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General Caleb V. Haynes CBI Command Pilot Wing


mghcal
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I'd like to present the CBI made Command Pilot wing of Major General Caleb Vance Haynes, "A Pilot's Pilot".

Caleb_V._Haynes.jpg.7864a7c74ff63b24a09b5a15ca2abca6.jpg


Born March 15, 1895 in Dobson NC, Caleb Haynes would become one of the greatest  aviators in history. His service history is truly amazing, from serving in France in ww1 as a test pilot and instructor, as an aide to President Woodrow Wilson during the Paris Peace Conference, then his interwar service which was most impressive. One need only look at his accomplishments to realize what a truly brilliant man General Haynes was, graduating from Wake Forest College in 1917 with a Bachelors of Laws degree, to being a flight instructor, an engineering officer, a supply officer of an aviation repair 
depot, this was a man that was obviously learning a bit of everything in order to accomplish what he did in ww2. He flew with some of the giants of aviation history, in 1937 he flew the second YB-17 Flying Fortress to delivery with the 2nd Bomb Group. On Aug 12-13 1937, Haynes would fly in a joint Army-Navy excercise to find the USS Utah and bomb it with 50 pound water balloons. Flying the lead YB-17 with then Lt Col Robert Olds and soon to be General but then 1st Lt. Curtis Lemay as navigator, Haynes descended below the fog to find the Utah and bombed it. Once again in May 1938 piloting with then Lt Col Ira C. Eaker and Curtis Lemay again as navigator, Haynes would make history by intercepting the SS Rex ocean liner at the YB-17's maximum range of around 725 miles out at sea. While intercepting the SS Rex, Haynes took the YB-17 to smokestack level and a photographer in the follow plane took the photo which would plaster the front pages of newspapers around the world. A star was born!

flybyrex.jpg.27ca83e681ed592706aadedbd0525043.jpg

 

In February 1939 as commander of the experimental aircraft Boeing XB-15, Haynes and ten-man crew made a 10,000 mile round trip voyage delivering Red Cross emergency supplies to  Santiago Chile after the city had experienced a severe earthquake. For that he was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross, the Order of the Merit of Chile, and was most likely given the Chilean pilot wing which I also purchased with his CBI wing. Haynes would continue to make historic flights throughout 1939, including several new world records for flight tests lifting very heavy loads and others for speed records carrying heavy loads in bombers. In June 1939, Haynes once again put another first under his belt by flying a B-24 to test the northern Atlantic air route to Great Britain which he did successfully landing at Ayr Scotland with two midway stops. This would become one of the primary routes flown when we provided supplies to Great Britain during ww2. On August 31 with Major Curtis Lemay as his co-pilot and the Chief of the Air Corps Major General George H. Brett as a passenger, Haynes took off to begin a 26,000-mile round trip journey to scout an air route across the southern Atlantic from the US to Brazil to Africa with the terminus originally being Cairo Egypt but a side-trip was made to Basrah Iraq where MG Brett was dropped off on a special mission. This flight would mark what became the southern route that thousands of our planes would use during ww2.

HAYNES-Caleb-V.-with-crew-of-Boeing-XB-17-35-277-distance-record.png.18bcde15a506b7f1e60715eedd03b934.png

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/2-august-1939/

 

After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Haynes would be made the base commander of Borinquen Field which was the first refueling stop for the southern route to Cairo. Then in February 1942, Haynes was given a mission which would steer the course of his life for the next 3 years. Ordered to organize Force Aquila, the advance party of the 10th AF, Haynes was ordered to bomb Tokyo using B-17s and B-24s flying from bases in eastern China. He managed to scrape together one B-24, 12 B-17's, and a small group of C-47s and then led them to Karachi India along the southern route landing in April 1942. This group bombing Tokyo would be called HALPRO. A book written by Robert Lee Scott Jr. in "God is my Co-Pilot" was also about his trip with Haynes' group to India. On April 9, Col William D Old piloted the first flight over the Hump, Haynes was right behind him in the second aircraft delivering fuel to China for their mission to bomb Tokyo. After Doolittle beat them to the punch on April 18th, and then the bases in eastern China fell to the Japanese in May, plans to bomb Tokyo from China were scrapped and the B-24s destined for the mission (HALPRO)  were instead diverted to North Africa to be used to bomb the oilfields of Ploesti Romania. The B-17s of Haynes group were then reassigned to be part of the 10th AF.

