Airborne Special Missions Section - Baker Section - AVIARY overview.

Early Agent drops, December 1950 - February 1951. Guerrilla and Sabotage Team Drops March 1951 - May 1953. Guerrilla Warfare and Airpower in Korea 1950-53 Project NO. AU-411-62-ASI

Partisan operational jumps 15 March 1951 - 19 May 1953. Guerrilla Warfare and Airpower in Korea 1950-53 Project NO. AU-411-62-ASI

Baker Section shortly before the Spitfire mission, June 1951. From left to right: SGT C.H. Lane, unidentified, SGT William Miles, LT David Hearn, LT Leo Samuel Adams- Acton, SGT Charles Garrett. The drop zone selected was a mountainous bowl approximately five miles south of Karyoju-ri, a small North Korean town at the headwaters of the Imjin River.

1LT Douglas Dillard, the leader of AVIARY on a clandestine mission over North Korea, February 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

2LT Emory Albritton exiting the aircraft over the Han River sandbar, August 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

Byon Youn Duk, Korean AVIARY instructor, exiting the aircraft over the Han River sandbar, August 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

Byon Youn Duk, Korean AVIARY instructor, under canopy on the Han River sandbar, August 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

Korean partisan stands in the door for a training jump with SFC Vincent "Vic" Romano performing duties of the Jumpmaster. SFC Vic Romano served with the 4th Airborne Ranger Infantry Company prior to his assignment with AVIARY.

MAJ Austin, S2, CCRAK, stands in the door, with Jumpmaster 1LT Douglas Dillard, Han River sandbar drop, August 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

COL Alexander, Commanding Officer, FECLD (K), stands in the door, with Jumpmaster 1LT Douglas Dillard,. Han River sandbar drop, August 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

1LT Dillard and COL Alexander, CO FECLED (K) getting rigged up to jump the Han River sandbar, August 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

COL Lee, Korean Liaison Officer, assisted by Korean AVIARY instructors before his first parachute jump on the Han River Sandbar August 1952.

1LT Dillard briefing COL Alexander and LTC Vanderpool on their first parachute jump on the the Han River Sandbar, August 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

COL Lee, Korean Liaison Officer, COL Alexander, CO FECLD(K) and LTC Vanderpool, Chief, Guerrilla Division FECLD making a parachute jump on the Han River sandbar. Courtesy of Les Hughes

Korean interpreters/instructors on the Han River sandbar drop zone after an AVIARY training jump, March 1952. This image was scanned from a 35-mm negative. Courtesy of Les Hughes.

1LT Douglas Dillard, the leader of AVIARY, with C-47 used for clandestine missions over North Korea. Photograph taken at landing strip, Yo Do Island, North Korea.

Landing Strip Yo Do Island, off the west coast of North Korea. Partisan Base with short landing strip. AVIARY made resupply drops when landings were not possible.

Korean made AVIARY patch. This is the only known example of this patch.

CPL George Tatarakis posthumously awarded Air Medal and Purple Heart.

SGT Tatarakis served with Aviary as a Jumpmaster.

The inscription for SGT George G Tatarakis located on the Korean War memorial wall at the Punchbowl - The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

SFC Ken Jolemore and SGT Ralph Palmer Jumpmasters assigned to AVIARY sitting on a modified bomb bay jump platform of a B-26 bomber.

AVAIRY Jump Master with rigged up partisans at K-16

Unknown Korean female partisan aboard a C 46 aircraft. Courtesy of Les Hughes

Small landing strip on Yo-do, guerrilla base off the east coast of North Korea. AVIARY made resupply drops when landings were not possible. Courtesy of Les Hughes

Baker Section

Partisan Jump Training, conducting actions in the aircraft.

North Korean guerrillas conducting suspended harness parachute training.

Partisan Jump Training, conducting proper door position and existing the aircraft.

Partisan Jump Training, conducting the proper way to exit the aircraft.

Partisan Jump Training, conducting parachute Landing Fall - PLF training.

