LARGE BACKLOG OF STATESIDE-BOUND I-B MAIL BROKEN
  The recent mail delay, which had parents, wives and sweethearts sending frantic telegrams to I-B G.I.'s, "Why haven't I received any letters?" will be broken with the delivery of about 10 tons of I-B mail (roughly 700,000 letters) to Stateside addresses between the second and the fifth of February, according to spokesmen in the Theater Post Office.
  The spokesman said the delay occurred when storms over both Atlantic routes kept all planes grounded for ten days in early January, thus piling up 10 tons of mail in Casablanca by January 22. Drastically reduced ATC tonnages for the trans-Atlantic haul made it impossible to break the backlog until January 29, when officials of the North African Division, ATC, made available for the delivery of I-B mail to the States. C-54's, being flown back to the U.S. as surplus planes.
  Tonnage allotments to the U.S. from I-B Theater via ATC have declined approximately 84 percent from last November to February, 1946, spokesmen for G-3 told the Roundup. They said the drastic reduction was caused both by reduction in the needs of the shrinking I-B Theater, and the reduction in ATC personnel and facilities.
  The Theater Post Office stated that mail to India had probably also been backlogged in the U.S. as a result of the storms, but they had no way of knowing the details. There has been no abnormal delay in transporting India-bound mail from Casablanca to here, they declared.
  Mail service between I-B and the U.S. will probably not be as rapid as it has been before even without unusual weather, they declared, citing the fact that whereas planes used to arrive at Karachi
Vol. IV   No. 21        Delhi,  Thursday,   Jan. 31, 1946.        Reg. No. L5015
from Casablanca almost hourly, reduced tonnage allotments have brought scheduled flights down to about one a day.
  Mail which left India in late December was held up at Casablanca by storms. Most of this mail was cleared out of Casablanca about January 9, when the Liberty Ship USS Keith Vawter hauled two tons of homeward bound first class mail to America as an emergency measure. Theater Postal officials estimated that this mail should have arrived at U.S. ports during the last week in January.
  The spokesman said that the delay in delivery of mail to the U.S. was far worse than the delay in delivery of mail to India because the number of letters going home exceeds the number of letters coming into India by several million each month.

'MARCH OF ANNAS' DRIVE
Opening the I-B Theater's "March of Annas" version of the Infantile Paralysis "March of Dimes" drive are Pfc. Harold F. Clark (left) and 1st/Sgt. Burtis Choat of Headquarters Battalion, USF, IBT.

Low-Point Surplus I-B Troops
May Be Ordered To China Duty

  Headquarters for United States Forces in the India-Burma Theater has been ordered by a War Department directive to offer to the China Theater all troops surplus to I-B needs and not qualified for separation from military service by June 30, it was learned this week.
  The new policy goes into effect immediately but is not expected to affect any enlisted men here until May or June. The I-B Theater's own enlisted personnel needs will be acute until that time.
  Meanwhile, two other developments loomed:
  1. Personnel surplus to a particular unit or section within the I-B Theater may be utilized in new assignments inside the Theater to permit release of troops with higher points and longer length of service for return home.
  2. There's a strong likelihood that Camp Kanchrapara will close sometime in March. Base section at Calcutta is making a study to determine the possibility of moving the embarkation staging area into the city of Calcutta.
  The surplus-to-China plan will involve only troops not qualified to be en route home or discharged by June 30 - namely, enlisted men with less than 40 points as of V-J Day or less than 24 months service as of June 30;
SHE'S READY FOR THE BEACH
Curvaceous Adele Mara, current Republic Pictures starlet, models her 1946 bathing suit by a Hollywood swimming pool to show GI's what to expect on the beaches next summer.
officers with less than 65 points as of last Sept. 2 or less than 42 months of service by June 30.

