow was no ordinary writer. Before becoming an author, Frank V. Martinek worked as a crime reporter, became an expert in fingerprint identification, served as a naval intelligence officer during World War I, and later worked as a special agent for the Bureau of Investigation, the predecessor to the FBI.
While serving as an intelligence officer with the Asiatic Fleet and later in Vladivostok during the Russian Civil War, Martinek witnessed firsthand the growing ambitions of the Japanese military. Through his intelligence work, he became convinced that conflict between Japan and the United States was not only possible but likely.
After leaving the Navy in 1921, Martinek spent years writing newspaper columns warning about Japanese militarism and the threat it posed to American interests in the Pacific. He argued that Japan’s leaders sought dominance in Asia and would eventually challenge the United States. He even suggested that Hawaii could become a target.
Few people listened. Frustrated by the public’s indifference, Martinek searched for another way to communicate his concerns.
The Rise of Don Winslow
In 1934, Martinek introduced newspaper readers to Don Winslow, a fearless naval intelligence officer whose adventures blended mystery, espionage, patriotism, and action. The character was an immediate success. Don Winslow’s battles against international criminal organizations and threats to American security resonated with readers across the country. The stories expanded beyond newspaper comics into radio programs, novels, comic books, and film serials. Fans eagerly followed every adventure.
What made the series particularly interesting was that it was never just entertainment. Through Don Winslow, Martinek could dramatize many of the dangers he believed Americans were ignoring. In a remarkable twist of history, the first Don Winslow of the Navy movie serial premiered in October 1941—just weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II. After the United States entered the war, Martinek was finally able to depict his hero openly battling the Japanese forces he had spent two decades warning the public about.
Robert Sidney Bowen and the Adventures of Dave Dawson
If Don Winslow prepared readers for a changing world, Dave Dawson helped them understand a war already underway.
Like Martinek, Dave Dawson’s creator drew heavily from his own experiences. Robert Sidney Bowen left school during World War I to serve with the American Field Service before joining Britain’s Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force. He trained in Canada, Texas, and England before flying combat missions over France in 1918. After the war, Bowen built a successful career as a journalist and aviation editor before turning to fiction.
When World War II erupted in Europe, publishers approached Bowen looking for an adventure story inspired by the conflict. The result was Dave Dawson at Dunkirk, published in 1941. Readers couldn’t get enough.
A Wartime Hero for Young Readers
Over the next five years, Bowen published fifteen Dave Dawson novels. The series followed the young aviator through some of the most dramatic events of World War II, blending action-packed storytelling with real-world wartime settings. For young readers living through the war years, the books offered excitement while also helping them understand the events shaping the world around them. The series became a publishing phenomenon. By 1945, more than two million copies had been sold. Bowen worked seven days a week, reportedly writing as many as 10,000 words a day, and completed entire novels in little more than a week.
The stories’ popularity reflected the public’s fascination with aviation and the growing role of air power in modern warfare. For many young readers, Dave Dawson embodied the courage, skill, and determination associated with Allied airmen during the war.
More Than Adventure Stories
Today, Don Winslow and Dave Dawson offer more than exciting tales of heroism and adventure. They provide a window into how Americans understood world events as they unfolded and how popular culture helped shape public awareness during a time of global uncertainty.
These books remind us that history is preserved in many forms. Beyond official documents, photographs, and artifacts, stories like these reveal what captured the public’s imagination, what people feared, and what they hoped for during one of the most consequential periods of the twentieth century.
Works by Frank V. Martinek and Robert Sidney Bowen are preserved in the Battleship North Carolina‘s collection. While not currently on display, they serve as historical artifacts in their own right, helping us better understand the era in which the ship served and the ways Americans connected with the events of World War II. As stewards of the Battleship’s collection, preserving these pieces of cultural history is part of preserving the broader story of the generation that built, fought, and sacrificed during the war.
This summer, if you’re looking for a different way to explore the history of World War II, consider seeking out the adventures of Don Winslow and Dave Dawson. Their stories may be fiction, but they offer a fascinating glimpse into a very real moment in American history.