 

Haynes was then sent to Dinjan Airfield in the Indian state of Assam to continue his supply-line work under the name Assam-Burma-China Ferry Command with the mission of supplying forces in China by flying supplies over the Hump. To be frank, what Haynes was given for this mission was fairly pathetic. With only two C-47s and one P-40 Warhawk flown by Colonel Robert Lee Scott Jr, as cover, Haynes would supply the materials needed by both chinese forces, AVG planes, and General Stillwell in Burma. Haynes with a handful of other airmen from the Chinese National Aviation Corp (CNAC) and a couple from the Royal Air Force would fly hundreds of evacuation missions from Burma as it was falling to the Japanese, they would rescue nearly 4,500 people and moved them to safety in India. On May 4, 1942, Haynes flew to rescue 30 members of General Joseph Stilwell's mission when they got cut off in Northern Burma, though "Vinegar Joe" himself refused the lift, preferring to walk out with the remainder of his force. Haynes subsequently dropped supplies to Stilwell's group as they made their way west through the jungle. On one such  mission, a Japanese fighter attacking his C-47 was discouraged into retreat when the crewmen of the supposedly unarmed transport opened up on it with fire from Thompson submachine guns and 45-caliber M1911 pistols. Around this time Tokyo Rose announced on the radio about  Haynes that the Japanese would no longer have anything to worry about because the Americans "made that old broken-down transport pilot commander-in-chief". Haynes, in command of no bombers with which to retaliate, instead loaded a transport with 100-pound (45 kg)  fragmentation bombs and had some soldiers throw them out over enemy forces. He returned thenext day to drop leaflets which read "Compliments of the Old Broken-Down Transport Pilot". For this action, Haynes was awarded the Silver Star.

douglas-c-47-6.jpg.cfab894f1a83b33a65cc1bf012ab9896.jpg86823132_1_x.jpg.867b04b9478162bc9b8e09b44e059c8e.jpg

 

To give you an idea of the hazards and daring of these missions flown by only 3 men, here is the Silver Star citation of Robert Lee Scott.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Colonel (Air Corps) Robert Lee Scott, Jr. (ASN: 0-18908), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with the Assam Burma China Ferry Command, in action between 2 May and 14 May 1942. With General Caleb V. Haynes as Pilot, Colonel Robert L. Scott as Co-Pilot, Sergeant Ralph B. Baldridge as radio operator, and Sergeant Robert A. Mocklin as aerial engineer, this air crew made repeated trips over enemy controlled territory into Upper Burma to drop food and medicinal supplies to General Stilwell's party and British refugees. Their removal of American personnel from Upper Burma was accomplished through the most difficult operating conditions, and reflected extreme daring, skill, and cooperation between each member of the transport team. These trips were carried out under the most hazardous weather conditions and in the face of enemy air attack in unarmed transports. Colonel Haynes as Commanding officer of the Assam Burma China Ferry Command, and Colonel Scott as Executive Officer, have in this operation and others preceding set an example of fidelity to duty, courage to participate, and calmness to execute that has been admired and followed by all officers and men, thereby maintaining and increasing the efficiency and morale of the command.