OFFICERS MAY LEAVE
  Some officers from the I-B may leave shortly for China.
  If troops offered to China are not needed there at the time they are made available, these troops will be sent to the Calcutta area for shipment to the U.S. whether they are eligible for immediate discharge or not.
  No specific military occupational specialty numbers have been announced as in demand in China.
  Movement to China most likely would be by air but not over The Hump. Planes have been flying to Bangkok, then through Manila or directly north to China.
  A Theater Headquarters spokesman today emphasized the possibility that by the time this Theater has any enlisted men and additional officers available for assignment in China, the China Theater may not require them.
  The removal of such men from the Intermediate Section shipping list will leave the section short of its quota for movement to the staging area by Feb. 7. New quotas to be announced for the period from Feb. 11 to Feb. 20 will make up for the shortage.
  The proposed closing of Camp Kanchrapara arises mainly from the camp's remoteness to Calcutta's embarkation point. Kanchrapara is 38 miles from the section of the Hooghly River where Americans board troopships for home.
  Other factors considered in the tentative shutdown of Kanchrapara are the narrow, winding roads leading to Calcutta and the sprawling layout of the camp. Not so much room is needed now that shipments are slower. It is planned to hold only about enough troops to fill one ship.
  The 142nd General Hospital site and Camp Tollygunge are reported under consideration as the possible new Calcutta district staging area.



Last Troopship Leaves Karachi

  MALIR - The last ship to leave from Karachi, The General Morton, sailed on Monday afternoon with 3,100 passengers aboard. Thus ended the job of Replacement Depot No. 1, at Malir, and the Karachi P.O.E.
  Col. Franklin G. Pruyn, Commander of the Replacement Depot, told the Roundup that there were only 400 cadremen left and that the last man would leave on Feb. 7. Only one-third of that number will be reassigned, while the rest will be shipped home or be sent to Kanchrapara to await disposition. The Karachi P.O.E. also will be broken up soon.
  Two hundred men of the 380th Air Service Group commanded by Col. Dudley Berwick are remaining at Karachi Airbase to dispose of Army supplies and equipment turned over to it by neighboring units.
  Also, a small detachment of the ATC is remaining at the airbase indefinitely pending transfer of facilities to commercial airlines.



I-B Shipping Quotas Raised For February

  Approximately 700 more enlisted men and officers than anticipated earlier this month are expected to depart from the India-Burma Theater for return to the United States in February, due to substitution of one larger troopship than originally scheduled.
  Six troopships - five General-class ships averaging 3,200-man capacities and one smaller 2,500-man job - now make up the shipping schedule for surplus India-Burma troops leaving Calcutta for home next month.
'DREAM WAC'
Pretty Jeanne Swann, WAC major, is the answer to a movie producer's dream. He saw her in the Pentagon Building and later she had a screen test.

  Announcement from Theater headquarters lists the one substitution and four changes of arrival dates as compared to previously published schedules for February.
  The General Collins replaces the 2,500-man Marine Devil, held in a United States port for repairs. The Collins was routed to the India-Burma Theater in response to a Theater request to the War Department, when authorities here learned the Marine Devil would be delayed several weeks.
  Theater policy is to fill troopships to capacity before return to the States. New quotas will be announced in the near future to provide personnel for embarkation on the General Hodges, which has been delayed until late February.
  Stateside repairs were held responsible for throwing back other arrival dates. New arrival times, with former scheduled dates in parentheses, are as follows:
  Feb. 7 - Marine Angel (Feb. 3).
  Feb. 16 - General Bliss (Feb. 13).
  Feb. 16 - General Collins (replacing Marine Devil due Feb. 2).
  Feb. 26 - General Hodges (Feb. 12).
  Two arrival dates remain unchanged. The General Hase still is due at Calcutta on Feb. 7 and the General Ballou is on the docket for Feb. 9.
  Ships normally leave two days after arrival at Calcutta.



Heavy Ships To Be Bombed

  WASHINGTON - (UP) - Ninety-seven American, German and Japanese naval vessels will undergo the first atomic naval bombing in history early in May near Bikini atoll in the Marshall Islands, it was disclosed last week.
  Details of the huge project whose targets will include the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, the Jap battleship Nagato, the Jap light cruiser Sakawa, as well as the U.S. battleships New York, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, have been given to the Senate Atomic Energy committee by the Navy.


HURRY UP AND - -
7:30 a.m. ... the morning mists still lie over Ledo ... Just to make sure he doesn't miss the bus, Pfc. Willie Brown, 4023rd QM Truck Co., gets there early. What's the rush? Willie has 51 points and the Ledo Assembly Point is the jumping off place for that "Sentimental Journey" home.

