Air Jungle Rescue Historical 1945

CAPT. GARI F KING

5TH LIAISON SQUADRON

1st Liaison Group (Prov)

On the night of February 11 I received a phone call from A02, Air-Jungle Rescue Unit, Tenth Air Force, that a P-47 pilot had gone down in enemy territory near Kutkai, (SO 8817), Burma and that we were to plan the possibilities of an air rescue by liaison plane.  Following morning, 12 February, I went over to A-2, Tenth Air Force and we talked over the situation, where the pilot was and possibility of getting him out.  After discussion on the ground situation and location of enemy troops, returned to home base and took off for Hosi where we had a final conference as to where the pilot was down, going over maps to study the terrain and suitable spot for a landing as well as possible escape route in case of a landing crash and forced walkout which was the final culmination.  All angles were thoroughly discussed with Lt. Kelly of the Air Jungle Rescue Unit and Lt. White, the downed pilot’s Flight Leader, whom I was to make a preliminary flight with for an aerial reconnaissance of the area whee the pilot was down.  We flew to the point where the crashed P-47 was and the pilot was seen to bail out and looked over in the valley for a good landing field.  There was an excellent field in the valley that looked very good for landing a light plane in but we could not contact the downed pilot.  Then decided to cruise up and down the valley to see of we could locate him.  Flew west around the valley and circled a large field and finally located the pilot through signal mirror.  After locating him we looked over a field close to him which seemed to be a good landing spot from the air.  We went down and buzzed it and it looked o’k so I wiggled my wings to let the down airman know it was alright and I was coming back to pick him up.  I then returned to Hosi (SO 7242) and left Lt. White there.  Wr removed the rear door and extra parachute so as to make the plane as light as possible and to allow the pilot to get into the plane as fast as possible.

I took off again from Hosi (SO 7242) at about 1400 and returned to where the pilot was down.  I came down to make the first pass and if possible check the larger field.  As I let down 30º flaps, I slowed the plane slightly and began dropping towards the field.  As the wheels touched, they began to sink into the soft sand so I had to throttle back to keep the tail down.  Through a recent experience landing on a soft sandbar, I knew it was inadvisable to land here, knowing it might be possible to effect a landing but impossible to take off.  I then pulled up and went around and looked at the other field that the pilot was standing at the edge of.  I dragged this field two time and while it was a little rough, it did appear solid.  On my third approach I slowed my air speed down to about 60 MPH and prepared to land at a three point altitude.  I set the plane down on the very edge of the field and used very little brakes and almost came to a stop some 100-125 feet from the end of the field.  As I started to make a turn so that I would be ready for immediate takeoff, the right wheel started to sink in soft ground and the plane started to nose down a little.  It went over just far enough to nick the prop and then completely and gently went over on its back.  As I saw the plane was going over on its back, I braced myself on the frame to keep from hitting the instrument panel.  When it settled, I immediately released myself and pulled myself out, walking across the wing that was now laying on the ground like a plank.  As I walked up to the downed pilot I noticed that I had a sore spot on the head that I must have got in hitting the fluorescent light on the brace above my head.  I had also skinned and cut my shins.  After getting myself collected I introduced myself hurriedly to Lt. Edward and told him I was not his walking out companion.  I then proceeded to tell him that the ground situation was bad and that I had maps with me so that we could orient ourselves and plan route to rendezvous we were to have with the Kachin patrol coming down to meet us.

