JOHN WILBUR POWELL 1912-1974
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The following select entries are from the World War II field journal kept by John Wilbur Powell 1943 - 1946.
Part One:
20 Jan 1943: Enducted on Jan 20th, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Fla. Five days at Troop Reception Center, in processing.
25 Jan 1943: By troop train to Miami Beach, Fla., quarters at Stanton Hotel, Ocean Drive, Organization AAFTTC, Flight C&D, 12 weeks of basic training.
28 April 1943: Troop train to Camp Lee, Virginia for technical training, Organization: 8th Regiment, Company D.
30 July 1943: Troop train to Rome, NY, Replacement Depot, 4 days inprocessing, by truck to Syracuse, NY, 2120th Trucking Company.
5 Sept 1943: Furlow home. Returned Sep. 15th.
25 Sept 1943: 2120nd Trucking Company moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey. Arrived cantonment area for overseas staging.
8 Nov 1943: Took overseas physical.
10 Nov 1943: Transferred to 28th Air Service Group.
19 Nov 1943: Furlow home called off for overseas processing.
3 Dec 1943: 3 day pass granted to Syracuse, New York.
10 Jan 1944: Troop train to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia for overseas deployment.
12 Jan 1944: Arrived P.O.E. Patrick Henry, Newport News, Virginia. Two weeks processing. Overseas equipment and ammunition issued. Mail censored. Left Camp Patrick Henry and U.S.A. on Jan 25th 1944, 2100 hours. First land sighted: Cuba, Jamaica and adjacent islands on 29th Jan. Entered Carribean Sea.
1 Feb 1944: Arrived Panama Canal on Tuesday. Docked at San Cristobal and Colon for the following three days.
5 Feb 1944: Disembarked at Balboa, Panama. Spent 3 days at Howard Field, Fort Kobbe.
9 Feb 1944, Wed.: Embarked at Balboa, same ship, USS Athos, direction South by Southwest. Now, off shore of South America with 3 submarine chasers as escort.
10-12 Feb 1944: Direction now due West. Arrived Galapagos Islands. 3 escort vessels refueled. Departed the following night. Direction South by Southwest.
13 Feb 1944: Crossed the equator today.
(Engine trouble and had to go back to Panama.)
23 March 1944: Anchored offshore of Bora Bora (French Society Islands.) First sight of natives.
24 March 1944: Departed Society Islands by way of Tahiti.
30 March 1944: Entered Tasmanian Sea.
2 April 1944: Sighted land again. Wilson's Promontory.
8 April 1944: Docked U.S. Submarine Base, Freemantle, Australia. Remained here six days. Shore leave granted to Perth.
14 April 1944: Departed from Australia with British Light Cruiser as escort.
19 April 1944: Experienced first alert, enemy submarine sighted. Depth charges dropped.
22 April 1944: Escort replaced by five submarine chasers. Air alert on this day. Battle stations manned.
28 April 1944: Docked at Alexander Docks, Pier 6, Bombay, India.
29 April 1944: Leave granted to all troops in Bombay.
30 April 1944: Departure from Bombay by train. Direction north and east.
6 May 1944: Arrived Chakulia, India, home station of 40th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing.
(Part II continued below after narrative.)
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The following narrative is from the 40th Bomb Group Association. It follows the above diary almost exactly and adds significant detail. This account was written after the War. Wilbur's diary is lacking in details because it would otherwise be confiscated for security reasons per Army Regulation 380-5:
We were the 28th Air Service Group serving the 40th Bomb Group. It was from Fort Dix, New Jersey that we boarded a troop train and headed to Newport News, Va., our point of embarkation. We boarded the USS Athos II three days after arrival and located our quarters on "G" deck, 12 feet below the water line. The ship was not large (about 675 feet long) and not new. At one time, it had been a French luxury liner but was now converted to a troop ship capable of transporting 3,500 men.
We left the harbor about dusk with one other ship and put out to sea a little after midnight. By morning, the other ship had left us and we sailed alone to the Isthmus of Panama. Through the locks and across Gatun Lake to Camp Kobbe on the Pacific side where we billeted in the most comfortable quarters of my four years in the service. Barracks were three stories high with a huge mess hall and recreation area on the ground floor with large airy sleeping quarters on the floors above. Quite the contrast to the cramped life aboard the Athos II.
A propeller shaft bearing on the ship had malfunctioned on the trip across Gatun Lake. It had been repaired and our quarters aboard ship completely cleaned and painted when we reboarded and we were once more on our way.
Next stop was the Galapagos Islands to which an engineer was flown from Panama to inspect the repairs to the ship. It didn't pass inspection so back to Balboa at 4 knots. More of Kobbe, same quarters and sightseeing for one week, then away once more with all systems go.
The USS Athos II carried 99 full Colonels and a contingent of Chinese nurses who had been trained in the U.S. The 99 Colonels were engineers who were to supervise U.S. military construction (of airfields) in China.
At one point between the Galapagos and Bora Bora Island, our next stop, we were followed by a submarine for five days necessitating a zig-zag course. Seven minutes in one direction, ten minutes another for a full day, and we finally eluded the submarine. All this time the ocean was like glass, except for the ground swells from the turns that caused more seasickness than rough water.
We left Bora Bora and headed southwest again on an uneventful journey to the southeast coast of Australia, still a lone ship maintaining absolute radio silence. We had now been enroute for 60 days. The Bass Straight between Australia and Tasmania provided the roughest water we were to encounter. One moment the anchor deck was awash, propellers throbbing out of the water, the next moment the garbage deck was under the bow high in the air. We were finally in sight of land and anchored at Freemantle. We had two days ashore, half the personnel each day for four days. We ate our share of fish and chips, the popular lunch on this shore city. The change from two meals of boiled macaroni each day was a welcome treat.
We left Freemantle mid-morning early in June and headed into the Indian Ocean, this time accompanied by two US Navy corvettes. About dusk, the first evening out, the PA system sounded an alert. "This is not a drill, now hear this, this is not a drill, all personnel to battle stations." Everyone scrambled to assigned fighting positions. Both corvettes made sharp turns to the starboard and the Athos II veered sharply to port. Either you grabbed something to hold onto, digging your heels into the gutters or you were in the drink. The corvettes rolled off depth charges. We could feel the concussion as the charges exploded at depth and huge white boils of water came to the surface. The charges dropped by the corvette nearest us produced a great black oil slick after a few minutes. It was surmised that the submarine was hit and disabled. Shortly thereafter, the "all clear" was given and we went on our way. It took a while for the light hearted mood to return after such a harrowing experience. That was just a little too close for comfort.
Twelve or fourteen days later, we saw the glow of lights on the western horizon and were told it was from a harbor on Madagascar. Another two weeks of flying fish and dolphins and we dropped anchor in Bombay. It was the day after a large munitions ship had exploded while anchored. If we had arrived the day before, our ship, anchored in the adjacent slip, would have unquestionably been destroyed. The destruction of life and material was unbelievable and a harbinger of things to come, for some of us. The stench was almost unbearable. But I later learned that all of India smelled that way.
We were enroute for ninety-one days, the second longest troop movement of World War Two. Three days unloading, sorting TAT and reloading onto flat cars and we were on our way to Chakulia, India our home away from home for the next year.
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Part II: India and China
Entry from Journal, dated 6 May 1944: "Arrived Chakulia, India."
Chakulia, India was a city with adjoining US airbase about 70 miles northwest of Calcutta on the Ganges River plain. Four airbases were built in this region specifically to accomodate the new, extended range bomber, the B-29, in the China-Burma-India theater of war: the 40th Bomb Group was stationed at Chakulia, the 444th Bomb Group at Charra, the 462nd Bomb Group at Dudkhindi and the 468th Bomb Group at Kharaqpur. These four Bomb Groups constituted the 58th Bomb Wing.
A staff officer described conditions at one of these remote airbases: "In 1944, Dudkhindi was a little, rural village northwest of Calcutta. It was not a very attractive place. In the dry season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, dusty and hot. During the monsoon season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, muddy and hot. During the months of April through August, part of the dry season, it would become so hot in the middle of the day, that one could not touch the aluminum skin of a B-29 without getting burned.
All in all, it was not a nice place to be. The water supply was suspect, so we drank slightly diluted chlorine from lister bags. There was no ice. There was no beer. The only distilled liquor came from Calcutta. It's brand name was Carew's. We called it "Carew's Booze for Combat Crews." It came in three flavors: gin, rum, and whiskey. All three tasted exactly the same. The only difference was the coloring used in each: no color at all for gin, light tinge of yellow for rum, and a sort of dark tan for whiskey."
The first B-29s had been ferried to Chakulia on 2 Apr 1944 via North Africa and were awaiting arrival of the air and ground crews from Bombay. By 5 Jun 1944, the ships were airborne and the first sorties were made on rail centers at Bangkok and supply echelons at Singapore. Over the next two months, numerous raids were conducted throughout Burma and Indo-China.
As these targets were being neutralized by the 20th Air Force, ambitious plans were made to project air power to the Japanese Islands via air fields, ordinance and fuel resupply points in Central China. Numerous Classes of Supply, and personnel had to be ferried over the Himalaya Mountains, or "the Hump" as dubbed by air crews.
Wilbur Powell made numerous "Hump" flights to the forward air bases at Changdu and Chungking, China while stationed at Chakulia. A tradition among the crews on these flights was to have each man onboard sign a Chinese 100 Yuan bill (worth about 10 cents) and distribute them to the crew. Wilbur had a wad of these notes brought home from the war that he kept in a teak humidor with an etching of the Taj Mahal on the lid.
Flying the "Hump" was dangerous business. Aircraft wreckage littering the flight routes through the Himalayas was a bold testament to this fact. Bad weather or engine trouble at high altitude could force a bale out. One Hump veteran recalled: "Twice I had to hit the silk because of mechanical problems, each time with a different crew. My bales took place on both sides of the Hump. The first time, two engines failed just as we entered the crest. We turned around but when another engine failed, we got the signal to bale from the aircraft commander. We were all lucky to get out, and walked our way out to safety. Other crews weren't as lucky."
I recall Wilbur telling this writer about at least one of these "white knuckle" flights. After the War, Wilbur never flew again, having seen so many air crashes.
Wilbur was originally classified as MOS 345, Truck Driver, Light but as the War progressed, he was given other assignments, one of which, when he was stationed on Tinian Island, in the South Pacific, was as tail gunner on one of the B-29 crews.
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Part III: Tinian Island and Japan
The nature of the War in the CBI began to change as 1944 progressed. Late in the summer, the Marines captured Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Immediately, construction began to extend the runways to accommodate the B-29s and by early Spring, the Mariannas sites were ready for the four Bomb Groups of the 58th Bomb Wing.
The troops began transport to the island bases in February 1945 and the aircraft began the 3,600 mile trip in late April, as this article, found among Wilbur's World War Two memorabilia, from the Pacific Stars and Stripes, x 3 May 1945, details:
"India B-29s Moved to Mariannas
Last Major Fight of the Philipines Shapes Up on Luzon
by The Associated Press
American troops slaughtering hundreds of Japanese with flamethrowers and demolition charges battled at the summit of the coral plateau of Yaeju today, striking for the break through that would smash the last enemy line of defense on Okinawa.
Radio Tokyo said, without confirmation, that other American forces had swarmed ashore on Okinawa's south coast in a surprise amphibious landing, gripping the thinned Japanese garrison of 15,000 in a vise that would hasten the inevitable hour of victory.
Meanwhile, the first Superfortresses to make a combat strike at Japan were transferred from India bases to the Mariannas, where they are joining other B-29s in the mounting attacks on the enemy's homeland.
