Retired Col. Bill Thomas sits in the cockpit of a static C-17 Globemaster III, May 5, 2011 at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. Colonel Thomas was a World War II "Hump" pilot who flew with the U.S. Army Air Corp's Air Transport Command, flying supplies over the Himalayan Mountains in support of Chinese forces fighting the Japanese. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nicole Mickle)
World War II Hump pilots and members of the 15th Airlift Squadron take a group photo inside a static C-17 Globemaster May 5, 2011, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. The World War II Hump pilots took a tour of JBC during their final reunion. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Nicole Mickle)
Married for more than 60 years, Bill McKarns and his wife speak during the bus ride to the static C-17 Globemaster III May 5, 2011, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.. Mr. McKarns was a World War II "Hump" pilot assigned to the U.S. Army Air Corp's Air Transport Command and flew from India into China, transporting trucks, weapons and supplies in support of Chinese soldiers. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Nicole Mickle)
Don Marshall shares one of his World War II stories with Capt. John McDaniel during lunch May 5, 2011, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. Mr. Marshall was attending the World War II "Hump" pilots reunion. The Hump pilots have met annually since 1946. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Nicole Mickle)
by Christin Navitsky
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
5/11/2011 - JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- During World War II, they flew C-47 Skytrains and B-24 Liberators, providing supplies to Chinese soldiers fighting the Japanese after the Burma Road was shut down. Their aircraft were often loaded with 10,000 pounds of gasoline, food, ammunition and bombs.
And they did all this flying across the Himalayan Mountains, the highest mountain range in the world.
The remaining five Army Air Corps "Hump" pilots visited here May 5 as part of their 65th reunion to commemorate their heroic actions during World War II.
Although their actions have gone down in history as some of the most heroic exploits of the war, they will be the first to look back at those days with humor and an insight that comes from years of wisdom.
"I enjoy these reunions," said 91 year-old Tex Rankin from Fort Worth, Texas. "Every time we meet, the Himalayan Mountains get higher and the weather gets worse. There are more Japanese fighters in the sky than there were in the whole fleet."
During World War II, the Japanese had cut off all supply lines to the Chinese fighters. The U.S. military devised a plan to fly over the Himalayan Mountains and help supply China with the necessary equipment and supplies needed to fight and survive.
They coined the term Hump pilots as a tribute to the hump of the treacherous Himalayan Mountains. The mountain peaks were dangerous, the winds were unpredictable and the World War II aircraft did not have the navigational equipment and avionics of today.
"We flew without global positioning; all we had was a radio compass," said 86-year-old Don Marshall from Scottsdale, Ariz.
A typical flight to China would take two hours due to 100-knot tailwinds. The flight home could take up to 10 hours as the planes got battered by extreme headwinds while they climbed to gain altitude to get over the mountains.
"We were inexperienced pilots and had never encountered a weather terrain like this before," Mr. Marshall said. "The Himalayas ran north to south and we flew east to west. This was the first we learned of vortex winds, the jet stream and the effect of headwinds."
Terrain and weather weren't the only obstacles. The C-47 many of the Hump pilots flew was a new aircraft, rushed into production. Most of the kinks were worked out flying actual missions as the crews encountered numerous problems in the air.
Bill McKarn, 88, from Bryan, Ohio, shared a story about one mission flown on Christmas day. While he was en-route, the base at which he was scheduled to land came under attack. Due to the air raid, it was impossible to safely land his plane loaded with valuable cargo. He was forced to remain airborne until night. Finally, low on fuel and completely exhausted, he had no choice except to land the plane in the dark, flying by total recall.
"It was so dark you, couldn't see anything but black," Mr. McKarn said.
The next morning, on the return flight, Mr. McKarn had to keep the plane at 12,000 feet just so he and his crew could breathe, but had to climb to 14,000 feet to avoid hitting the top of the mountain peaks. He described the trip as thrilling and exciting.
"We are the reason they coined the term 'flying by the seat of your pants'," Mr. McKarn said. "I have always compared it to the feeling of putting a cork in a washing machine."
During their reunion and visit to Joint Base Charleston, the Airmen, all in their 80s and 90s, had the chance to see the capabilities of today's Air Force.
"Real technological airplanes amaze me," said Bill Thomas, 91, from Charleston, S.C., while climbing down the cockpit stairs of the C-17 Globemaster III. "I have never seen such machines with such capabilities."
"A couple of these C-17s could have replaced all the work we did on those C-47 planes," Mr. Rankin added.
Speaking on behalf of the other reunion attendees, Mr. Thomas expressed their gratitude for the base tour.
"One thing has not changed since I arrived at Charleston Air Force Base in 1967, and that is the great relationship with the community," he said. "The support is wonderful."
Comments
1/20/2012 10:45:41 PM ET Gone 4 years now, but my dad Captain George E. Horwatt never missed a Hump Pilot or CBI reunion.Flew over 100 Hump missions in a C46 in the left seat and then as a test pilot under General Paul Tibbets in the Korean war. Ended with 729 combat hours and 60 years of flying. As for me, I've been flying the same Skylane for 38 years.
George C. Horwatt, Dallas PA
12/6/2011 7:17:17 PM ET My father, Robert L. Tinsley, was a Hump Pilot he flew C-47's. Dad never talked much about his times Flying The Hump.He passed away May 25, 1976 with the rank of Lt. Colonel. I wish he could have lived to see the internet. The last C-47 he piloted was taking me to the Shriner's Burn Hospital in Galveston, TX, in 1964. He was a flight instructor for the first half of WWII at Hawkins field at Jackson, MS, was transferred to the Hump for the rest of the war. He did always speak highly of the men he flew with.He joined the Hump Pilots Association before he passed away. Thank you to all the brave men and women that were there.Charles R. tinsley
Charles R. Tinsley, Meridian MS
5/30/2011 7:39:18 AM ET As my brother states, my father, Captain Barton Renno, was a hump pilot. I'm sure Ron remembers the stories he would tell. After reading this article, I remember a story he told me once about not being able to land because the runway lights were turned off due to an attack. Or how he would be instructed not to land because there were planes above him attacking the airstip. I miss my father and the stories he would share. Today is a special day for our family because my father was an American Hero I love you Dad. HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! BG
Bonnie Taggart, West Palm Beach FL
5/24/2011 3:27:20 PM ET Yes, my dad was also a Hump Pilot and I found this article very interesting. Wish I could have been at the reunion to speak with them. We just discovered my dad's short snorters and I am trying to decipher the signatures and figure out their place in both my father's history and our nation's history. If you don't know what a short snorter is, check out on line. Thanks for the article.
Ginger Cole Turner, Austin Texas
5/12/2011 10:25:50 AM ET My dad, Captain Bart Renno, was a hump pilot. I still break out the pictures he took while in India. I wish he were alive today to witness the changes in technology. Those men who flew those dangerous missions are all heroes. God bless you all.
