Interview with Dr. Carl F. Constein, WWII CBI Hump Pilot
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Dr. Carl F. Constein was a pilot during World War II, flying the Hump over the Himalayas in the China-Burma-India theater. He gives an account of some of his experiences during that time in an interview at the Air Mobility Command Museum.
Great interview. Thanks for posting this. When I flew for TWA I asked one of the older pilots what he did in the war. I'm afraid I may have been a bit "ho-hum" when he told me he flew the hump in a C-46. I would know better now. These guys didn't receive the adulation the B-24 and B-17 pilots did, but this was every bit as tough and scary.
@Matthew Colins: Yes, the CBI is the forgotten front.
Looks like Im the 22nd comment and possibly more than a dozen of us are surviving offspring of pilots, radio men and officers who served Air Transport command flying the hump. Sadly my father was lost at age eighty almost twenty years ago. He rarely spoke of his experiences during conflict, WWII being one of many he was involved in, First Gulf War(Bahrain) being the final one as he flew over in his seventieth decade to work out troupe transport. It was while writing his obituary that I'd discovered details about his involvement with C46s over the Himalayas. To my delightful surprise other members of this dispatch showed up at his memorial service. To all life long pilots, flyer's, (My father was already a licensed pilot before Pearl Harbor), those in North African theater, Himalayan through Berlin Airlift campaigns, this is being written May 2019, more than 70 years after your service: Thank You!
My father Johnnie C. Jackson flew 72 missions as a Radio Operator out of Chabua. He had a few scary assed stories, but I found the follow to be most interesting:
On one flight the load included a replacement engine for an airplane, several 55 gallon drums of gasoline plus a dozen Chinese soldiers. At some point the pilot reported a problem with one of the C-46’s engines. Their plane began to lose altitude, and the pilot instructed his crew to prepare to dump the fuel barrels to reduce weight. At that instant the Chinese Captain ordered his soldiers to line up at the cargo door and be prepared to jump (without parachutes). My father assured the Chinese Captain that rolling the fuel drums out of the plane was the standard operating procedure. The Chinese Captain told my father that the gas and replacement engine were much more critical to winning the war, and that he and his soldiers could be easily replaced.
The problem with the C-46 engine corrected itself (icing problem?) and the mission was successfully completed with all hands accounted for.
Facebook group;
The Air Transport Command
My grandfather Bill Megale was a radio operator that flew the hump. He lived in West Alexander, Pennsylvania. Was awarded the Distinguished flying cross. But we don't know why. And their are no records. I have pictures of bombed out hangers and Japanese soldiers. I remember him talking about him and his crew armed only with 45s on the same side of the road with fully armed Japanese. They Japanese crossed to opposite side to avoid them.
I wonder if any of these brave hump pilots still lives in 2021?i have great respects for the ww2 pilots.these "flying over the hump" stories are so intresting, i feel a personal attachment for these stories maybe bcos i live very near to the 'hump' in the himalayas.
my papa Amos Bowersock CBI just passed away. He was a fueled for the hump guys. He has audio record in the National Archives of his story. Dates of Service1941-1947Branch of ServiceArmy Air Forces/CorpsUnit of Service 303rd Bomb Group Location of ServiceChina-Burma-India (CBI) Theater; Pacific Theater www.gcdailyworld.com/story/1261875.html
All accurate, alike what my dad had shared about flying the Hump in the C-46. An adder was they'd often had their remaing fuel off loaded and would have to lay over to get fuel to go back to India. We were struggling and with fubar.
Yes, always "dead reckoning". I would guess that dad likely knew this gentleman.
My dad started out flying B-25's in N Africa, then the transfer after Rommel was squelched.
I yet wish I'd done a similar video with dad before he passed.
My uncle Col. Roy A. Miller , piloted cargo over the Hump. Chabua was one of his stations. One of his stories is of dropping live hogs by parachute for Chinese New Year celebration. He said unfortunately some had to be satisfied with sausage instead of pork spare ribs as they were still working the bugs out of dropping live cows and pigs. Uncle Roy kept a great diary that I hope to transcribe and make available.
