Army air corps flying the hump book

Tenth air force airlift flights originated in karachi and staged for the hump leg of. He went through boot camp then volunteered for the air corps to be trained as a pilot. After the attack on pearl harbor, evans was, in one day, drummed out of the air cadets and given a commission in the army air corps. Army air corps rushed the bigger and more powerful. Those terrified copilots got little respect during the war but made sure the world heard about their exploits afterward. That is because, before the start of the war, the army air corps had never put. The following year, the battalion was expanded into the military wing of the royal flying corps which saw action throughout most of the first world war until 1 april 1918, when it was. Flying the cbi hump ag aviation airline pilot traing school kindle edition by herrod, thomas e download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Once the planes reached burma, the jungle offered its own challenges for navigating and landing. Chinaburmaindia remembering the forgotten theater of. It was last assigned to headquarters, united states army air forces, and was inactivated at barksdale field, louisiana, on 1 july 1946. Army air forces brandnew air transport command began. While other books have been written on the hump, the author believes this is.

The illustrated history of the army air corps army. Army air forces brandnew air transport command began running the most audacious airlift of world war ii. Fixedwing training aircraft include the grob tutor for army flying grading and the grob prefect for elementary flying training by no. Ghqaf renamed air force combat command and placed with air corps under newly established army air forces by revision to army regulation 955, june 20, 1941. After world war i, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical rift developed between more traditional groundbased army personnel and those who felt that aircraft were being underutilized and that air operations were.

Initially the hump was flown with converted douglas dc3, c39, c53 and military douglas c47 aircraft. A retired air force colonel, he is a freelance writer and the author of many books. Flight radio operator douglas devauxs memories of flying the valley and the hump as a soldier in the united sates army air force during world war ii. As a professional researcher and world war ii historian, bill beigel provides research services to genealogists, historians, authors, and civilians who are looking for information found in ww2 military unit records. Flying from chabua was like flying out of a hole in the mountains, said otha c. Army air forces air transport command, the pilots flew from bases in northeast indias assam valley to kunming, china in. Army 10th air force in india contracted with the african division of panamerican airways to handle the transport of 30,000 gallons of gasoline and 500 gallons of lubricants to china for use by the b25s of the doolittle raiders. The united states army air corps usaac was the aerial warfare service component of the united states army between 1926 and 1941. It coalesced as aviation evolved from a component of groundbased infantry tactics into its own branch of the military. Records of the army air forces aaf national archives. The army air corps the army flying museum online memorial book. Chennaults american volunteer group supplied experienced pilots and a name flying tigers. One such command was the flying training command ftc. Flying the cbi hump ag aviation airline pilot traing school.

Army air forces training command aaftc is an inactive united states air force unit. Apache attack helicopter army air corps british army. See more ideas about wwii, world war ii and world war. Sep 01, 2012 william mosley was drafted into the army in 1941. Aacep army air corp enlisted pilots of martin b26 marauders. Loads over the hump grew slowly until the arrival of consolidated c87s converted b24s in december 1942 and the curtiss c46 in april 1943. The hump was the nickname allied pilots gave the airlift operation that crossed the himalayan foothills into china.

Aacep army air corps enlisted pilots walter beech, cofounder of beech aircraft corporation, was an early enlisted pilot who achieved notoriety. The army air corps officially celebrated its 50 th anniversary in 2007, soldiers having flown helicopters and fixed wing aircraft in support of their fellow soldiers on the ground since the corps was first created in september 1957, but army flyers had been taking to the air for many year before that. Flying ever more challenging airplanes, he earns his wings and learns the skills needed to fly the b24 liberator. A tribute to my dad this site was created as a tribute to my dad and his service in the chinaburmaindia theater of world war ii. A youngsters flying dreams become a reality when he enlists in the army air corps. This is the official page of the army air corps a regiment of the british.

Flying from the royal air force airfield at dinjan, lt. It contains books, photographs, audiovisual materials, oversize graphic materials, artifacts, memorabilia, microfilm, and organizational records donated by. For a complete list of web sites and individuals who contributed to this web site, see the references and credits section. Kelly haynes served as a pilot in the army air corps, flying planes over the hump in the chinaburma theater in the pacific during wwii. He flew a p40 in a pursuit group that monitored the skies over new england, serving with legendary. It follows nineteen passengers and two crewmembers as they make their way over the burma hump between india and china, the aerial resupply route to china in. These commands were organized along functional missions. This is the story of the air war over the himalaya mountains, in world war ii, when japan and china were locked in a death struggle. It began as air corps flying training command on 23 january 1942, was redesignated army air forces flying training command aaftc on 15 march. Army air corps rushed the bigger and more powerful curtiswright c46 into production to help out with hump ops, but the new planes engines had a tendency to ice up. Claire lee chennault september 6, 1893 july 27, 1958 was an american military aviator best known for his leadership of the flying tigers and the republic of china air force in world war ii chennault was a fierce advocate of pursuit or fighterinterceptor aircraft during the 1930s when the united states army air corps. Unfortunately, we dont have any militaryrelated memorabilia, but in addition to furniture and household goods, we do has a smattering of some very interesting items, including.

Constituted as 23rd pursuit group interceptor on 17 dec 1941. Robert lymans among the headhunters is an excellent world war ii survival story. This page was created to honor those who served in the chinaburmaindia airlift and to keep alive the memories of the hump pilots. Army flying museum, middle wallop, stockbridge, hampshire, so20 8fb 01264 781086. In december, 1941, he graduates from army air corps flight school and is assigned to a fighter squadron. He was a world war i pilot and later became a member of the national aviation hall of fame. It is intended to provide factual, historical information to the public, to commemorate the contributions and to preserve the memory of the sacrifices of our world war ii veterans serving with u. Army air corps az the army flying museum online memorial book.

