319th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando) | 1st Air Commando Group | 10th AAF CBI | theater-made "question mark" insignia

[walika]

319th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando) | 1st Air Commando Group | 10th AAF CBI | theater-made "question mark" insignia

 

LINEAGE. Constituted 319th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando) on 9 Aug 1944. Activated on 1 Sep 1944. Re-designated 319th Troop Carrier Squadron on 29 Sep 1945.

ASSIGNMENTS. 1st Air Commando Group, 1 Sep 1944.

STATIONS. Asansol, India, 1 Sep 1944 (operated from various forward bases in Burma, 4 Dec 1944-17 May 1945); Warazup, Burma, 27 May 1945; Loping, China, 2 Sep 1945; Huhsien, China, 7 Oct 1945.

AIRCRAFT. C-47, 1944-1945.

OPERATIONS. Aerial transportation in CBI, c. Oct 1944-c. Aug 1945.

CAMPAIGNS. India-Burma; China Defensive; Central Burma; China Offensive.

 

 

It was my good fortune to acquire this insignia in 2006. It remains the only example I have ever seen.

 

 

Theater-made. Multi-piece leather.

 

 

Indian Troops (Chindits) boarding a 1st Air Commando Group, C-47 on route to Meiktila, Burma from Palel, India - 17 March 1945. Insignia on C-47 tail.

 

 

 

Photo from Ex-CBI Roundup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ex-CBI Roundup Newspaper | A publication named for the in-theater WWII newspaper "CBI Roundup". Ex-CBI Roundup was continuously published from December 1946 through July 2009, encompassing some 600 issues.

 

WHAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE QUESTION MARK INSIGNIA?

ANSWER 1:

Ex-CBI Roundup | March 1984 issue
"How's your CBI I.Q." column
by Mr. Hugh Crumpler

Again Joe Lucke comes to bat: "The outfit was designated the 5318 Provisional Air Unit, or prior to that simply Project 9. (You can get some idea of the magnitude of the undertaking when Project 10 was the B-29's and Project 1 was the B-25 bombing of the Japanese mainland). We had hardly arrived in India when the outfit provoked many comments from airdrome officials with the snatch mechanism on the bottom of the plane. Additionally, the rank and file of us did not know exactly what our mission was. Hence the White Circle with a concentric blue-black ring and a blue-black question mark was created. (It saved a lot of answers for damn-fool questions)."


ANSWER 2:

Ex-CBI Roundup | April, June, October 1997 Issues

 

1) He (the officer in the above picture) is wearing the question mark which was the symbol of the 319th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 1st Air Commando Group.

The question mark was chosen because there were so many questions about the ultimate destination and mission of the squadron. This information was not disclosed to squadron members when it was organized in the United States. All original members of the squadron were volunteers. They were told they were volunteering for a secret mission.

The question mark was displayed on the tail of all the squadron's C-47s. I was the last commander of the squadron. I was not a member of the original cadre. -- Mr. Al Kaufman


2) We just returned from our 53d anniversary of the First Air Commando Group held in Holland, MI, May 21 thru May 25.

With 106 attending, I was able to obtain first hand information on the MYSTERY PHOTO, page 9, in the April issue. Lt. Col. William W. Johnson. Jr., USAF Retired, than a 1st Lt. with the C-47 Section, was able to identify the officer in your photo. He was Capt. Edgar L. "Blackie" Barham. Original home town and current address unknown.

Bill also was able to give me a different story on the Question Mark on his A-2 jacket. There appears to be three stories on the patch.

First, Is Bill's version. He said when they were still in the States training, many people questioned the C-47 crews on the "reel, cable and pick up pole" in the hatch installed on each C-47. At the time, it was classified information. However, the reel was to hold a tow cable and the pick up pole was to snatch gliders off the ground while the 47 was in flight.

Second version. At the time the photo was taken we did not know who we were. They kept changing the name of the Group; Project 9, Project CA 281, 5318th Provisional Unit (Air), No. 1 Air Commando Force and finally 1st Air Commando Gp.

Third version. Pilots and crews joked about the fact we don't know who we are and we don't know where we are going.

Hope you like these explanations. Pick the one you prefer. -- Mr. A.R. Van De Weghe

Ex-CBI Roundup excerpts compiled by CBI History web site, here.

 

First Air Commandos, 8 mm footage by C-47 pilot John Sanichas

http://youtu.be/cDAwwAVpopE

 

A second video,

.

 

Personnel of the First Air Commando Group. Film taken by Robert T. Smith in 1943-44.

http://youtu.be/74qzEpg48a0

 

Project 9: Birth of the Air Commandos in World War II

Symposium at Eisenhower Presidential Library in June, 2014 at the release of Dennis Okerstrom's book, "Project 9: Birth of the Air Commandos in World War II," coincides with the 70th anniversary of the invasion of Burma.

 

http://youtu.be/Z3wSZGEuGB0

 

Project 9 - Colonel Philip "Flip" Cochrane, 1st Air Commando Group commander, and the making of the 1st Air Commandos.

http://youtu.be/azEFhL3cj8o

 

 

 

319tcs 1acg 10aaf

 

[tredhed2]

This is a terrific example of an incredibly rare insignia. Thanks for sharing.

[The Iron Brigade]

[irish]

Another fantastic piece, thanks for posting

[Hetchal]

Hello,

My father (Les Booz) was with the 319th from 1944-1945.

I also have this same insignia along with many other items and photos from his service.

The C-47 that he was attached to was called "Umbriago".

Would love to know more about his unit if anyone has more info !

Thanks

 

Lee Booz