We then left the scene of crash, leaving my parachute and jungle kit behind as we had enough to carry and may have to make a run for it.  As we started into the brush along the stream, the B-25 came over and dropped another white chute and found it contained another Walkie-Talkie and drinking water.  We immediately got the chute loose and picked up the pack and started to walk along the little gully that ran alongside of the stream running north into the hills.  When we were 200 yards from the crashed plane, The B-25 dropped a pack with a green chute which we figured was inadvisable to go back for as it fell a good ways from us and the Japs and natives around there no doubt were watching the operations and had seen the chutes dropped.  We had plenty to carry as it was and there was only one thing that was keeping me going.  We continued to walk along this little gully, keeping out of sight and staying as low as possible so that we would first see anyone coming over the horizon.  As we approached the foot hills and started to get up in to them, a couple of natives came walking towards us from out of the brush.  At this time we almost gave us hope and thought was the end.  They approached us and spoke to us in broken English, telling us that they were friends and would help us.  They were over-flowing with brotherly love when they learned we were Americans, and came over and took our packs and hurried us up into the hills to a place that looked like nothing but rock formation.  After getting up into the hills, we found that the natives were living on cliffs, in caves and on ledges.  They hurried us inside and sat us down.  There were about 20 mixed Indian and Chinese natives, women and children included.  The Indians told us that they were merchants who had escaped from Singapore when the Japs captured the port.  There were also three escaped Indian soldiers that were POW of the Japs in Singapore.  They gave us fresh cold milk to drink and was it good.  They also brought out rice curry that was cold, which tasted like jell.  I then talked to the head man of the cave colony (SO 805-205) whose name was “Kononrandass” who had been a merchant in Singapore, taking out my map to show him that we want to go to the north along the ridge to a stream junction where we were to make rendezvous with a Kachin patrol that was coming in to get us.  He told us that the villages on both sides of where we were were inhabited by Palaungs who were unfriendly and Pro-Jap.  He also told us that to the west where we wanted to get there were unfriendly natives and Japanese patrols.  He assured us that he was a friend of ours and that we should follow him and he would get us to safety.  We were skeptical and had doubts due to fact that we were outnumbered.  He then told us that he would take us to a village in the hills where their head-man had formerly been the wireless operator in Kutkai, and that we should get away from here before anybody came around.  The head man and two natives then picked up our packs and started toward the north on a trail that could hardly be seen due to the high brush.  We then travelled up and down hills and kept our course pretty good on the map and after walking for 2^1/2  hours at a very fast pace up and down hills which pooped us out very rapidly but the natives told us that we could not rest and must keep going, we arrived at this small Kachin village that is not on the ^1/4“ map.  We immediately met the head man who had been the wireless operator.  He could not speak very much English but the man who was from the first village interpreted for us.  He then had us sit down under his house and brought us hot milk to drink and proceeded to tell us that Chinese agents had been into his village that morning and had returned to their headquarters.  He showed me a drop chute that they had given to him and they also had cigarettes that had been given to them.  This village was approximately 7 ^1/2 miles north of scene of wrecked L-5.  The head man wanted us to stay there that night and said he would send a runner into the Chinese agents village telling them to come down and get us, but we then asked he wouldn’t give us a guide to take us to them and he personally volunteered to lead us.  

We arrived at the Chinese agent’s village at about 1830.  The head man of the village was a Kachin (Mr. Yui Chan) who was very overjoyed at seeing us and had us come into his bamboo hut.  There were approximately 20 natives around there and they had American weapons, submachine guns, carbines, British Enfield’s and lots of hand-grenades.  The head man then asked us where we came from and we told him that we were American airmen that had crashed near Kutkai (SO 8817) and wanted to get back to our own forces north of there.  The natives were very nice to us, took us into their Kachin houses, sat us down, and gave us hot water to drink, killed chickens and cooked them and eggs for us which we ate with a good deal of pleasure.  Then they gave us a bamboo mat fitted to a legged form and told us that we could sleep there that night and they would take ups out in the morning.  We wrapped up in drop chutes that they gave us and went to bed at 1930.  It was very cold during the night so we didn’t sleep very well and then too we were over-excited die to the experience we had gone through during the day.  The name of this village was Manlong.

During the night I awoke often as natives were goin out on patrols and guarding the place.  The next morning we got up about 0700 and we were still very anxious to get away from there but the head man assured us that we were safe and that as soon as they had breakfast they would take us on.  The head man from the second village that we hit on the way out sent a man into the village we were not in with a bucket of fresh milk for us and the head man of Manlong, village we were now in, gave us his prize possessions which were a can of condensed milk and some sugar.  The night that we got into the village, we paid the natives that had helped us all along the route with silver rupees, but all the Kachins wanted from us was a piece of paper with a statement to the effect that they were friends of the Allies and not friendly towards the Japanese and that they had helped Allied airmen get back to their home base.  They were very pleased with this and then returned to their village.

In the meantime when the head man was cooking breakfast, we heard the B-25 over on the other side of the mountains heading down towards Kutkai (SO 8817).  Lt Edwards and myself immediately picked up the Walkie-Talkie and went out side to see of we could contact them.  We could see the B-25 circling south of us and told them to make 180º and come up north, which message they finally received.  The sun was out so Lt. Edward contacted them with mirror.  We had a little trouble contacting the B-25 due to transmission.  We then proceeded to tell them where we were and that we were with friendly natives and that they were going to walk us back to friendly troops.  The plane then confirmed the fact that the natives in the hills were friendly and we had nothing to fear.  They then returned to their base.  I later found out that during the night the natives that we were staying with were sending out patrols all along the route that they were going to use in taking us back the next ay.  While out on the night patrol the leader of the troops told us that in Hpai Ung (SO79-25) he came upon 5 Jap soldiers that were looking for food and that he crawled up on them and threw in a hand grenade and killed all 5 of them.

