General Joseph W. Stilwell’s Highway to China |
Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Pick, Cmmanding General, Advance/Base Section 3. |
|
Click each heading to move to next section |
|
General Joseph W. Stilwell’s Highway to China |
|
Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Pick, Cmmanding General, Advance/Base Section 3. |
|
Click each heading to move to next section |
|
While researching my father's service in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of World War II, I learned that he worked for the Services Of Supply (SOS) in an air supply office which supported the building of the Ledo Road and other operations in northern Burma. A Tribute To My Dad contains the information I was able to find about his service in CBI as well as photos, documents and other memorabilia he saved. Searching for information on the Ledo Road, I found various confusing statements about it and the Burma Roads. I could find no single site about the Ledo Road that provided the story and photos of the road building effort. I set about constructing this site as a single point of information about the Ledo Road. On this site, combined with details of the road building effort, are photos and personal accounts of the Ledo Road. Like "The Road" in 1945, this site is subject to constant maintenance and improvement. An alternate page with fixed menu is available by clicking the Ledo Road insignia at the very top right of this page. Sincere thanks to those who have contributed to this site by sharing personal accounts, printed material, photos, and much more. Additional information is always welcomed to help make this site more complete. Your comments regarding this site are also welcomed. Please contact me to comment on the site or if you have anything to add. “THE LEDO ROAD” was built by Carl W. Weidenburner Copyright © 2024 |
|
|
|
The Ledo Road was built by U.S. Army Engineers and native labor during World War II from the tea plantation province of Assam in India, through the mountains and jungle of northern Burma, to a junction with the Burma Road. It went over tough mountain terrain, across monsoon fed swamps and through the thickest jungle. General Lewis A. Pick, who commanded the road building effort, called it the toughest job ever given to U.S. Army Engineers in wartime. Its purpose was to re-establish the land supply route to China that had been blocked by the Japanese invasion of Burma in 1942. Construction began 16 December 1942 and the completed road was officially opened 20 May 1945. An estimated 147,000 tons of supplies were carried over the road by the end of the war. The usefulness of the Ledo Road was debated both before its construction and after its completion. Even as it progressed into Burma, military planners had their doubts about whether it could be completed in time or even at all. As it neared completion and until well after the war ended, many pointed out that it never lived-up to the original estimates of capacity as a supply line. Overlooked is the fact that it was decided not to build the road to the original specification of a double-track (two-lane) road over its entire length, the fact that it was never assigned the originally planned number of truck transport companies, and the fact that it actually assisted the airlift operation over The Hump to which it was constantly compared. As the road was built it served as a combat highway enabling the reconquest of Burma, serviced a pipeline that paralleled it to carry fuel all the way to China, and allowed safer more southerly routes for airlift flights to China. The accomplishment of building the Ledo Road stands as a testament to the men responsible and the American spirit that made it possible. |
|
|
|
Officially established June 22, 1942, the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations (CBI) is often referred to as the Forgotten Theater of World War II. Of the 12,300,000 Americans under arms at the height of World War II mobilization, only about 250,000 (two percent) were assigned to the CBI Theater. Relatively few Americans were in combat in the theater. Except for a few stories, CBI did not often make headlines in the newspapers back home. The 12,000 mile supply line, longest of the war, was often last in line for supplies from the United States. Not forgotten to Allied war planners, CBI was important to the overall war strategy. Occupation of Burma in 1942 by Japanese forces cut the last supply line of communication between China and the outside world. Keeping China in the war was important as it occupied an estimated 800,000 Japanese troops that might have been used elsewhere. A military airlift to supply China was begun although it was generally agreed that this would not be enough and a land supply route would be needed. A road from Ledo, Assam, India was begun in late 1942. Ledo was chosen because it was close to the northern terminus of a rail line from the ports of Calcutta and Karachi. Construction of the Ledo Road was completed in early 1945. Allied forces in CBI, mostly British, Chinese, and Indian, engaged large numbers of Japanese troops. America's role in CBI was to support China by providing war materials and the manpower to get it to where it was needed. The Flying Tigers fought the Japanese in the air over China and Burma. The Services of Supply managed supplies from the U.S. to India and on to China. Army Air Forces flew supplies Over The Hump from India to China. Merrill's Marauders and the Mars Task Force fought through the jungles of Burma. Army Engineers built the Ledo Road to open up the land supply route. |
| SYMBOLS |
CBI Theater
- The left-hand symbol represents China and is the sun surrounded by 12 points
for each hour in the traditional Chinese day. The star symbolizes the "Star
of India". The red, white, and blue represent the United States. Worn since 1942 it was
officially adopted on 13 November 1944.
