VOL. I NO. 11 DELHI, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26, 1942.
Florida To India In Sixty-Seven And One-Half Hours
“Leather Stocking” Fenn Gets Deer With Writ of Mandamus Another great hunter has now loomed on the horizon eclipsing Major (then Capt.) David McConnell, the guy who shot a tiger with a .45 and chased the wounded beast across rice paddies in a Jeep. He is Col. C. C. Fenn. Strangely enough our current hero is also a judge advocate. He didn't shoot a tiger though. In fact he brought home a black buck in a large cigar box, hung the victim up in his bathroom, declared open house, leaned back in his chair and said: "Well, boys, it was this way..." According to Col. R. A. Osmun, Col. R. D. Daugherity and Maj. C. D. Cutting (in chorus), "Leather Stocking" Fenn knocked his buck down with a writ of mandamus and delivered him on a writ of habeas corpus after the buck had signified nolle prosequi. Osmun, Daugherity and Cutter each brought back a vivid case of sunburn. Affadavit by Col. Clarence Fenn, Judge Advocate: "On or about November 22 I swear and affirm that I accompanied a law-abiding company of officers and marksmen in pursuit of animal goondas of the species cervus domesticus, sex, dama, alleged to be acting in a manner threatening to the public safety, and or endangering the status quo under Section XIII, Defence of India Rules, with enhanced penalties. "On or shortly before midday I sighted one of these miscreants in the act of wantonly, willfully, and feloniously, with premeditated and malicious aforethought, destroying certain herbiage in an area adjacent to the Jumna River. "I thereupon hastily drafted charges under the 92nd, 94th, and 96th Articles of War, impaneled myself in auctoritas absentia as a general court-martial, hastily found the accused guilty as charged on all specifications and rendered findings of death by a firing squad. In the absence of review in authority I at once assumed the responsibility of carrying out the court's orders, with the result that those whom I regard as my friends will be invited to a venison dinner when, as and if the carcass is found to be edible by a Board of Medical and Sanitation officers shortly to be appointed." Given under my hand and seal this 22nd day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen-hundred and forty-two. Signed. Attest. Great Seal. |
NEW BRIG. - This is Brigadier General William (Bill) Powell, one of our five new brigadiers and the one we didn't
have a picture on last week. He is Theater G-1 and holds forth in Chungking.
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A bomber crew has now flown an American heavy bomber from Florida to India in just exactly
67 hrs., 25 min., elapsed time.
This eclipses the previous record established by the same crew in the same type of plane. Their former record was the "slow" speed of 98 hours elapsed time. According to Brigadier General Clayton Bissell, who made the announcement at his regular weekly press conference, the flying time of the record-breaking hop was 60 hrs. and 12 minutes. The ship was piloted by Lt. Edward Higgins with Lt. Howard S. Coryell, co-pilot; Lt. William R. Charmley, navigator; Sgt. William C. Fields, engineer and Sgt. Robert L. Rice, radio operator. In a recapitulation of offensive activities of the India Air Task Force, Bissell pointed out that American planes have conducted six recent bombing raids against objectives in Burma without one of our planes even being hit by either anti-aircraft fire or enemy planes. In one raid our bombers dropped 40 thousand pounds of bombs in the target area. Wrecked Jap planes found in the Assam area now number 15, he said, "which is in excess of the number of actuals and probables claimed by us after the Assam raids." JUST LIKE PARIS? After Br. Hq. USFCBI had moved into its new quarters this week, Col. Frank Milani, Adjutant General of the headquarters, walked into the room marked "Officers" for the traditional purpose. He found the room full of Indian laboring women brushing their teeth and not the least bit abashed. The blushing colonel beat a hasty retreat remarking: "It's just like Paris during the last war." |
Contributions Continue For Bengal Relief
Contributions to the C.B.I. Roundup fund for the relief of Bengal cyclone sufferers eased along this week, for the reason that most organizations who have not yet made collections are timing their solicitation with pay-day. This should bring results.
Largest donation of the week was Rs. 160 from the U.S.A. War Correspondents.