They are the 150 bombers of the 58th Bombardment Wing, which is now based on the island of Tinian, north of Guam.
Led by Gen. Roger Ramey, wing commander, the huge aircraft made the 3,600 mile flight, most of it over hostile territory, without the loss of a single plane."
Wilbur's diary entries from this time records:
24 Feb 1945:
"After 10 1/2 months service in China, Burma and India, departed APO 631 by train."
25 Feb 1945:
"Arrived Calcutta and boarded USS Morton, same day."
29 Feb 1945:
"Proceeded to open sea, after being anchored three days in the Ganges River. Accompanied by two British Corvettes upon entering the Bay of Bengal.
16 Mar 1945:
"Docked Melbourne, Australia. Shore leaves granted. Departed Australia, next day, heading North by Northeast.
19-30 Mar 1945:
"Passed through Islands off the tip of New Guinea. Arrived Marcus Islands, Admiralty Group. Remained here five days. Took on Coast Guard personnel. Departed on the 30th with a submarine chaser escort."
1 Apr 1945:
"Easter Sunday, anchored at Utili Island with 3rd Fleet. Coast Guard personnel disembarked to task force."
2 Apr 1945:
"Departed with freighter and escort. Stopped at Guam, now Headquarters for XXI Bomb Command, for orders."
4 Apr 1945:
"Arrived Tinian Island. Disembarked for further duty, per orders."
By late April, 1945, the war in Europe was all but over. Many ETO troops were being sent home and demobilized. Some air resources were being reallocated to the South Pacific to finish the war against Japan. The operational tempo at the newly formed XXI Bomb Command in the Mariannas Islands was stepped up dramatically. Crews were flying around the clock missions. This pattern created tremendous stress on man and machine, alike. By mid-summer, some soldiers with a non-flight MOS were pressed into service as members of flight crews. Wilbur flew for periods of time, as a tail gunner, on several aircraft, one of which was Ramp Tramp II (see photo.)
The 58th Bomb Wing was billeted mostly in tents on Tinian. Where the crews slept was largely irrelevant, as they were constantly in the air or getting the aircraft ready for the next mission. Crews had to be careful to keep weapon chambers clear as rounds would "cook off" in the sweltering heat.
Although the Mariannas Islands had been effectively neutralized by US Marines, there were still Japanese soldiers on the Tinian Island, hiding in the caves along the northern cliffs, awaiting a chance to make a last "banzai" charge at unsuspecting Americans on the airfield. This happened several times.
On one occasion, troops were in line at the Mess Hall. One Sergeant a few paces in front of Wilbur, yelled back at the line to "stop throwing rocks", after which, he fell over dead, having been shot in the back by a Japanese sniper.
On another occasion, the airfield was strafed by a Japanese Zero fighter plane. The kamakazi pilot destroyed numerous B-29s before crashing into the tower. On one run, the B-29 nearest Wilbur came under fire. Wilbur had sought safety in a foxhole near the airfield apron. When the plane was hit and the bombs on board began to explode, he felt compelled to move further away, clear of shrapnel. Once the "all clear" was given, Wilbur went back to look at the original foxhole he was in. It had been decimated by flying debris in such a manner, that anyone remaining in the foxhole would have, unquestionably, been killed.
As the long, hot summer wore on, the stress of combat duty began to show. "One of the worst accidents occurred on Tinian [when bombs being loaded into bays exploded.] The resulting conflagration that burst into the sky above North Field could easily be seen from Saipan." On another occasion, dozens of B-29s arrayed in the "Conga Line" awaiting takeoff when, suddenly one veered off the runway, ramming a parked plane. The result was a series of explosions that shook aircraft wings throughout the island. The entire crew of the errant plane, with the exception of the tail gunner who jumped from the burning hulk, died instantly.
Wilbur once told this writer that he saw over 300 planes take off at a time on Tinian. The ground would shake for hours nonstop as the huge B-29s Superforts, heavily laden with armaments and fuel, lumbered down the runway. Once airborne, the planes would fly the first one hundred miles or so, just ten feet off the water, straining to gain altitude against the tremendous weight of bombs and fuel. At this critical phase in the flight, any engine problems meant crashing into the ocean.
Once aloft, it was a long and tedious flight from Tinian to the Japanese islands, particularly, if you manned the tail gunner position. It was separated from the main cabin, which was pressurized, by a long tube that the gunner had to crawl through to get to his station. Once over target, the entire crew would give a sigh of relief once the "bombs away" order was given. Lightened by the load, the aircraft would shudder and surge upward. Wilbur once likened it to being on a roller coaster.
By August of 1945, air crews in the Mariannas were reaching the limits of human endurance. This equation changed in a flash. Unknown to many on Tinian Island, a specially equipped and armed B-29, the Enola Gay, took off from North Field, Tinian Island, at 2:45 a.m. (local) on 6 August, 1945. The atomic bomb that this ship delivered to the military target at Hiroshima changed the course of history. A second atomic bomb at Nagasaki convinced the Emperor of Japan that further hostilities were futile. Japan surrendered. This news was received with elation at Tinian and around the world.
For the next two months, Wilbur, and other crewmen, had to "stand down" from the war. Equipment had to be inventoried, repaired, and turned in for disposal or shipment home. Aircraft continued to fly, dropping supplies to known POW camps in Japan, China and Korea. Troops were ferried back to the US via "Operation Magic Carpet."
One historian wrote the following about the Mariannas flyers: "The 20th Air Force operated for fifteen months, suffered 3,015 casualties in dead, wounded and missing, and lost 414 bombers. They dropped almost 170,000 tons of bombs on enemy targets, and flew 34,790 sorties during the war." The greatest compliment that could be paid the flyers of the 58th Bomb Wing was when Prince Konoye of the Japanese Royal Family said, "Fundamentally, the thing that brought about the determination to make peace was the prolonged bombing by the B-29s."
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Part IV: Operation Magic Carpet (Going Home!)
From John Wilbur Powell's diary:
16 Oct 1945:
"After six and a half months' service on Tinian Island, boarded C-46 (transport plane) for home."
17 Oct 1945:
"Forced landing on Guam." (Apparently the ATC C-46 had mechanical problems and made an emergency landing on Guam, according to recently discovered US Army Air Corps records.)
18 Oct 1945:
"Regrouped on Guam at XXI Headquarters. Reassigned to 90th Air Service Group for the trip home."
19 Oct 1945:
"Boarded Navy destroyer #923, departed 26 Nov. After two days, sighted land, Eniwetok Atoll."
3 Dec 1945:
"Arrived Oahu Island, Hawaiian Group, docked Honolulu, Pearl Harbor. Passes granted to troops to visit Honolulu."
10 Dec 1945:
"Boarded USS West Virginia. Homeward bound. Departed same day." The "Wee Vee" was a battleship that saw a great deal of action during the war. Wilbur stated that the ship was packed so tightly with troops anxious to get home that the only place for him to sleep at night was in the ammunition tray of the ship's sixteen inch guns.
17 Dec 1945:
"Arrived stateside at San Pedro docks, Los Angeles Harbor, California. See photo of troops (including Wilbur) on deck of the USS West Virginia, in Los Angeles Harbor, title of the article "We Wanna Go Home!"
19 Dec 1945:
"Disembarked for Camp Hahn, California."
20 Dec 1945:
"Received orders for Camp Blanding, Florida. By troop train."
21-26 Dec 1945:
"Spent Christmas on board troop train crossing Texas. Arrived Camp Blanding, Fla. the day after Christmas."
No further entries in Wilbur' diary. But from further discussion with Wilbur, he out processed at Camp Blanding, boarded a bus for home and arrived back in Greenville, Fla. just after the new year, 1946.
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Los Angeles Times x 18 Dec 1945:
Veterans Jam at Port Rises Higher, With More Coming
Growing to gargantuan proportions with only meager signs of relief yesterday was the returning combat veteran congestion at Los Angeles Harbor and the city and the surrounding areas.
Reports from the harbor disclosed that in addition to the 7,209 veterans put into port aboard all types of vessels yesterday, a total of 14,719 servicemen were scheduled to arrive aboard 20 more ships today.
Slight relief for the port's jammed condition came last night when staging areas were cleared sufficiently to enable five trains to move to port docks and take off 3,468 servicemen passengers from the transport General Howze, which arrived in port Saturday afternoon.
Hourly checks are being made with staging areas and men were being moved from ships as fast as room was provided for them at Camps Anza and Hahn.
Ships scheduled to come in today include the cruiser Butte from Manila, the transport Neville from Hollandia, the Oneida from Manila, the Clinton from Guam, the Clarendon from Iwo Jima, the Shawnee from Pearl Harbor, and the Eriscoe from Manila.
The battleship West Virginia anchored offshore after arriving from Pearl Harbor with 2,066 yesterday and some of the men were being taken ashore by small boat.
Note: The USS West Virginia was the ship that Wilbur Powell arrived on. The ship was so crowded that he had to sleep in the ammunition trays of the battleships' sixteen inch guns. Debarkation privileges were drawn by raffle. Wilbur won his place on the first boat in a card game.
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U.S. Social Security Act, Application for Social Security Number (SS-5), 1936:
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Address: Greenville, Fla.
Employment: Andrews Department Store
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Age: 24 years old
Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
Father: Alvah Roy Powell
Mother: Mattie Martin
Date/Signed: Dec. 5, 1936, J.W. Powell
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Affidavit for the Purpose of Application for a Delayed Birth Certificate:
Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace
District No. 5, Madison County, Fla.
Greenville, Florida
Notorized Statement of Entry in the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Martin, wife of Alva Roy Powell
I, Curtis D. Earp, have before me the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Powell, wife of the aforesaid Alva Roy Powell, parents of John Wilbur Powell. This Bible was published by the Dickson Publishing Company, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois. The date the Bible was published is not shown, but the Bible is very old and worn.
I hereby transcribe the entries from the Bible before me and above described, the entries pertaining to the birth of John Wilbur Powell:
FAMILY HISTORY SECTION:
CHILDREN
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Where Born: Nashville, Ga.
Entries were apparently made at the time of his birth.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Note: The delayed birth certificate was required for the Selective Service Draft. Birth certificates were not required in Georgia, where Wilbur was born, until 1919.
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AFFIDAVIT
Town of Greenville
County of Madison
State of Florida
I, CURTIS D. EARP, duly authorized Justice of the Peace in and for the Fifth District of Madison County, Florida, have taken the above data from the Bible before me, the same being the Bible above described, and do believe these data to be true according to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Signed, sealed and delivered, this 7th day of September, A.D. 1942, at Greenville, County of Madison, State of Florida.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace, 5th District
Madison County, Florida
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Georgia Department of Public Health
Atlanta, Georgia
Delayed Certificate of Birth
1. Full Name at Birth: John Wilbur Powell
2. Color: White
3. Sex: Male
4. Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
5. Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
6. Present Address: 218 Service Road, Evansville, Indiana
7. Father's Name: Alvah R. Powell
8. Father's Birthplace: Stockton, Ga.
9. Mother's Name: Mattie Martin
10. Mother's Birthplace: Valdosta, Ga.
AFFIDAVIT
STATE: Indiana
COUNTY: Vanderburgh
I hereby declare upon oath that the above statements are true.
Applicant's Signature: John Wilbur Powell
Sworn and subscribed before me this October 7th, 1942.
Signature: Chas. H. Hall
Title: Notary Public
Date Commission Expires: Sept 28, 1943
Name and Address of person to whom this certified copy should be sent:
John Wilbur Powell
Route 3, Box 3, Greenville, Fla.
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The following select entries are from the World War II field journal kept by John Wilbur Powell 1943 - 1946.
