Flying the hump book

Ned thomas, now 94, served as a hump pilot more than 70 years agoand his daughter, nedda thomas, chronicles his wartime experiences in her. An additional significant aerial supply operation also took place in the theater during this time. In original world war ii color by jeffery l ethell, don downie online at alibris. The following is an edited excerpt from nedda thomas book, hump pilot. These men are now in their eighties and nineties, so it is not unusual that they are reaching the end of their lives, but what is remarkable is how many lives were touched in that awful conflict. Noted historian theodore white called it the most dangerous, terrifying. Flying ever more challenging airplanes, he earns his wings and learns the skills needed to fly the b24 liberator. The hump was the nickname allied pilots gave the airlift operation that crossed the himalayan foothills into china. With dennis morgan, raymond massey, dane clark, alan hale. The b29 superfortress flew fourday missions across the hump to bomb the japanese mainland. Dozens of photographs, most taken by hump airmen, show the glory and tragedy of this great air war.

Near the end of this offensive some of their units were also assigned to fly the hump regularly. Click download or read online button to get flying the hump book now. Don downie the capture of the burma road by the japanese during world war ii forced u. In august 2016, a c47 will journey through indonesia, malaysia, thailand, burma over the himalayas to the flying tigers museum in guilin, china. Flying the hump in april 1942, pilots started flying the hump, and continued missions until 1945, when the burma road was reopened.

Flying the hump by andrew herd 27 november 2005 chinas role in the second world war has been vastly underplayed, but the country played an important part in the defeat of japan, although it made a strange bedfellow as far as the western allies were concerned. Once in the air, they faced the constant threat of attack by fighters. Flying the hump, by jeff ethell and don downie, motorbooks international, osceola, wis. Atc eventually swelled to 700 planes supported by 84,000 military personnel flying 1,000 miles round trip delivering up to 10,000. Nearly 1,000 men and 600 air transport command atc planes were lost over the hump by the end of chinaburmaindia theater cbi operations. Although the china national aviation corporation ran the route before the war and its pilots continued to run cargo over the hump, the armys pilots were newlytrained flying officers with little experience flying in anything, let alone extreme weather. Jan 09, 20 dear gregory sir, i read few lines of related flying of hump. Ive never heard him so excited about something but he couldnt put the book down. But the hump airlift owed its success primarily to courage and imagination. Temperatures at 60 to 80 degrees below zero were made more bearable when heated flying suits replaced heavy, fleecelined apparel. Atc eventually swelled to 700 planes supported by 84,000 military personnel flying 1,000 miles round trip delivering up to 10,000 tons of supplies a.

The airfields in northeastern india from which the planes embarked were well within the range of enemy bombers. Flying the hump flying the hump, by jeff ethell and don downie, motorbooks international, osceola, wis. In his book flying the hump, exchinaburmaindia pilot otha c. Claire chennaults flying tigers crossed the hump to outgun the japanese zeros in some of the most spectacular air battles of world war ii. Bill cutler describes the perils of flying through the himalayas from india to china during world war ii. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting.

While i get information from one of editor that you have mentioned some related accidents of the air crash. This book is also full of beautiful photography that keeps in line with jeff ethells other historical military titles all fullcolor photography. It covers much more than his wwii service in burma. Jan 05, 2016 those informal chats developed into hump pilot, neddas 2014 book about the massive strategic airlift that helped chinese forces vanquish their japanese occupiers during wwii. His course took him over a part of burma still held by the japanese. The movie god is my copilot also has a japanese villain in the person of japanese air ace tokyo joe, richard loo, an american educated japanese combat pilot who, by the number of usaf kill decals under the sidewindow of his zero, seemed to have accounted for all the flying tiger p40s shot down in china. This book will be an important addition to the libraries of the general reader as well as the military historian. Wwii pilots daughter gets the story united service. By the end of the war, some 700 allied planes had been lost and nearly 1,200 allied airmen killed while carrying out this perilous mission.

Get ready for a youarethere experiencemaybe not an especially fun experience, because you are going to be in a noisy, cold, overloaded airplane. Jan 05, 2016 pilots who flew the hump over the himalayas have harrowing stories to tell. Aug 31, 2015 and the c47 didnt have the altitude capability or the climbing ability or the weightcarrying ability to fly these high altitudes, said dillon who published a book named flying the hump in. Flying the hump contains more than 170 original color photographs depicting the lives of the pilots and their planes during this dangerous operation. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as cds or access codes. 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. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Dear gregory sir, i read few lines of related flying of hump. The capture of the burma road by the japanese during world war ii fo. In original wwii color by jeffery l ethell, don downie, jeffrey l ethell online at alibris. The first b29 from our squadron to fly over the hump to kwanghan was piloted by major hanson, an old timer with a lot of flying time in his log book. This is a musthave for the aviation historian and the modeler alike.