I met him in 2009 at a WW II weekend in Reading, PA. My granddad was a radio operator on C-47/46s in the CBI
Out of Dum Dum Air Base in India
My father also flew Hump from Chabu. He was part of the rescue crew from there. He received his DFC after rescuing Merrill's Marauder
The base is Chabua and it still serves as an airport. My dad was there in '44 and '45.
My father Johnnie C. Jackson was a Radio Operator on 72 missions out of Chabua ‘44-‘45.
I live in Chabua and the airbase here is still operational. One of the residential blocks is even called American block, and there are remnants of WW2 artefacts displayed here and there. I've been reading a little on the Hump Operations and the more I read the more I've realized that our knowledge of the history of this base like many others around here is close to zero. This place has been witness to such important history and we are deprived of it. It is a disservice to the sacrifice of the men who sacrifised so much fighting the war. I read your comments and those of a few others and am hoping to connect, get to know their stories and probably show some light where it is desperately needed. My email id is eekprat8123@gmail.com . Looking forward to here from any one who can help out.
@@Dave-jd9qnyes Upper Hump base, there's lower hump Mytilkia
My dad was a hump pilot based in Luliang. He told me a story about a rescued airman who had spent so much time in the Burmese jungle that he went off the deep end and was clutching a monkey carcass that he wouldn’t let go off until they sedated him and prized the monkey from his hand. Did you ever hear any stories like that?
My Aunt was in the Women's Army Air Corps. She is 105 years old now, born in 1916. She was stationed in the China-Burma-India Theater at Hudson on the Hoogli. She said there was one pretty girl there and the rest were Hoogli.
I am Bengali and my great grandfather was a geologist working with American Airmen in Calcutta. And it's pronounced Hooghly not Hooghli
My father flew the Hump - as a passenger - in C-47's several times towards the end of the war. One time he decided to go to the cockpit to talk to the pilot ... and found him reading a comic book as the plane flew between the peaks. He never did that again.
My dad must have been the pilot, he was very casual about flying the hump
I'd like to think that was the case!
My father also flew the hump with Transport Command. Sadly he passed away in 1959.
My dad too was there, CBI in 😊ATC Died in 1991
My Grandfather was a Hump Pilot he was a amazing man miss him everyday
My dad, Lt. Meyer Carl Newell, also flew the Hump...the Dragonfly Squadron...Started in P-40's, then the P51D...he flew cover for Merrill's Marauders...anybody with info, let me know here.
My dad was in Burma during WW2. He flew the Hump mission as well. I would love to hear from anyone who knew Harry Wildes?
He is the reason why I am a pilot today
Excellent interview with Dr. Constein. Wonder if he met my Dad, Robert Binzer, another CBI Hump Pilot. He flew both C46 and C47. Dad's story is told in his memoir THE ABLE QUEEN. They would have loved to swap stories, I'm sure.
My dad also was a hump pilot flying both C-46’s and C-47s.
@@carolmiller9066 Maybe they flew together.
My dad was a Top Seargent in the Signal Corp working in Burma and China. He had a story about being sent back from Kun Ming to India to get electrical parts. The plane they were to fly back to China on a was fitted with seats, more of a passenger plane so they had to figure some way stow all this stuff. They ended up lashing a coffin full of parts in the center isle. So anyway that's done and my pop (Robert W. Callinan) is standing outside waiting for the pilot when he notices a big bolt (a king pin I think he said) hanging out of one of the landing gear (front I think he said). The pilot shows and dad said he waves him over and says "Is that supposed to be like that?" Dad said the pilot turned a bit white and said "Uh, no sir I don't believe it is". So they fixed that then some General showed up to be a passenger a gave dad what he described as the "worst reaming out he got during the war" for his packing job. I don't really know how that all worked out. Of the actual trip back dad just said "Every once in while the clouds would break and if you looked down you could see all these crashed airplanes".
I have two questions: Would anybody know what kind of plane that could have been?
And two, what ever happened to all those crashed planes, are they still there?
Facebook group;
The Air Transport Command
Including Hump information
Will check that out
was he at Pandabeswar AAB during ww2?? I am from pandaveswar.