Officers of the headquarters staff, 10th Air Force, boosted their original donation by 98 chips for a total of 738.
Money paid-in stood at 1258 at the beginning of the week.
S.O.S. in New Delhi is just winding up on the campaign and organizational work is proceeding throughout the theater.
The following letter of appreciation was received in connection with payment of the first sum collected to the Indian Red Cross:
Dear sir, - I write this to thank you for the most generous contribution of Rs. 1,098 from the American Forces in C.B.I., which you handed in today, for the alleviation of distress and suffering caused by the recent cyclone in Bengal. The Indian Red Cross Society deeply appreciates this token of practical sympathy of the American Forces for the victims of the disaster and the humanitarian sentiments which have actuated them to make such a handsome contribution, which we are happy to note is to be followed up soon by other contributions.
The money is being remitted to our Bengal branch, which is helping in the relief operations, and to which the Society has already made a grant of Rs. 5,000 from its headquarters funds for this purpose.
Thanking you once again for your interest in the well-being of the afflicted people. Yours sincerely, Sardar Bahadur, Secretary, Indian Red Cross Society.
GAS DRILL WITH AUDIENCE - All gas drills are the same and you've all seen a hundred pictures of them, but
you've never seen one before with a large body of Indians gathered around to watch the strange antics of
"testing for gas" and other oddities involved in the routine.
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BOXING PROCEEDS TO INDIA RELIEF Profits from a recent three-day boxing tournament held at an American air depot in India have been turned over to the Indian Family War Relief Fund, according to a report from Capt. Robert A. Wys, athletic and recreation officer, to the Hq., 10th Air Force. This charity should not be confused with the drive for funds to aid destitute Indians in the Bengal area started in the Roundup two weeks ago. According to the report, the tournament netted Rs. 2,893-12 ($875.73) all of which has been turned in to the relief fund. 
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By THE EDITOR
The editor of the Roundup, who incidentally is the public relations officer for Branh Headquarters, USFCBI, has just pulled the biggest bloomer of the year!
We print this because confession is alleged to be good for the soul and because the S.O.S. says we won't pick on anybody but them. Horrendous details follow.
Over the weekend we moved (for more dope on move see p. 12). On Monday we picked up an envelope addressed to us from the Hq. 10th Air Force containing, as had dozens of others, an undated communique. We thought the envelope was a little dirty, but we went ahead and had the communiqu mimeographed just the same and distributed to various correspondents and to the British Director of Public Relations at the Secretariat who happens to control all communiqu s, including those of the Americans.
The California Institute of Technology's seismograph registered a heavy trembler in the direction of India about that time, but it was only the shudder that convulsed the Secretariat when the communiqu arrived.
The offending document which had apparently fallen from some long forgotten corner concerned a combined RAF and 10th Air Force raid on Myitkyina and had been issued by this writer and duly publicized two and one-half months before.
Has anybody read any good books lately?
ONE DEAD JAP WIPED OFF MAP
When our poor man's pundit Lt. Luther Davis returned from the wars last week he brought with him a map removed from the body of a very dead and highly seasoned Jap.
On order to properly study this orchidaceous document it was decided that the remains of the unfortunate enemy should be removed. The scraping job went to Corp. Stanley Kogut, Hq., 10th Air Force.
After an hour, Davis went to Kogut's office prepared to offer artificial respiration but found the corporal in the pink and not asphyxiated.
"Everything's OK," Kogut said. "I'm finished and I just wrote Mom that I had at last wiped a Jap off the map."
THE LATEST ON V-MAIL SPEED
All V-Mail letters sent to the United States from this theater up to October 16 were received and reproduced at home by November 4, according to word received from Lt. Col. E. E. White, theater postal officer.
NOW COOKING WITH GAS
THIS AINT THE ASTOR - Our boys sweating it out up in Assam aren't bothered with those inner-spring
mattresses, ice cream bars and other luxuries indigenous to modern warfare in certain sections. This
is the inside of one of their bamboo hut living quarters. Are they squawking? Sure!
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JUGS FOR JAPS - These jugs of TNT are being rolled into place ready to be dropped on the Nip in Burma.