Ledo Road
- The winding road proceeds through Burma to China (represented by the sun).
The three stars represent the three countries involved: China, Burma, and India.
Approved for local wear only. Two different versions were worn, one with stars on red field and
the other, more common, stars on blue field.
Southeast Asia Command
- A Phoenix rising from the fire.
Most likely worn by only a few officers who held positions in this command of which CBI was a part.
British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten headed this mostly British command.
These symbols were rarely seen in the field. The CBI insignia was officially approved one month after the theater was split in two. Ledo Road insignia was approved for local wear only. |
|
|
|
Burma Road -
Japanese occupation of Manchuria in 1931 resulted in the Second Sino-Japanese War which continued with
sporadic fighting throughout the 1930s. In 1937 full scale war broke out and Japan occupied most of coastal
China. This forced the Chinese to seek another method of bringing in supplies and war materials. A route
from Kunming, China to a railhead at Lashio, Burma was completed in 1938. Supplies were landed at Rangoon,
Burma and brought by rail to Lashio. Built by Chinese laborers stone by stone, this route was known as The Burma Road.
Ledo Road - Japan invaded and occupied Burma in early 1942, blocking the Burma Road supply line. Allied war planners decided to build a new road from Ledo, Assam, India, to bypass the cut off Burma Road. Supplies landed at Karachi and Calcutta, India could be brought by rail to Ledo and trucked over the road to China. It proved to be an extremely difficult task but the Japanese were driven back and a new route forged through the mountains and jungles of northern Burma. The Ledo Road was completed by U.S. Army Engineers in early 1945. It ran 465 miles from Ledo to a junction with the Burma Road at Mongyu, Burma, near Wanting, China. The Ledo Road did not enter China. Stilwell Road - In addition to building the Ledo Road, Army Engineers and local workers also upgraded over 600 miles of the Burma Road. The Ledo Road and the upgraded portion of the Burma Road from Mongyu to Kunming were later named Stilwell Road at the suggestion of Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, in honor of American General Joseph W. Stilwell, Commander of the China-Burma-India Theater and Chief of Staff to the Generalissimo. The Stilwell Road covered 1,079 straight line miles from Ledo, India to Kunming, China. |
|
|
|
 JOSEPH W. STILWELL CBI Theater |
 LEWIS A. PICK Ledo Road |
 RAYMOND A. WHEELER Services of Supply |
 FRANK D. MERRILL Marauders |
 JOHN C. ARROWSMITH Ledo Road Engineers |
 DANIEL I. SULTAN India-Burma Theater |
 ALBERT C. WEDEMEYER China Theater |
 ROBERT F. SEEDLOCK Burma Road Engineers |
|
|
|
|
Scroll down or click any image to move to next |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click year heading to move to next or scroll to view table |
SECOND SINO-JAPANESE WAR More After years of Japanese aggression, full-scale war breaks out. Many historians regard this as the start of World War II. |
JAPAN BLOCKADES CHINESE PORTS More Capture of Hankow and Canton completes blockade of ocean ports. Supplies must be brought by road through Indo-China and Burma. |
CHINESE FIGHT GUERILLA WAR More Under Japanese occupation a relentless guerrilla war is waged. Staggering losses fail to destroy Chinese morale. |
17 JUL - JAPAN FORCES BRITAIN TO CLOSE BURMA ROAD More leaving Russia as the only land supply route to China. 05 SEP - U.S. DECLARES NEUTRALITY while military and other aid is authorized for Britain and France 18 OCT - BRITAIN REOPENS BURMA ROAD as no progress toward peace is made with Japan NOV - LEND-LEASE PROPOSED More allowing "lending" of military equipment to U.S. allies. |