AAF PLANS SALVAGE OF 100 C-46'S IN I-B

  CALCUTTA - One hundred "war-weary" C-46 Curtis Commando transport-type planes will be salvaged within the next few weeks, it was announced here last week by Hq. USAAF.
  These airplanes, now in the Eastern India Air Depot at Panagarh, represent a large percentage of the remaining aircraft awaiting disposition in this theater.
  The salvaging process follows unsuccessful attempts by the AAF through the Foreign Liquidation Commission to find a commercial market. A worldwide survey was completed, but because of the condition and type of these planes, commercial sale has been impossible.
  All former theaters of war have been solicited by the War Department to determine whether a need for this type of aircraft exists. Each theater reported an excess of C-46's and that transfer was not desired.
  Due to stringent AAF flying regulations, these transports, veterans of heavy loads, monsoon weather and Hump flights, have been declared unsuitable by the AAF aircraft engineering and maintenance inspectors for the transport of troops home.
  The ATC advised that two-engine operation over extended water routes was considered inadvisable, particularly in aircraft which have been used under such grueling climatic and operational conditions.
  To date, only four-engine planes have been used for troop redeployment to the States, since these types have the required range with sufficient carrying capacity for long over-water flights.



PRETTY LITTLE KITTY
The Lady and the Tiger - or sights to while away the hours at Panitola, new headquarters area for Chabua GI's. The pretty little pussy is Sugar, pet tiger cub at Intermediate General Depot. Believe it or not, Sugar's admirer really lives in Assam. She's Barbara Harvey, civilian FLC employee.
Post Office Records Show I-B Troops Saved Millions

  American troops in the India-Burma Theater managed considerable savings during 1944 and 1945. This is reflected in the Army Post Office figures showing $58,383,881.85 dispatched by money order during the past two years.
  Millions of additional dollars went into soldier deposits and war bonds as GI Joe and the officers looked toward tomorrow.
  The postal business summary for 1945 revealed 644,017 money orders issued in the Theater. Total value was $31,546,030.47, or slightly less than $49 average. The preceding year 589,969 money orders averaging a shade under $46 were sent out.
  Even so, 328,026 money orders were cashed for $13,012,993.63 during the two-year period.
  Monthly reports indicated the best time for saving was during cooler months. Heaviest outgoing money order traffic was between November, 1944, and the end of April, 1945.
  Despite the fact that "free" letters go air mail to the States from this Theater, troops here helped post office finances by shelling out $1,758,178.09 for stamps in 1945 and $1,480,207.40 for stamps in 1944.
  Almost a quarter of a million pieces of registered mail were delivered in the I-B Theater and 194,790 pieces departed here during the past two years.
  The India and Burma post offices operated by the United States Army delivered 116,480 telegrams during the period, about 30,000 more than were dispatched. By far the most telegrams for any one month were incoming and outgoing for April, 1945, the month of Germany's collapse.
  Volume of insured parcels was 12 times as great outgoing as incoming - 95,798 to 7,794 - due largely to restriction on insuring packages in the States destined for Army personnel overseas.


SLICK CHICK WITH CUTE CHICK
Asked to select the cutest chickens at a New York poultry show, showgirls picked these henyard beauties. They are posed with Verna Johnson, who is a slick chick herself.

 PLUSH JOBS PLY I-B SKY LANES

  An airplane ride is nothing to sniff at in itself, but when you get a ride in the "Plush Job" variety, then you've really got a deal.
  At present there are five C-54(E)'s based in the Theater and if you're riding on Flight Two - Barrackpore to Agra to Karachi, Flight One - Karachi to Barrackpore, or on the Far Eastern leg of the weekly Globester flight from Karachi to Manila via Barrackpore and Bangkok, you hit the jackpot.
  Deluxe even by civilian standards, these ships have upholstered chairs and cabin walls, individual reading lights which can be so beamed as to by-pass your seat companion and still provide plenty of illumination, chair pockets provided with the latest reading material and a rest room with lounge.
  Some flights even carry serving trays and eating utensils and "Seat Occupied" signs to safeguard squatter's rights during a stop-over.
  The "Plush" C-54(E) is the military model of the Douglas model DC-4 and costs the Army approximately $380,000 a plane. There are seats for 44 and plenty of sprawling room in the lounge. But a usual Theater flight carries

