My Father was an Army air-ranger in The Burma-China theater during the war, and his unit actually flew missions alongside the Black Sheep squadron. His unit was one of the units descended from the Flying Tigers. Does anyone have any comments about These warriors?
The group Dad was with had about 3000 Western Troops and 3000 Ghurkas. They basically stopped 100,000 seasoned Japanese troops. I'm sure there were local troops as well. Dad said he was one of the people who bombed the bridge over the River Kwai.
From what I have read, China sent over 100,000 troops into Burma in an attempt to secure the supply line called Burma road. They helped to break free some surrounded British troops who in return ran like hell all the way to India instead of fought along side of them. I admire all troops who fought against the axis, but to say those Japanese troops were stopped by only 6,000 men can't be accurate since the fact points out another 100,000 troops from China was there too.
Well, as far as my knowledge goes, it was the 23rd FG/USAF, descended from the Flying Tigers (but I'm not sure for your Father's). What I know that CATF (later on the 14th AF) provided the major components of the 23rd FG. This was assigned three squadrons, ie., the 74th, the 75th and the 76th. This 23rd FG was enriched too by the experiences of the AVG's, and operated for eight weeks alongwith the Black Sheeps, there in CBI Theater!
Umm, the "Black Sheep," VMF-214, stationed locations during the war: 1 Jul 42 - Established MCAS Ewa, TH 28 Feb 43 - MCAF Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides 10 Mar 43 - Henderson Field, Guadalcanal 18 May 43 - Vila, Efate, New Hebrides 21 Jul 43 - Banika, Russell Islands 13 Sep 43 - Munda, New Georgia 20 Oct 43 - MCAF Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides 28 Nov 43 - Barakoma,Vella Lavella 29 Jan 44 - MCAS Santa Barbara, CA 4 Feb 45 - USS Franklin (CV-13) 1 Apr 45 - MCAS El Centro, CA to EOW None of which were anywhere within the range of an F4U to the anywhere in the CBI theater.
May be yours is closer to his Father's case, but as he said, his Father had been alongwith the 'people' who bombed the bridge ( bridges ?) over River Kwai ! Leonard, as far as my knowledge goes, what I recall now is that there were three raids, ie., on Feb'45 by RAF, on April by USAAF with Lib B 24J bombers and on June again by RAFs successfully over the two bridges ( the Apalon bridge and the Kwai brigde, I cannot recall the name of this viaduct right now ) and one viaduct. 436th Bomb Sq (heavy) of the 7th Bomb group, 136 Sq and 99th Sq took part in the bombing mission, of which 136th held the highest a2a killing records ( at least 99 confirmed ) in SEAC. This No 136 also supplied logistics to the struggling 14th Army. But every time, the damage done by those raids, recovered soon by the pows either from the Chungkai, Thanbaya or from the Sao POW Camps.
Unless some obscure AAF unit called itself the "Black Sheep" - and, yes, I did look and I can find no such reference in several compilations of USAAF groups & squadrons - the unit most typically identified with that moniker is the USMC fighter squadron, commanded by Major Boyington, amongst others, VMF-214. That squadron never, say again, never, served in the China-Burma-India Theater. Nor, for that matter did the 23rd FG of the USAAF serve in any of the places as did VMF-214. Their lines of service do not intersect, rather they go off in divergent directions.
Since we are following the thread, that is why I thought his Father's Unit had been alongwith the 23rd, but evidently never ever been in 'those' bombing raids. May be I'm wrong but aint getting any records! Again, returning to the intro-thread, thomas said his Father's Unit 'descended' from the 'Flying Tiger's' , in this case, other than recalling the 23rd FG, I had nothing to mention!