04 MAR - AMERICAN MILITARY MISSION TO CHINA ESTABLISHED More to support China's war effort was the mission of AMMISCA 11 MAR - LEND-LEASE ACT SIGNED More authorizing lending of war supplies to China APR - RUSSO-JAPANESE NEUTRALITY PACT ends China's hope for supplies from Russia 10 JUL - FLYING TIGERS DEPART SAN FRANCISCO More The American Volunteer Group (AVG) heads to China 26 JUL - U.S. FREEZES ALL JAPANESE ASSETS the situation becomes critical 07 SEP - JAPANESE FINALIZE PEARL HARBOR ATTACK PLAN while diplomatic talks with the U.S. continue 16 OCT - TOJO COMES TO POWER More as the military gains control of the Japanese Empire 07 DEC - JAPANESE ATTACK PEARL HARBOR More "awake a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve" 08 DEC - UNITED STATES DECLARES WAR ON JAPAN More Roosevelt forever labels December 7th the "Day of Infamy" |
JAN - JAPANESE INVADE BURMA More Japanese "co-prosperity" sphere grows 22 FEB - WAR DEPARTMENT APPROVES ROAD PROJECT to be supported with Lend-Lease supplies 04 MAR - HQ. AMERICAN ARMY FORCES IN CBI ESTABLISHED More The United States organizes in the Far East MAR - SERVICES OF SUPPLY (SOS) ESTABLISHED to deliver lend-lease military supplies to China 06 MAR - JAPANESE TAKE RANGOON closing the important port 02 APR - INDIA-BURMA CAMPAIGN BEGINS More the defense of India and Burma begins 29 APR - JAPANESE TAKE LASHIO thereby closing the Burma Road 04 MAY - STILWELL WALKS OUT OF BURMA More and reports "We took a hell of a beating" 22 JUN - CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER ESTABLISHED More Commanded by General Joseph W. Stilwell 04 JUL - CHINA DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGN BEGINS More the defense of China begins 06 JUL - FLYING TIGERS JOIN CHINA AIR TASK FORCE ex-volunteers join the Army Air Corps. 22 OCT - BRITISH-AMERICAN PLANNING Joint planning for the retaking of Burma in 1943 29 OCT - STILWELL ORDERS ROAD BUILT from Ledo forward to Chinese lines 05 NOV - MERRILL PROPOSES ROUTE OF LEDO ROAD based on British surveys and a refugee trail 26 NOV - SOS OPENS OFFICE IN KUNMING to coordinate both ends of supply line 15 DEC - BASE SECTION 3 ESTABLISHED Command for all Ledo Road related operations 16 DEC - CONSTRUCTION OF LEDO ROAD BEGINS Ill-equipped engineers hack away at the jungle with machetes |
26 JAN - MILE POST 34.5 "HELLGATE" beginning of the road's ascent into the Patkai Range 28 FEB - LEDO ROAD REACHES INDIA-BURMA BORDER 36 miles into the Patkai Range of the Himalayas 04 MAR - "SHIPMENT 4201" REACHES INDIA Engineers and support personnel for the road project 17 MAR - THE MONSOONS COME Unusual fury bogs down construction progress 24 MAR - FIRST SUBDEPOT ESTABLISHED Rest and refueling stop at Hellgate MAR - TROOPS ON THE LEDO ROAD Chinese 38th Division crosses the Burma border 08 APR - CONSTRUCTION BOGS DOWN Engineers fall back to strengthen the road against the monsoon 01 MAY - ADDITIONAL ENGINEERS ARRIVE 330th Engineers reinforce the construction effort 25 JUN - ARROWSMITH PROMOTED Commander elevated to Brigadier General 06 JUL - ROAD HEADQUARTERS ESTABLISHED at Hellgate 15 AUG - SOUTHEAST ASIA COMMAND (SEAC) ESTABLISHED More under British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten 17 AUG - QUEBEC CONFERENCE More Plan to regain northern Burma is agreed on SEP - MORE RAIN HALTS WORK 14.88 inches fall late in the month, halting work on the point. 17 OCT - GENERAL PICK IN COMMAND OF ROAD BUILDING More injecting new life into the road building effort 22 OCT - MILE POST 60 near Tincha progress on the road reaches about a mile a day 31 OCT - MERRILL'S MARAUDERS ARRIVE More volunteers for a dangerous jungle mission "somewhere" 27 DEC - ROAD REACHES SHINGBWIYANG 117 miles to the first "town" in Burma |