Partisan Jump Training, conducting actions in the air under canopy.

A partisan exits the 34 foot tower. Notice the Airborne Infantry Badge and US Parachutist Wing on the side of the tower.

Pre Jump training - partisans practice actions in the air and prepare to land.

Pre Jump training - partisans practice parachute landing falls.

Dillard joined the Army when he was 16 in 1942 and was assigned to the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion participating in Operation Dragoon - The Combat Jump into Southern France and the Battle of the Bulge. During the Korean War Dillard was in charge of AVIARY - Airborne operations element that trained and dropped agents and partisans behind the lines in North Korea. He wrote two books on the subject - Operation AVIARY and Tiger Hunters.

Unit Overview

Japanese machine embroidered Mustang Raider patch attributed to MSG Charles Lamb.

Japanese machine embroidered Mustang Raider patch.

The picture shows MSG Lamb enjoying some down time. Notice the You can clearly see the Mustang Raider patch sewn to his swim trunks.

MSG Lamb enjoying some down time. You can clearly see the Mustang Raider patch sewn to his swim trunks.

MSG Charles Lamb goofing around in the door of an aircraft mockup. This mockup was used in pre jump training to teach the Partisans actions in the aircraft and proper door position before existing the aircraft. Lamb is wearing a captured Chinese PVA summer cap and jacket.

Headquarters, 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment, Seoul

Major Phillip Vetrone Commanding Officer 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment and 1st PAIR Partisans. Notice that they all wear the UNPIK Airborne Infantry Badge. Standing left to right is Kim Myong Sik, Ching Hyun Kyo, Major Vetrone and Kim Su Mon. Kneeling left to right is Kim Nam Sik and Koo Dal Song.

UNPIK Signal badge attributed to MAJ Philip Vetrone. MAJ Vetrone served as the Commanding Officer of the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment.

UNPIK Signal badge attributed to CPL Bob Menton. Courtesy of Stephen Cheng Mao Shiao

A great colored photo of 1st LT William C Shaw - 1 Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment in parachute harness with a Thompson Sub Machine Gun. The 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment was located in Seoul.

A theater made jacket that was unique to the 8240th AU. These jackets were primarily worn by American paratroopers advisors assigned to the 8240th AU as well as senior Guerrilla Commanders. They were locally made in Seoul and on several islands.

A theater made jacket that was unique to the 8240th AU. These jackets were primarily worn by American paratroopers advisors assigned to the 8240th AU as well as senior Guerrilla Commanders. They were locally made in Seoul and on several islands.

Original photo of SFC George Yosich wearing the theatre made jacket that was unique to the 8240th AU.

Original polaroid picture of SFC George Yosich wearing the Master Parachutist Wing and Airborne Infantry Badge on his pile cap. The jacket that SFC Yosich is wearing were primarily worn by American Paratroopers assigned to the 8240th AU as well as senior Guerrilla Commanders. They were locally made in Seoul and on several islands and are unique to the United Nations Partisan Forces Korea.

LT William Martin, LT David Loeffler, MSG Garcia and SFC Spears. Notice the Airborne Infantry badge on SFC Spears hat.

SFC Herchel "Hog" Johnson and partisans of the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment getting ready to Jump at K16, South Korea. Notice that he is not wearing a M-1C Jump Helmet. SFC Johnson said they jumped without helmets because their agents didn't wear them. Agents learned to tuck their head tight on their chest to avoid a HEADACHE during landing.

Unknown US Advisor with some partisans of the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment getting ready for a jump - 1953.

MSG Celestino Garcia, SGT Wade Saunders, SFC Herchel "Hog" Johnson and Partisans of the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment getting ready for a jump. SGT Wade Saunders was one of the original 99 NCO's and Officers of the 10th Special Forces Group assigned to the 8240th AU. He was part of the 3rd Shipment, 30 March 1953.