THEY'RE STILL IN THE SWIM
New play shorts and slacks are modeled at Miami Beach by Joan Jordan (left), Betty Van Sickle and Pepper Donna.
only 30 passengers as an extra precaution. Were it not for mail it would probably replace the regular C-54 "Bucket Job" whose bucket seats leave additional room for cargo. As it is, whenever the "E" takes to the air it carries only passengers and their personal luggage.
  Down just a notch in the ultra comfort line are the eight C-47 "Semi-Deluxe" ships. They were originally bucket seat planes and have been prettied up in the I-B through the addition of reclining chairs. They only nick the taxpayer about $100,000 per ship and are used on the short runs between Agra and Delhi, Bangkok and Singapore, and on brass hat inspection trips.
  Besides the "Plush Jobs" and "Semi-Deluxe" planes, ATC boasts five "Staff" ships. Two are C-54's, one belonging to Brig. Gen. Charles W. Lawrence, Theater ATC commander, and the other is now being readied for use by Maj. Gen. Thomas A. Terry, I-B commanding general. The remaining "Staff" ships are C-47's, one being Terry's "Star Ruby," and the other two standbys for whatever general needs them.
  In addition to a kitchenette and ice box, the staff ships boast writing desks, card tables, sofas and Pullman-like berths, each ship containing some of these accoutrements.



I-B Soldier Awaits End Of Long Service

  MALIR - T/Sgt. Joseph V. Polak is really looking forward to being a civilian - after being in the uniform of two countries during much of the time since 1935.
  Joe was born in Chicago, but at the age of ten went with his parents and two sisters back to the original family home at Padebrady, Czechoslovakia. There her grew up as a Czech, going to college in Prague, and entering his father's winery business.
  During college Joe tried out as a track man, qualifying in both the 100-meter and 400-meter runs. He tied the national Czech 100-meter record of 10.5 seconds, and then went to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin with the Czech team to place 18th among the 120 world competitors.
  As the threat of Hitler's power grew in Europe, Joe volunteered for the Czech Army in 1935 and was commissioned a 1st Lieutenant. He joined the 101st Field Artillery Regiment, which was adopted as President Eduard Benes' own.
  When the Nazis attacked Poland, Joe's regiment was employed in the defense of Danzig. "It was really terrible," he says, "having those formations of Stuka dive bombers coming down on our positions. Our only defense was our field guns firing at those demons in the air, since we had no air support."

TAKEN PRISONER
  As the Germans moved into Western Poland, the Czechs were forced back along with the Poles, and Joe found himself trying to defend Warsaw. That, too, was a hopeless fight, and Joe ended up in a detention camp in Rumania.
TWO MILLIONTH COMES HOME
S/Sgt. Irving Feldman of Worcester, Mass., the 2,000,000th GI to return from the Pacific, comes ashore at San Francisco on the shoulders of his buddies, T/4 Jake G. Millbauer of Bariboo, Wisc., and Cpl. Adam C. Korzen of Rochester, N.Y.
Later, he learned that his father, Joseph, had been sent to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, while his sister Libby was also taken by the Nazis. His mother and another sister, Bessie, were at home in Czechoslovakia, suffering from lack of food and fuel.
  Somehow, the U.S. Embassy heard about this American citizen wearing a Czech uniform. So one day a big black sedan drew up in front of the camp. "It was the best sight I've ever witnessed," Joe says, "because I knew the American that got out of that car was coming to get me."
  A Greek freighter took Joe back to the U.S., and he returned to Chicago and went to work in a defense plant.

JOINS ARMY
  Crazy to know what was happening to his family, he was soon in the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor and looking forward to going back to help liberate Europe. Speaking German, Czech, Polish, Russian and English, and being a veteran field officer, he expected to go quickly to the E.T.O. and join in the fight.
  Instead, he was made an instructor in tank destroyers at Camp Hood, Texas. There he helped train the 15th Tank Destroyer group which later, as part of General Patton's Third Army, actually freed the very town in which he had lived in Czechoslovakia.
  After two years as a cadreman, he was put on overseas orders. "This is it," he figured.
  Instead he was sent to India. Here, on the other side of the world from Europe, Joe has been sent to several places in the I-B Theater but never assigned during 15 months.