Rolling are T/5 Viking A. Nelson, Pvt. Henry F. Szyzputowski, and Corp. Curtiss B. Hamilton.
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ASSEMBLY LINE - It's a little different from GMC or Chrysler, but they've got an assembly line in Assam too.
These two gents make up a large part of it. They are Sgt. Henry Lochman and Corp. Paul E. Yeager.
They're working on a motor.
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SERVICE LINE - The P-40, now used as a bomber and a fighter, is gassed and loaded with bombs on the Assam
service lines in less than five minutes on the average. The P-40 has taken care of its full quota of
Japs since the start of this clam bake.
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ANTI-AIRCRAFT - During a recent disturbance up in Assam the anti-aircraft machine-gunners did all right
by themselves against enemy strafers. Ready to go with a British Brenn gun are Pvt. Charles F. Matlock
and Pvt. John A. Nicholas holding clips.
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FERRY COMMAND - The machine-gunners on the left belong to the India-China Ferry Command as do the two
planes above. Although the Japs attacked the Assam airfield three times a few weeks ago the old DC-3's
just keep flying along with that freight to and from China. This picture shows a plane on the ground with
another about to land.
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By Pfc. R. L. WHEELER
Around the squadron and who should we bump into but S/Sgt. Hendrickson. "Stattic" asks why he shouldn't be mentioned in the column too. He "points" out that his steady work, dependability, etc., should certainly rate a mention. Sorry, Stattic, but we will try and be more observant from here out.
FIGHTER SQUADRON DISPENSARY HARD TO BEAT . . . Not to be outdone is the squadron dispensary (the place to go on sick call when you don't feel like doing fatigue), medical officer Capt. R. E. Yost, as its head, the department also boasts of a well trained personnel consisting of eight enlisted men who can perform anything short of an operation. Sgt. K. J. Lohr, the boy from North Carolina, takes over the office details in absence of Capt. Yost. Under him are: Corp. H. J. Kokoszka of Michigan, T/5 Amaro of Arizona and Privates from Michigan are: Peterson, E. D. Macuals and F. D. Mangan. Comes next Privates W. L. Stephens of Arkansas and C. C. Farmer of Illinois. The dispensary, after much hard work, has materialized into a very comfortable but well kept hospital. The men get our thanks for keeping it so.
HE WANT TO SEND HIS REGARDS . . . We pause for a moment to send Corp. Edsens' regards to his close friend and buddy Corp. Carl Peterson, somewhere in China. He warns Carl not to eat too much because "it's uncomfortable" and gives a man too much "belly." He wants Carl to take it from the man "who knows one."
A BIT OF MISUNDERSTANDING . . . FROM PRIVATE TO COMMANDER . . . Letters written to and from the States are still inclined to be mixed up in meaning. At least it has been so, according to Corp. Patton who recently received a letter from home. You may call it a "snow job" if you wish on the part of Corp. Patton but the letter we mention was one from home and enclosed in said letter was a brilliantly worded clipping telling of the "exceedingly hot weather" and social life in India. But the part that made the "hit" among the boys in camp seems to have been where it stated that he was "commanding the Mechanized Division" for the forces in India. The boys can understand there being a misunderstanding on the part of the folks back home but what the boys want to know is, "What gave the folks the idea in the first place that Corp. Patton was a Commander?" Your right. "Corp. Patton." A "snow job Delux," we calls it. "That's all fellers, see you next week."
AIR DEPOT SLAUGHTERS 10TH A.F.
The Air Depot Group sluggers, after having delivered a severe trouncing to the Tenth Air Force baseball team the week before, invited the Squadron nine into their own backyard and there hit their way into the "Baseball Championship of India" by taking a double-header which gave them a clean sweep of the three game series.
Without their star pitcher, Sgt. Clement Hupfer, the Squadron nine didn't stand a chance, and for a while, in the first game of the two played last Sunday, it seemed as though the Depot Group would have a no-hit, no-run game to their credit.
