War Stories

To China & Back

By Bill Wilson

I entered service November 20, 1940 at Kelly Field, TX and that's where I took my basic training, in Tent City. No floors, no stove, in winter rain. Our mess hall was in a tent and there was mud, lots of mud.

We only had a half ration of clothing. I went in the Army in November and, in fact, didn't get a full issue even when I left in April. In fact the clothes were so bad: I got a 1918 high collar blouse! We ate out of mess kits and there was an out-door latrine (slit-job), so it wasn't the easiest of times. But than it was the old Army Air Corps. And if you mown about it - you got guard duty or K.P. So I guess it was best to keep your mouth shut, which was awful tough for me.

That's the way it goes. I left Kelly Field for Lawler Field Armament School in April and boy was I glad to go. I joined the 3rd School Squadron and it was the first time I had ever been in a halfway decent barracks. And it was clean. And also this squadron had the central Mess for the entire base in it. Good PX, good movie and good laundry service.

A Private got $21 per month, $30 after four months. School 5 days a week and I graduated in August. From there I was transferred to March Field, CA to the 16th Pursuit Squadron, 51st Pursuit Group. And we had a beautiful Spanish style barracks; up-stairs was for sleeping and downstairs was for supplies, etc. I found out what the good old Air Force was like and I really enjoyed it. I got assigned to the armament section there. I couldn't believe how good this duty was. Beautiful, we had PX, movies, games - good duty all the way around. I got armament experience on P-40's and P-38's.

The squadron one time took off from March Field and went up to Big Bear Lake in some PT-17's and we landed in a field behind the lake. We had a heck of a good time up there. I was promoted to Private 1st Class - 4th Class Specialist. Big pay raise - to $41 per month while I was there. Riverside was a beautiful city. Most of what was around there was countryside with orange groves and I guess that it's all blacktop now.

An old B-19 was at March Field and I had to guard it. That was a big thrill for me in those days. Thinking that a Private 1st Class - 4th Class Specialist could be on guard duty on a B-19, forerunner to the B-29!

On December 7th, I was at a movie at Riverside and I returned to the base when I found out that the war had started. The squadron moved to North Island and to Terminal Island, then returned to March Field for overseas shipment. We took all our clothes and supplies to an open field for inspection prior to departure. Troop train to Frisco and boarded the USS President Coolidge and were assigned to five high bunks in the hole of the ship. 

Everyone was sick - two meals per day on the ship. We would not see land for four months. In our convoy were the USS Phoenix, which was a cruiser, the Mariposa, a troop ship and the Sea Witch, a freighter. For 30 days, we zigzagged all the way to Melbourne. When we de-barked, we went by train from Melbourne to a small town called Backest Marsh. There was a place called Camp Garlick where the 16th Pursuit ended up.

Some squadrons went straight into Melbourne, 3 miles from the train. We had blankets and mattress covers that we filled with straw. However, we got one-day passes into Melbourne after being there one week.

The 16th Pursuit boarded the HMS Dunntrell in Melbourne for a trip to Puraton Freenell in western Australia. We stayed on shipboard there while our aircraft were being assembled and placed on the USS Langley. We were headed for Java but the USS Langley, which had departed first, was sunk by Japanese aircraft. So we were returned to Columbo, Sri Lanka and stayed in port there for 4 days. Lots of British ships were there at the time. We left Columbo for Karachi, India on 12 March 42. The 16th stayed in Karachi for one week at the airbase. It got hot out there - 110 to 130 Deg. F; pilots trained and the ground crews worked like hell in the heat. But the temperature wrecked havoc with my complete body - sick leave to Murray Hills for me for one week. What a beautiful spot. I hated to leave!

We left Karachi by plane for China on June 7th, with stops at Alabad, Upper Assam, then across the Himalayan Mountains to Kunming about 27 or 28th of June. R.L. Scott, Ed Rector, Mahony, Castello, Holloway, Smith (our Adjutant), Stewart, Williams, Rasmusson (our line Chief), Kenny (our Armament chief), remember oldtimer Wantaman, , Herman the German, half the 75th armament in Hangyang and Hamshire (who had to ditch in the river). Early armors were Atkins, Talbot, Ferris and Hammel.

In 1943, the squadron went to Lingling. Castillo was Commanding Officer and Jenkins was armament chief. We got bombed there at Lingling several times and a detachment went to Hangyang. Watersgood, Casgrove, Marion O., Priest and I went with the squadron. The squadron then went to Suichuan in Oct.43. Good base, good work, good chow. The base was bombed several times while we were there. Spencer shot down a Jap aircraft during a strafing pass at Suichuan and was awarded the Silver Star Medal. We were forced to leave Nov.43. 

My shoulder was hurt while at Suichuan and I left in late July 43 to the hospital in Kunming, Chabua, Calcutta, C-54 Hospital ship to Miami via Aden, Khartoun, Accra, Ascension Island, Puerto Rico and discharge Sept. 45.

END ENLISTMENT