Part One:
20 Jan 1943: Enducted on Jan 20th, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Fla. Five days at Troop Reception Center, in processing.
25 Jan 1943: By troop train to Miami Beach, Fla., quarters at Stanton Hotel, Ocean Drive, Organization AAFTTC, Flight C&D, 12 weeks of basic training.
28 April 1943: Troop train to Camp Lee, Virginia for technical training, Organization: 8th Regiment, Company D.
30 July 1943: Troop train to Rome, NY, Replacement Depot, 4 days inprocessing, by truck to Syracuse, NY, 2120th Trucking Company.
5 Sept 1943: Furlow home. Returned Sep. 15th.
25 Sept 1943: 2120nd Trucking Company moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey. Arrived cantonment area for overseas staging.
8 Nov 1943: Took overseas physical.
10 Nov 1943: Transferred to 28th Air Service Group.
19 Nov 1943: Furlow home called off for overseas processing.
3 Dec 1943: 3 day pass granted to Syracuse, New York.
10 Jan 1944: Troop train to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia for overseas deployment.
12 Jan 1944: Arrived P.O.E. Patrick Henry, Newport News, Virginia. Two weeks processing. Overseas equipment and ammunition issued. Mail censored. Left Camp Patrick Henry and U.S.A. on Jan 25th 1944, 2100 hours. First land sighted: Cuba, Jamaica and adjacent islands on 29th Jan. Entered Carribean Sea.
1 Feb 1944: Arrived Panama Canal on Tuesday. Docked at San Cristobal and Colon for the following three days.
5 Feb 1944: Disembarked at Balboa, Panama. Spent 3 days at Howard Field, Fort Kobbe.
9 Feb 1944, Wed.: Embarked at Balboa, same ship, USS Athos, direction South by Southwest. Now, off shore of South America with 3 submarine chasers as escort.
10-12 Feb 1944: Direction now due West. Arrived Galapagos Islands. 3 escort vessels refueled. Departed the following night. Direction South by Southwest.
13 Feb 1944: Crossed the equator today.
(Engine trouble and had to go back to Panama.)
23 March 1944: Anchored offshore of Bora Bora (French Society Islands.) First sight of natives.
24 March 1944: Departed Society Islands by way of Tahiti.
30 March 1944: Entered Tasmanian Sea.
2 April 1944: Sighted land again. Wilson's Promontory.
8 April 1944: Docked U.S. Submarine Base, Freemantle, Australia. Remained here six days. Shore leave granted to Perth.
14 April 1944: Departed from Australia with British Light Cruiser as escort.
19 April 1944: Experienced first alert, enemy submarine sighted. Depth charges dropped.
22 April 1944: Escort replaced by five submarine chasers. Air alert on this day. Battle stations manned.
28 April 1944: Docked at Alexander Docks, Pier 6, Bombay, India.
29 April 1944: Leave granted to all troops in Bombay.
30 April 1944: Departure from Bombay by train. Direction north and east.
6 May 1944: Arrived Chakulia, India, home station of 40th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing.
(Part II continued below after narrative.)
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The following narrative is from the 40th Bomb Group Association. It follows the above diary almost exactly and adds significant detail. This account was written after the War. Wilbur's diary is lacking in details because it would otherwise be confiscated for security reasons per Army Regulation 380-5:
We were the 28th Air Service Group serving the 40th Bomb Group. It was from Fort Dix, New Jersey that we boarded a troop train and headed to Newport News, Va., our point of embarkation. We boarded the USS Athos II three days after arrival and located our quarters on "G" deck, 12 feet below the water line. The ship was not large (about 675 feet long) and not new. At one time, it had been a French luxury liner but was now converted to a troop ship capable of transporting 3,500 men.
We left the harbor about dusk with one other ship and put out to sea a little after midnight. By morning, the other ship had left us and we sailed alone to the Isthmus of Panama. Through the locks and across Gatun Lake to Camp Kobbe on the Pacific side where we billeted in the most comfortable quarters of my four years in the service. Barracks were three stories high with a huge mess hall and recreation area on the ground floor with large airy sleeping quarters on the floors above. Quite the contrast to the cramped life aboard the Athos II.
A propeller shaft bearing on the ship had malfunctioned on the trip across Gatun Lake. It had been repaired and our quarters aboard ship completely cleaned and painted when we reboarded and we were once more on our way.
Next stop was the Galapagos Islands to which an engineer was flown from Panama to inspect the repairs to the ship. It didn't pass inspection so back to Balboa at 4 knots. More of Kobbe, same quarters and sightseeing for one week, then away once more with all systems go.
The USS Athos II carried 99 full Colonels and a contingent of Chinese nurses who had been trained in the U.S. The 99 Colonels were engineers who were to supervise U.S. military construction (of airfields) in China.
At one point between the Galapagos and Bora Bora Island, our next stop, we were followed by a submarine for five days necessitating a zig-zag course. Seven minutes in one direction, ten minutes another for a full day, and we finally eluded the submarine. All this time the ocean was like glass, except for the ground swells from the turns that caused more seasickness than rough water.
We left Bora Bora and headed southwest again on an uneventful journey to the southeast coast of Australia, still a lone ship maintaining absolute radio silence. We had now been enroute for 60 days. The Bass Straight between Australia and Tasmania provided the roughest water we were to encounter. One moment the anchor deck was awash, propellers throbbing out of the water, the next moment the garbage deck was under the bow high in the air. We were finally in sight of land and anchored at Freemantle. We had two days ashore, half the personnel each day for four days. We ate our share of fish and chips, the popular lunch on this shore city. The change from two meals of boiled macaroni each day was a welcome treat.
We left Freemantle mid-morning early in June and headed into the Indian Ocean, this time accompanied by two US Navy corvettes. About dusk, the first evening out, the PA system sounded an alert. "This is not a drill, now hear this, this is not a drill, all personnel to battle stations." Everyone scrambled to assigned fighting positions. Both corvettes made sharp turns to the starboard and the Athos II veered sharply to port. Either you grabbed something to hold onto, digging your heels into the gutters or you were in the drink. The corvettes rolled off depth charges. We could feel the concussion as the charges exploded at depth and huge white boils of water came to the surface. The charges dropped by the corvette nearest us produced a great black oil slick after a few minutes. It was surmised that the submarine was hit and disabled. Shortly thereafter, the "all clear" was given and we went on our way. It took a while for the light hearted mood to return after such a harrowing experience. That was just a little too close for comfort.
Twelve or fourteen days later, we saw the glow of lights on the western horizon and were told it was from a harbor on Madagascar. Another two weeks of flying fish and dolphins and we dropped anchor in Bombay. It was the day after a large munitions ship had exploded while anchored. If we had arrived the day before, our ship, anchored in the adjacent slip, would have unquestionably been destroyed. The destruction of life and material was unbelievable and a harbinger of things to come, for some of us. The stench was almost unbearable. But I later learned that all of India smelled that way.
We were enroute for ninety-one days, the second longest troop movement of World War Two. Three days unloading, sorting TAT and reloading onto flat cars and we were on our way to Chakulia, India our home away from home for the next year.
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Part II: India and China
Entry from Journal, dated 6 May 1944: "Arrived Chakulia, India."
Chakulia, India was a city with adjoining US airbase about 70 miles northwest of Calcutta on the Ganges River plain. Four airbases were built in this region specifically to accomodate the new, extended range bomber, the B-29, in the China-Burma-India theater of war: the 40th Bomb Group was stationed at Chakulia, the 444th Bomb Group at Charra, the 462nd Bomb Group at Dudkhindi and the 468th Bomb Group at Kharaqpur. These four Bomb Groups constituted the 58th Bomb Wing.
A staff officer described conditions at one of these remote airbases: "In 1944, Dudkhindi was a little, rural village northwest of Calcutta. It was not a very attractive place. In the dry season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, dusty and hot. During the monsoon season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, muddy and hot. During the months of April through August, part of the dry season, it would become so hot in the middle of the day, that one could not touch the aluminum skin of a B-29 without getting burned.
All in all, it was not a nice place to be. The water supply was suspect, so we drank slightly diluted chlorine from lister bags. There was no ice. There was no beer. The only distilled liquor came from Calcutta. It's brand name was Carew's. We called it "Carew's Booze for Combat Crews." It came in three flavors: gin, rum, and whiskey. All three tasted exactly the same. The only difference was the coloring used in each: no color at all for gin, light tinge of yellow for rum, and a sort of dark tan for whiskey."
The first B-29s had been ferried to Chakulia on 2 Apr 1944 via North Africa and were awaiting arrival of the air and ground crews from Bombay. By 5 Jun 1944, the ships were airborne and the first sorties were made on rail centers at Bangkok and supply echelons at Singapore. Over the next two months, numerous raids were conducted throughout Burma and Indo-China.
As these targets were being neutralized by the 20th Air Force, ambitious plans were made to project air power to the Japanese Islands via air fields, ordinance and fuel resupply points in Central China. Numerous Classes of Supply, and personnel had to be ferried over the Himalaya Mountains, or "the Hump" as dubbed by air crews.
Wilbur Powell made numerous "Hump" flights to the forward air bases at Changdu and Chungking, China while stationed at Chakulia. A tradition among the crews on these flights was to have each man onboard sign a Chinese 100 Yuan bill (worth about 10 cents) and distribute them to the crew. Wilbur had a wad of these notes brought home from the war that he kept in a teak humidor with an etching of the Taj Mahal on the lid.
Flying the "Hump" was dangerous business. Aircraft wreckage littering the flight routes through the Himalayas was a bold testament to this fact. Bad weather or engine trouble at high altitude could force a bale out. One Hump veteran recalled: "Twice I had to hit the silk because of mechanical problems, each time with a different crew. My bales took place on both sides of the Hump. The first time, two engines failed just as we entered the crest. We turned around but when another engine failed, we got the signal to bale from the aircraft commander. We were all lucky to get out, and walked our way out to safety. Other crews weren't as lucky."
I recall Wilbur telling this writer about at least one of these "white knuckle" flights. After the War, Wilbur never flew again, having seen so many air crashes.
Wilbur was originally classified as MOS 345, Truck Driver, Light but as the War progressed, he was given other assignments, one of which, when he was stationed on Tinian Island, in the South Pacific, was as tail gunner on one of the B-29 crews.
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Part III: Tinian Island and Japan
The nature of the War in the CBI began to change as 1944 progressed. Late in the summer, the Marines captured Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Immediately, construction began to extend the runways to accommodate the B-29s and by early Spring, the Mariannas sites were ready for the four Bomb Groups of the 58th Bomb Wing.
The troops began transport to the island bases in February 1945 and the aircraft began the 3,600 mile trip in late April, as this article, found among Wilbur's World War Two memorabilia, from the Pacific Stars and Stripes, x 3 May 1945, details:
"India B-29s Moved to Mariannas
Last Major Fight of the Philipines Shapes Up on Luzon
by The Associated Press
American troops slaughtering hundreds of Japanese with flamethrowers and demolition charges battled at the summit of the coral plateau of Yaeju today, striking for the break through that would smash the last enemy line of defense on Okinawa.
Radio Tokyo said, without confirmation, that other American forces had swarmed ashore on Okinawa's south coast in a surprise amphibious landing, gripping the thinned Japanese garrison of 15,000 in a vise that would hasten the inevitable hour of victory.
Meanwhile, the first Superfortresses to make a combat strike at Japan were transferred from India bases to the Mariannas, where they are joining other B-29s in the mounting attacks on the enemy's homeland.
They are the 150 bombers of the 58th Bombardment Wing, which is now based on the island of Tinian, north of Guam.
