Posted by Charleston Voice, 05.25.12
Mystery of the lost 'Hump Airmen' solved after 70 years as adventurer hunts down remains of World War Two pilots who crashed in the Himalayas
|
Closure has been given to hundreds of American families by a 'professional adventurer' who has dedicated years to tracking down planes which went missing in the Himalayas during the Second World War.
One missing pilot was James Browne, 21, who disappeared over the mountainous jungle region known as 'The Hump' on November 17, 1942.
His fellow pilot Captain John Dean, a veteran of the legendary Flying Tigers, and a Chinese crewman went down with him in the C-47.
Officer
Browne, from Winnetka, Chicago, was never heard from again and for more
than 70 years his family only knew he was 'missing in action'.
The American pilots who flew the 'Skyway to Hell' to bring supplies to China as it battled Japan were renowned as a fearless bunch.
During the Second World War, Japan’s Imperial Army has surrounded China’s seaports and eastern plains. The only way for Allied troops to receive supplies was with the efforts of heroic pilots who risked their lives crossing the rugged Himalayan mountain range.
Mr Willett told Fox: 'They expected him to walk in the back door one day and resume his life and be their son again.'
Mr Willett never got over the loss of the elder cousin he idolised and joined the China National Aviation Corp. Association - a group of veteran pilots who had once flown the infamous Hump.
He met Mr Kuhles in 2005 and told him about his cousin and what the family believed had happened. The adventurer told him he could help.
Using the last transmission from the plane's radio, Mr Kuhles managed to pinpoint Cangshan Mountain in Burma as the most likely crash site.
After
making three separate trips and with only the help of a 17-year-old
local guide, Kuhles finally made it through a near-impenetrable wall of
bamboo to find the plane at 14,000 feet.
He said: 'It was like stepping into an ancient Egyptian (pyramid).
'I knew it was the plane I was looking for. Finally, Dean and the others would have a chance to come home.'
Kuhles explained that he doesn't have the means to bring home the air crafts that he finds.
He often brings home possessions such as dog tags of pilots for the families but not human remains because of strict laws banning the transportation.
However for Mr Willett, the knowledge of his cousin's final resting place, he said, was enough. Source @The Daily Mail
Mystery of the lost 'Hump Airmen' solved after 70 years as adventurer hunts down remains of World War Two pilots who crashed in the Himalayas
- Clayton Kuhles has spent $100,000 of his own money to find missing pilots from the 'Flying Tigers'
- More than 700 planes scattered across 'The Hump' from India into China
|
Closure has been given to hundreds of American families by a 'professional adventurer' who has dedicated years to tracking down planes which went missing in the Himalayas during the Second World War.
One missing pilot was James Browne, 21, who disappeared over the mountainous jungle region known as 'The Hump' on November 17, 1942.
His fellow pilot Captain John Dean, a veteran of the legendary Flying Tigers, and a Chinese crewman went down with him in the C-47.
Hunting for heroes: More than 700 planes went down in the Himalayas 'sky way to hell' during the Second World War
Final resting place: The wing of a C-109 bulk
fuel transport plane appears out of the dense jungle. This plane went
down over the Hump on July 17, 1945
The American pilots who flew the 'Skyway to Hell' to bring supplies to China as it battled Japan were renowned as a fearless bunch.
During the Second World War, Japan’s Imperial Army has surrounded China’s seaports and eastern plains. The only way for Allied troops to receive supplies was with the efforts of heroic pilots who risked their lives crossing the rugged Himalayan mountain range.
Man on a mission: Professional adventurer
Clayton Kuhles, 58, has spent $100,000 of his own money traveling to the
mountainous region to search for MIA pilots
They often flew for 20 hours straight in decrepit planes in 200mph winds under constant threat from Japanese enemy aircraft.
The search for missing planes has been undertaken by 'professional adventurer' Clayton Kuhles, from Arizona, who has spent $100,000 making it his goal to find crash sites of the missing airmen.
It has been estimated that more that 700 planes are scattered across 'The Hump'.
Mr Kuhles, 58, travels each year to the region which stretches from northeastern India, over Burma and into western China.
The explorer has so far found 22 crash sites and accounted for 193 missing U.S. airmen - including Officer Browne.
His cousin, Bob Willett, now 85, described his aunt and uncle's anguish that their son was never found during the war. The search for missing planes has been undertaken by 'professional adventurer' Clayton Kuhles, from Arizona, who has spent $100,000 making it his goal to find crash sites of the missing airmen.
It has been estimated that more that 700 planes are scattered across 'The Hump'.
Mr Kuhles, 58, travels each year to the region which stretches from northeastern India, over Burma and into western China.
Risking it all: The American pilots flew over the treacherous mountain jungle to bring supplies to Allied troops in China
Courage under fire: The Zoot Chute, with its
distinctive Flying Tiger painted teeth, was one of the lucky planes that
survived countless missions over the Hump
Mr Willett told Fox: 'They expected him to walk in the back door one day and resume his life and be their son again.'
He met Mr Kuhles in 2005 and told him about his cousin and what the family believed had happened. The adventurer told him he could help.
Using the last transmission from the plane's radio, Mr Kuhles managed to pinpoint Cangshan Mountain in Burma as the most likely crash site.
 |
| Never came home: The family of Officer James Browne from Winnetka, Chicago, finally know what happened to him after 70 years listed as MIA |
He said: 'It was like stepping into an ancient Egyptian (pyramid).
'I knew it was the plane I was looking for. Finally, Dean and the others would have a chance to come home.'
Kuhles explained that he doesn't have the means to bring home the air crafts that he finds.
He often brings home possessions such as dog tags of pilots for the families but not human remains because of strict laws banning the transportation.
However for Mr Willett, the knowledge of his cousin's final resting place, he said, was enough. Source @The Daily Mail
