April 1-11, 1944. "Ang is Gone Now"

Betty and Ang, somewhere in Columbia, South Carolina

     In April 1944, Ang received his orders for overseas from Columbia SC to Hunter Field, Georgia (April 2 order); and then to Morrison Field, Florida (April 8 orders). Finally, they flew from Morrison Field Florida to overseas (April 11 orders) via Brazil. 
     Ang left Columbia on the 6th and Betty stayed to finish packing. After a few days, she traveled back to Chicago and took a job. It sounds so simple and if we didn’t have the records, letters and diary, we might think it was that simple.
     There are two Individual Flight Records (Form 5) for April. One Form 5 lists 3rd Army, Hunter Field Georgia as the station, and only has a flight on the 8th for 3:10 hours in a B25-J. See the April 8th orders from Hunter Field. The second Form 5, lists the 12th Air Force, 57th Wing, 340th Group, 486 Squadron, with Alesan L/G, Corsica as the station. The first flight on the page is dated Mar 31; a 3 hour flight in a B25-H. This is followed by 15 flights between April 1 and April 21.
     In any case, we know Ang left Columbia and then showed up in Africa! From his letters, we know that for Ang and his crew, the route overseas to the Mediterranean Theater was via South America to Africa. From Betty’s diary, we know that far as she knew, Ang left South Carolina on April 6. She wouldn’t know where he ended up for weeks.

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Saturday, April 1, 1944 Clear day. Odd jobs on Ang’s clothes. Washed and downtown real early. Home alone all evening. Ang home late & to bed.
  Form 5. T-1. Training flight as navigator, B25-G, 3:40h
 Form 5. T-1. Training flight as navigator, B25-D, 2:00h night
April 2. Lovely day--to late Mass and Ang home about 2:00. Called Mother. Got his things packed - & to bed very early.
  Form 5. T-2. Training flight as navigator, B25-G, 3:00h
April 3. Cloudy all day, but Ang was gone all day. Got reservation. Dinner late & to movie alone. Bed late—tired.
  Form 5. T-3. Training flight as navigator, B25-D, 1:40h
  Form 5. T-3. Training flight as navigator, B25-D, 2:20h
April 4. Sunny day but cool. Wrote letters all day. Ang home about four. Had dinner alone & spent evening. Called Adams.
April 5. Washed in A.M. Ang home about 3:00 Packed and repacked. Late dinner - baths and to bed early. Talked to Adams.
April 6. Well, Ang is gone now. Lunch at Women’s Club - then to Base for dinner & movie. Home about eleven & to bed.
April 7. Had a call from Ang - wanted some cash. Called his folks and arranged things. No news yet. Home alone - bed late.
April 8. Up early and had hair done. Shopped and on home. Early dinner & to Ramshaws[?] for evening. Good time. Late.

  Form 5. April 8. flight as navigator, 3:00h. [from Hunter Field Form 5]
April 9. To late Mass—very lovely day. Took a couple of snaps. Home all P.M. For picnic supper—Hills and Ramshaws[?] Ang called.
April 10. Our allotment went through. No word from Ang. Packed some more - and lazed around. Very warm. Movies - late.
  Form 5. A-10, Administrative flight as navigator, B25-J, 4:35h
April 11. Up early and to town to do some shopping. Had lunch out—packed in evening. Rained—after all this heat.

From Ang's scrapbook. The original crew. No ID for person on the left, but I think it is Arne Bylund. Then Ang, Melvin Slocum, and Anton Kelnhofer. Photo taken after arrival in North Africa, Algiers.

April 2, 1944 Orders to Hunter Field in Georgia. This is Ang's "original crew" for their overseas flights.

April 8 Orders from Hunter Field, GA. Ang’s crew to Morrison Field in Florida.

Back side of April 8 orders, with some interesting information for those who like Army trivia.

April 11, 1944 Orders from Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, FL to overseas. Ang’s crew flies a B-25, number 43-4064. This plane went to the 488th Bomb Squadron on Corsica. It was lost on January 21, 1945 in a mid-air collision.