FATHER FREED
  Nevertheless, he's smiling and pleased, because just the other day he received his first letter from his father now back and free in Czechoslovakia, after 29 months of hell at Dachau. His sister, Bessie, and his mother survived in Czechoslovakia, while Libby was twice bought out of Nazi slavery by his father. Both sisters have married Czech airmen.
  Joe expects to:
  (1) Go back to the States soon, since he has 49 points.
  (2) Hurry to Chicago to join his wife Betty, whom he married during his brief stay in the U.S., and their three-year-old son, Jimmy.
  (3) Go back to Czechoslovakia "to see that my whole family comes back to the U.S. to stay."
  (4) Do a little track work, perhaps, but strictly INSIDE THE U.S.A.



U.S. Forces In Bombay Near End Of Job
Highlights of U.S. Army activities at Bombay: (Top) Heroes of the disastrous 1944 explosion and fire are presented with Bronze Star Medals.  (Lower) GIs and their dates enjoy one of the many dancing parties held at the Deepak Mahal, ATC rest camp hotel, for men on furlough in the city.
Nine Americans Remain
In City To Complete Task

  BOMBAY - The girls, bathing beaches, horse racing, dancing and all the other luxuries of this metropolis are still here - but there are only four American officers and five enlisted men left to enjoy them.
  The Deepak Mahal, that richly-appointed seven-story hotel on beautiful Marine Drive facing the bay is still there. But gone are the crowds of American G.I.'s and officers who regularly came down for a few days of leave and the 600 permanent party personnel stationed here.
  For months now, Bombay has been closed as a port of debarkation whereas until last May there was an average of 5,000 men a month arriving here from the U.S. SOS activities, once at the highest peak, have now practically ceased and the personnel left are merely disposing of U.S. property.
  Capt. Richard L. Boren of El Reno, Okla., the senoir officer here, says that few people outside of the finance officer - who sends their pay through the mail - knows that there is anybody left. Every time he telephones Delhi or Calcutta he has a hard time convincing people that he is actually stationed in Bombay. Once he couldn't succeed at all.
  "There are no troops in Bombay," said the man on the other end of the line. And nothing the captain could say would convince him otherwise.
  U.S. Army headquarters in Wakefield House, Ballard Estates, was set up for the large operations that were carried on here. But today it is just a big, quiet building with the few personnel left clearing up activities.

LOT OF JOBS
  Boren has much paper work to do to officially close this place once and for all. Officially he holds a lot of jobs - he is railway transportation officer, motor pool officer, provost marshall, fire marshall, special service officer, sales officer, police and prisons officer, civilian personnel officer, athletics and recreation officer and ordnance officer. Actually, there is just a little to do in each job.
  Lt. Thurston G. Davis of Berkeley, Calif., the other SOS officer, has likewise inherited many jobs. He is procurement officer, purchasing and control officer, real estate officer, graves registration officer, quartermaster officer, requisitioning officer, engineering supply officer, signal officer, PX officer, Class A agent, memorandum and receipt officer, acting postmaster and billeting officer.
  S/Sgt. Richard Bauer of Lancaster, Pa., and Pfc. Robert Shank of St. Louis are the two enlisted men with SOS left. They are busy taking care of the odds and ends connected with closing.
  The Air Corps, which once had 100 officers and men, is represented only by Lt. Donald Pinkham of Los Angeles, Lt. Montgomery Truss of Birmingham, Ala., Cpl. Henery Berman of Newark, N.J., and Cpl. Albert Popek of St. Louis.
  Since their APO 881 closed on Dec. 13, the men have had a terrible time in getting their mail. Hank Berman claims "it takes more time for letters to come from Karachi here than it does from the States to Karachi."

CLOSE HARMONY
  The U.S. Naval Liaison Office is continuing to operate, although its staff is not as large as formerly. It is directed by Lt. Comdr. Wilber H. Mack of Westfield, Mass.
  As the thousands of Army personnel came through Bombay from the States, the Navy unit here worked in close harmony with Army officials. It acted as liaison between the Army, the ship's captains, the Royal Indian Navy and British and Indian port officials.
  The Bombay naval office set up a unit to handle the transports calling at Karachi to embark U.S. Army personnel for the States.
  T/Sgt. Arthur J. Salerno of Brooklyn is the oldest American in point of service in Bombay, having been stationed here for 30 months. He had been assigned to various branches of the Army before being named Foreign Liquidation Commission sales representative here. Art probably knows more about Bombay than many of the local residents.
  The history of American Army activities in Bombay began when a small detachment of enlisted men arrived from Karachi in November, 1942, to segregate China Defense supplies from other materials arriving here. In March, 1943, two officers opened Sub-Base Section No. 1 to operate under the Karachi command. This section was in charge of re-railing U.S. supplies to Calcutta, Assam and Agra.

