AIR DROPS ON POW/INTERNMENT CAMPS, SEPTEMBER 1945

Yangchow C members may remember Peter Jewell, who was interned there with his mother and cousins, June and Keith Martin. During visits to USA, as an RAF pilot, he researched the POW Supply flying missions by USAAF in September 1945.

Their most perplexing problem was to determine the exact number of camps, as early lists were incomplete. The Japanese finally produced a list of 73 camps but reconnaissance located an additional 57. The report from the Yangchow aircraft described "women and children in the yard went wild with joy and jumped up and down" as well as a huge British flag.

The drops were carried out from Saipan, Tinian and Guam by B29 Super Fortresses, and B24 Liberators. Between 27 August and 20 September, 1066 planes were airborne on POW missions of which 900 sorties were successful. They dropped 4470 tons of supplies, serving an estimated 63,500 prisoners using 63,000 parachutes. Eight aircraft were lost with 77 casualties. When the stock of parachutes was exhausted, supplies were dropped free-fall and in some cases prisoners running out to get supplies were killed by falling packs.

Many of us will recall welded double fuel drums crashing through the roof or burying themselves in the ground to end up a large tin of mixed groceries, soup, meat, fruit, tin and cardboard.

(Click on Cristine Sancton's Web Site for bigger pictures)