Albert L. Reeves Jr. Photograph Collection THE LEDO ROAD U.S. Army • People • Places • Things     Pictured at left is Lt. Col. Albert L. Reeves, Jr., Corps of Engineers, Executive Officer, Motor Transport Service (MTS), tasked with convoying trucks with lend-lease supplies to China over the Ledo and Burma Roads (later combined as "Stilwell Road"). Lend-lease provided allied nations with supplies they needed to fight the enemy and thereby help defend the United States.     The photos on this page are from Col. Reeves' collection and include personal and Signal Corps photos. Many of them were used to help illustrate the book Louise and Albert: Ledo Road, Kansas City, and Truman by the colonel's grandson, Marc Padovani. There are actually five stories in this book, including one about Colonel Reeves' time in CBI on the Ledo Road. The Ledo Road photos are shown below. To learn more about the book  CLICK HERE   CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ADVANCE TO NEXT  Gen. Pick and staff at Ledo headquarters. To his left is Col. Charles S. Davis, Executive Officer, MTS. Lt. Col. Reeves is directly behind Col. Davis. (Signal Corps photo) Gen. Pick introduces officer staff of Base Section 3 headquarters to Lord Louis Mountbatten, SEAC commander. Lt. Col. Albert L. Reeves, Jr., Corps of Engineers, Executive Officer, Motor Transport Service (MTS), Ledo - Burma Roads, at Lekhapani office. (Signal Corps photo) Motor Transport Service headquarters Basha quarters shared by Cols. Davis and Reeves. Three pictures: Col. Davis and Lt. Col. Reeves with Indian bearer "Ram" Part of Ledo compound Part of Ledo compound Part of Ledo compound City gate and monument Cols. Reeves and Gantz A truck pulled off to the side of the road gets some special attention Burmese town Lt. Col. Reeves at what appears to be a church Burmese town Burmese town Busy riverfront Bomb damaged temple Burmese idol Burmese idol Hill country Col. Davis, Lt. Col. Reeves, Col. Telford, unidentified Capt. Col. Davis and Lt. Col. Reeves with convoy drivers Band readies to play at convoy send-off Trucks of the 100th China-bound convoy lined up at Tokyo "Y" (mile 10) on the Road, before rolling on their way to China, 29 April 1945. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-11552) Travel orders are presented to the convoy commander, 1st Lt. Bruce R. Beeman (right) by Lt. John E. Carret, Asst. Operations Officer, China Traffic Branch, as the 100th China-bound convoy prepares to depart from Tokyo "Y" on the Ledo Road. L to R: Maj. John A. MacDonald, Asst. Chief, China Traffic Branch, MTS; Lt. Carret; Lt. Beeman; Maj. Gantz, Chief, China Traffic Branch, MTS and Lt. Col. Albert L. Reeves Jr., Executive Officer, Hq. Co., MTS. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-11549) Lt. Beeman is congratulated by Lt. Col. Reeves Ting hao OVERLAND EXPRESS - INDIA-BURMA-CHINA The historic Marco Polo route TRANSPORTAION CORPS - UNITED STATES ARMY Ting hao OVERLAND EXPRESS - Lead truck of convoy #100 L to R: Lt. Col. Reeves, Lt. Col. Gantz, Maj. MacDonald During the dry season the mud turned to dust Dusty road Convoy stopped along the road with drivers gathered for apparent quick meeting View from truck of convoy vehicles ahead Burmese child Dr. Seagrave's hospital at Namkham, Burma. Dr. Gordon Seagrave "The Burma Surgeon" speaking with unseen jeep driver in front of Namkham hospital. Dr. Seagrave with Burmese nurses Ambulance with "Burma Special" license plate Graveyard for damaged planes and other junk equipment. Bulldozer "tow truck" Col. Davis with unidentified Rock slide temporarily blocks the road as soldiers and natives clear by hand. Jeep traverses slide area after it was partially cleared Dense jungle Buddha in Burmese temple (Note swastika on chest) 1,627 foot floating bridge across Irrawaddy river, south of Myitkyina (Signal Corps photo) Pontoons keep the bridge afloat, rising and falling with the river. (Signal Corps photo) Bamboo pile with body underneath Buddha with soldier reflection in window at right of photo. Interesting idol Jeep No.1 belongs to the Commander of China-bound convoy No.300. (Signal Corps photo) Convoy commander Beeman is congratulated Congratulations all around Convoy truck drivers group photo before departing Trucks lined up Just about ready to depart Convoy on its way Tents used by enlisted men drivers of China-bound convoys at the Myitkyina, Burma convoy stop. Mile 260 on Stilwell Road. