10th Air Jungle Rescue Detachment | 1st Air Commando Group | 10th AAF CBI | theater-made patch

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10th Air Jungle Rescue Detachment | 1st Air Commando Group | 10th AAF CBI

In April 1944, TSgt Ed "Murphy" Hladovcak of the 1st Air Commandos, piloting a Stinson L-1 Vigilant with three wounded British soldiers on board, was forced down over 100 miles (160 km) behind Japanese lines, 15 miles (25 km) west of Mawlu, Burma. Deep in the jungle where an airplane could not land, unable to hike out because of the injured passengers, and with ground-rescue forces days away, the downed men hid from nearby Japanese soldiers.

 

The China-Burma-India "Hump" airlift operation was the theater for what was probably the first use of a helicopter in a combat rescue. A newly-delivered Army Sikorsky YR-4B helicopter, piloted by Lt. Carter Harmon, with a 175-horsepower engine, was dispatched to try a rescue. In the heat and humidity of Burma, the YR-4B could carry only one passenger at a time, straining its engine past the redline just to lift off. Despite these difficulties, over the two day period 25-26 April 1944, four trips were made in and out to a secure location where the men could safely transfer to a Stinson L-5 Sentinel. The final hasty liftoff was accomplished just as shouting soldiers burst from the jungle. As Lt. Harmon learned later, the soldiers were not Japanese, but an Allied land rescue party that had finally reached the crash site. The great success of the mission encouraged the advocates of helicopters, but few other missions actually took place during WW II. In China during the final months of the war, Sikorsky R-6As provided search and rescue services.

 

Theater made. Multi-piece leather, hand-painted.

 

 

 

 

 

Stinson L-1A Vigilant

 

 

 

In 1943 few people knew what a helicopter was or what it might be capable of doing. The first flight of a practical single-rotor helicopter had taken place only four years earlier, in 1939. In December of 1940, Sikorsky was awarded a contract to develop helicopters for the military. This led to development of the R-4, the world's first production helicopter. The R-4 and its later R-5 and R-6 versions were the only helicopters used in action in World War II. By war's end, 400 military helicopters had been built.

 

A Sikorsky-built R-4 helicopter was used in April 1944 in a dramatic rescue of a downed pilot and three wounded soldiers in the jungles of Burma. The fledgling aircraft was under-powered, which was only made worse by the heat and humidity of the jungle. Three trips were necessary to evacuate the men.

 

The R-4 was first used in combat in May 1944, after which, Col. Philip G. Cochran, Commanding Officer of the 1st Air Commando Group wrote to a friend, "Today the 'egg-beater' went into action and the damn thing acted like it had good sense."

The R-4 Hoverfly was the world's first production helicopter. The original military model, the XR-4, was developed from the famous experimental VS-300 helicopter, invented and built by Igor Sikorsky and publicly demonstrated in 1940. The XR-4 made its initial flight on January 13, 1942 and as a result of its successful flight tests, the Army ordered 30 for additional service testing and flight training. One went to Burma and one to Alaska, while the others were assigned to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and British Royal Navy. They showed such promise that the Army Air Force ordered 100 more. The R-4 was also used in other missions as liaison and an observation platform.

 

 

Stinson L-5 Sentinel

 

 

 

 

R4B Sikorsky

 

 

 

 

R5 Sikorsky

 

 

 

 

R6A Sikorsky

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

The Hoverfly in the CBI

WWII Helicopter Evacuation



10ajr 1acg 10aaf

 

 

 

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10th Air Jungle Rescue Detachment | 1st Air Commando Group | 10th AAF CBI

In April 1944, TSgt Ed "Murphy" Hladovcak of the 1st Air Commandos, piloting a Stinson L-1 Vigilant with three wounded British soldiers on board, was forced down over 100 miles (160 km) behind Japanese lines, 15 miles (25 km) west of Mawlu, Burma. Deep in the jungle where an airplane could not land, unable to hike out because of the injured passengers, and with ground-rescue forces days away, the downed men hid from nearby Japanese soldiers.

 

The China-Burma-India "Hump" airlift operation was the theater for what was probably the first use of a helicopter in a combat rescue. A newly-delivered Army Sikorsky YR-4B helicopter, piloted by Lt. Carter Harmon, with a 175-horsepower engine, was dispatched to try a rescue. In the heat and humidity of Burma, the YR-4B could carry only one passenger at a time, straining its engine past the redline just to lift off. Despite these difficulties, over the two day period 25-26 April 1944, four trips were made in and out to a secure location where the men could safely transfer to a Stinson L-5 Sentinel. The final hasty liftoff was accomplished just as shouting soldiers burst from the jungle. As Lt. Harmon learned later, the soldiers were not Japanese, but an Allied land rescue party that had finally reached the crash site. The great success of the mission encouraged the advocates of helicopters, but few other missions actually took place during WW II. In China during the final months of the war, Sikorsky R-6As provided search and rescue services.

 

Theater made. Multi-piece leather, hand-painted.

 

 

 

 

 

Stinson L-1A Vigilant

 

 

 

In 1943 few people knew what a helicopter was or what it might be capable of doing. The first flight of a practical single-rotor helicopter had taken place only four years earlier, in 1939. In December of 1940, Sikorsky was awarded a contract to develop helicopters for the military. This led to development of the R-4, the world's first production helicopter. The R-4 and its later R-5 and R-6 versions were the only helicopters used in action in World War II. By war's end, 400 military helicopters had been built.

 

A Sikorsky-built R-4 helicopter was used in April 1944 in a dramatic rescue of a downed pilot and three wounded soldiers in the jungles of Burma. The fledgling aircraft was under-powered, which was only made worse by the heat and humidity of the jungle. Three trips were necessary to evacuate the men.

 

The R-4 was first used in combat in May 1944, after which, Col. Philip G. Cochran, Commanding Officer of the 1st Air Commando Group wrote to a friend, "Today the 'egg-beater' went into action and the damn thing acted like it had good sense."

The R-4 Hoverfly was the world's first production helicopter. The original military model, the XR-4, was developed from the famous experimental VS-300 helicopter, invented and built by Igor Sikorsky and publicly demonstrated in 1940. The XR-4 made its initial flight on January 13, 1942 and as a result of its successful flight tests, the Army ordered 30 for additional service testing and flight training. One went to Burma and one to Alaska, while the others were assigned to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and British Royal Navy. They showed such promise that the Army Air Force ordered 100 more. The R-4 was also used in other missions as liaison and an observation platform.

 

 

Stinson L-5 Sentinel

 

 

 

 

R4B Sikorsky

 

 

 

 

R5 Sikorsky

 

 

 

 

R6A Sikorsky

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

The Hoverfly in the CBI

WWII Helicopter Evacuation



10ajr 1acg 10aaf