That dream was shattered however, when Pfc. J. A. Nigro hit a home run in the last inning. Two more hits and two more runs were all which the winning pitcher would allow the visiting Squadron club. The final score was 7 to 3, Agra deserving the win for their errorless ball, and sound hitting.
The last game was a fiasco which had to be called a "Technical Knockout" in the fifth inning. The game was stopped by mutual consent after the Tenth Air Force team had put in five pitchers. By that time the score was 20 to 3.
AIR DEPOT CLUB - This is an air depot ball club that challenged the boys on "Per Diem" hill and won.
Sitting left to right: M/Sgt. O. B. Lumpkin, Pvt. Charles E. Hubbard, Pvt. Arthur M. Lemon, Pfc. John J.
Guyton, Pvt. John J. Parra, Pvt. Hy E. Miller, Pfc. Harry Kareka, Pvt. Charles E. Brennon, Sgt. Walter Neidert.
Standing left to right: Pfc. Claude E. McCarley, Sgt. Ralph W. Gilbert, S/Sgt. Lloyd Derrington, Sgt. Lee W.
Post, T/Sgt. L. J. Duffin, Corp. Earnest L. Ford, Pvt. Clifford B. Jarco, Pfc. William Lantrip, Corp. Frank
R. Bakartis, Corp. Alonso O. Brannus, Corp. Robert W. Naga.
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THREE-LEGGED WINNER - Winner of the three-legged race at an Indian base port field day was the team of Sgts.
W. B. Penny and E. L. Alexander (extreme left) of a bomb squadron. Second were Sgt. Paul L. Horner and
Corp. James P. Brown of a service squadron (third from left) and third was the Hq. and Hq. squadron composed
of Corp. George Boner and Pvt. Arthur E. Finnly, Jr. (second from left).
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CHENNAULT CONFERS SILVER STAR ON SCHIEL
Major Frank Schiel, Jr., was awarded and presented the Silver Star recently by Brig. Gen. Claire L. Chennault, for outstanding reconnaissance work carried out deep in enemy territory, on September 13, 1942. On this date Major Schiel took off in an observation plane to do photographic work deep in French Indo-China. His objective lay 125 miles inside of enemy territory.
Major Schiel reached his objective without encountering any enemy opposition, and immediately set to work taking pictures. However his good fortune was not to last long, for he spied a number of Japanese planes taking off from the airdrome below, and climbing very rapidly to meet him.
He knew that to stay would be inviting disaster, but he calmly proceeded to take pictures, until he was satisfied that he had accomplished what he had set out to do. He was then faced with the problem of returning safely to his home base with the valuable information that he had just photographed.
No sooner had he completed taking pictures, when he spied three Japanese fighters within easy firing range and rapidly bearing in. His fighting blood aroused, his first instinct was to blaze away at them. But he knew that his duty lay in bringing home safely the indispensable film that lay at his feet in the cockpit. He gave the ship the gun and started a climbing, twisting course for his home base.
Only with his skilful maneuvering and knowledge of enemy tactics, did he manage to elude the enemy and arrive safely at his home field a short while later. These pictures later proved to be of high military value, showing enemy air concentrations and other vital areas.
Through Major Schiel's gallant display of heroism and courage in the face of overwhelming odds, our bombers later carried out one of the most effective raids on enemy positions in this theater of war.
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SKEET SHOOT - Up in China the boys are keeping a chart which is self-explanatory. Looks like Stubby is
doing all right for himself but a little rough on the Japs.
By Lt. ALBERT Y. BIGGS
Skeet shooting is generally considered to be a peacetime recreation, though it is used for the training of aerial gunners and pilots in many instances. At first blush one would think that the difficulties of transportation would make it practically impossible to build and maintain a skeet range in China, but this Bomb. Sq. has overcome the obstacle of supply and is now enjoying the recreation afforded by an active skeets club.
1st Lt. Robert B. Klemann, pilot and charter member of the China Bombers (in China), founded the club and drew up the attached score card. Lt. Klemann set the qualifications for membership at a level that would prevent no one who really loved the sport from becoming a member of the sporting set, and though at present there is only a small membership, it is expected to be a tremendous success, and the membership will increase as fast as the opportunity for indulging presents itself.