18,000 ARRIVE
  The first group of 18,000 U.S. troops arrived here in September, 1943 aboard three ships, the Brazil, Hermitage and Uruguay. Eighteen men, with the aid of British troops, processed these people who were mostly whisked through to stations in Eastern India. Some troops were billeted at the British Colaba transit camp before they were sent on their way, while some were transferred to Camp Deolali, 90 miles away. In November another 6,000 G.I.'s arrived from the U.S. and were sent forward.
  The Port of Bombay was officially opened on Jan. 1, 1944, and the 181st General Hospital was opened, occupying the Deepak Mahal.
  In February, plans were being made to build Replacement Depot No. 4, Lake Beale, and it was opened on June 1. Twenty officers and 50 men were stationed there at first, but the total was later raised to 250.
  Camp Beale was used chiefly for sending new transients forward to other parts of the CBI Theater and for billeting men on their way to the Persian Gulf. The Depot was closed in March, 1945 after processing many thousands of troops.
  The 181st General Hospital was moved to Malabar Hill in March and a 100-bed institution was fully staffed. At the time a U.S. Military Observer's Office was set up.

GREAT BLAST
  On April 14, 1944, the great Bombay explosion occurred - probably the worst tragedy in the Far East. Fourteen ammunition ships went up, killing more than 2,000 persons. One ship was blown on top of a two-story warehouse. The ensuing fire burned several days along the waterfront.
  Fortunately all American personnel had left the area of the explosion, so no one was hurt. But every American in town was called up for the emergency. Officers and men worked feverishly all night removing ammo from a warehouse just 100 yards from the fire.
  T/5 Carl E. Seiser was the outstanding hero of the event. The only man who knew how to operate a tugboat,
ASKS $10,000
Dale Belmont, known as "The Sweater," has asked a New York Supreme Court to award her $10,000 because she failed to get the role of "Axis Sally" in a recent movie..
he alone moved 14 barges filled with ammo out of the immediate vicinity of the fire. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his exploits as were several others.
  From the opening of the P.O.E. on Jan. 1, 1944 to its closing on May 1, 1945, approximately 150,000 men passed through, going to the Persian Gulf Command, and the China and I-B Theaters. The original Merrill's Marauders were processed here.
  As many as 15,000 transients were on pass in Bombay at one time. But no trouble was encountered and no shipment was ever missed. When orders came to close the port, all units were moved out in 45 days - except for the few officers and men left to move property out and close operations.
  ATC at full strength in Bombay numbered nine officers and 45 men. ATC, 10th Weather Squadron and AACS personnel made up the 1308th AAF Base Unit. It shared the Sanat Cruz airport with the RAF and operated regular passenger and freight service to Karachi, Calcutta, Delhi and Agra.

POPULAR CAMP
  One of the most popular rest camps in the Theater was operated by ATC at the Deepak Mahal from June through December last year. One hundred seventy-five men, including officers, were flown here from other parts of the Theater each week for a seven day stay at Deepak.
  Beach parties, twice-a-week dancing on the terrace, tours of the city, breakfast in bed, enlisted men's and officer's bars, the best food obtainable and various sports facilities made a stay at the Deepak something for servicemen to talk about a long time. Eighty percent of the hotel space was taken by ATC personnel from other parts of the Theater, 10 percent for visiting Ground Forces men and 10 percent for permanent party men.
  Bob Shank smiled as he summed up the feeling of the Americans stationed here:
  "I've been stationed here for some time. Bombay is probably the most comfortable and best place to be located in India. But I'm always broke by the middle of the month no matter how much I try to save my money.
  "And regardless of all the fun we've had here, despite all the girls here and recreation available - I want to go home."


QUEEN AND HER HANDMAIDENS
Chosen as "Queen" of the 17th annual New York Press Photographers Ball, lovely Patricia Vaniver, 20 (right) will be attended by Betty Stuart, 23 (left) and Gloria Williams, 18.