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12056) Tractor-trailer truck carrying another, possibly disabled truck, heads opposite direction of convoy. A 29-ton cab and trailer slide off the monsoon soaked road at the 37 mile mark of the Stilwell Road. 30 June 1945. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12474) The washed-out approach to a Stilwell Road bridge at Mile 108 over the Tausig River. 27 June 1945. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12480) Sgt. Soon Carter and T/5 Boyd E. Philpott work on POL (Petroleum-Oil-Lubricants) station in China for use by MTS convoys passing this point on Burma Road. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12088) 17 May 1945. Col. Charles Davis at entrance to SOS (Services of Supply) Headquarters, Bhamo. A drainage project at Mile 96.8 on the Stilwell Road is rushed toward completion by a big, high-powered excavator of a type kept handy at strategic points along the road for combatting effects of monsoon storms. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12481) Pvt. Grant M. Grover, Brigham City, Utah, 69th D.R.Sqd., a driver of a vehicle in China-bound convoy, fills his gas tank at the Myitkyina, Burma P.O.L. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12059) Gen. Pick leans on helmet and smokes a cigarette while surveying situation from slit trench. Twists and turns and a hairpin turn on the road below. Unforgiving hairpin turn on the road. City gate somewhere in China Junks on Kunming lake Junk on Kunming lake Junk on Kunming lake Junk on Kunming lake Chinese road signs Lt. Col. Reeves in a captured Japanese tank Boat channel Officer interacts with native Grouping of idols in relief Soldiers with Bengal tiger prize Floating bridge has reached its low limit, making for steep approaches Burmese temple A bazaar (marketplace) somewhere in Burma Trees at edge of village Trees at edge of village Rice paddies Maj. Robert B. Harrison, Executiove Officer of Terminal #5 MTS, Lt. Col. J.C. Smoot, T/5 LeRoy Wenake, 2757 Engineer Depot Co., driver in convoy, and Pfc. Zartin Terry, 479th Engineer Maintenace Co. They are checking truck at Kunming MTS terminal after it arrived in convoy from Ledo. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12408) 27 May 1945. Villagers A bridge under construction Native photographed on the road The processing line at Kunming MTS terminal #3. Here convoy vehicles from India have grease checked, bolts and nuts tightened, and inspected. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12409) Kunming street scene Kunming street scene and city gate Construction camp on Ledo Road Burmese town Hillside rice paddies "To Lt. Col. Al Reeves with the sincere good wishes. - Lewis A. Pick - Brig. Gen. U.S.A. - Ledo Road 1945" (Signal Corps photo) Trucks are shown arriving with bridge sections to be used in making repairs to a flood-damaged bridge at Mile 108 on the Stilwell Road, Burma. Bridge approach which was washed out, is shown in background. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12479) Burmese native View of Mess Hall and Kitchen at the China-bound convoy stop at Myitkyina, Burma at Mile 260 on the Stilwell Road. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12055) An air view shows washed-out approaches to the Tausig River bridge at Mile 108 on the Stilwell Road in Burma, following heavy monsoon rains that raised the water level 14 feet in a few hours. The breaks stopped convoy traffic only until quick-assembly-type bridging could be rushed to the site. Repairs were made in less than a day. (Signal Corps photo IBT-45-12490) Washout Posing with a Burmese python ". . . always keeping an eye out for pythons . . ." Partially buried remains The Road River wide and high Road work crew headed to next Road assignment Waterfall and Dam Works Simple City Gate Lone truck crosses the Salween River bridge  LAST PHOTOGRAPH  Albert L. Reeves Jr. Photograph Collection THE LEDO ROAD U.S. Army • People • Places • Things  LOUISE AND ALBERT  - Ledo Road, Kansas City, and Truman  (the book)  THE LEDO ROAD  - Extensive site about the Ledo, Burma, and Stilwell Roads  LIFE - THE LEDO ROAD  - “Pick’s Pike” Follows Stilwell’s Advance in Burma  ALONG THE LEDO ROAD  - More Signal Corps photos of scenes along the road  LIFE MAGAZINE PHOTOS - LEDO ROAD  - Photos taken by Bernard Hoffman  CHINA-BURMA-INDIA  - Remembering the Forgotten Theater of World War II  TOP OF PAGE         CONTACT US   Photos courtesy of Marc Padovani   Presented by Carl W. Weidenburner   Copyright © 2024