The qualifications for membership are as follows:
1. Member of the Bomb. Sq,
2. Physical requirements for frequent aerial flights.
3. Credit for at least one confirmed or one probable enemy ship; an enemy plane that goes down smoking or out of control is a probable, unless it is observed to explode in the air or crash to the ground, in which case it is considered a "confirmed." At least one person, besides the gunner himself, must see the "clay pigeon" go down.
The lack of clay pigeons is remedied by the Japanese themselves, who always supply them over our targets, usually in very interesting attitudes of flight. Consequently, a never ending variety of shots is afforded. The skeet range itself has presented no problem, and matches are held over Burma, Indo-China, and China itself. The only obstacle which remains, that of guns and ammunition, has been furnished by the G.I. Army itself, with no expense to personnel.
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ACHA, SAHIB - When S/Sgt. Jack laws had a birthday a while back a lot of his Indian friends got together
and handed him a bit of a party. We didn't get the name of the little gal on the right. Cute, huh?
MY ALLOTMENT ??”
By Corp. KARL L. PETERSON
Tense drama filled the Operations room at an American air base in eastern India as an excited little group huddled around the radio set. One of the pilots, up on a routine flight, was calling in, apparently in trouble, but transmission was hazy and his message could not be understood. Was his engine missing? Had he sighted an unidentified plane? What was up? The Operations officer gripped the hand microphone tightly and for the eighth time repeated, "We cannot understand you, please repeat last message, go ahead."
A portentous silence, a crackle of static, and then suddenly the voice of 1st Lt. Charles Simpson came clear as a bell over the air waves, "I said the heater in my cockpit isn't working and I want to land, because my Go-o-d da-a-mn feet are cold."
Mail-hungry troopers who give their letters intent study should see the nonchalant manner of T/Sgt. French O. Cox in gandering postal dispatches from his wife. Over his noon chow the Sgt. idly tore open one such missive, glanced casually at the four closely-written pages, and stuffed it in his pocket with the terse summary, "I love you, where's the allotment?"
A tiny black pup with newly-opened eyes faced life's first crisis last week. S/Sgt. Troy Flynt solemnly announced that "Mokal" must have his tail lopped. "It'll make him grow," the Sgt. insisted to a dubious group of listeners. So with the tacit consent of 1st Sgt. R. C. Christie, the pooch's owner, Flynt dragged the patient outside, flopped him on a table, and grasped a hatchet long as your forearm.
A mighty swing, a sharp yelp, a wisp of tail dropping in the dust, and it was over. A bandage soaked in antiseptic and tied to the stub with string completed the operation. The Sgt. was not formerly "connected" with the Mayo brother, but learned his technique in many years spent in Army kitchens.
One man who doesn't want privacy with his bath is Corp. D. "Shorty" Chandler, in fact the mighty mite can't enter the shower house alone. The shower valve knobs, located beside the nozzles, hang a lofty six feet off the floor, so that now our boy, after standing on tip-toe in vain amid jeering wiseacres on several occasions, makes sure he has a friend to act as pannee-wala before attempting a bath. Don't let 'em kid you, Shorty.
A HAMBURGER AND A COKE - Although our photographer was too lazy to jot down any names in this picture,
it's obviously a bunch of the boys tying on to those old refreshments out in the weeds.
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DEER HUNTERS - Sgt. Bob Godfrey and a couple of bearers display the evidence brought back from a recent Indian
deer hunt. According to Bob, this animal is about half as large as a Montana deer but about twice as fast.
The Garand makes a pretty good hunting rifle.
