The Great Snafu Fleet

[res6kgcr]

For the Brain Trust,

I bought these photos of Lt. Thomas J. Moss that are mounted on two photo montages boards. The scratches and streaks is the lacquer used to seal the boards. The person, I guess Mr. Moss, tore the edges photographs and mounted them at odd angles for I think good effect.

The big question for you all, is what unit is he with in China?

The squadron insignia that is on the C-46 and the air A-2 jacket of the airman who is in the jeep are not shown on comcar.ogr or in “Combat Squadrons…”













The whole set can be seen here:

http://forum.armyairforces.com/photo.as ... =1&asort=3

Oh, yes the upload did not work for what I think is the real “Lady Stephanie”.



Thanks for any help,

Tom Michel

[RandolphB]

I found a link to a book about the group: http://www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk/book ... okid=10284

Here is a brief description from the book that answers some questions:

1st Combat Cargo Squadron, a.k.a. The Great Snafu Fleet, and the other Combat Cargo units were formed by General Hap Arnold to answer Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten´s need for airlift in Burma, one of World War II´s most primitive theaters. From August 1944, they flew C-47’s from India, air-dropping supplies in Burma to Field Marshal William Slim´s 14 (British) Army. Going to China in December 1944, they spent the rest of the war there, delivering vital supplies and personnel for Gen Chennault’s 14th Air Force Flying Tigers and the OSS, often behind enemy lines, and rescuing POW´s before coming home. Reorganized in late 1945 as the 326th Troop Carrier Squadron, they continue the heritage of citizen-airmen today with the C-5 in contingencies around the world. They are an almost unknown unit in a forgotten theater whose story is just being told.

[Dan K]

Yup... 1st CCS

Here's a little more:

http://www.comcar.org/1st_comcar/1st_co ... uadron.htm

[res6kgcr]

Thank you gentlemen for the information.

The photos now make more sense for the operations building is at probably at Hisching, China, the “Big City” pictures and the Lily, Topsy, Barracuda and Tigercat are taken after 16 Aug 1945 when the 1st Combat Cargo Squadron moves to Chengkung, China, to support the Japanese surrender and the “Tropical Tent City” is probably Piardoba, India waiting to go home.

All the best to you all,

Tom Michel

[Dave Smith]

Interesting pics. 43-15912 of 1st CCS was condemned as salvage Dec 31 1945.
The Chinese soldiers remind me of a story told to me a by an air traffic controller I used to work with. He started off as a wireless operator/air gunner on Blenheims and was quite badly injured when his aircraft was shot down over France in 1940 by a Hurricane pilot who mistook it for a Junkers 88. My friend was grounded after that and eventually became an RAF Flying Control Officer, ending up at a control centre in India which looked after Hump operations. An American C-46 pilot he met in a Calcutta bar told him about the time he was having problems maintaining height over the Himalayas. The cargo was Chinese soldiers and the officer in charge ordered some of them to jump out - without parachutes! The C-46 scraped over the peaks after that. My colleague was never quite sure that it wasn't just a yarn to impress the Limeys! Good story though.