 

In June 1942, Haynes went to China to organize and command the Bomber Command of the China Air Task Force (CATF) under General Claire Chennault. His fighter group counterpart was Scott—the three air leaders were the subject of a Life magazine article in August which described them as like-minded Southerners who "are quietly tough, despise the word can't, eliminate all red tape and allow subordinates full range for individual initiative". Haynes told Jack Belden, the Life journalist, that he "used to like pursuits better but now he likes bombers", and other airmen confirmed to Belden that Haynes handled bombers as easily as fighters. Belden wrote that the open and frank bomber group leader "does not give a damn about playing Army politics". Chennault, Haynes and Scott were said to "form just about the smartest, don't-give-a-damned-est trio Asia has ever seen." Rarely able to send out more than four or five B-25 Mitchell twin-engine bombers at a time, supported by P-40s each carrying another bomb, Haynes constantly shifted his targets and kept the enemy guessing. Fuel and bomb scarcity limited the scope of operations. For instance, the only sortie on July 8 was Haynes piloting a single B-25 to bomb Japanese headquarters in Tengchong, China, near the border of Burma. Claims and losses in July proved the value of the strategy: One B-25 and five P-40s were lost in the destruction of 24 enemy fighters and 12 bombers. Supplies began to increase in the following months.

 

 In October 1942 at the rank of brigadier general, he returned to India where he organized and commanded the India Air Task Force (IATF) of the Tenth Air Force under General Clayton Bissell. In Bissell's re-organization, five commanders reported to him: Haynes ran the IATF, Chennault ran the CATF, Robert F. Tate ran the India–China Ferry Command, Robert C. Oliver ran the Tenth's service arm and Francis M. Brady operated the large air base at Karachi. Haynes's task force assembled three bomber groups: the 7th BG Heavy, the 51st Fighter Group and the 341st BG (Medium). On paper were more squadrons not yet prepared for war—some had no aircraft, some had too little training and some were bare cadres. Haynes used what few aircraft were available, mostly war-weary medium bombers. The bombing missions often included in their payloads some of the "Compliments of" leaflets as a continuation of the defiant response to Tokyo Rose. Men under Haynes noted that the general was never flown by others—he always did his own flying. He emphasized operational preparedness and self-motivation, yet his personal style put people at their ease. Sergeant John Boyd observed that Haynes was "not a desk general but a field and operations commander who believed in getting things done." One of the earliest offensive efforts made by the new task force was a multi-stage 5,500-mile (8,900 km) voyage from the main base at Karachi, through various Chinese airfields with the ultimate goal of attacking the docks of Hong Kong and returning. During this attack, Life journalist Theodore H. White rode in one of the bombers, and wrote a story about the experience for the magazine. On October 25, ten B-25 Mitchells led by Haynes took off on the final leg from an advance airfield at Kunming, accompanied by seven P-40s commanded by Scott. The small force destroyed a transport ship, bombed Hong Kong's vital Kowloon Harbor and claimed 27 enemy aircraft for the loss of one bomber and one fighter. Haynes asked Bissell for more Norden bombsights—the Mitchell mediums shared only two between all the squadrons, and their supplied D-8 bombsights were ones Haynes considered to be of no value. He sent a small force of eight B-24s to bomb Mandalay on November 8 followed in two days with a repeat visit by six of the heavy bombers. Further B-24 missions continued with slowly increasing numbers of sorties flown. In January 1943, IATF moved to Barrackpore, more than 1,300 miles (2,100 km) nearer its targets in Burma. The combat strength of IATF, though not yet 100%, was strong enough to challenge Japanese air superiority in Burma. 

 

Haynes returned to Assam in June 1943, to organize for Bissell the Assam-American Air Base Command (AAABC) which he led as a mixed force composed primarily of Tenth Air Force units with some elements of the Fourteenth Air Force. Haynes was tasked with coordinating area defense and offensive destruction of the enemy, the emphasis on the former. For the first two months, Haynes was given fewer officers and men than he deemed necessary, and the AAABC made little headway in its mission. In mid-August, large-scale re-organization of Allied forces in Asia resulted in the AAABC being renamed the American Air Base Command 1, and placed under George E. Stratemeyer. Haynes led the group until September 1943, when he returned to the U.S. after 18 months in Asia. Before he left, he told American reporters that his forces had helped deny the port of Rangoon to the enemy, and helped soften Burma for invasion. He stated that the highlight of his time in Asia was the air raid against Hong Kong. 