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 MEDICAL MOTHER GOOSE (The following ditties were clipped by Lt. Col. E. M. Rice, from medical periodicals.-Ed.) Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet A cute, cunning, chic Army nurse, An Army doc plied her With liquor, then tried her; But, oh, how it flattened his purse! Hi diddle, diddle, A corpulent middle, And other defects may be waived It means more physicians Can now get commissions, The Medical Corps has been saved! FOR WHAT For what are we fighting, said the small boy to his dad For what are we fighting, what is all the noise about And sadly the father, found an answer for the lad My son, we fight so you can have the right To know the truth to questions you're in doubt. For what are we fighting, cried the mother sad with fear For what are we fighting, what is all the noise about And bravely the soldier, tried to kiss away each tear My dear, we fight so we can have the right To laugh and love, to sing and dance and shout. But hasn't all this quite a familiar echo Wasn't all this spoken just a generation ago Vows were made, only to be broken Lord, what must we do to have our dreams come true. For what are we fighting, asked the people in a rage For what are we fighting, what is all the noise about And calmly the wise men, wrote the answer on a page So everyone in all the world could read We fight so we can have the right to live in peace. - Cpl. LEO LIEBMAN 
PROMOTIONS - Pfc. Norman Diamond got his two G.I. mascots promotions the other day. On the left is
S/Sgt. Basic and on the right is Pfc. Adler.
FALCON TRAINER - Robert Widmier has been training birds for seven years with primary interest in Falcons.
He's back at the same old game in India. He expects to teach this falcon to snap for annas.
BEAT IT OUT - They were really hammering out that jive down at one of India's base ports when our colored
troops got all wound up in a Hallowe'en party. The photographer was too lazy to get the lad's name, but
he's really beating it out.
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By Corp. JACK BLUMENFELD
Five O'clock tea - Pfc. Leroy Schucker of Supply has been trying to get the Mess Sergeant interested in serving tea. The supply room had requisitioned metal serving trays and heavy coffee mugs. As a substitute, the British sent wooden tea trays and petite teacups. Pass the scones, please.
The Home Front - Back in Maryland, the Baltimore Sun printed the names of Pvt. John Lebeda, Corp. Morris Zimmerman and S/Sgt. John Shipley in the Service edition. Corp. Zimmerman's sister took notice and called up Sgt. Shipley's sister, whose name had also appeared in the paper, and it was only then that she found out that "Zimmie" was in India and in good health - "Zimmie" hadn't written home in some time.
Tourist Topics - Sgt. Willard Griffing had been planning for months to take a trip to a very famous place in India in order to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This week he finally found the time and money. With him on this expedition was S/Sgt. Paul H. Kahre. They traipsed around and saw all the sights in the area. But it was only on their return that they discovered that others from our station had picked this same week-end for their jaunts.
There were S/Sgt. Bill Olmstead and Sgt. Bill Fleming, who slept luxuriously in the biggest hotel in town and Sgt. Bruno Nicknardarvich, who roughed it in the R.R. station overnight. Oh, yes, and while we are on the subject of those who visited that certain place, we shouldn't forget those admirable tourists, the Tenth Air Force baseball team, whose perfect manners caused them to hand their hosts the India championship on a silver platter.
First Anniversary - On the 21st of this month, Corp. A. Higgins and T/Sgt. T. J. Smith marked the first year of their absence from the States. Commented Corp. Higgins in his most non-chalant manner: "I'm celebrating the day by working as usual."
Honorable Discharges - B Bay just lost two of its G.I.'s and G Bay one - Sgt. Paul C. Shebby and M/Sgt. R. Dixon of B Bay and M/Sgt. John Murphy of G Bay were all given Honorable Discharges from the Army and had to move out of the barracks. They made a good trade, however, for they are now living in the Officers' quarters. Sgt. Shebby was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and Sgts. Dixon and Murphy are now Warrant Officers.
Other Ratings - And now we come to Claiborne M. Hopkins, who refused to be put into this column unless he could make it the hard way - by receiving a rating. This week, as it does to some Pfc.'s, Corporalcy came to Claiborne M. Hopkins, as well as to Elmer H. Johnson, Karl A. Leithheiser and Jonathan G. Seymour. Getting their first gold braid as Pfc.'s are J. H. Carter, Glade E. Lawson, Rudy Guerra, Harry F. Light, Harold R. Siler and Stanley J. Scarbinsky.
Retaliation -When Sgt. Fleming was confronted with an anonymous answer to his poem, which had appeared in the Roundup last week, he quoted those famous lines: Who are they guys who criticize and minimize the other guys whose enterprise has made them rise above the guys who criticize?