Led by Gen. Roger Ramey, wing commander, the huge aircraft made the 3,600 mile flight, most of it over hostile territory, without the loss of a single plane."
Wilbur's diary entries from this time records:
24 Feb 1945:
"After 10 1/2 months service in China, Burma and India, departed APO 631 by train."
25 Feb 1945:
"Arrived Calcutta and boarded USS Morton, same day."
29 Feb 1945:
"Proceeded to open sea, after being anchored three days in the Ganges River. Accompanied by two British Corvettes upon entering the Bay of Bengal.
16 Mar 1945:
"Docked Melbourne, Australia. Shore leaves granted. Departed Australia, next day, heading North by Northeast.
19-30 Mar 1945:
"Passed through Islands off the tip of New Guinea. Arrived Marcus Islands, Admiralty Group. Remained here five days. Took on Coast Guard personnel. Departed on the 30th with a submarine chaser escort."
1 Apr 1945:
"Easter Sunday, anchored at Utili Island with 3rd Fleet. Coast Guard personnel disembarked to task force."
2 Apr 1945:
"Departed with freighter and escort. Stopped at Guam, now Headquarters for XXI Bomb Command, for orders."
4 Apr 1945:
"Arrived Tinian Island. Disembarked for further duty, per orders."
By late April, 1945, the war in Europe was all but over. Many ETO troops were being sent home and demobilized. Some air resources were being reallocated to the South Pacific to finish the war against Japan. The operational tempo at the newly formed XXI Bomb Command in the Mariannas Islands was stepped up dramatically. Crews were flying around the clock missions. This pattern created tremendous stress on man and machine, alike. By mid-summer, some soldiers with a non-flight MOS were pressed into service as members of flight crews. Wilbur flew for periods of time, as a tail gunner, on several aircraft, one of which was Ramp Tramp II (see photo.)
The 58th Bomb Wing was billeted mostly in tents on Tinian. Where the crews slept was largely irrelevant, as they were constantly in the air or getting the aircraft ready for the next mission. Crews had to be careful to keep weapon chambers clear as rounds would "cook off" in the sweltering heat.
Although the Mariannas Islands had been effectively neutralized by US Marines, there were still Japanese soldiers on the Tinian Island, hiding in the caves along the northern cliffs, awaiting a chance to make a last "banzai" charge at unsuspecting Americans on the airfield. This happened several times.
On one occasion, troops were in line at the Mess Hall. One Sergeant a few paces in front of Wilbur, yelled back at the line to "stop throwing rocks", after which, he fell over dead, having been shot in the back by a Japanese sniper.
On another occasion, the airfield was strafed by a Japanese Zero fighter plane. The kamakazi pilot destroyed numerous B-29s before crashing into the tower. On one run, the B-29 nearest Wilbur came under fire. Wilbur had sought safety in a foxhole near the airfield apron. When the plane was hit and the bombs on board began to explode, he felt compelled to move further away, clear of shrapnel. Once the "all clear" was given, Wilbur went back to look at the original foxhole he was in. It had been decimated by flying debris in such a manner, that anyone remaining in the foxhole would have, unquestionably, been killed.
As the long, hot summer wore on, the stress of combat duty began to show. "One of the worst accidents occurred on Tinian [when bombs being loaded into bays exploded.] The resulting conflagration that burst into the sky above North Field could easily be seen from Saipan." On another occasion, dozens of B-29s arrayed in the "Conga Line" awaiting takeoff when, suddenly one veered off the runway, ramming a parked plane. The result was a series of explosions that shook aircraft wings throughout the island. The entire crew of the errant plane, with the exception of the tail gunner who jumped from the burning hulk, died instantly.
Wilbur once told this writer that he saw over 300 planes take off at a time on Tinian. The ground would shake for hours nonstop as the huge B-29s Superforts, heavily laden with armaments and fuel, lumbered down the runway. Once airborne, the planes would fly the first one hundred miles or so, just ten feet off the water, straining to gain altitude against the tremendous weight of bombs and fuel. At this critical phase in the flight, any engine problems meant crashing into the ocean.
Once aloft, it was a long and tedious flight from Tinian to the Japanese islands, particularly, if you manned the tail gunner position. It was separated from the main cabin, which was pressurized, by a long tube that the gunner had to crawl through to get to his station. Once over target, the entire crew would give a sigh of relief once the "bombs away" order was given. Lightened by the load, the aircraft would shudder and surge upward. Wilbur once likened it to being on a roller coaster.
By August of 1945, air crews in the Mariannas were reaching the limits of human endurance. This equation changed in a flash. Unknown to many on Tinian Island, a specially equipped and armed B-29, the Enola Gay, took off from North Field, Tinian Island, at 2:45 a.m. (local) on 6 August, 1945. The atomic bomb that this ship delivered to the military target at Hiroshima changed the course of history. A second atomic bomb at Nagasaki convinced the Emperor of Japan that further hostilities were futile. Japan surrendered. This news was received with elation at Tinian and around the world.
For the next two months, Wilbur, and other crewmen, had to "stand down" from the war. Equipment had to be inventoried, repaired, and turned in for disposal or shipment home. Aircraft continued to fly, dropping supplies to known POW camps in Japan, China and Korea. Troops were ferried back to the US via "Operation Magic Carpet."
One historian wrote the following about the Mariannas flyers: "The 20th Air Force operated for fifteen months, suffered 3,015 casualties in dead, wounded and missing, and lost 414 bombers. They dropped almost 170,000 tons of bombs on enemy targets, and flew 34,790 sorties during the war." The greatest compliment that could be paid the flyers of the 58th Bomb Wing was when Prince Konoye of the Japanese Royal Family said, "Fundamentally, the thing that brought about the determination to make peace was the prolonged bombing by the B-29s."
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Part IV: Operation Magic Carpet (Going Home!)
From John Wilbur Powell's diary:
16 Oct 1945:
"After six and a half months' service on Tinian Island, boarded C-46 (transport plane) for home."
17 Oct 1945:
"Forced landing on Guam." (Apparently the ATC C-46 had mechanical problems and made an emergency landing on Guam, according to recently discovered US Army Air Corps records.)
18 Oct 1945:
"Regrouped on Guam at XXI Headquarters. Reassigned to 90th Air Service Group for the trip home."
19 Oct 1945:
"Boarded Navy destroyer #923, departed 26 Nov. After two days, sighted land, Eniwetok Atoll."
3 Dec 1945:
"Arrived Oahu Island, Hawaiian Group, docked Honolulu, Pearl Harbor. Passes granted to troops to visit Honolulu."
10 Dec 1945:
"Boarded USS West Virginia. Homeward bound. Departed same day." The "Wee Vee" was a battleship that saw a great deal of action during the war. Wilbur stated that the ship was packed so tightly with troops anxious to get home that the only place for him to sleep at night was in the ammunition tray of the ship's sixteen inch guns.
17 Dec 1945:
"Arrived stateside at San Pedro docks, Los Angeles Harbor, California. See photo of troops (including Wilbur) on deck of the USS West Virginia, in Los Angeles Harbor, title of the article "We Wanna Go Home!"
19 Dec 1945:
"Disembarked for Camp Hahn, California."
20 Dec 1945:
"Received orders for Camp Blanding, Florida. By troop train."
21-26 Dec 1945:
"Spent Christmas on board troop train crossing Texas. Arrived Camp Blanding, Fla. the day after Christmas."
No further entries in Wilbur' diary. But from further discussion with Wilbur, he out processed at Camp Blanding, boarded a bus for home and arrived back in Greenville, Fla. just after the new year, 1946.
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Los Angeles Times x 18 Dec 1945:
Veterans Jam at Port Rises Higher, With More Coming
Growing to gargantuan proportions with only meager signs of relief yesterday was the returning combat veteran congestion at Los Angeles Harbor and the city and the surrounding areas.
Reports from the harbor disclosed that in addition to the 7,209 veterans put into port aboard all types of vessels yesterday, a total of 14,719 servicemen were scheduled to arrive aboard 20 more ships today.
Slight relief for the port's jammed condition came last night when staging areas were cleared sufficiently to enable five trains to move to port docks and take off 3,468 servicemen passengers from the transport General Howze, which arrived in port Saturday afternoon.
Hourly checks are being made with staging areas and men were being moved from ships as fast as room was provided for them at Camps Anza and Hahn.
Ships scheduled to come in today include the cruiser Butte from Manila, the transport Neville from Hollandia, the Oneida from Manila, the Clinton from Guam, the Clarendon from Iwo Jima, the Shawnee from Pearl Harbor, and the Eriscoe from Manila.
The battleship West Virginia anchored offshore after arriving from Pearl Harbor with 2,066 yesterday and some of the men were being taken ashore by small boat.
Note: The USS West Virginia was the ship that Wilbur Powell arrived on. The ship was so crowded that he had to sleep in the ammunition trays of the battleships' sixteen inch guns. Debarkation privileges were drawn by raffle. Wilbur won his place on the first boat in a card game.
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U.S. Social Security Act, Application for Social Security Number (SS-5), 1936:
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Address: Greenville, Fla.
Employment: Andrews Department Store
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Age: 24 years old
Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
Father: Alvah Roy Powell
Mother: Mattie Martin
Date/Signed: Dec. 5, 1936, J.W. Powell
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Affidavit for the Purpose of Application for a Delayed Birth Certificate:
Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace
District No. 5, Madison County, Fla.
Greenville, Florida
Notorized Statement of Entry in the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Martin, wife of Alva Roy Powell
I, Curtis D. Earp, have before me the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Powell, wife of the aforesaid Alva Roy Powell, parents of John Wilbur Powell. This Bible was published by the Dickson Publishing Company, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois. The date the Bible was published is not shown, but the Bible is very old and worn.
I hereby transcribe the entries from the Bible before me and above described, the entries pertaining to the birth of John Wilbur Powell:
FAMILY HISTORY SECTION:
CHILDREN
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Where Born: Nashville, Ga.
Entries were apparently made at the time of his birth.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Note: The delayed birth certificate was required for the Selective Service Draft. Birth certificates were not required in Georgia, where Wilbur was born, until 1919.
___________________________________________________________
AFFIDAVIT
Town of Greenville
County of Madison
State of Florida
I, CURTIS D. EARP, duly authorized Justice of the Peace in and for the Fifth District of Madison County, Florida, have taken the above data from the Bible before me, the same being the Bible above described, and do believe these data to be true according to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Signed, sealed and delivered, this 7th day of September, A.D. 1942, at Greenville, County of Madison, State of Florida.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace, 5th District
Madison County, Florida
___________________________________________________________
Georgia Department of Public Health
Atlanta, Georgia
Delayed Certificate of Birth
1. Full Name at Birth: John Wilbur Powell
2. Color: White
3. Sex: Male
4. Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
5. Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
6. Present Address: 218 Service Road, Evansville, Indiana
7. Father's Name: Alvah R. Powell
8. Father's Birthplace: Stockton, Ga.
9. Mother's Name: Mattie Martin
10. Mother's Birthplace: Valdosta, Ga.
AFFIDAVIT
STATE: Indiana
COUNTY: Vanderburgh
I hereby declare upon oath that the above statements are true.
Applicant's Signature: John Wilbur Powell
Sworn and subscribed before me this October 7th, 1942.
Signature: Chas. H. Hall
Title: Notary Public
Date Commission Expires: Sept 28, 1943
Name and Address of person to whom this certified copy should be sent:
John Wilbur Powell
Route 3, Box 3, Greenville, Fla.
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JOHN WILBUR POWELL 1912-1974
___________________________________________________________
The following select entries are from the World War II field journal kept by John Wilbur Powell 1943 - 1946.