 

Here is the CBI made wing which he is shown wearing in July 1943 in Dinjan India. As you can see it's the classic CBI findings with the boxed hinge and crude pin. It's not easy to see without zooming in but this wing has a unique pattern in the top of the wreath where the gap in leaves is to the right instead of centered. No other ww2 era command pilot wing that I've found has that same style of wreath. I've found where General Clayton Bissel's command pilot wing of the same pattern was for sale on ebay awhile back. There were very few pilots at the time who would qualify for command pilot. I've also found several photos of other famous pilots of the time appearing to wear the exact same wing. Were these that widely available? Were they a gift from someone? Who knows. What I do know is that the giants of the Army Air Corps in the CBI theater wore these magnificent theater made wings.

gettyimages-467385911-2048x2048.jpg.e7019928161a3345b61d84ba870afa64.jpg

20200731_170753resize.jpg.46e1199eafb2e9fefa0441628bcbb965.jpg

20200731_170806resize.jpg.19edc0b342363a9d13a50d9fa77a2efe.jpg

20200731_170809resize.jpg.6b1d34fa0eb6ace69c9bee0d9d46d0fe.jpg

1592241781_20200731_170817(1).jpg.a8b7d75a3a98cf0e5bfb51bb37051f50.jpg

gettyimages-467386169-2048x2048.jpg.0a88b86211b14776547cf5ec952b56e1.jpg

view.jpg.b430b03e60b76636d29671af50e33d2f.jpg

General Chennault

 

1229284943_claytonbissell.png.65b8395acf82f1903dde1cbd4f8508a3.png

General Clayton Bissell

 

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Congrats on another beautiful and historically significant addition to your ever expanding collection Mike.  Glad you were able to save these and keep them together.

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Wonderful write up of an amazing pilot history Mike!
Very glad you have become the caretaker of such an excellent group.

By the way, I have a nearly identical wing in my collection. Surely  came from the same shop.

John

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Thanks guys glad you enjoyed the thread. This is one of my favorite wings I've ever acquired.

 

Another forum member has an interwar wing which once belonged to Haynes with the exact same type of initials scratched into the reverse of the shield. That example is on Bob's website. 

 

 Here is the back of the Chilean wing Tod. spacer.pngspacer.png

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_20200802_29614.jpg

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On 8/1/2020 at 10:01 AM, mghcal said:

I'd like to present the CBI made Command Pilot wing of Major General Caleb Vance Haynes, "A Pilot's Pilot".

Caleb_V._Haynes.jpg.7864a7c74ff63b24a09b5a15ca2abca6.jpg


Born March 15, 1895 in Dobson NC, Caleb Haynes would become one of the greatest  aviators in history. His service history is truly amazing, from serving in France in ww1 as a test pilot and instructor, as an aide to President Woodrow Wilson during the Paris Peace Conference, then his interwar service which was most impressive. One need only look at his accomplishments to realize what a truly brilliant man General Haynes was, graduating from Wake Forest College in 1917 with a Bachelors of Laws degree, to being a flight instructor, an engineering officer, a supply officer of an aviation repair 
depot, this was a man that was obviously learning a bit of everything in order to accomplish what he did in ww2. He flew with some of the giants of aviation history, in 1937 he flew the second YB-17 Flying Fortress to delivery with the 2nd Bomb Group. On Aug 12-13 1937, Haynes would fly in a joint Army-Navy excercise to find the USS Utah and bomb it with 50 pound water balloons. Flying the lead YB-17 with then Lt Col Robert Olds and soon to be General but then 1st Lt. Curtis Lemay as navigator, Haynes descended below the fog to find the Utah and bombed it. Once again in May 1938 piloting with then Lt Col Ira C. Eaker and Curtis Lemay again as navigator, Haynes would make history by intercepting the SS Rex ocean liner at the YB-17's maximum range of around 725 miles out at sea. While intercepting the SS Rex, Haynes took the YB-17 to smokestack level and a photographer in the follow plane took the photo which would plaster the front pages of newspapers around the world. A star was born!

flybyrex.jpg.27ca83e681ed592706aadedbd0525043.jpg

 