We left the village of Man Long about 1000 with leader and two natives to carry our packs and travelled along a trail that you could hardly see, which went by the village where he had killed the 5 Japs.  We finally reached the Burma Road and walked up it until we came to Namhkai where we contacted Chinese soldiers.  We went in to see a Chinese Major of an engineering outfit and asked if he could give us transportation to Hosi.  This was about 1230.  He couldn’t spare any gas but told us that a ration truck was going up there about 1400 and we could ride with them.  We told him that would be fine and we would go and sit down on the road and wait for the truck.  As we were sitting by the road, about 1245 a weapons carrier with Chinese soldiers came by and we asked them if they would take us up the road to Hosi.  They took us up as far as a bridge and we got another ride from there in a Jeep driven by Chinese troops who drove us all the way into the airfield at Hosi.

The natives that brought us from Man Long came all the way with us to Hosi and all they wanted was a pair of shoes, a letter of recognition and rations for their trip back to Man Long.  They would not accept any money so we contacted the ground forces at Hosi and they were very glad to give them a pair of shoes for the leader that they had in their supply section.  The other two natives wanted some drop chutes and we gave them three chutes each.  Lt Edwards then gave the boy and the leader his water bottle, matches, Halazona d Aspirin tablets, D-rations which they were very glad to get.  The leader also got considerable quantity of C-rations in way of crackers and canned meat.  With much hand-shaking and expressions of good-will, they departed.  We then got L-5 air transportation back to Bhamo.

 

*STATEMENT BY LT. FREELING CLOWER

As we came into the target area 2 Japs off left little above.  Called Major Smith but evidently no contact made.  Dropped bomb and turned into first one which was coming in on his tail and fired about 45 degrees and it broke away with some smoke trailing.  At same time his wing man pulled straight up rolled and came down and we met head on but I was in a near stall altitude.  After the exchange of fire I saw my engine on fire and pieces of metal and oil were flying in all directions.  I pointed the nose straight down and went as far away from the target area until heat and smoke became intense.  At approximately 1000 feet I had to leave the ship.  I floated down and hit the ground rather rapidly only a few hundred yards north of the railway.  I pulled by chute down out to the trees and thought about burying it but could hear trampling in the brush so I knew there was a patrol nearby.  My leg was burned and had two large holes in it which were gushing profusely.  I salvaged what I could from my pack and started North.  Once the patio passed very nearby and I hid under a pile of dead branches and leaves.  It was nearly dark when I started out again.  The first night found me curled up inside a hollow tree trunk nervous and cold.  Sleep was impossible or my mind was muddled at my prospects.  I had no map and only a meager remembrance of how the hills ran.  I did get my compass so early morning I started North and west when possible.  I thought the brush and tangles were impassable but they were simple to what came later.  Trails were not too easy to follow for they seemed to go in one direction and the reverse entirely.  One day I walked quite easily through swamp grass but then I came to a clearing, then hills all around.  I headed west and got on a good path.  The path was very steep and my leg bled a lot whenever I strained.  The heat was intense at first but I soon became accustomed and also my ears picked up the sound of streams more readily.

About the third night I lit a fire and tried to dry out.  At the same time I washed my wounds and applied iodine to the open holes.  I had 12 tables of sulfanilamide of which I took some by mouth, the remainder I crushed to use as a powder in the deep holes.  I put the boric salve on by burns and they were healing nicely.  The whole leg and foot ere very black and blue with much distortion from swelling.

The remainder of the twelve days alone was a series of disappointments and in one word HELL.  It seemed as if I was running incircles.  At one time I waded for a day in grass above my head.  It wha matted and tangled.  Occasionally an animal track would help progress but invariably it wound up going in the direction from which I had come.  After a very tedious day in this bewildering, cutting mess I emerged on the bank of a stream.  I saw smoke in the distance but it was nearly dark so I stopped.  My bar of chocolate was holding up swell and I knew I could last for 20 days if needs be.