Intellectual Topkick - S/Sgt. Leonard Leight just received a letter which exerted an item printed in the New Yorker. The paragraph told of a first sergeant who respected education. We quote the Topkick: "I want this barracks area policed. You fellows who are college graduates, I want you to pick up all the cigarette butts. And you guys who have only had high school education, you pick up the matchsticks. Now the rest of you G.I.'s - stand around an learn something."
Musical Notes - The orchestra is very much in demand these days, and all because of a dinner recital which they played for the officers of the Tenth Air Force Headquarters at the Hotel Imperial dining salon. The featured instrumentalists were Pvt. Cliff Barnes in the trombone, S/Sgt. Matthews on the tenor sax, T/Sgt. Hackney on the base fiddle and Pfc. Gene Reynolds on the drums. The next appearance of the orchestra will feature Sgt. Eddie Morowsky and his newly-acquired accordion.
Distinguished Visitor - Some of the British boys who are attached to the squadron were aghast when the saw Brig. Gen. Clayton Bissell unexpectedly walk into the mess hall and sit down to eat with the G.I.'s. Accompanied by Col. Old, the General walked in unannounced, to be immediately joined by the squadron officers when they heard the news. The General was swell company and we hope to see him again soon.
SQUADRON RAMBLINGS
By S/Sgt. ROY PALMER
Bad weather during the past week having put the old quietus on the normal activities of our squadron, many of the fellows have become very proficient at - of all things! - dominoes. The clatter of moving blocks of wood and the hum of voices adding up points are now a familiar addition to the ordinary noise and clamor of our alert shack.
Well, it's stripe time again with this squadron. New wearers of the rocking chair stripe are: Manuel and Anthony Barrenchia, Logan Draper, Ralph Martin, Willie Shive, George Spencer, Wesley Simmons, Wayne Dudgeon, Fausty Bartolini, Fred Lonneman, Chris Colygian, Crawford Watts, Willis Wilson and Roy Palmer. That's not all either. As new Bucks we find Allen Bigelow, Albert Pereida, Francis Flanigan, Sam Schwartz, Jesse Holmes, Magnus Martinsen and John Talbot. Wonder what's become of that good old standby of days gone by, the humble private. Oh well, even if the species is extinct, I for one can still hark back to the days when I was a picker-upper of cigarette butts.
That well known man about our local town, S/Sgt. Slayton "Romeo" Snook, is reputed by reliable sources to be running for mayor of this ding boo how city. S/Sgts. Ray Lee and Ken LaRue say they will vote for him if he will make the town safe for coffee pots. They were in town yesterday to buy a coffee maker. After hours of assiduous search they finally got one at a terrific price, only to have it stolen from their jeep while they were having a refresher at a local cafe.
S/Sgt. Logan Draper takes great pride in his only pair of gloves these days. Reason: he loaned them to a pilot, who, while wearing them, shot down a Jap. Loan those gloves out again, Draper!
Sgt. Ralph Winters vows that from now on he's going to play the field as far as the little dears are concerned. He's rather browned up because he's received just two (2) letters from one little (maybe not so sweet) thing in the last three (3) months. And while we're on this subject of gals and letters: T/Sgt. Dick Garfield reports that a recent letter informed him that his best girl friend up and got herself married. Gar's taking it like a good philosopher tho. He says there are always bigger and better fish to be found somewhere.
We wish to welcome back into the squadron Lts. Welborn and Sher, who, after many hardships, endured during their recent horseback rides from points very near the enemy lines are back on flying status again.
S/Sgt. Fred "Big Gut" Lonneman is sweating out a couple of Christmas packages. A recent letter told him to watch for a canned turkey and a ten-pound fruit cake. Well Lonnie knows who his friends are, I hope, I hope.
WE’VE MOVED!
The Roundup, including its little body of hand-picked men, has now moved to quarters more in line with its dignity and its serious purpose in life. No longer is the creative muse hampered by the clutching walls of a 12 x 12 foot flea bag overlooking a dismal light well in the bowels of the Imperial Hotel.