Part One:
20 Jan 1943: Enducted on Jan 20th, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Fla. Five days at Troop Reception Center, in processing.
25 Jan 1943: By troop train to Miami Beach, Fla., quarters at Stanton Hotel, Ocean Drive, Organization AAFTTC, Flight C&D, 12 weeks of basic training.
28 April 1943: Troop train to Camp Lee, Virginia for technical training, Organization: 8th Regiment, Company D.
30 July 1943: Troop train to Rome, NY, Replacement Depot, 4 days inprocessing, by truck to Syracuse, NY, 2120th Trucking Company.
5 Sept 1943: Furlow home. Returned Sep. 15th.
25 Sept 1943: 2120nd Trucking Company moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey. Arrived cantonment area for overseas staging.
8 Nov 1943: Took overseas physical.
10 Nov 1943: Transferred to 28th Air Service Group.
19 Nov 1943: Furlow home called off for overseas processing.
3 Dec 1943: 3 day pass granted to Syracuse, New York.
10 Jan 1944: Troop train to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia for overseas deployment.
12 Jan 1944: Arrived P.O.E. Patrick Henry, Newport News, Virginia. Two weeks processing. Overseas equipment and ammunition issued. Mail censored. Left Camp Patrick Henry and U.S.A. on Jan 25th 1944, 2100 hours. First land sighted: Cuba, Jamaica and adjacent islands on 29th Jan. Entered Carribean Sea.
1 Feb 1944: Arrived Panama Canal on Tuesday. Docked at San Cristobal and Colon for the following three days.
5 Feb 1944: Disembarked at Balboa, Panama. Spent 3 days at Howard Field, Fort Kobbe.
9 Feb 1944, Wed.: Embarked at Balboa, same ship, USS Athos, direction South by Southwest. Now, off shore of South America with 3 submarine chasers as escort.
10-12 Feb 1944: Direction now due West. Arrived Galapagos Islands. 3 escort vessels refueled. Departed the following night. Direction South by Southwest.
13 Feb 1944: Crossed the equator today.
(Engine trouble and had to go back to Panama.)
23 March 1944: Anchored offshore of Bora Bora (French Society Islands.) First sight of natives.
24 March 1944: Departed Society Islands by way of Tahiti.
30 March 1944: Entered Tasmanian Sea.
2 April 1944: Sighted land again. Wilson's Promontory.
8 April 1944: Docked U.S. Submarine Base, Freemantle, Australia. Remained here six days. Shore leave granted to Perth.
14 April 1944: Departed from Australia with British Light Cruiser as escort.
19 April 1944: Experienced first alert, enemy submarine sighted. Depth charges dropped.
22 April 1944: Escort replaced by five submarine chasers. Air alert on this day. Battle stations manned.
28 April 1944: Docked at Alexander Docks, Pier 6, Bombay, India.
29 April 1944: Leave granted to all troops in Bombay.
30 April 1944: Departure from Bombay by train. Direction north and east.
6 May 1944: Arrived Chakulia, India, home station of 40th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing.
(Part II continued below after narrative.)
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The following narrative is from the 40th Bomb Group Association. It follows the above diary almost exactly and adds significant detail. This account was written after the War. Wilbur's diary is lacking in details because it would otherwise be confiscated for security reasons per Army Regulation 380-5:
We were the 28th Air Service Group serving the 40th Bomb Group. It was from Fort Dix, New Jersey that we boarded a troop train and headed to Newport News, Va., our point of embarkation. We boarded the USS Athos II three days after arrival and located our quarters on "G" deck, 12 feet below the water line. The ship was not large (about 675 feet long) and not new. At one time, it had been a French luxury liner but was now converted to a troop ship capable of transporting 3,500 men.
We left the harbor about dusk with one other ship and put out to sea a little after midnight. By morning, the other ship had left us and we sailed alone to the Isthmus of Panama. Through the locks and across Gatun Lake to Camp Kobbe on the Pacific side where we billeted in the most comfortable quarters of my four years in the service. Barracks were three stories high with a huge mess hall and recreation area on the ground floor with large airy sleeping quarters on the floors above. Quite the contrast to the cramped life aboard the Athos II.
A propeller shaft bearing on the ship had malfunctioned on the trip across Gatun Lake. It had been repaired and our quarters aboard ship completely cleaned and painted when we reboarded and we were once more on our way.
Next stop was the Galapagos Islands to which an engineer was flown from Panama to inspect the repairs to the ship. It didn't pass inspection so back to Balboa at 4 knots. More of Kobbe, same quarters and sightseeing for one week, then away once more with all systems go.
The USS Athos II carried 99 full Colonels and a contingent of Chinese nurses who had been trained in the U.S. The 99 Colonels were engineers who were to supervise U.S. military construction (of airfields) in China.
At one point between the Galapagos and Bora Bora Island, our next stop, we were followed by a submarine for five days necessitating a zig-zag course. Seven minutes in one direction, ten minutes another for a full day, and we finally eluded the submarine. All this time the ocean was like glass, except for the ground swells from the turns that caused more seasickness than rough water.
We left Bora Bora and headed southwest again on an uneventful journey to the southeast coast of Australia, still a lone ship maintaining absolute radio silence. We had now been enroute for 60 days. The Bass Straight between Australia and Tasmania provided the roughest water we were to encounter. One moment the anchor deck was awash, propellers throbbing out of the water, the next moment the garbage deck was under the bow high in the air. We were finally in sight of land and anchored at Freemantle. We had two days ashore, half the personnel each day for four days. We ate our share of fish and chips, the popular lunch on this shore city. The change from two meals of boiled macaroni each day was a welcome treat.
We left Freemantle mid-morning early in June and headed into the Indian Ocean, this time accompanied by two US Navy corvettes. About dusk, the first evening out, the PA system sounded an alert. "This is not a drill, now hear this, this is not a drill, all personnel to battle stations." Everyone scrambled to assigned fighting positions. Both corvettes made sharp turns to the starboard and the Athos II veered sharply to port. Either you grabbed something to hold onto, digging your heels into the gutters or you were in the drink. The corvettes rolled off depth charges. We could feel the concussion as the charges exploded at depth and huge white boils of water came to the surface. The charges dropped by the corvette nearest us produced a great black oil slick after a few minutes. It was surmised that the submarine was hit and disabled. Shortly thereafter, the "all clear" was given and we went on our way. It took a while for the light hearted mood to return after such a harrowing experience. That was just a little too close for comfort.
Twelve or fourteen days later, we saw the glow of lights on the western horizon and were told it was from a harbor on Madagascar. Another two weeks of flying fish and dolphins and we dropped anchor in Bombay. It was the day after a large munitions ship had exploded while anchored. If we had arrived the day before, our ship, anchored in the adjacent slip, would have unquestionably been destroyed. The destruction of life and material was unbelievable and a harbinger of things to come, for some of us. The stench was almost unbearable. But I later learned that all of India smelled that way.
We were enroute for ninety-one days, the second longest troop movement of World War Two. Three days unloading, sorting TAT and reloading onto flat cars and we were on our way to Chakulia, India our home away from home for the next year.
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Part II: India and China
Entry from Journal, dated 6 May 1944: "Arrived Chakulia, India."
Chakulia, India was a city with adjoining US airbase about 70 miles northwest of Calcutta on the Ganges River plain. Four airbases were built in this region specifically to accomodate the new, extended range bomber, the B-29, in the China-Burma-India theater of war: the 40th Bomb Group was stationed at Chakulia, the 444th Bomb Group at Charra, the 462nd Bomb Group at Dudkhindi and the 468th Bomb Group at Kharaqpur. These four Bomb Groups constituted the 58th Bomb Wing.
A staff officer described conditions at one of these remote airbases: "In 1944, Dudkhindi was a little, rural village northwest of Calcutta. It was not a very attractive place. In the dry season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, dusty and hot. During the monsoon season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, muddy and hot. During the months of April through August, part of the dry season, it would become so hot in the middle of the day, that one could not touch the aluminum skin of a B-29 without getting burned.
All in all, it was not a nice place to be. The water supply was suspect, so we drank slightly diluted chlorine from lister bags. There was no ice. There was no beer. The only distilled liquor came from Calcutta. It's brand name was Carew's. We called it "Carew's Booze for Combat Crews." It came in three flavors: gin, rum, and whiskey. All three tasted exactly the same. The only difference was the coloring used in each: no color at all for gin, light tinge of yellow for rum, and a sort of dark tan for whiskey."
The first B-29s had been ferried to Chakulia on 2 Apr 1944 via North Africa and were awaiting arrival of the air and ground crews from Bombay. By 5 Jun 1944, the ships were airborne and the first sorties were made on rail centers at Bangkok and supply echelons at Singapore. Over the next two months, numerous raids were conducted throughout Burma and Indo-China.
As these targets were being neutralized by the 20th Air Force, ambitious plans were made to project air power to the Japanese Islands via air fields, ordinance and fuel resupply points in Central China. Numerous Classes of Supply, and personnel had to be ferried over the Himalaya Mountains, or "the Hump" as dubbed by air crews.
Wilbur Powell made numerous "Hump" flights to the forward air bases at Changdu and Chungking, China while stationed at Chakulia. A tradition among the crews on these flights was to have each man onboard sign a Chinese 100 Yuan bill (worth about 10 cents) and distribute them to the crew. Wilbur had a wad of these notes brought home from the war that he kept in a teak humidor with an etching of the Taj Mahal on the lid.
Flying the "Hump" was dangerous business. Aircraft wreckage littering the flight routes through the Himalayas was a bold testament to this fact. Bad weather or engine trouble at high altitude could force a bale out. One Hump veteran recalled: "Twice I had to hit the silk because of mechanical problems, each time with a different crew. My bales took place on both sides of the Hump. The first time, two engines failed just as we entered the crest. We turned around but when another engine failed, we got the signal to bale from the aircraft commander. We were all lucky to get out, and walked our way out to safety. Other crews weren't as lucky."
I recall Wilbur telling this writer about at least one of these "white knuckle" flights. After the War, Wilbur never flew again, having seen so many air crashes.
Wilbur was originally classified as MOS 345, Truck Driver, Light but as the War progressed, he was given other assignments, one of which, when he was stationed on Tinian Island, in the South Pacific, was as tail gunner on one of the B-29 crews.
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Part III: Tinian Island and Japan
The nature of the War in the CBI began to change as 1944 progressed. Late in the summer, the Marines captured Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Immediately, construction began to extend the runways to accommodate the B-29s and by early Spring, the Mariannas sites were ready for the four Bomb Groups of the 58th Bomb Wing.
The troops began transport to the island bases in February 1945 and the aircraft began the 3,600 mile trip in late April, as this article, found among Wilbur's World War Two memorabilia, from the Pacific Stars and Stripes, x 3 May 1945, details:
"India B-29s Moved to Mariannas
Last Major Fight of the Philipines Shapes Up on Luzon
by The Associated Press
American troops slaughtering hundreds of Japanese with flamethrowers and demolition charges battled at the summit of the coral plateau of Yaeju today, striking for the break through that would smash the last enemy line of defense on Okinawa.
Radio Tokyo said, without confirmation, that other American forces had swarmed ashore on Okinawa's south coast in a surprise amphibious landing, gripping the thinned Japanese garrison of 15,000 in a vise that would hasten the inevitable hour of victory.
Meanwhile, the first Superfortresses to make a combat strike at Japan were transferred from India bases to the Mariannas, where they are joining other B-29s in the mounting attacks on the enemy's homeland.
They are the 150 bombers of the 58th Bombardment Wing, which is now based on the island of Tinian, north of Guam.