In February 1939 as commander of the experimental aircraft Boeing XB-15, Haynes and ten-man crew made a 10,000 mile round trip voyage delivering Red Cross emergency supplies to  Santiago Chile after the city had experienced a severe earthquake. For that he was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross, the Order of the Merit of Chile, and was most likely given the Chilean pilot wing which I also purchased with his CBI wing. Haynes would continue to make historic flights throughout 1939, including several new world records for flight tests lifting very heavy loads and others for speed records carrying heavy loads in bombers. In June 1939, Haynes once again put another first under his belt by flying a B-24 to test the northern Atlantic air route to Great Britain which he did successfully landing at Ayr Scotland with two midway stops. This would become one of the primary routes flown when we provided supplies to Great Britain during ww2. On August 31 with Major Curtis Lemay as his co-pilot and the Chief of the Air Corps Major General George H. Brett as a passenger, Haynes took off to begin a 26,000-mile round trip journey to scout an air route across the southern Atlantic from the US to Brazil to Africa with the terminus originally being Cairo Egypt but a side-trip was made to Basrah Iraq where MG Brett was dropped off on a special mission. This flight would mark what became the southern route that thousands of our planes would use during ww2.

HAYNES-Caleb-V.-with-crew-of-Boeing-XB-17-35-277-distance-record.png.18bcde15a506b7f1e60715eedd03b934.png

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/2-august-1939/

 

After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Haynes would be made the base commander of Borinquen Field which was the first refueling stop for the southern route to Cairo. Then in February 1942, Haynes was given a mission which would steer the course of his life for the next 3 years. Ordered to organize Force Aquila, the advance party of the 10th AF, Haynes was ordered to bomb Tokyo using B-17s and B-24s flying from bases in eastern China. He managed to scrape together one B-24, 12 B-17's, and a small group of C-47s and then led them to Karachi India along the southern route landing in April 1942. This group bombing Tokyo would be called HALPRO. A book written by Robert Lee Scott Jr. in "God is my Co-Pilot" was also about his trip with Haynes' group to India. On April 9, Col William D Old piloted the first flight over the Hump, Haynes was right behind him in the second aircraft delivering fuel to China for their mission to bomb Tokyo. After Doolittle beat them to the punch on April 18th, and then the bases in eastern China fell to the Japanese in May, plans to bomb Tokyo from China were scrapped and the B-24s destined for the mission (HALPRO)  were instead diverted to North Africa to be used to bomb the oilfields of Ploesti Romania. The B-17s of Haynes group were then reassigned to be part of the 10th AF.

 

Haynes was then sent to Dinjan Airfield in the Indian state of Assam to continue his supply-line work under the name Assam-Burma-China Ferry Command with the mission of supplying forces in China by flying supplies over the Hump. To be frank, what Haynes was given for this mission was fairly pathetic. With only two C-47s and one P-40 Warhawk flown by Colonel Robert Lee Scott Jr, as cover, Haynes would supply the materials needed by both chinese forces, AVG planes, and General Stillwell in Burma. Haynes with a handful of other airmen from the Chinese National Aviation Corp (CNAC) and a couple from the Royal Air Force would fly hundreds of evacuation missions from Burma as it was falling to the Japanese, they would rescue nearly 4,500 people and moved them to safety in India. On May 4, 1942, Haynes flew to rescue 30 members of General Joseph Stilwell's mission when they got cut off in Northern Burma, though "Vinegar Joe" himself refused the lift, preferring to walk out with the remainder of his force. Haynes subsequently dropped supplies to Stilwell's group as they made their way west through the jungle. On one such  mission, a Japanese fighter attacking his C-47 was discouraged into retreat when the crewmen of the supposedly unarmed transport opened up on it with fire from Thompson submachine guns and 45-caliber M1911 pistols. Around this time Tokyo Rose announced on the radio about  Haynes that the Japanese would no longer have anything to worry about because the Americans "made that old broken-down transport pilot commander-in-chief". Haynes, in command of no bombers with which to retaliate, instead loaded a transport with 100-pound (45 kg)  fragmentation bombs and had some soldiers throw them out over enemy forces. He returned thenext day to drop leaflets which read "Compliments of the Old Broken-Down Transport Pilot". For this action, Haynes was awarded the Silver Star.