Their dedication and devotion to country is a rich history worth preserving. Training command was the initial organization to which new recruits were assigned upon entry into the air training command. His air force career spanned 22 years during which he was. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading one pilots life. The hump was the name given by allied pilots in the second world war to the eastern end of the himalayan mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from india to china to resupply the chinese war effort of chiang kaishek and the units of the united states army air forces aaf based in china. But fate and pearl harbor intervene, and he is assigned ammisca, the first air corps transports to fly the treacherous hump from india to china the cbi theatre. Afcc and office of the chief of the air corps abolished in the general reorganization of the army, effective march 9, 1942, by circular 59, war department, march 2, 1942, implementing eo 9082, february 28, 1942. World war ii hump pilots meet for final reunion reuters.

Spencer who flew the hump and wrote a book about his experiences. Air force was part of the army during world war ii, and was also called the army air forces or the air corps. The us army air forces in wwii had major subordinate commands below the air staff level. Oct 01, 2009 flying from chabua was like flying out of a hole in the mountains, said otha c. The eighth air force archive documents both the fighter and bomber groups that served in europe and africa during world war ii and the eighth air force veterans organizations nationwide. The hump was one of the deadliest cargo flights in history. Unfortunately, we dont have any militaryrelated memorabilia, but in addition to furniture and household goods, we do has a smattering of. It became the united states army air forces usaaf on june 20, 1941 to signify greater autonomy from the armys command. Mar 29, 2018 the owner was a former army air corps hump pilot who flew resupply missions from india to china during world war ii. These flights over the hump were indispensable to chinas war effort against the japanese, and. The chinaburmaindia theater of world war ii officially established 22 june 1942, the chinaburmaindia theater cbi is often referred to as the forgotten theater of world war ii. As world war ii unfolded in europe during the late 1930s and early 1940s, u. Pilots and their crews who served in the cbi, flying bombing and transport missions from india to burma or china, faced enormous obstacles, starting with the himalayas, the worlds tallest mountain chain.

In his book flying the hump, exchinaburmaindia pilot otha c. The illustrated history of the army air corps army flying. Claire chennaults flying tigers crossed the hump to outgun the japanese zeros. As a young pilot during world war ii, herrod flew for the air transport command, transporting military supplies from assam, india, over the himalayan hump into china. He boards a plane for overseas, his destination being unknown. Randolph air force base, texas afpn they were not paid much, their opportunities for promotion were limited, and they were treated harshly in training, but that did not stop three generations of enlisted aviators from becoming pilots in the army air corps. Flying military cargo over the treacherous skies of the himalayas, gave herrod flight experience that would serve him well in other aviation endeavors. Afcc and office of the chief of the air corps abolished in the general reorganization of the army, effective march 9, 1942, by circular 59, war department, march 2, 1942, implementing eo. The army air corps library and museum is dedicated to the men and women of the army air forces army air corps of 19071947 and the u. Doug put together a book, intended for his children and grandchildren, so that they would know more than just the fact that he served in cbi. Their service and sacrifices shall never be forgotten. The army air corps in the army flying museum online memorial book.

The owner was a former army air corps hump pilot who flew resupply missions from india to china during world war ii. On august 2, 1943, cbs war correspondent eric sevareid and a small group of american diplomats and chinese army officers climbed aboard a curtiss c46 commando. The hump was one of the deadliest cargo flights in history medium. Professionally converted for accurate flowingtext e book format reproduction, this military publication tells the story of airlift and airborne operations by the u. The first supply mission over the hump occurred in april 1942, when the u. In 1940 charles evans was a college student fascinated with flying, so he signed up for an air cadet program. Beginning in 1912, enlisted pilots played an important role in writing the aviation history being celebrated this year during.

Army air forces training command project gutenberg self. Army air corps az browse celebration pages in the army flying museum online memorial book. While officially the air arm was the army air forces, the term air corps persisted colloquially among the public as well as veteran airmen. Claire chennaults china air task force, the flying tigers, had to be. In china, the aircrews could get milk and fresh eggs, even fried chicken and steak, all of which were luxury fare in assam, where the mess halls served spam and krations. Designed to hunt and destroy enemy tanks, it can operate day or night, and is capable of detecting, classifying and priori. The british army first took to the sky during the 19th century with the use of observation balloons. Army air forces air transport command, the pilots flew from bases in northeast indias assam valley to kunming, china in the southwestern yunnan province, about 500 miles. This is his notebook, with notations of routes and. In 1911 the air battalion of the royal engineers was the first heavierthanair british military aviation unit. Army air forces relied on additional pilots from the cptp civilian pilot training program and a. This misnomer was also used on official recruiting posters see image above and was important in. Apr 6, 2020 to our greatest generation for whom we owe so much.

Of the 12,300,000 americans under arms at the height of world war ii mobilization,only about 250,000 two percent were assigned to the cbi theater, making cbi veterans are unique more than just a slogan. China was completely cut off from the world, and the transport planes of the allies flew day and noted historian theodore white called it the most dangerous, terrifying, barbarous aerial transport run in the. See more ideas about wwii, genealogy organization and world war ii. The men who flew the hump were near the bottom of the army air force food chain.