Led by Gen. Roger Ramey, wing commander, the huge aircraft made the 3,600 mile flight, most of it over hostile territory, without the loss of a single plane."
Wilbur's diary entries from this time records:
24 Feb 1945:
"After 10 1/2 months service in China, Burma and India, departed APO 631 by train."
25 Feb 1945:
"Arrived Calcutta and boarded USS Morton, same day."
29 Feb 1945:
"Proceeded to open sea, after being anchored three days in the Ganges River. Accompanied by two British Corvettes upon entering the Bay of Bengal.
16 Mar 1945:
"Docked Melbourne, Australia. Shore leaves granted. Departed Australia, next day, heading North by Northeast.
19-30 Mar 1945:
"Passed through Islands off the tip of New Guinea. Arrived Marcus Islands, Admiralty Group. Remained here five days. Took on Coast Guard personnel. Departed on the 30th with a submarine chaser escort."
1 Apr 1945:
"Easter Sunday, anchored at Utili Island with 3rd Fleet. Coast Guard personnel disembarked to task force."
2 Apr 1945:
"Departed with freighter and escort. Stopped at Guam, now Headquarters for XXI Bomb Command, for orders."
4 Apr 1945:
"Arrived Tinian Island. Disembarked for further duty, per orders."
By late April, 1945, the war in Europe was all but over. Many ETO troops were being sent home and demobilized. Some air resources were being reallocated to the South Pacific to finish the war against Japan. The operational tempo at the newly formed XXI Bomb Command in the Mariannas Islands was stepped up dramatically. Crews were flying around the clock missions. This pattern created tremendous stress on man and machine, alike. By mid-summer, some soldiers with a non-flight MOS were pressed into service as members of flight crews. Wilbur flew for periods of time, as a tail gunner, on several aircraft, one of which was Ramp Tramp II (see photo.)
The 58th Bomb Wing was billeted mostly in tents on Tinian. Where the crews slept was largely irrelevant, as they were constantly in the air or getting the aircraft ready for the next mission. Crews had to be careful to keep weapon chambers clear as rounds would "cook off" in the sweltering heat.
Although the Mariannas Islands had been effectively neutralized by US Marines, there were still Japanese soldiers on the Tinian Island, hiding in the caves along the northern cliffs, awaiting a chance to make a last "banzai" charge at unsuspecting Americans on the airfield. This happened several times.
On one occasion, troops were in line at the Mess Hall. One Sergeant a few paces in front of Wilbur, yelled back at the line to "stop throwing rocks", after which, he fell over dead, having been shot in the back by a Japanese sniper.
On another occasion, the airfield was strafed by a Japanese Zero fighter plane. The kamakazi pilot destroyed numerous B-29s before crashing into the tower. On one run, the B-29 nearest Wilbur came under fire. Wilbur had sought safety in a foxhole near the airfield apron. When the plane was hit and the bombs on board began to explode, he felt compelled to move further away, clear of shrapnel. Once the "all clear" was given, Wilbur went back to look at the original foxhole he was in. It had been decimated by flying debris in such a manner, that anyone remaining in the foxhole would have, unquestionably, been killed.
As the long, hot summer wore on, the stress of combat duty began to show. "One of the worst accidents occurred on Tinian [when bombs being loaded into bays exploded.] The resulting conflagration that burst into the sky above North Field could easily be seen from Saipan." On another occasion, dozens of B-29s arrayed in the "Conga Line" awaiting takeoff when, suddenly one veered off the runway, ramming a parked plane. The result was a series of explosions that shook aircraft wings throughout the island. The entire crew of the errant plane, with the exception of the tail gunner who jumped from the burning hulk, died instantly.
Wilbur once told this writer that he saw over 300 planes take off at a time on Tinian. The ground would shake for hours nonstop as the huge B-29s Superforts, heavily laden with armaments and fuel, lumbered down the runway. Once airborne, the planes would fly the first one hundred miles or so, just ten feet off the water, straining to gain altitude against the tremendous weight of bombs and fuel. At this critical phase in the flight, any engine problems meant crashing into the ocean.
Once aloft, it was a long and tedious flight from Tinian to the Japanese islands, particularly, if you manned the tail gunner position. It was separated from the main cabin, which was pressurized, by a long tube that the gunner had to crawl through to get to his station. Once over target, the entire crew would give a sigh of relief once the "bombs away" order was given. Lightened by the load, the aircraft would shudder and surge upward. Wilbur once likened it to being on a roller coaster.
By August of 1945, air crews in the Mariannas were reaching the limits of human endurance. This equation changed in a flash. Unknown to many on Tinian Island, a specially equipped and armed B-29, the Enola Gay, took off from North Field, Tinian Island, at 2:45 a.m. (local) on 6 August, 1945. The atomic bomb that this ship delivered to the military target at Hiroshima changed the course of history. A second atomic bomb at Nagasaki convinced the Emperor of Japan that further hostilities were futile. Japan surrendered. This news was received with elation at Tinian and around the world.
For the next two months, Wilbur, and other crewmen, had to "stand down" from the war. Equipment had to be inventoried, repaired, and turned in for disposal or shipment home. Aircraft continued to fly, dropping supplies to known POW camps in Japan, China and Korea. Troops were ferried back to the US via "Operation Magic Carpet."
One historian wrote the following about the Mariannas flyers: "The 20th Air Force operated for fifteen months, suffered 3,015 casualties in dead, wounded and missing, and lost 414 bombers. They dropped almost 170,000 tons of bombs on enemy targets, and flew 34,790 sorties during the war." The greatest compliment that could be paid the flyers of the 58th Bomb Wing was when Prince Konoye of the Japanese Royal Family said, "Fundamentally, the thing that brought about the determination to make peace was the prolonged bombing by the B-29s."
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Part IV: Operation Magic Carpet (Going Home!)
From John Wilbur Powell's diary:
16 Oct 1945:
"After six and a half months' service on Tinian Island, boarded C-46 (transport plane) for home."
17 Oct 1945:
"Forced landing on Guam." (Apparently the ATC C-46 had mechanical problems and made an emergency landing on Guam, according to recently discovered US Army Air Corps records.)
18 Oct 1945:
"Regrouped on Guam at XXI Headquarters. Reassigned to 90th Air Service Group for the trip home."
19 Oct 1945:
"Boarded Navy destroyer #923, departed 26 Nov. After two days, sighted land, Eniwetok Atoll."
3 Dec 1945:
"Arrived Oahu Island, Hawaiian Group, docked Honolulu, Pearl Harbor. Passes granted to troops to visit Honolulu."
10 Dec 1945:
"Boarded USS West Virginia. Homeward bound. Departed same day." The "Wee Vee" was a battleship that saw a great deal of action during the war. Wilbur stated that the ship was packed so tightly with troops anxious to get home that the only place for him to sleep at night was in the ammunition tray of the ship's sixteen inch guns.
17 Dec 1945:
"Arrived stateside at San Pedro docks, Los Angeles Harbor, California. See photo of troops (including Wilbur) on deck of the USS West Virginia, in Los Angeles Harbor, title of the article "We Wanna Go Home!"
19 Dec 1945:
"Disembarked for Camp Hahn, California."
20 Dec 1945:
"Received orders for Camp Blanding, Florida. By troop train."
21-26 Dec 1945:
"Spent Christmas on board troop train crossing Texas. Arrived Camp Blanding, Fla. the day after Christmas."
No further entries in Wilbur' diary. But from further discussion with Wilbur, he out processed at Camp Blanding, boarded a bus for home and arrived back in Greenville, Fla. just after the new year, 1946.
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Los Angeles Times x 18 Dec 1945:
Veterans Jam at Port Rises Higher, With More Coming
Growing to gargantuan proportions with only meager signs of relief yesterday was the returning combat veteran congestion at Los Angeles Harbor and the city and the surrounding areas.
Reports from the harbor disclosed that in addition to the 7,209 veterans put into port aboard all types of vessels yesterday, a total of 14,719 servicemen were scheduled to arrive aboard 20 more ships today.
Slight relief for the port's jammed condition came last night when staging areas were cleared sufficiently to enable five trains to move to port docks and take off 3,468 servicemen passengers from the transport General Howze, which arrived in port Saturday afternoon.
Hourly checks are being made with staging areas and men were being moved from ships as fast as room was provided for them at Camps Anza and Hahn.
Ships scheduled to come in today include the cruiser Butte from Manila, the transport Neville from Hollandia, the Oneida from Manila, the Clinton from Guam, the Clarendon from Iwo Jima, the Shawnee from Pearl Harbor, and the Eriscoe from Manila.
The battleship West Virginia anchored offshore after arriving from Pearl Harbor with 2,066 yesterday and some of the men were being taken ashore by small boat.
Note: The USS West Virginia was the ship that Wilbur Powell arrived on. The ship was so crowded that he had to sleep in the ammunition trays of the battleships' sixteen inch guns. Debarkation privileges were drawn by raffle. Wilbur won his place on the first boat in a card game.
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U.S. Social Security Act, Application for Social Security Number (SS-5), 1936:
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Address: Greenville, Fla.
Employment: Andrews Department Store
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Age: 24 years old
Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
Father: Alvah Roy Powell
Mother: Mattie Martin
Date/Signed: Dec. 5, 1936, J.W. Powell
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Affidavit for the Purpose of Application for a Delayed Birth Certificate:
Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace
District No. 5, Madison County, Fla.
Greenville, Florida
Notorized Statement of Entry in the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Martin, wife of Alva Roy Powell
I, Curtis D. Earp, have before me the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Powell, wife of the aforesaid Alva Roy Powell, parents of John Wilbur Powell. This Bible was published by the Dickson Publishing Company, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois. The date the Bible was published is not shown, but the Bible is very old and worn.
I hereby transcribe the entries from the Bible before me and above described, the entries pertaining to the birth of John Wilbur Powell:
FAMILY HISTORY SECTION:
CHILDREN
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Where Born: Nashville, Ga.
Entries were apparently made at the time of his birth.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Note: The delayed birth certificate was required for the Selective Service Draft. Birth certificates were not required in Georgia, where Wilbur was born, until 1919.
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AFFIDAVIT
Town of Greenville
County of Madison
State of Florida
I, CURTIS D. EARP, duly authorized Justice of the Peace in and for the Fifth District of Madison County, Florida, have taken the above data from the Bible before me, the same being the Bible above described, and do believe these data to be true according to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Signed, sealed and delivered, this 7th day of September, A.D. 1942, at Greenville, County of Madison, State of Florida.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace, 5th District
Madison County, Florida
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Georgia Department of Public Health
Atlanta, Georgia
Delayed Certificate of Birth
1. Full Name at Birth: John Wilbur Powell
2. Color: White
3. Sex: Male
4. Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
5. Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
6. Present Address: 218 Service Road, Evansville, Indiana
7. Father's Name: Alvah R. Powell
8. Father's Birthplace: Stockton, Ga.
9. Mother's Name: Mattie Martin
10. Mother's Birthplace: Valdosta, Ga.
AFFIDAVIT
STATE: Indiana
COUNTY: Vanderburgh
I hereby declare upon oath that the above statements are true.
Applicant's Signature: John Wilbur Powell
Sworn and subscribed before me this October 7th, 1942.
Signature: Chas. H. Hall
Title: Notary Public
Date Commission Expires: Sept 28, 1943
Name and Address of person to whom this certified copy should be sent:
John Wilbur Powell
Route 3, Box 3, Greenville, Fla.
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The following select entries are from the World War II field journal kept by John Wilbur Powell 1943 - 1946.
Part One:
20 Jan 1943: Enducted on Jan 20th, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Fla. Five days at Troop Reception Center, in processing.
