Editor's note: The following refers to temporary duty performed by some 316th people during the Squadron organizational period.

This episode was really in two phases. One group of personnel accompanied the aircraft as they hedge-hopped across country, and the other that proceeded through to California. I didn't have much information on the "A" team, the one accompanying the aircraft, however, I believe if you contact Roy Roome he can pretty well fill in that picture. Actually, only about half of the squadron went; the rest remained at Norfolk. The "A" team was the smaller of the two teams and went with the P-40's to perform maintenance enroute. The "B" team, the larger team of support personnel, departed Norfolk, Va. in June, 1942 on American Airline DC-3's converted for freight. The seats had been removed, leaving only the lugs protruding from the aircraft floor, making it very uncomfortable for that long distance.

Our first stop was Memphis, Tenn., for fuel, thence to El Paso for more fuel and sandwiches, arriving very late at night; arriving at March Field early in the next morning. We started unloading the aircraft but was stopped as information was received that we were to proceed to San Francisco International Airport. At the same time we were told that we had been moved to San Francisco to counteract what was supposed to be a surprise move by the Japs of a bombing raid or sea shelling of San Francisco.

We were assigned bunks in the large hanger below the control tower area. We used this area jointly with personnel of the 83rd Fighter Bomber Squadron who had P-38 aircraft assigned and were transitioning into them. We had an outside mess tent, and were restricted to the base for the first month.

We flew quite a few sorties, however, we lost some planes and pilots. In one operation some aircraft ran out of fuel over the Pacific Ocean. Air Sea Rescue was notified but the team responded to the South Bay area, rather than out over the Coast, and pilots succumbed to exposure. On one occasion a P-40 engine cut out over the coast highway and the pilot bellied in across the highway. Also, during a day when I was stationed in the tower as a Communications Coordinator, a P-38 cart-wheeled into the base of the tower. The pilot was trapped in the cockpit and could not be rescued. The fire was put out before the hangar or tower was damaged to any great extent.

We of the "B" party departed California (Oakland) by troop train in Sept., 1942, about the same time as the "A" troops and aircraft left San Francisco International. Our first stop, I think, was Omaha, and then to Kansas City, where we changed trains and had about a half day of rest. Our next stop was Cincinnati, Ohio, where we had the first food eaten off the train. As we went into the Harvey House all the people stood and applauded. Although the people in California had treated us nicely, we had not seen THAT before. The next leg was via Norfolk & Western Railroad to Norfolk, and back to the cow barn.

The big news when we arrived was, "Get ready for overseas deployment." We were sent to Ft. Story for physicals, thence to Camp Kilmer, N.J., and then to Brooklyn and the USS West Point (formerly USS America). Next stop Rio, thence to Bombay, India and Camp Deolali for two weeks rest; and then via a British passenger ship "Dunera," stopping at Aden, then up the Red Sea to the Suez Canal area.

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