Charles M. Adams

Rank: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces

Serial Number: O-500355

Unit: 1328th Air Force Base Unit, Air Transport Command

Hometown: Collingswood, New Jersey

Missing in Action: September 17, 1944, over the Himalayas

Memorial: Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines

First Lieutenant Charles M. Adams was born in 1919 to Paul and Edith Adams. He was a 1937 graduate of Camden High School. He later lived in Collingswood, NJ, prior to enlisting in the United States Army in September of 1941 and qualifying for flight duty. He won his wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant at Moody Field in Valdosta, GA, in August of 1942. He had married E. Katherine “Honey” Huber, who moved to 200 North 36th Street in Camden, NJ, after he was called to service. In September of 1943, a son, Charles M. Adams Jr., was born. Sadly, the baby died on March 6, 1944. By this time Charles Adams had been promoted to First Lieutenant.

Sent overseas in August of 1944, he was serving as a pilot in the Air Transport Command, flying supplies over the Himalayan Mountains from India to Chinese armed forces — a route known as “the Hump.” He was listed as missing in action on September 17, 1944, and later declared to be dead. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Catherine “Honey” Huber Adams, of 200 North 36th Street, Camden, NJ. The crash of his plane was reported in the October 23, 1944 edition of the Camden Courier-Post.

In January of 1945, wreckage of the plane was located by air. It was not practical or possible at the time to reach the wreckage on the ground to recover remains and examine the aircraft to determine the cause of the crash.

On November 23, 2009, the wreckage of a United States Army Air Force C-46A, serial number 42-61067, was located near Kayi Ligok, India, by an expedition led by Clayton Kuhles of MIArecoveries.org, a website whose purpose is to disseminate information about Mr. Kuhles’ ongoing expeditions in Burma, India, Bangladesh and China to locate and document missing-in-action (MIA) Allied aircraft lost in that area of Asia during World War II. This aircraft had been piloted by a three-man crew, with First Lieutenant Adams serving as the co-pilot, Second Lieutenant Robert W. Tinsley, pilot, and Private First Class Andrew L. Rajnic, radio operator.

This aircraft had flown a cargo of supplies, most likely fuel, from India to China and was returning to India when it was lost. Clayton Kuhles writes:

This aircraft left Chanyi, China for Misamari, India on 17 September 1944 at 1104 GMT. At 1407 GMT pilot gave a position report as follows: “Over Shingbwiyang, Burma at 1350 hrs., altitude 18,000 ft., destination Misamari — request clearance to destination.” At 1413 hrs. Jorhat cleared this ship over their station at 14,000 ft., to cross Tezpur, India at 6,000 ft. to Misamari. No further contact was had with this aircraft.

It is noted that the pilot gave his position report 17 minutes after passing Shingbwiyang, Burma. This could be due to poor radio contact, excessive radio traffic, or pilot being uncertain of his position. If the pilot was uncertain of his position, it is possible he may have let down with his position uncertain and collided with a mountain. The weather along Charlie route that day was continuous rain, thunderstorms, overcast, and icing between 16,000 ft. and 20,000 ft. Actually, there is no evidence upon which a reasonable assumption can be made. Dead: 3.

The official report Mr. Kuhles submitted to the United States government can be viewed at MIArecoveries.org.