25 Jan 1943: By troop train to Miami Beach, Fla., quarters at Stanton Hotel, Ocean Drive, Organization AAFTTC, Flight C&D, 12 weeks of basic training.
28 April 1943: Troop train to Camp Lee, Virginia for technical training, Organization: 8th Regiment, Company D.
30 July 1943: Troop train to Rome, NY, Replacement Depot, 4 days inprocessing, by truck to Syracuse, NY, 2120th Trucking Company.
5 Sept 1943: Furlow home. Returned Sep. 15th.
25 Sept 1943: 2120nd Trucking Company moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey. Arrived cantonment area for overseas staging.
8 Nov 1943: Took overseas physical.
10 Nov 1943: Transferred to 28th Air Service Group.
19 Nov 1943: Furlow home called off for overseas processing.
3 Dec 1943: 3 day pass granted to Syracuse, New York.
10 Jan 1944: Troop train to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia for overseas deployment.
12 Jan 1944: Arrived P.O.E. Patrick Henry, Newport News, Virginia. Two weeks processing. Overseas equipment and ammunition issued. Mail censored. Left Camp Patrick Henry and U.S.A. on Jan 25th 1944, 2100 hours. First land sighted: Cuba, Jamaica and adjacent islands on 29th Jan. Entered Carribean Sea.
1 Feb 1944: Arrived Panama Canal on Tuesday. Docked at San Cristobal and Colon for the following three days.
5 Feb 1944: Disembarked at Balboa, Panama. Spent 3 days at Howard Field, Fort Kobbe.
9 Feb 1944, Wed.: Embarked at Balboa, same ship, USS Athos, direction South by Southwest. Now, off shore of South America with 3 submarine chasers as escort.
10-12 Feb 1944: Direction now due West. Arrived Galapagos Islands. 3 escort vessels refueled. Departed the following night. Direction South by Southwest.
13 Feb 1944: Crossed the equator today.
(Engine trouble and had to go back to Panama.)
23 March 1944: Anchored offshore of Bora Bora (French Society Islands.) First sight of natives.
24 March 1944: Departed Society Islands by way of Tahiti.
30 March 1944: Entered Tasmanian Sea.
2 April 1944: Sighted land again. Wilson's Promontory.
8 April 1944: Docked U.S. Submarine Base, Freemantle, Australia. Remained here six days. Shore leave granted to Perth.
14 April 1944: Departed from Australia with British Light Cruiser as escort.
19 April 1944: Experienced first alert, enemy submarine sighted. Depth charges dropped.
22 April 1944: Escort replaced by five submarine chasers. Air alert on this day. Battle stations manned.
28 April 1944: Docked at Alexander Docks, Pier 6, Bombay, India.
29 April 1944: Leave granted to all troops in Bombay.
30 April 1944: Departure from Bombay by train. Direction north and east.
6 May 1944: Arrived Chakulia, India, home station of 40th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing.
(Part II continued below after narrative.)
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The following narrative is from the 40th Bomb Group Association. It follows the above diary almost exactly and adds significant detail. This account was written after the War. Wilbur's diary is lacking in details because it would otherwise be confiscated for security reasons per Army Regulation 380-5:
We were the 28th Air Service Group serving the 40th Bomb Group. It was from Fort Dix, New Jersey that we boarded a troop train and headed to Newport News, Va., our point of embarkation. We boarded the USS Athos II three days after arrival and located our quarters on "G" deck, 12 feet below the water line. The ship was not large (about 675 feet long) and not new. At one time, it had been a French luxury liner but was now converted to a troop ship capable of transporting 3,500 men.
We left the harbor about dusk with one other ship and put out to sea a little after midnight. By morning, the other ship had left us and we sailed alone to the Isthmus of Panama. Through the locks and across Gatun Lake to Camp Kobbe on the Pacific side where we billeted in the most comfortable quarters of my four years in the service. Barracks were three stories high with a huge mess hall and recreation area on the ground floor with large airy sleeping quarters on the floors above. Quite the contrast to the cramped life aboard the Athos II.
A propeller shaft bearing on the ship had malfunctioned on the trip across Gatun Lake. It had been repaired and our quarters aboard ship completely cleaned and painted when we reboarded and we were once more on our way.
Next stop was the Galapagos Islands to which an engineer was flown from Panama to inspect the repairs to the ship. It didn't pass inspection so back to Balboa at 4 knots. More of Kobbe, same quarters and sightseeing for one week, then away once more with all systems go.
The USS Athos II carried 99 full Colonels and a contingent of Chinese nurses who had been trained in the U.S. The 99 Colonels were engineers who were to supervise U.S. military construction (of airfields) in China.
At one point between the Galapagos and Bora Bora Island, our next stop, we were followed by a submarine for five days necessitating a zig-zag course. Seven minutes in one direction, ten minutes another for a full day, and we finally eluded the submarine. All this time the ocean was like glass, except for the ground swells from the turns that caused more seasickness than rough water.
We left Bora Bora and headed southwest again on an uneventful journey to the southeast coast of Australia, still a lone ship maintaining absolute radio silence. We had now been enroute for 60 days. The Bass Straight between Australia and Tasmania provided the roughest water we were to encounter. One moment the anchor deck was awash, propellers throbbing out of the water, the next moment the garbage deck was under the bow high in the air. We were finally in sight of land and anchored at Freemantle. We had two days ashore, half the personnel each day for four days. We ate our share of fish and chips, the popular lunch on this shore city. The change from two meals of boiled macaroni each day was a welcome treat.
We left Freemantle mid-morning early in June and headed into the Indian Ocean, this time accompanied by two US Navy corvettes. About dusk, the first evening out, the PA system sounded an alert. "This is not a drill, now hear this, this is not a drill, all personnel to battle stations." Everyone scrambled to assigned fighting positions. Both corvettes made sharp turns to the starboard and the Athos II veered sharply to port. Either you grabbed something to hold onto, digging your heels into the gutters or you were in the drink. The corvettes rolled off depth charges. We could feel the concussion as the charges exploded at depth and huge white boils of water came to the surface. The charges dropped by the corvette nearest us produced a great black oil slick after a few minutes. It was surmised that the submarine was hit and disabled. Shortly thereafter, the "all clear" was given and we went on our way. It took a while for the light hearted mood to return after such a harrowing experience. That was just a little too close for comfort.
Twelve or fourteen days later, we saw the glow of lights on the western horizon and were told it was from a harbor on Madagascar. Another two weeks of flying fish and dolphins and we dropped anchor in Bombay. It was the day after a large munitions ship had exploded while anchored. If we had arrived the day before, our ship, anchored in the adjacent slip, would have unquestionably been destroyed. The destruction of life and material was unbelievable and a harbinger of things to come, for some of us. The stench was almost unbearable. But I later learned that all of India smelled that way.
We were enroute for ninety-one days, the second longest troop movement of World War Two. Three days unloading, sorting TAT and reloading onto flat cars and we were on our way to Chakulia, India our home away from home for the next year.
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Part II: India and China
Entry from Journal, dated 6 May 1944: "Arrived Chakulia, India."
Chakulia, India was a city with adjoining US airbase about 70 miles northwest of Calcutta on the Ganges River plain. Four airbases were built in this region specifically to accomodate the new, extended range bomber, the B-29, in the China-Burma-India theater of war: the 40th Bomb Group was stationed at Chakulia, the 444th Bomb Group at Charra, the 462nd Bomb Group at Dudkhindi and the 468th Bomb Group at Kharaqpur. These four Bomb Groups constituted the 58th Bomb Wing.
A staff officer described conditions at one of these remote airbases: "In 1944, Dudkhindi was a little, rural village northwest of Calcutta. It was not a very attractive place. In the dry season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, dusty and hot. During the monsoon season, it was flat, ugly, dirty, muddy and hot. During the months of April through August, part of the dry season, it would become so hot in the middle of the day, that one could not touch the aluminum skin of a B-29 without getting burned.
All in all, it was not a nice place to be. The water supply was suspect, so we drank slightly diluted chlorine from lister bags. There was no ice. There was no beer. The only distilled liquor came from Calcutta. It's brand name was Carew's. We called it "Carew's Booze for Combat Crews." It came in three flavors: gin, rum, and whiskey. All three tasted exactly the same. The only difference was the coloring used in each: no color at all for gin, light tinge of yellow for rum, and a sort of dark tan for whiskey."
The first B-29s had been ferried to Chakulia on 2 Apr 1944 via North Africa and were awaiting arrival of the air and ground crews from Bombay. By 5 Jun 1944, the ships were airborne and the first sorties were made on rail centers at Bangkok and supply echelons at Singapore. Over the next two months, numerous raids were conducted throughout Burma and Indo-China.
As these targets were being neutralized by the 20th Air Force, ambitious plans were made to project air power to the Japanese Islands via air fields, ordinance and fuel resupply points in Central China. Numerous Classes of Supply, and personnel had to be ferried over the Himalaya Mountains, or "the Hump" as dubbed by air crews.
Wilbur Powell made numerous "Hump" flights to the forward air bases at Changdu and Chungking, China while stationed at Chakulia. A tradition among the crews on these flights was to have each man onboard sign a Chinese 100 Yuan bill (worth about 10 cents) and distribute them to the crew. Wilbur had a wad of these notes brought home from the war that he kept in a teak humidor with an etching of the Taj Mahal on the lid.
Flying the "Hump" was dangerous business. Aircraft wreckage littering the flight routes through the Himalayas was a bold testament to this fact. Bad weather or engine trouble at high altitude could force a bale out. One Hump veteran recalled: "Twice I had to hit the silk because of mechanical problems, each time with a different crew. My bales took place on both sides of the Hump. The first time, two engines failed just as we entered the crest. We turned around but when another engine failed, we got the signal to bale from the aircraft commander. We were all lucky to get out, and walked our way out to safety. Other crews weren't as lucky."
I recall Wilbur telling this writer about at least one of these "white knuckle" flights. After the War, Wilbur never flew again, having seen so many air crashes.
Wilbur was originally classified as MOS 345, Truck Driver, Light but as the War progressed, he was given other assignments, one of which, when he was stationed on Tinian Island, in the South Pacific, was as tail gunner on one of the B-29 crews.
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Part III: Tinian Island and Japan
The nature of the War in the CBI began to change as 1944 progressed. Late in the summer, the Marines captured Saipan, Tinian and Guam. Immediately, construction began to extend the runways to accommodate the B-29s and by early Spring, the Mariannas sites were ready for the four Bomb Groups of the 58th Bomb Wing.
The troops began transport to the island bases in February 1945 and the aircraft began the 3,600 mile trip in late April, as this article, found among Wilbur's World War Two memorabilia, from the Pacific Stars and Stripes, x 3 May 1945, details:
"India B-29s Moved to Mariannas
Last Major Fight of the Philipines Shapes Up on Luzon
by The Associated Press
American troops slaughtering hundreds of Japanese with flamethrowers and demolition charges battled at the summit of the coral plateau of Yaeju today, striking for the break through that would smash the last enemy line of defense on Okinawa.
Radio Tokyo said, without confirmation, that other American forces had swarmed ashore on Okinawa's south coast in a surprise amphibious landing, gripping the thinned Japanese garrison of 15,000 in a vise that would hasten the inevitable hour of victory.
Meanwhile, the first Superfortresses to make a combat strike at Japan were transferred from India bases to the Mariannas, where they are joining other B-29s in the mounting attacks on the enemy's homeland.
They are the 150 bombers of the 58th Bombardment Wing, which is now based on the island of Tinian, north of Guam.