It was well I didn’t reach the smoke because as I decided later it was the Japs burning bushes from the road.  It seemed as if I had been successful for as I was wading up a shallow river I came to a small bamboo bridge.  It looks too well made to be of a native type but there was a road going north.  I started up this trail and all the way expected to run into a Jap patrol.  Occasionally I came to a cold camp.  From scraps of paper, etc., I knew it must be an enemy trail, the same which had bee burnt off the night before.  Close!  I stayed on this through many high hills but the pace was telling.  I then encountered a gruesome thing.  Coming around a bend I saw a deserted village.  The huts were partially burned and old wreckage of autos mitered the roadside.  In one hut was a human charred  pile of bones with the skull as sort of a symbol for me to get out.  I needed little persuasion.  I decided then and there that I would rather die alone in the jungle than be captured.

For the next week I was never on a beaten path again.  I was hopelessly wandering one minute in a swampy tangled hole and then I would struggle for hours trying to reach a peak.  The hills seemed to get steeper and steeper and more dense as the days went by.  I knew I was getting weaker and decided I must find some other way.  One morning I came to a mountain stream.  It was about a foot wide and I determined to follow it.  It was rocky and my shoes were fast beginning to wear.  T thought I had hit a good plan because the stream eventually became a river with smaller streams running into it.  The water became too deep to wade so I started climbing the banks instead.  This was well for only a short time.  The river became a bottomless swirling mass.  There were no sides to cling to for they had become vertical rock piles forming a gorge.  I was hemmed in.  No way to go forward and the walls were impossible.  Then the rains came.  I sat on the 45 degree rock pile from 4 P.M. until 7 A.M. with the rain beating down in torrents.  That was the most hopeless and dismal time I have ever encountered in my short life.  I didn’t see how I could stand it much more.

With the cold gray morning I hoped for at least the sun to dry myself.  No soap.  It stayed dark and misty.  All wood was wet so a fire was out of the question.  I sat and pondered and then tried to build a raft.  This resulted in my hitting a rock and swimming the rest of the way to a falls.  I didn’t know whether to keep swimming and hope I drowned or turn back.  I hated the thought of turning back but that is what saved me.  I made my way back up the river experiencing a couple of ducklings from slipping and falling down the rocky slopes back into the river.  Once I slid and rolled about 25 feet coming to a jarring halt when I collided with a boulder coming sharply into my ribs.  I was stunned for a short time and continued on when I realized I had broken no bones.  All of the time my leg was hurting more because of the wet clothes and terrific beating it had taken.

The bend in the river was a godsend.  I took the fork and started wading up stream.  As the day went on I saw that the hills were getting smaller and I hoped I would emerge into a valley soon.

On the 12th day my hopes arose.  I came to a bamboo structure across the stream.  It was hand made so I knew the people had been there at some time.  I finally spotted a trail leading into the bamboo forest where I could see signs of freshly cut wood, so I knew I must be getting someplace.  Was it friendly?  Was I coming to a Jap camp?  Those thoughts tortured me to no end, I came to the top of a hill and the sun was beaming down.  It was glorious to stretch out and feel that warmth.  I opened by wounds and let the sun play on them.  At the same time I took off my soggy shoes and clothes and de-leeched and de-ticked myself.  It was about 2 o’clock.  I debated whether to stay there and hope some planes would come over.  In that came I could light some grass.  The only drawback my matches were still too wet to fire.  I struck down on the trail and walked for about two hours.  I was weak, my head ached and I was just ready to stop for the night when I saw some huts at the top of a hill.  I guess I fairly ran the rest of the way.

I must have passed out for as I came to I saw a pair of eyes peeking at me from one corner and chickens and pigs were running in all directions.  I was sprawled in the midst of this on my face.  I motioned for the dark fellow to come to me but he only ducked out of sight.  Eventually I spotted a strong husky lad and persuaded him to come.  He stood at a distance with his knife and gun pointing very distastefully down my famished gullet.  And then I heard someone say, “Do you speak English?”  A little brown fellow with grey shorts,  handlebar mustache, and stocking cap was coming toward me.  Of course I started rambling at once on who I was and what I wanted.  I showed him my wounds and miracle of all he said “I am a doctor.”  That was too much.  I was skeptical and wondered if he was a native medicine man or what.  As soon as he started working I knew different.  His hands worked with skill and tenderness, he had some supplies.  As he worked he explained he had run away from Myitkyina with his family leaving his hoe and all of his years supply of instruments behind.  He was of Indian birth but spoke to the people fluently in their native tongue.  He said they were Kachin Hill people and would help me.  He also sent a runner with a not to the Boss.  The boss was unknown to me but must have been a chief of something.

*Report of finding of Ground party that investigated two unknown Wrecks nNorth of Mogaung.

