Robert Waldbauer Height Soothes Animals

Lt. Robert T. Waldbauer who piloted C-47’s in India for the 3^rd Combat Cargo Group, 10^th Combat Cargo Squadron, said that whenever he was hauling animals as part of his supply cargo, the squealing and general howling of the menagerie would quiet down as the animals fell asleep in the rarified atmosphere over the mountains.

'We carried everything from tank parts to peanuts' said Lt. Wwaldbauer, who has been honored for 900 combat flying hours. 'However, the flight I enjoyed most was a Christmas day when we dropped hundreds of turkeys and all the fixings to men fighting in forward areas in Burma.'

Of his 218 missions, the Lt. believes, his last was the most exciting. He had received his orders for home and while waiting, took-off for Burma with a cargo of two new engines for front line aircraft.

'Everything was going along swell' he said, 'until I got up over a desolate mountain pass. Then one of my engines cut out. It sure seemed ironic to be carrying two perfectly good engines and then have one of mine act up. For awhile we were worried about bailing out, but finally made it, landing on one good engine at our destination.'

Thanks to Bob Waldbauer for the above story. It was taken from an article published in Patchogue Advance in 1945.

I am looking for former members of the 3rd Combat Cargo Group, 1st, Combat Cargo Group, 2nd Combat Cargo Group and the 4th Combat Cargo Group. In fact I would like to hear from anyone who flew over the Hump during WW II, or flew any Combat Cargo Missions at any time (Berlin Air-Lift, Korea, etc)

Please e-mail comment, suggestions, corrections,etc to: bill@comcar.org

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