We now hold forth in two large and airy offices beneath the same roof that shelters the definitely pucca 10th Air Force Headquarters. Our location here is excellent because they have put us so completely out of sight that nobody can possibly find us. We are at the extreme end of a labyrinth of hallways through which you should not travel without a guide.
We, however, were not alone in this move. The entire Branch Office has now moved out of the Imperial and is holding court in such a manner as to lend creedence to the suspicion that some of the boys may have tea brought in after a while.
Perish the thought!
Like official Washington, we have now entered our era of expansion. The theater surgeon, for instance, used to have an office and an ante-room. His new accommodations are of such magnitude that there is a strong rumor that he will eventually vacate to make way for a new base hospital including a swimming pool for victims of infantile paralysis.
The judge advocate and the finance officer used to crack their collective knuckles cozily together in one room even smaller than the Roundup's quarters, but they've now got enough floor space between them to house the South Block of the Secretariat. The Inspector General has sufficient space available to set up a rack and a wheel in order to obtain free and voluntary confessions from transgressors if any.
The headquarters commandant has a proportionate increase of square footage in which to go nuts!
G-4 and the quartermaster have heretofore resided in the ample trousers of one officer. The arrangements for the two positions will now definitely call for a split personality.
In order to promote a higher morale the adjutant general has offered his new suite for periodic six-day bicycle races. G-3 faces a quandary as it has more rooms than people. Ditto - G-2. The latter is making an estimate of the situation and the probable result will be all to the good as somebody will undoubtedly be hired to fill the rooms which will help the unemployment situation.
We're not going into the question of aide de camp rooms, chiefs of staffs, commanding generals, theater commanders and the like, because although we maintain a tradition of fearless journalism, we weren't born yesterday.
We're not scared, you understand!
Of course we only have five more offices than we have people now, which is definitely a problem, but maybe we can get back the 15 rooms we so grudgingly gave the 10th Air Force a while back.
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We are almost constantly in receipt of letters from subscribers out in the weeds hollering about not getting enough copies of the Roundup. One fellow wrote substantially as follows:
"We have sufficient personnel here now to warrant 1,500 copies of the Roundup and we're only getting 150."
If that be true the strength reports from that area are completely cock-eyed. We handle circulation on the basis of an official strength report submitted by the Hq. 10th Air Force and Hq. S.O.S. each week. The S.O.S. handles distribution - we don't!
In making that distinction we're not trying to pass the buck or get out from under a bad job of circulation. The S.O.S. in New Delhi is doing a good job of circulation largely because of the interest of M/Sgt. Herbert J. Shanahan and T/Sgt. H. E. Wilder both of whom labor assiduously for Maj. F. F. Falcon, Jr.
However, the two sergeants can't get the proper number of papers out without an accurate strength report. The 10th Air Force and the S.O.S. can't compile a proper return if it is not properly sent in from the outside.
Sooooo if you're not getting one paper for every two men it is due to one or more of the following causes: (1) Improper strength return. (2) Lost in transit (occasionally beyond our control). (3) The officers and the first sergeants have walked off with two or three apiece. (4) They are lying on some pencil jockey's floor. (Check the mimeograph room of a certain air depot headquarters and see if those copies of Vol. No. 6 are still gathering dust there. An eyewitness said there were about a hundred in a pile last week).
The C.B.I. Roundup is a weekly newspaper published by and for the men of the United States Army Forces in China, Burma, and India, from news and pictures supplied by staff members, soldier correspondents, Office of War Information and other sources. The Roundup is published Thursday of each week and is printed by The Statesman in New Delhi, India. Editorial matter should be sent directly to Capt. Fred Eldridge, Branch Office Hq., U.S.A.F. C.B.I., New Delhi, and should arrive not later than Monday in order to make that week's issue. Pictures must arrive by Sunday and must be negatives or enlargements. Stories should contain full name and organization of sender.
NOVEMBER 26, 1942
Adapted from the original issue of CBI Roundup
Copyright © 2009 Carl Warren Weidenburner
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