On 25 March 1945, 2nd Lt. Martin, 2nd Lt. Osborn, and myself, Sgt. Katz, Pfc McNeil, Pat Mason, all men of this Detachment, and two men from SOS Graves Registration, plus two Kachin Guides from the British Civil Affairs Officer in Myitkyina, left Myitkyina North Airfield at 1330 hours, in a 6 X 6 truck…. Our destination was Company C of the 1327th Engineers, GS Regiment, APO #689.  We arrived there at 1530 hrs and made preparations to set out early in the morning for the site of these two wrecks.

The Engineers gave us food and water plus bedding for the night.  Lt. Thomas H. Sakalosky of the 1327th Engineers, offered to go into the wreck with us.  One of their Graders was used to grade the road for approximately one mile between our position on the wrecks.

We left the Camp at 9730 hrs on the 26th of March, and drove as far as we were able to in our truck.  We converted our truck into a Command Post and equipped it with an SCR 694.  Sgt Katz and Pfc McNeil were left behind to operate the radio.  The rest of the party set out equipped with a Handie-Talkie.  The frequency was set at 4495.  Every half  hour we called the Command Post.  They in turn would relay instructions to us from our planes overhead.  The Command Post also relayed instructions to the planes, informing them as to our position in the jungles.  The jungle was so dense, that it was impossible for the plane above to see us even though we were directly under them.  Upon learning our position, the planes would contact us and give us our position and bearing toward the wreck.  It was impossible for us to see through the dense undergrowth.  Walking became increasingly tougher, and finally after approximately three hours, we reached the top of a ridge.  We wer still unable to find the wreck, although we knew we were close to it.  We held a hasty conference and decided to fan out.  Two go to the right, two to the left, and the remaining two to go straight ahead.  Lt. Martin who searched to the right, located the wreck and we all reached it at approximately 1240 hours.  

We determined that this plane was C-47 #42-32866.  This plane had been reported missing on 8 June 1944.  It left Tingkawk Sakan for Sookerting at 1758 hours and was never heard of again.  It was assigned to the Air Transport Command, and was on Detached Service with the 1st Troop Carrier Squadron.  Three bodies were found in this wreck.  They were identified by their dog tags.  They were:

Pilot - 1st Lt. Donal F. Gilman 0-740401

CoPilot - 2nd Lt. George B. Eldon 0-200497

R/O - S/Sgt Robert H. Harder 36222205

Two rusty .45 Cal pistols were found at the side of the wreck,  Their numbers were 934907 and 880403.  These bodies were returned to Myitkyina for a military burial.

We left this first wreck at 1335 hour and proceeded along the top of the ridge, veering to the East.  Travel along this ridge was comparatively easy, until we reached a high peak.  At this point we were forced to proceed hand over hand.  At 1532 hours we arrived upon the second wreck.  This plane was determined to be C-47 41-38573.  The information we had on this plane stated its home station was Sookerting and it had left Tingkawk Sakan for home base on 8 June 1944.  Nothing was ever heard of this plane after that date.  It too, was assigned to the Air Transport command on Detached Service to the 1st Troop Carrier Squadron.  The fuselage of this wreck was intact, and from all indications this plane did not burn.  Two bodies, or rather the bones of two bodies were found near the wreck.  Near one of the bodies was a pair of woman’s shoes.  They appeared to be GI nurses shoes.  Also a pair only of men’s shoes were found.  They were size 8.  The crew of this plane was listed as:

Pilot - 1st Lt. Donald W. Boyd 0=656129

CoPilot - 2nd Lt. Clayton C. Giddings 0-740400

R/O - S.Sgt John T. Ruber 13523996

The dog tags of Lt. Giddings were found near one of the bodies.  What we supposed to be the other body remained unidentified.  Near the bodies an Elgin Watch #554 USA X842472, 15 jewels was found.  These bones too were brought back to Myitkyina Airbase for a military burial…. Subsequent information as gathered by an examination of the bones by medical men of the 48th Evacuation hospital, revealed that the bones of what we thought was one person , proved to be two different people.  One a normal man, and the other a rather small man.  This completely clarified the problem of what had happened to the three crew members of this crew.  We left the site of the wreck at 1630 hrs and arrived at the Engineers Headquarters at 1845 hrs.

This was the first time that an Air Jungle Rescue ground party had maintained ground to ground and ground to air communications.  This procedure proved very successful in my estimation.

s/ Donald B. Kelly

DONALD B. KELLY

1st Lt., AC, MIS-X

Intelligence O

 

 10th Air Force