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This website was established by Clayton Kuhles. The purpose of this website is to disseminate information about my ongoing expeditions in Burma, India, Bangladesh and China to locate and document missing-in-action (MIA) Allied aircraft lost in that area of Asia during World War II.
I attempt to account for the MIA military personnel who were aboard these aircraft when they mysteriously disappeared.
The information posted on this website is intended to help bring some level of closure to the surviving relatives and friends of these long-missing men.
During World War II, the Allies lost hundreds of aircraft in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater of operations. The losses were incurred by the US Army Air Corp (forerunner of the US Air Force), the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and to a lesser degree the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) and the Chinese Air Force (CAF). Although hostile fire from Japanese forces accounted for many Allied aircraft losses in the CBI theater, the majority of Allied crashes were caused by inhospitable weather, mechanical failure, or navigational error. Click here for more information.
Wreckage of C-47 #42-24360 |
Main landing gear of C-87 #41-23791 |
The Aluminum Trail is the "Bible" of aircraft accidents on the Hump route, and was compiled by Chic Marrs Quinn whose husband died in a C-109 crash on the Hump route on February 27, 1945.
A steak of silver in the sky...the engines roar...propellers try...
To lift the giant screaming plane...above the mountains drenched with rain...
Black ominous clouds and gale winds blow...amid the ice and swirling snow...
As plane and crew, with every breath...tries to win a fight with death...
To climb above the snow capped peak...a place not far for the very weak...
The plane is in a mighty grip...the crew can hear the metal rip...
As suction lifts them like a kite...above the peaks into the night...
Then, just as quickly dropped like snow...into the jutting rocks below...
Time has run out for plotted goals...a cry aloud, "God save our souls!"...
A crash like thunder, a flash of light...then silence in the blackened night...
Crumpled engines, wings and tail...help pave the "Hump's" Aluminum Trail...
A dog tag here...a jacket there, a picture worn by love and care...
A parachute unopened lay...no time to jump, no time to pray...
In this far, forgotten place, of jungles, mountains, rocks and space...
The wreckage lay like broken toys...discarded by mischievous boys...
And boys they were of tender years...and families weep in silent tears...
To know the sacrifice they made...the part their gift for freedom played...
Lieutenants, Captains, Sergeants too...Privates, maintenance, or crew...
Whatever rank, whatever job...they did their best with each heart throb...
Some gave their lives to save a friend...a brother to the very end...
They gave their lives, so we might live...what more can any person give.
These MIA search expeditions and this website have been self-funded by Clayton Kuhles. This project receives no funding from JPAC, Dept. of Defense, VFW, nor any other organization, government or private. We need your donations to help defray costs. If you are related to any of these airmen or if you just feel this is a worthwhile project, then we need you to make a donation. Even small donations can help defray the cost of updating this website with new aircraft discoveries. Please visit the Funding page to see how easy it is to support this project in a meaningful way. Thank you. |
