Chuck Major served as a photographer with the India-China Division (ICD) of the U.S. Army Air Transport Command (ATC).  As the name implies, ICD-ATC was the transport arm of the U.S. Army Air Forces in the CBI Theater and moved men and material to where they were needed more rapidly than any other method could.  American and Chinese units were resupplied and large numbers of Chinese units were rapidly moved by ICD-ATC.     During 1944 Chuck was based in the Calcutta area and made friends with a British family living there at the time.  He shared with them some of his photos taken in the course of his duties.  Like any good photographer, he took pictures of whatever caught his eye, and so the photos are of military and civilian subjects.     Although based in Calcutta, he traveled much of the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) on air transport missions with the ATC.  The result is pictures from all over India, Burma and China.  Many of his photos were published in the ICD-ATC newspaper Hump Express, with no credit being given.  He gave official copies of many of his photos to his British friends, who saved them and brought them back to England upon their return.  Those photos are shared below by a member of the family, Gillian Chapman, to finally give Chuck the credit he deserves. CLICK ANY PHOTO OR SCROLL TO CONTINUE       CLICKTO VIEW RELATED PAGE Draft Card Chuck testing oxygen mask getting ready for flight Oxygen required over 10,000 feet altitude Eighty-two (82) Hump trips counted on underside of cap Iconic photo of C-46 tail No.296569 flying over The Hump ferrying supplies, with pilot Robert T. Arn at the controls.   Another view of the C-46 Commando crossing The Hump C-46 flying over Burmese jungle Snow-capped Himalayan peaks Curtiss Commando No.43-47114 flying over The Hump. It suffered engine failure and crashed March 19, 1945 west of Yunglung, China. The crew and pilot Stanley W. Zancho bailed out and survived. Ground crewman with fire extinguisher standing-by plane with engines running Cargo–laden C-54 Skymaster over Burmese pagoda, approaching runway at a Burma base.   Buddhist Pagoda, Eden Gardens, Calcutta, with Hooghly River in foreground. Pareshnath Jain Temple, Calcutta. The Maidan, Calcutta — looking across to the Esplanade and Chowringhee. Snake Charmer, Calcutta street scene. Charakpuja (New Year’s Eve) Hindu Festival   Pyre at Burning Ghat, Calcutta. Boats on the Hooghly River near Hastings, Calcutta. GI’s get a fishing lesson, with native fisherman. The Taj Mahal (plane high overhead) The Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal Burmese peasant with bandaged finger Burmese worker in front of U.S. signage Burmese worker with basket full of wood planks, cut from ammunition crates. Burmese workers with U.S. airfield in background B-29 Superfortress high in the sky over Japanese Weather Observation Station, Shanghai.   Chinese soldiers in truck pass through city gate  TOP OF PAGE         HUMP EXPRESS         OVER THE HUMP         CONTACT US  Sidney L. Major photographs shared by Gillian Chapman     Presented by Carl W. Weidenburner     Copyright © 2025