OSS CBI Photobook 24 - Goals, Gear, Guns, and Goofballs

 At Field Base near Hsin-Hsiang, negotiations about cooperation seemingly completed, missions involving rail sabotage are in the planning and preparation stage. The Chinese volunteers and their OSS mentors continue with their training and now we see them packing up arms for airdrop.  That's Cyr standing in the middle of that empty wrapper; behind all the men, up those few steps, is a pile of black duffel sacks ready to be filled for the drop.

Hey I thought you guys were spooks. Aren't you supposed to be keeping a low profile?

These two irregulars are sure living up to the designation. EJZ at left, and Berent Friele at right, are both smoking cigars. Did they get this from Robichaud/Frenchie? I wonder. We see that captured Japanese sword again; the combat knife; the pistol in scabbard with the signature leather leg-tie thing; the boots close up; a new thing: those black gaiters, which we will see again later in this post. Pretty interesting for an Orchard Lake altar boy! Friele models the captured Japanese helmet with those long chin straps they had; a Puppet army shirt worn over his USA shirt; again the gaiters.

 

Here we have Cyr trying to camouflage himself with shades, beard, and Puppet army duds. Boris Chiu, next to him, is looking pretty serious. I would too. 

 

Our Chinese language consultant sees a few words in the partially-obscured wall poster behind Paul Cyr:

I can catch some of the words on the painted wall in your picture. I see smoothly...and straight-on...and treasure (noun or verb).    Thanks, K.

So it is wartime propaganda, perhaps the equivalent of Keep Calm and Carry On. 

 

 

 

Something is exploding or exploded. What?

 

Now I wonder if the guy at left is Zarembo, the West Pointer. His diary is all in a consistantly humorous tone - see MMB55 ff - so maybe he likes organizing skits as well. For this ID I have nothing more to go on than this inference on the basis of personality. Let's all stay on the lookout for more clues.

The man on the left has excessive thoracic kyphosis and a shortened right leg. He stands with his right foot on a brick so that his back will not hurt from asymmetrical strain. Mills explains in MMB Chapter 1 the hatred of the Chinese for Tojo's sadistic invaders. The locals would get together and build an airstrip for American planes in one day (MMB Chapter 3) or they would fight if they were lame. 

 

These guys are going over the plans for a mission. Cyr, with his experience from his previous deployment in occupied France, set the parameters for map-making; Dad/our EJZ drafted maps according to Cyr's specifications. (I have a sheaf of them and will start posting them once I get them figured out.) Third from left is Boris Chiu with cigar; fourth from left is Paul Cyr with pencil. I think those black things on the table are flashlights. The window curtain is a piece of parachute, such as we can see on the back dust jacket of the MMB book.