douglas-c-47-6.jpg.cfab894f1a83b33a65cc1bf012ab9896.jpg86823132_1_x.jpg.867b04b9478162bc9b8e09b44e059c8e.jpg

 

To give you an idea of the hazards and daring of these missions flown by only 3 men, here is the Silver Star citation of Robert Lee Scott.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Colonel (Air Corps) Robert Lee Scott, Jr. (ASN: 0-18908), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with the Assam Burma China Ferry Command, in action between 2 May and 14 May 1942. With General Caleb V. Haynes as Pilot, Colonel Robert L. Scott as Co-Pilot, Sergeant Ralph B. Baldridge as radio operator, and Sergeant Robert A. Mocklin as aerial engineer, this air crew made repeated trips over enemy controlled territory into Upper Burma to drop food and medicinal supplies to General Stilwell's party and British refugees. Their removal of American personnel from Upper Burma was accomplished through the most difficult operating conditions, and reflected extreme daring, skill, and cooperation between each member of the transport team. These trips were carried out under the most hazardous weather conditions and in the face of enemy air attack in unarmed transports. Colonel Haynes as Commanding officer of the Assam Burma China Ferry Command, and Colonel Scott as Executive Officer, have in this operation and others preceding set an example of fidelity to duty, courage to participate, and calmness to execute that has been admired and followed by all officers and men, thereby maintaining and increasing the efficiency and morale of the command.

 

In June 1942, Haynes went to China to organize and command the Bomber Command of the China Air Task Force (CATF) under General Claire Chennault. His fighter group counterpart was Scott—the three air leaders were the subject of a Life magazine article in August which described them as like-minded Southerners who "are quietly tough, despise the word can't, eliminate all red tape and allow subordinates full range for individual initiative". Haynes told Jack Belden, the Life journalist, that he "used to like pursuits better but now he likes bombers", and other airmen confirmed to Belden that Haynes handled bombers as easily as fighters. Belden wrote that the open and frank bomber group leader "does not give a damn about playing Army politics". Chennault, Haynes and Scott were said to "form just about the smartest, don't-give-a-damned-est trio Asia has ever seen." Rarely able to send out more than four or five B-25 Mitchell twin-engine bombers at a time, supported by P-40s each carrying another bomb, Haynes constantly shifted his targets and kept the enemy guessing. Fuel and bomb scarcity limited the scope of operations. For instance, the only sortie on July 8 was Haynes piloting a single B-25 to bomb Japanese headquarters in Tengchong, China, near the border of Burma. Claims and losses in July proved the value of the strategy: One B-25 and five P-40s were lost in the destruction of 24 enemy fighters and 12 bombers. Supplies began to increase in the following months.

 

 In October 1942 at the rank of brigadier general, he returned to India where he organized and commanded the India Air Task Force (IATF) of the Tenth Air Force under General Clayton Bissell. In Bissell's re-organization, five commanders reported to him: Haynes ran the IATF, Chennault ran the CATF, Robert F. Tate ran the India–China Ferry Command, Robert C. Oliver ran the Tenth's service arm and Francis M. Brady operated the large air base at Karachi. Haynes's task force assembled three bomber groups: the 7th BG Heavy, the 51st Fighter Group and the 341st BG (Medium). On paper were more squadrons not yet prepared for war—some had no aircraft, some had too little training and some were bare cadres. Haynes used what few aircraft were available, mostly war-weary medium bombers. The bombing missions often included in their payloads some of the "Compliments of" leaflets as a continuation of the defiant response to Tokyo Rose. Men under Haynes noted that the general was never flown by others—he always did his own flying. He emphasized operational preparedness and self-motivation, yet his personal style put people at their ease. Sergeant John Boyd observed that Haynes was "not a desk general but a field and operations commander who believed in getting things done." One of the earliest offensive efforts made by the new task force was a multi-stage 5,500-mile (8,900 km) voyage from the main base at Karachi, through various Chinese airfields with the ultimate goal of attacking the docks of Hong Kong and returning. During this attack, Life journalist Theodore H. White rode in one of the bombers, and wrote a story about the experience for the magazine. On October 25, ten B-25 Mitchells led by Haynes took off on the final leg from an advance airfield at Kunming, accompanied by seven P-40s commanded by Scott. The small force destroyed a transport ship, bombed Hong Kong's vital Kowloon Harbor and claimed 27 enemy aircraft for the loss of one bomber and one fighter. Haynes asked Bissell for more Norden bombsights—the Mitchell mediums shared only two between all the squadrons, and their supplied D-8 bombsights were ones Haynes considered to be of no value. He sent a small force of eight B-24s to bomb Mandalay on November 8 followed in two days with a repeat visit by six of the heavy bombers. Further B-24 missions continued with slowly increasing numbers of sorties flown. In January 1943, IATF moved to Barrackpore, more than 1,300 miles (2,100 km) nearer its targets in Burma. The combat strength of IATF, though not yet 100%, was strong enough to challenge Japanese air superiority in Burma. 

