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During the late 18th Century, Warren Hastings acquired the land, which now bears his name, for use as a summer home.
The deed, signed by Hastings himself, was written in Persian. In 1870 the property came into the
possession of the
Birkmyre family, Glasgow, Scotland jute merchants. Four years later it became the first jute mill in all of India,
and today is the largest jute mill under one roof in the world.
Early in 1944, Lt. Gen. George E. Stratemeyer, Air Commander of the Allied Eastern Air Command and Commanding General of the Army Air Forces in this Theater, felt it necessary to move his Headquarters from Delhi, to a locale nearer the Burma battlefronts. Calcutta being the ideal location, Hastings was selected as the site for the new Headquarters. This proximity made possible plane trips, of short duration, to all operational Bases in India and Burma. The first job was the allocation of the mill's jute production to other mills, and the removal of tons of machinery. With this accomplished, and all machinery removed except the drive shafts and overhead pulleys, Headquarters was established on the fifteenth of April. At the same time Headquarters for the Air Service Command and India-China Division of the Air Transport Command were moved to this Base. The transformation of the mill from a group of empty buildings to one of the most modern and efficient Air Force Headquarters in the world was a triumph of ingenuity and improvisation. Hastings Air Base covers forty acres, eight and a half of which comprise the Headquarters building. This building houses not only the offices of the entire AAF, ASC, and ATC Headquarters, but billets over seven hundred WACs, WAC officers, Junior officers, and enlisted men as well. The population of Hastings since its inception as AAF Headquarters has been approximately six thousand. This includes USAAF and RAF officers and enlisted personnel; added to this figure are the more than four thousand Indian men and women who have worked in clerical and domestic capacities. Over eight thousand meals are served daily at the Mill, and the Engineers provide seven different types of current to operate the Mill's various electric installations. Recreational facilities at the Mill, all of which have been inaugurated since the opening of the Headquarters, include an outdoor theater with a capacity of fifteen hundred; baseball, soccer and football fields; handball, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts; and facilities for horseshoe pitching, archery, and weightlifting. There are two outdoor dancing pavilions along the banks of the Hooghly, an Officer's Club Red Cross, and Enlisted Men's Club. In addition to these is the proximity of Calcutta, second city of the British Empire. Educational facilities include "Hooghly U" where many of the Base officers and enlisted personnel pursued their studies during off-duty hours. Vocational and Educational guidance were provided for those who were interested in formulating definite plans for their post-war world. The state of health of the Mill's personnel was the problem of the Base Dispensary. Here, with the best modern equipment, medical and dental treatment were provided. Mosquitoes and flies at the Base, have been virtually eliminated by a thorough Disease Control program. An area covering a radius of one half mile from the Base has been sprayed by hand and air with DDT. Malaria Control detachments, totaling fifty men, continuously pour crude oil on stagnant pools in the area and all quarters are sprayed three times weekly with aerosol. This is the story of an Army Air Force Base in India. In most ways, it's like any other Base; in others it's peculiarly ours. Besides those mentioned above there are countless other sections whose workings make up the daily life of Hastings. They too are a part of the History of the Mill . . . and of this book. |