 USAFI Branch In CBI Drew 49,838 Students

  Bookkeeping, Accounting, American History and Algebra - that's what the USAFI-minded men in this Theater like best.
  And the students are no small proportion of the GI's in the CBI either, for the branch office in Calcutta records that 49,838 men in India-Burma and China enrolled for courses between July, 1944 and December, 1945.
  At the end of last year 5,024 had successfully completed their courses. Less than five percent of the students ever failed.
  Because GI's returning home have little to do during the long days at sea, many have made use of the United States Armed Forces Institute offer in which one can take out a course before discharge and still be permitted to do work on it during the first nine months of civilian life. The appeal of such courses to men going home is shown by the number of enrollments during December - 5,191, as compared to 594 men who took out courses in July, 1944.
  July, 1944, was the month that two officers and nine enlisted men were sent out from USAFI headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin to establish the CBI branch of the "Army-Navy School with the world campus." Under it's commandant, Lt. Col. E. F. Gerold, Jr., the CBI branch staff went on field trips, used radio, advertised in Theater publications and cooperated with I&E sections in selling the educational and training benefits of USAFI.

ACCREDITATION SERVICE
  One of the functions of USAFI which isn't generally known is its Accreditation Service. This amounts to a military letter of educational and occupational recommendation whereby the USAFI headquarters, upon request, informs a designated educational institution or prospective employer just what a man has done in the Service that may be worth something in the way of credits toward school or job.
  To fulfill a physical education requirement in high school, for instance, USAFI describes how much basic training and drill a soldier had and then it is up to the school to see if this is a sufficient substitute. In the same way, training at an Army clerk's school can be submitted for credit in perhaps accounting or business administration or count as previous employment for a stenographic job.
  At least one high-ranking U.S. university allows 15 semester units credit just for going through OCS.

ARMY COLLEGES
  The Harvard and Yale of India turned out to be "Foxhole University" in Ledo and "NAABI" - the North Assam Arts and Business Institute - in Chabua. Nearly 1,000 men used to go to these two campuses and some who "lived" as far as 25 miles away would simply hop the "school bus" to and from the campus.
  Mechanical subjects were the most popular, but photography and typing also were in great demand. NAABI had the twin distinction of possessing a 14-man trigonometry class (and they stuck through it to the very end) and a fine arts course taught by a graduate of Howard University.
  A former University of Mexico instructor, stationed as a GI in Ledo, volunteered to teach Spanish classes at "Foxhole." When he arrived and found there were no texts, he wrote his own, had it approved by USAFI and preceded with the course. His classes were so popular that when orders came assigning him to another station they were rescinded to permit the continuance of the Spanish classes.



Base Section Plans Rodeo

  CALCUTTA - Ride 'Em, Cowboy!
  The shades of America's Old West will descend upon the I-B on February 16 and 17, it was announced last week by Special Service officials of Base Section.
  A rodeo will be held at the Special Services Riding Academy in Alipore, and GI's throughout the Theater are eligible to compete if they can get there, the announcement said.
  Officials said they expect the rodeo to be the largest ever held in the I-B and it will include a full program of "Wild West" events, including bareback mule riding, wild cow milking, steer riding, calf roping, saddle bronc riding and other similar activities.
  Also to be included in the two day program will be entertainment numbers by GI theatrical talent.
  Entry forms have been sent out to units in the Calcutta area. Any experienced rodeo rider or entertainer who wishes, may contact the Base Section Special Service Office and secure an entry blank.



The Roundup is a weekly newspaper of the United States Forces, published by and for the men in Burma and India, from news and pictures supplied by staff members, soldier correspondents, Army News Service, and United Press. The Roundup is published Thursday of each week and is printed by The Statesman in New Delhi and Calcutta, India. Editorial matter should be sent directly to T/Sgt. Charles Kellogg, Hq., U.S.F., I.B.T., APO 885, New York, N.Y., and should arrive not later than Saturday in order to be included in that week's issue. Pictures must arrive by Friday and must be negatives or enlargements. Stories should contain full name and organization of sender. Complaints about circulation should be sent directly to Capt. Drexel Nixon, Base Section, APO 465, New York, N.Y. Units on the mailing list should make notification of any major change in personnel strength or any change of APO.










JANUARY  31,  1946    

Original issue from the collection of C.B.I. Roundup Correspondent Al Sager, shared by CBI veteran Dave Dale.

Copyright © 2006 Carl Warren Weidenburner. All rights reserved.






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