Air Commandos,Burma

[bob capa]

C/Life

nice mix of jump suits,slouch hats and other kooky things

 

[bob capa]

 

[bob capa]

 

[bob capa]

 

[bob capa]

 

[Andrew]

Kooky is an apt word. The fellow in the pith helmet is the Boss, Orde Wingate;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orde_Charles_Wingate

Great bunch of shots.

 

[442RCT]

The Air Commando reading a copy of Time magazine about Chennault and his Flying Tigers :lol: The First Air Commndos had many AVG pilots and one of the commanders was Col. John Alison. an AVG Ace. I love their motto, "Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere", it'd make a great jacket back.

1st AC trivia- 1930s child actor, Jackie Coogan flew with the 1st Air Commandos as a glider pilot.

In the early 1940s, Coogan joined the medics before the United States officially entered the second world war. He later became part of the Army Air Corps, as he had already obtained a pilot's license as a teenager. Coogan worked as a glider instructor and served in Burma as a volunteer member of the First Air Commando Force. He was the first glider pilot to land Allied troops behind enemy lines in Burma. One glider he was aboard crashed. Everyone was killed by the Japanese except Coogan, who was at the bottom of a pile of bodies. He served with the military for five years before being honorably discharged in 1944. Coogan received several war citations for his service, including the Air Medal.

 

[dujardin]

many thanks,

great photos

marcel

 

[Silver Dollar]

The Air Commando reading a copy of Time magazine about Chennault and his Flying Tigers :lol: The First Air Commndos had many AVG pilots and one of the commanders was Col. John Alison. an AVG Ace. I love their motto, "Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere", it'd make a great jacket back.

1st AC trivia- 1930s child actor, Jackie Coogan flew with the 1st Air Commandos as a glider pilot.

In the early 1940s, Coogan joined the medics before the United States officially entered the second world war. He later became part of the Army Air Corps, as he had already obtained a pilot's license as a teenager. Coogan worked as a glider instructor and served in Burma as a volunteer member of the First Air Commando Force. He was the first glider pilot to land Allied troops behind enemy lines in Burma. One glider he was aboard crashed. Everyone was killed by the Japanese except Coogan, who was at the bottom of a pile of bodies. He served with the military for five years before being honorably discharged in 1944. Coogan received several war citations for his service, including the Air Medal.

Not only that but Coogan was one of the best glider pilots around. One of my patients was a former commander of the Second Air Commandos and he knew Coogan personally. He told me that if there was a spot in the jungle just large enough for a glider, Coogan could put it right there like no body else. When coogan was introduced to some dignitaries by virtue of his acting career, he had a phrase he always used which is funny as hell but it's way too nasty to post in a public forum.

 

[bob capa]

some of the pics are pretty common

in the Jonathon Andrews Airborne Album Volume 2 there is a great phto of Glider Pilots of the 1st Air Commandos wearing paratroop coats and pants with jungle boots and camo helmet liners