12 JAN - FIRST CONVOY DEPARTS LEDO the entire route not yet cleared of Japanese resistance 28 JAN - INDIA-BURMA CAMPAIGN ENDS More as the Ledo Road is completed 28 JAN - STILWELL ROAD NAMED at the suggestion of Chiang Kai-shek 04 FEB - FIRST CONVOY ARRIVES KUNMING, CHINA first supplies are delivered by land since 1942 07 MAR - ALLIES TAKE LASHIO on the way to Rangoon 20 MAR - ALLIES TAKE MANDALAY the drive to Rangoon continues 03 MAY - ALLIES TAKE RANGOON Japanese are cleared from Burma 04 MAY - CHINA DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ENDS More war in the Far East winds down 20 MAY - STILWELL ROAD OFFICIALLY OPENED General Pick formally announces completion 06 AUG - ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA More Enola Gay delivers "Little Boy" 09 AUG - ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON NAGASAKI More Bocks Car delivers "Fat Man" 15 AUG - VICTORY OVER JAPAN Emperor Hirohito announces acceptance of surrender terms 28 AUG - SURRENDER IN BURMA Japanese sign the surrender instrument in Rangoon 02 SEP - OFFICIAL SURRENDER Japanese sign Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri |
02 MAR - ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN ENDS curtain falls on the old CBI Theater MAR - MILITARY USE OF STILWELL ROAD ENDS after being officially open for only 10 months APR - CHINESE CIVIL WAR RESUMES More destined to bring communism to China 12 OCT - GENERAL JOSEPH W. STILWELL DIES Cancer claims "Uncle Joe" in California 31 DEC - END OF WORLD WAR II President Truman officially proclaims end of hostilities |
|
World War II Timelines: Asian Mainland Pacific |
|
|
| Information in the table below is from various published sources. MILE POST indicates the distance from Ledo along the road. Mileage shown in RED is estimated based on maps. DATE REACHED is approximate and indicates the progress of the roadhead (the farthest point along in construction). LOCATION names in BOLD are shown on the Mileage Sign at Ledo. Scroll to view complete table. |
| 01 OCT 42 |
LEDO | Construction begins from small tea plantation town in northern Assam. | |
| 16 DEC 42 |
Lekhapani | Depot at the northern terminus of rail lines from Karachi and Calcutta. | |
| |
Tokyo Y | Convoy marshalling point | |
| 31 DEC 42 |
|||
| 26 JAN 43 |
Hell Gate | The road begins its ascent to Pangsau Pass through the Patkai Range of the Himalayas. | |
| 28 FEB 43 |
Pangsau Pass | The road crosses the India-Burma border near its highest point at nearly 4,600 feet. | |
| 01 AUG 43 |
Nawngyawng | ||
| |
Loglai | Sub-depot. | |
| 22 OCT 43 |
Tincha | Progress on the road reaches about a mile per day. | |
| |
Namlip | ||
| |
Tagap Ga | Northernmost point of Japanese infiltration into Burma. | |
| NOV 43 |
Nathkaw | ||
| |
Taga Sakan | ||
| |
Chinglow Hill | Through "seven miles of steep grades and sharp curves" the road descends to Shingbwiyang. | |
| 27 NOV 43 | SHINGBWIYANG | First large "city" reached in Burma was a Kachin village. Here the 497th Engineer Heavy Shop Co. established "Little Peoria." | |
| Ningam Sakan | |||
| Yupbang Ga | Tarung River | ||
| Tawang River | |||
| Lamung River | |||
| Nritu Ga | Tanai River | ||
| Magwitang River | |||
| Walawbum | Numhkang River | ||
| Tingkawk Sakan | |||
| Jambu Bum | |||
| Shadazup | |||
| WARAZUP | Low point in this area required the building of a causeway through the swamp, 18 inches above the highest flood level. | ||
| OCT 44 | Nampin | ||
| Tumbonghka | |||