To this day, flying the hump flying is considered the most dangerous assignment ever given to air transport personnel, and with good reason. The united states began the postwar period with the airplanes, the pilots, and the airtransport management skills to build a worldwide airline system, all developed at least in part by flying the hump. To this day, hump flying is considered the most dangerous assignment ever given to air transport personnel, and with good reason. Flying the hump c47 commemorative flight from australia. It is a sky road 525 miles long that is flown by the air transport command carrying cargo to china from india. He boards a plane for overseas, his destination being unknown. Spencer 1994, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. This is a scholarly and historically accurate description of the development of air power in china, explaining the need for the himalayan airlift and recording the important dates and events of the war over the hump against japan. The mission, designed to supply otherwise isolated chinese forces and civilians after the japanese cut off the only landbased supply route through burma, was called flying the hump. Highly recommended for buff, scholar, and new beginner in the field. Flying the hump is an excellent read and fills that muchoverlooked portion of us military aviation history. Sep 02, 2016 these hills led to even higher elevations until the aircraft reached the main himalayan rangesthe hump.

Flying the hump download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. In original world war ii color by ethell, jeffrey and downie, don and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Flying the chinaburma hump was a daring task, and james segels story of the airlift is entertaining, and quite informative. Also flying the hump on an irregular basis were aircraft of the u. The hump is a line drawn across the eastern himalayas and the forest of burma by american blood and courage. Flying through the jungle valleys of the irrawaddy, salween, and mekong rivers and around the 15,000foot crests of the sansuny range, the aircraft crossed the hump and proceeded eastward toward the principal u. It was the arrival of the douglas c54 skymaster in february 1944 that turned the hump operation into the largest, most efficient airline in the world. Having to fly over the towering himalayan mountains, the pilots came to know this route as flying the hump. Flying the hump commemorative flight across the himalayas.

Wwii veteran pilot describes flying b24s up over the hump. Flying over the treacherous himalayas during wwii, which recounts the wartime exploits of her father, ned thomas, a world war ii pilot who flew the dangerous route over worlds highest mountain range. The hump was one of the deadliest cargo flights in history. Curtiss commando flying over the hump between china, northern burma now myanmar, and eastern india, bfd 500 people in china built a road to free american wwii remains two airmen returning from a bombing run on japan disappeared in central china. Jun 18, 2015 the hump was one of the deadliest cargo flights in history. What are some good books that cover flying the hump in wwii. Born out of confusion and chaos, it barnstormed its way to maturity and now performs its missions with a streamlined efficiency that has profound significance for the postwar. Commemorative flight from australia through indonesia, malaysia, thailand, myanmar across the himalayas to china. How hump pilots defied death flying over the himalayas. Dec 06, 2017 ned thomas, now 94, served as a hump pilot more than 70 years agoand his daughter, nedda thomas, chronicles his wartime experiences in her book, hump pilot. For the pilots, flying the hump presented numerous challenges. Not so wild a dream by eric sevareid is a wonderfully written 1946 memoir.

Sometimes scientific and technological advances can win a war. Defying death flying the himalayas during world war ii. Insanity it had not been done since ww ii and many knowledgeable people said it couldnt be done. Flying the hump during world war ii lyon air museum. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you. The fact that few hump pilots are alive to tell their stories means that thomas book could be one of the last firstperson accounts on the topic. Once the planes reached burma, the jungle offered its own challenges for navigating and landing. Veterans of flying tigers recall flights over hump during. King 2004, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Aircraft age, cost, politics, and many other details conspire to make this a. Flying the hump by otha spencer, 9780890966242, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It turns out to be india, flying 4engine cargo aircraft hauling gasoline over the hump to china, where b29s wait for gas to make bombing runs on japan. The capture of the burma road by the japanese during world war ii forced u.

One of fergusons 72 trips involved taking several dozen chinese soldiers to india for training. Many hump pilots shared their personal recollections of rare photos and many untold stories to comprise this book of seatofthepants flying. Myitkyina 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. He called me to say he had been flying the hump the last two nights as he read it since it put him back to that time it was so accurate. The chinese base assigned to the 444th bomb group was just outside kwanghan. The dangerous 530mile long passage over the himalayan mountains took its toll. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. And, hump flights provided important lessons learned that were put to use in the berlin airlift that flew from june 24, 1948, to may 12, 1949. Flying the hump a true story about an impossible flight. Get ready for a youarethere experiencemaybe not an especially fun experience, because you are going to be in a noisy, cold, overloaded airplane flying over jagged mountains. Additionally, hump pilots faced threats from nature. Spencer was a hump pilot and recounts his own experiences and those of the men who flew the planes through the worlds worst weather over the worlds highest mountains. It was the greatest generation, as referred to by author and. An unexpected turn in the weather forced ferguson to fly.

In april 1942, pilots started flying the hump, and continued missions until 1945, when the burma road was reopened. Books on flying the hump are rare, and just as i say in the foreword, this is an important addition because the author combines handsonthrottle insight to explain the complex and confusing events of the day. During world war ii, 600 allied aircraft were lost crossing the himalayas to supply the flying tigers in china. Officially deemed air transport command, flying the hump required getting unarmed supply planes from india, over the himalayas, to chinanavigating blizzards and monsoons in the most treacherous mountain range in the world, along with the occasional japanese fighter pilot.