|
Below are some recent letters that I have received regarding my MIA recovery expeditions:
<< Back to Correspondence Page
From: Jon & Ingrid Frank
To: Clayton Kuhles
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 2:57 PM
Subject: Lt Robert Tinsley
Dear Clayton:
Thank you for your email which I received this morning. Since the last time I wrote I had a chance to review Betty Clark's collection of letters from her late brother. There were also some other letters I found which I'll get to in a minute.
Betty and I are both thrilled that you believe you have a good idea where the crash site is. This is incredible news.
Over the past month I read over 100 letters from Bobby (2nd Lt. Tinsley). Although I learned just a little of what he was up to operationally (security and censorship were facts of life that he often mentioned) I did learn enough to get a good sense of the man. I followed him through three flight schools and then to India. From what I gathered from his letters his experience in flying the hump had him growing up fast. Although he was never involved in combat he made references that lead me to believe that he lost many friends. The flying was very tough. He describes the combination of the cold, heavy clothing, and having to breathe oxygen as extremely tiring. In another letter he talks about flying in winds over 100 miles per hour when traversing the Himalayas. I'm sure you know that the C-46 was not really equipped to fly safely in the weather conditions that hump pilots experienced. In one letter he is obviously feeling the strain when he says "All we have to think about Japs-weather-instruments -Zeroes." Then there is a letter in which he poignantly remarks " I'll never be able to paint a picture with words to equal what I've seen."
2nd Lt. Tinsley must have been very good at his job as he was promoted to the left seat and then shortly before his death he was sent to check pilots school. He described his job now (check pilot) as teaching co-pilots who were transitioning to the left seat pilot's position the fine points of instrument flying over the hump. I was not able to determine if he was acting as a check pilot when his plane went down.
Betty gave me permission to forward whatever I liked from her collection of correspondence. I have enclosed a copy of the last letter Bobby wrote to his sister Betty on September 15th 1944, two days before his death. I have also enclosed a text version because sometimes his handwriting is a little difficult to discern. Honestly, I found this very difficult to read because at this point he was really looking forward to returning to the states and being with his new wife and the rest of his family.
Now, as for those other letters. I found several in the pack from the War Department explaining that they knew the final location of 2nd Lt. Tinsley's plane and that because the location was unreachable for a rescue party, he was declared administratively dead. I have enclosed one of those letters. There were several from the War Department. Betty never mentioned this to me. She seemed so overwhelmed and surprised when I showed her a copy of the MACR. I honestly think her brother's death was so painful she totally pushed the letters from the War Department out of her mind. Even though she's in her nineties she is totally with it, so I know she didn't forget. In any case, I didn't have the heart to tell her about this. She is re-reading all of the letters now, and I think she'll figure it out in time. The idea that there could be some remains or artifacts from the crash site would comfort her immensely. She often talks to me about not knowing about her brother's remains. I've also enclosed a letter to Betty from Harrison Forman. You'll find this one interesting. Mr. Forman was a very well known adventurer in his day. He wrote books about Tibet and Afghanistan. His photographs are renowned as well. I believe he also appeared in National Geographic, and was the technical advisor on the movie "Lost Horizon." From what I gathered, Betty was not happy with the Army's response so she tried to ask Mr. Forman if he knew anything about the area where her brother's plane went down. His reply is attached. There was also a letter from Lowell Thomas, a very popular news commentator in the forties. Betty tried to interest him in mentioning all of the missing crews that disappeared over the hump. I didn't enclose that one
Clayton, you will be in all of our prayers as you set off on your next expedition. You are certainly doing important work that has been ignored for too long. Even though most of these men never faced combat, the conditions they were flying in were just as treacherous. The families of these men deserve to bring something home so that they can finally be at peace.
If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Jon Frank
Click to Go Back to the current Correspondence page Click to View More Letters and Correspondence (Dated 2004 - 2007) >>
These MIA recovery expeditions and this website have been almost entirely self-funded by Clayton Kuhles. No funding is received from the US government. If you believe this is a worthwhile humanitarian project that needs to be pursued, then please visit the Funding page on this website to see how easy it is to support this project in a meaningful manner. Thank you! |