Led by Gen. Roger Ramey, wing commander, the huge aircraft made the 3,600 mile flight, most of it over hostile territory, without the loss of a single plane."
Wilbur's diary entries from this time records:
24 Feb 1945:
"After 10 1/2 months service in China, Burma and India, departed APO 631 by train."
25 Feb 1945:
"Arrived Calcutta and boarded USS Morton, same day."
29 Feb 1945:
"Proceeded to open sea, after being anchored three days in the Ganges River. Accompanied by two British Corvettes upon entering the Bay of Bengal.
16 Mar 1945:
"Docked Melbourne, Australia. Shore leaves granted. Departed Australia, next day, heading North by Northeast.
19-30 Mar 1945:
"Passed through Islands off the tip of New Guinea. Arrived Marcus Islands, Admiralty Group. Remained here five days. Took on Coast Guard personnel. Departed on the 30th with a submarine chaser escort."
1 Apr 1945:
"Easter Sunday, anchored at Utili Island with 3rd Fleet. Coast Guard personnel disembarked to task force."
2 Apr 1945:
"Departed with freighter and escort. Stopped at Guam, now Headquarters for XXI Bomb Command, for orders."
4 Apr 1945:
"Arrived Tinian Island. Disembarked for further duty, per orders."
By late April, 1945, the war in Europe was all but over. Many ETO troops were being sent home and demobilized. Some air resources were being reallocated to the South Pacific to finish the war against Japan. The operational tempo at the newly formed XXI Bomb Command in the Mariannas Islands was stepped up dramatically. Crews were flying around the clock missions. This pattern created tremendous stress on man and machine, alike. By mid-summer, some soldiers with a non-flight MOS were pressed into service as members of flight crews. Wilbur flew for periods of time, as a tail gunner, on several aircraft, one of which was Ramp Tramp II (see photo.)
The 58th Bomb Wing was billeted mostly in tents on Tinian. Where the crews slept was largely irrelevant, as they were constantly in the air or getting the aircraft ready for the next mission. Crews had to be careful to keep weapon chambers clear as rounds would "cook off" in the sweltering heat.
Although the Mariannas Islands had been effectively neutralized by US Marines, there were still Japanese soldiers on the Tinian Island, hiding in the caves along the northern cliffs, awaiting a chance to make a last "banzai" charge at unsuspecting Americans on the airfield. This happened several times.
On one occasion, troops were in line at the Mess Hall. One Sergeant a few paces in front of Wilbur, yelled back at the line to "stop throwing rocks", after which, he fell over dead, having been shot in the back by a Japanese sniper.
On another occasion, the airfield was strafed by a Japanese Zero fighter plane. The kamakazi pilot destroyed numerous B-29s before crashing into the tower. On one run, the B-29 nearest Wilbur came under fire. Wilbur had sought safety in a foxhole near the airfield apron. When the plane was hit and the bombs on board began to explode, he felt compelled to move further away, clear of shrapnel. Once the "all clear" was given, Wilbur went back to look at the original foxhole he was in. It had been decimated by flying debris in such a manner, that anyone remaining in the foxhole would have, unquestionably, been killed.
As the long, hot summer wore on, the stress of combat duty began to show. "One of the worst accidents occurred on Tinian [when bombs being loaded into bays exploded.] The resulting conflagration that burst into the sky above North Field could easily be seen from Saipan." On another occasion, dozens of B-29s arrayed in the "Conga Line" awaiting takeoff when, suddenly one veered off the runway, ramming a parked plane. The result was a series of explosions that shook aircraft wings throughout the island. The entire crew of the errant plane, with the exception of the tail gunner who jumped from the burning hulk, died instantly.
Wilbur once told this writer that he saw over 300 planes take off at a time on Tinian. The ground would shake for hours nonstop as the huge B-29s Superforts, heavily laden with armaments and fuel, lumbered down the runway. Once airborne, the planes would fly the first one hundred miles or so, just ten feet off the water, straining to gain altitude against the tremendous weight of bombs and fuel. At this critical phase in the flight, any engine problems meant crashing into the ocean.
Once aloft, it was a long and tedious flight from Tinian to the Japanese islands, particularly, if you manned the tail gunner position. It was separated from the main cabin, which was pressurized, by a long tube that the gunner had to crawl through to get to his station. Once over target, the entire crew would give a sigh of relief once the "bombs away" order was given. Lightened by the load, the aircraft would shudder and surge upward. Wilbur once likened it to being on a roller coaster.
By August of 1945, air crews in the Mariannas were reaching the limits of human endurance. This equation changed in a flash. Unknown to many on Tinian Island, a specially equipped and armed B-29, the Enola Gay, took off from North Field, Tinian Island, at 2:45 a.m. (local) on 6 August, 1945. The atomic bomb that this ship delivered to the military target at Hiroshima changed the course of history. A second atomic bomb at Nagasaki convinced the Emperor of Japan that further hostilities were futile. Japan surrendered. This news was received with elation at Tinian and around the world.
For the next two months, Wilbur, and other crewmen, had to "stand down" from the war. Equipment had to be inventoried, repaired, and turned in for disposal or shipment home. Aircraft continued to fly, dropping supplies to known POW camps in Japan, China and Korea. Troops were ferried back to the US via "Operation Magic Carpet."
One historian wrote the following about the Mariannas flyers: "The 20th Air Force operated for fifteen months, suffered 3,015 casualties in dead, wounded and missing, and lost 414 bombers. They dropped almost 170,000 tons of bombs on enemy targets, and flew 34,790 sorties during the war." The greatest compliment that could be paid the flyers of the 58th Bomb Wing was when Prince Konoye of the Japanese Royal Family said, "Fundamentally, the thing that brought about the determination to make peace was the prolonged bombing by the B-29s."
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Part IV: Operation Magic Carpet (Going Home!)
From John Wilbur Powell's diary:
16 Oct 1945:
"After six and a half months' service on Tinian Island, boarded C-46 (transport plane) for home."
17 Oct 1945:
"Forced landing on Guam." (Apparently the ATC C-46 had mechanical problems and made an emergency landing on Guam, according to recently discovered US Army Air Corps records.)
18 Oct 1945:
"Regrouped on Guam at XXI Headquarters. Reassigned to 90th Air Service Group for the trip home."
19 Oct 1945:
"Boarded Navy destroyer #923, departed 26 Nov. After two days, sighted land, Eniwetok Atoll."
3 Dec 1945:
"Arrived Oahu Island, Hawaiian Group, docked Honolulu, Pearl Harbor. Passes granted to troops to visit Honolulu."
10 Dec 1945:
"Boarded USS West Virginia. Homeward bound. Departed same day." The "Wee Vee" was a battleship that saw a great deal of action during the war. Wilbur stated that the ship was packed so tightly with troops anxious to get home that the only place for him to sleep at night was in the ammunition tray of the ship's sixteen inch guns.
17 Dec 1945:
"Arrived stateside at San Pedro docks, Los Angeles Harbor, California. See photo of troops (including Wilbur) on deck of the USS West Virginia, in Los Angeles Harbor, title of the article "We Wanna Go Home!"
19 Dec 1945:
"Disembarked for Camp Hahn, California."
20 Dec 1945:
"Received orders for Camp Blanding, Florida. By troop train."
21-26 Dec 1945:
"Spent Christmas on board troop train crossing Texas. Arrived Camp Blanding, Fla. the day after Christmas."
No further entries in Wilbur' diary. But from further discussion with Wilbur, he out processed at Camp Blanding, boarded a bus for home and arrived back in Greenville, Fla. just after the new year, 1946.
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Los Angeles Times x 18 Dec 1945:
Veterans Jam at Port Rises Higher, With More Coming
Growing to gargantuan proportions with only meager signs of relief yesterday was the returning combat veteran congestion at Los Angeles Harbor and the city and the surrounding areas.
Reports from the harbor disclosed that in addition to the 7,209 veterans put into port aboard all types of vessels yesterday, a total of 14,719 servicemen were scheduled to arrive aboard 20 more ships today.
Slight relief for the port's jammed condition came last night when staging areas were cleared sufficiently to enable five trains to move to port docks and take off 3,468 servicemen passengers from the transport General Howze, which arrived in port Saturday afternoon.
Hourly checks are being made with staging areas and men were being moved from ships as fast as room was provided for them at Camps Anza and Hahn.
Ships scheduled to come in today include the cruiser Butte from Manila, the transport Neville from Hollandia, the Oneida from Manila, the Clinton from Guam, the Clarendon from Iwo Jima, the Shawnee from Pearl Harbor, and the Eriscoe from Manila.
The battleship West Virginia anchored offshore after arriving from Pearl Harbor with 2,066 yesterday and some of the men were being taken ashore by small boat.
Note: The USS West Virginia was the ship that Wilbur Powell arrived on. The ship was so crowded that he had to sleep in the ammunition trays of the battleships' sixteen inch guns. Debarkation privileges were drawn by raffle. Wilbur won his place on the first boat in a card game.
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U.S. Social Security Act, Application for Social Security Number (SS-5), 1936:
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Address: Greenville, Fla.
Employment: Andrews Department Store
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Age: 24 years old
Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
Father: Alvah Roy Powell
Mother: Mattie Martin
Date/Signed: Dec. 5, 1936, J.W. Powell
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Affidavit for the Purpose of Application for a Delayed Birth Certificate:
Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace
District No. 5, Madison County, Fla.
Greenville, Florida
Notorized Statement of Entry in the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Martin, wife of Alva Roy Powell
I, Curtis D. Earp, have before me the Family Bible of Alva Roy Powell and Mattie Powell, wife of the aforesaid Alva Roy Powell, parents of John Wilbur Powell. This Bible was published by the Dickson Publishing Company, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois. The date the Bible was published is not shown, but the Bible is very old and worn.
I hereby transcribe the entries from the Bible before me and above described, the entries pertaining to the birth of John Wilbur Powell:
FAMILY HISTORY SECTION:
CHILDREN
Name: John Wilbur Powell
Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
Where Born: Nashville, Ga.
Entries were apparently made at the time of his birth.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Note: The delayed birth certificate was required for the Selective Service Draft. Birth certificates were not required in Georgia, where Wilbur was born, until 1919.
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AFFIDAVIT
Town of Greenville
County of Madison
State of Florida
I, CURTIS D. EARP, duly authorized Justice of the Peace in and for the Fifth District of Madison County, Florida, have taken the above data from the Bible before me, the same being the Bible above described, and do believe these data to be true according to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Signed, sealed and delivered, this 7th day of September, A.D. 1942, at Greenville, County of Madison, State of Florida.
(Signed): Curtis D. Earp
Justice of the Peace, 5th District
Madison County, Florida
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Georgia Department of Public Health
Atlanta, Georgia
Delayed Certificate of Birth
1. Full Name at Birth: John Wilbur Powell
2. Color: White
3. Sex: Male
4. Date of Birth: April 4, 1912
5. Place of Birth: Nashville, Ga.
6. Present Address: 218 Service Road, Evansville, Indiana
7. Father's Name: Alvah R. Powell
8. Father's Birthplace: Stockton, Ga.
9. Mother's Name: Mattie Martin
10. Mother's Birthplace: Valdosta, Ga.
AFFIDAVIT
STATE: Indiana
COUNTY: Vanderburgh
I hereby declare upon oath that the above statements are true.
Applicant's Signature: John Wilbur Powell
Sworn and subscribed before me this October 7th, 1942.
Signature: Chas. H. Hall
Title: Notary Public
Date Commission Expires: Sept 28, 1943
Name and Address of person to whom this certified copy should be sent:
John Wilbur Powell
Route 3, Box 3, Greenville, Fla.
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