 

Haynes returned to Assam in June 1943, to organize for Bissell the Assam-American Air Base Command (AAABC) which he led as a mixed force composed primarily of Tenth Air Force units with some elements of the Fourteenth Air Force. Haynes was tasked with coordinating area defense and offensive destruction of the enemy, the emphasis on the former. For the first two months, Haynes was given fewer officers and men than he deemed necessary, and the AAABC made little headway in its mission. In mid-August, large-scale re-organization of Allied forces in Asia resulted in the AAABC being renamed the American Air Base Command 1, and placed under George E. Stratemeyer. Haynes led the group until September 1943, when he returned to the U.S. after 18 months in Asia. Before he left, he told American reporters that his forces had helped deny the port of Rangoon to the enemy, and helped soften Burma for invasion. He stated that the highlight of his time in Asia was the air raid against Hong Kong. 

 

Here is the CBI made wing which he is shown wearing in July 1943 in Dinjan India. As you can see it's the classic CBI findings with the boxed hinge and crude pin. It's not easy to see without zooming in but this wing has a unique pattern in the top of the wreath where the gap in leaves is to the right instead of centered. No other ww2 era command pilot wing that I've found has that same style of wreath. I've found where General Clayton Bissel's command pilot wing of the same pattern was for sale on ebay awhile back. There were very few pilots at the time who would qualify for command pilot. I've also found several photos of other famous pilots of the time appearing to wear the exact same wing. Were these that widely available? Were they a gift from someone? Who knows. What I do know is that the giants of the Army Air Corps in the CBI theater wore these magnificent theater made wings.

gettyimages-467385911-2048x2048.jpg.e7019928161a3345b61d84ba870afa64.jpg

20200731_170753resize.jpg.46e1199eafb2e9fefa0441628bcbb965.jpg

20200731_170806resize.jpg.19edc0b342363a9d13a50d9fa77a2efe.jpg

20200731_170809resize.jpg.6b1d34fa0eb6ace69c9bee0d9d46d0fe.jpg

1592241781_20200731_170817(1).jpg.a8b7d75a3a98cf0e5bfb51bb37051f50.jpg

gettyimages-467386169-2048x2048.jpg.0a88b86211b14776547cf5ec952b56e1.jpg

view.jpg.b430b03e60b76636d29671af50e33d2f.jpg

General Chennault

 

1229284943_claytonbissell.png.65b8395acf82f1903dde1cbd4f8508a3.png

General Clayton Bissell

 

Try to sent you a message, I think your inbox is full 

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  • 3 years later...

Hello Sir.  I am completing several books on Mitchel Field, "Faces from Mitchel Field" and "Beneath the Shadows of Wings".  They include a chapter on Haynes and the XB-15. I am asking permission to use the photo in my book of the "Old worn out transport flyer"  drop leaflet. I will certainly give you photo and collection credit. Thank you in advance.

Sincerely, Paul Martin

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