| Namti | Kachin village midway between Myitkyina and Mogaung. | ||
| Myitkyina Fork | The north fork to Myitkyina, the south fork (Ledo Road) bypassing the city, to the Irrawaddy and Nampaung. | ||
| AUG 44 | MYITKYINA | The airfield at Myitkyina was the largest in north Burma and became an important hub for air operations supporting road construction and Hump flights. | |
| 06 DEC 44 | Irrawaddy River | 1,627-foot long bridge (853 feet of it floating) spans the Irrawaddy between Myitkyina and Waingmaw. Completed 31 MAR 45. | |
| Nampaung | |||
| Kazu | |||
| Nalong | |||
| Myothit | Taping River | ||
| BHAMO | |||
| Namkham | Dr. Gordon Seagrave's hospital overlooked this city in the Shweli River Valley. | ||
| 27 JAN 45 | Mongyu | Last Japanese resistance is cleared and the Ledo Road joins the old Burma Road near Wanting, China. |
|
|
| THE COST |
|
THE GREATER COST |
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT THE KOHIMA EPITAPH |
| MORE THAN MILES |
|
Is the gateway to India at Bombay Really as beautiful as they say? Don't rightly know, Ma'am. Did my part Breakin' point in the jungle's heart; blasted the boulders, felled the trees with red muck oozin' around our knees; Carved the guts from the Patkai's side, Dozed our trace, made it clean and wide, Metalled and graded, dug and filled: We had the Ledo Road to build. Well, surely you saw a burning ghat, Fakirs, rope tricks and all of that. Reckon I didn't. But way up ahead I tended the wounded, buried the dead. For I was a Medic, and little we knew, But the smell of sickness all day through, Mosquitoes, leeches, and thick dark mud Where the Chinese spilled their blood After the enemy guns were stilled: We had the Ledo Road to build. |
|
Of course, you found the Taj Mahal, The loveliest building of them all. Can't really say, lady I was stuck Far beyond Shing with a QM truck Monsoon was rugged there, hot and wet, Nothing to do but work and sweat And dry was the dust upon my mouth As steadily big "cats" roared on south, Over this ground where Japs lay killed: We had the Ledo Road to build. You've been gone two years this spring, Didn't you see a single thing? Never saw much but the moon shine on A Burmese temple around Maingkwan, And silver transports high in the sky, Thursday River and the swift Tanai, And Hukawng Valley coming all green, Those are the only sights I've seen. Did our job, though, like God willed: We had the Ledo Road to build. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Links to more about Ledo and Burma Roads and CBI Theater
[CHECK LINKS] The Ledo Road - information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Route of the Ledo Road through Burma to China History of the Road 1942-44 - Official Report The Road That Couldn't Be Built - from Popular Mechanics magazine Pictorial Record - of the 497th Engineer Heavy Shop Co. Black Soldiers and the Ledo Road - Greatest contributors to road building Mile Zero - and other recent photos from the Ledo area The Twain Meet - Pick's Pike in Water Color and Words The Ledo Road - LIFE magazine pictorial More Photos of The Ledo Road - from LIFE Photo Collection Aerial Views of the Ledo Road - The Road under construction First Convoy on Burma-Ledo Road - from LIFE Photo Collection Life-line to China Re-opened - Universal News Newsreel Video The Stilwell Road - movie narrated by Ronald Reagan Ledo Road Shoulder Sleeve Insignia - Story of the Ledo Road patch Along the Ledo Road - Almost 1,000 Signal Corps photos China-Burma-India - Remembering the Forgotten Theater More Links - to information about the CBI Theater Explore THE LEDO ROAD on the Internet using 
ALL LINKS ARE OPENED IN A NEW WINDOW |