Wade Saunders, Lewis Kirchener, Unknown and some partisans getting ready for a jump, 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment, 1953. Notice the Airborne Infantry badge and Jump Wing on Lewis Kirchener's uniform.

SGT Wade Saunders and two partisans of the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment chuting up for a jump.

Partisans of the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment getting ready to conduct suspended harness training.

LTC Glenn Muggelberg, LTC Perry, GEN Kim and COL Koh at 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment Seoul. Courtesy of LTC Glenn Muggelberg collection, USAHEC.

Insignia and paper group attributed to CPT Shrable Williams. CPT Shrable Williams made 4 Combat Jumps as a Pathfinder in the 506th PIR 101st Airborne Division during WWII - Normandy, Holland, the Pathfinder resupply jump at Bastogne (the famous brick pile photo), then made a 4th combat jump into Prum Germany in spring, 1945. This was again a Pathfinder jump, to signal an Airborne gasoline resupply for the 4th Armored Division. He was assigned to the 1st PAIR during the Korean War.

CPT Shrable Williams dog tag. CPT Shrable Williams made 4 Combat Jumps as a Pathfinder in the 506th PIR 101st Airborne Division during WWII - Normandy, Holland, the Pathfinder resupply jump at Bastogne (the famous brick pile photo), then made a 4th combat jump into Prum Germany in spring, 1945. This was again a Pathfinder jump, to signal an Airborne gasoline resupply for the 4th Armored Division. He was assigned to the 1st PAIR during the Korean War.

CPT Shrable Williams Korean machine embroidered nametape. CPT Shrable Williams made 4 Combat Jumps as a Pathfinder in the 506th PIR 101st Airborne Division during WWII - Normandy, Holland, the Pathfinder resupply jump at Bastogne (the famous brick pile photo), then made a 4th combat jump into Prum Germany in spring, 1945. This was again a Pathfinder jump, to signal an Airborne gasoline resupply for the 4th Armored Division. He was assigned to the 1st PAIR during the Korean War.

Moon Phase Chart for May 1953. The moon phase chart shows the phase of the moon, the hours at which it rose and the hours of sunrise and sunset. The Moon phase was very important in Korea and these charts were used by Baker Section and AVIARY for planning.

Moon Phase Chart for June 1953. The moon phase chart shows the phase of the moon, the hours at which it rose and the hours of sunrise and sunset. The Moon phase was very important in Korea and these charts were used by Baker Section and AVIARY for planning.

SFC Joe Phipps served with the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment.

Unknown partisan of the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment after a training jump.

Lt David W Loeffler, unknown and CPT Howard E. Miller. CPT Miller served with the 8240th AU assigned to the 1st Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment. Miller was a Sergeant who served with the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team during WWII and made the combat jump with the 517th in Southern France, 8240th AU during the Korean War and 10th Special Forces Group after the Korean War and retired as a Major.

In this photo, taken in 1953, you see a variety of clothing being worn by 8240th AU Troopers including a pair of rigger modified M43 jump trousers, added sleeve pocket, Swing cap and a jacket that was unique to the United Nations Partisan Forces Korea.

8240 worked with the Royal Air Force 1913 Independent Light Liaison Flight, which was was manned by Glider Pilot Regiment pilots and ground crews. 8240 wanted to see how suitable an Auster 6 could be as a parachutist's platform. A number of drops were made on the north bank of the Han River. Royal Air Force 1913 Independent Light Liaison Flight were based on an airstrip called "Fort George" on the southern bank of the Imjin river. Courtesy of the 656 Squadron Association.

A US 8240 advisor practicing exiting the aircraft on a ROM AUSTER VF516. Notice the UNPIK Airborne Infantry Badge on his pile cap. The pilot is 1913 FLIGHT’S ‘Red’ Meaton. Courtesy of the 656 Squadron Association.

8240 worked with the Royal Air Force 1913 Independent Light Liaison Flight, which was was manned by Glider Pilot Regiment pilots and ground crews. 8240 wanted to see how suitable an Auster 6 could be as a parachutist's platform. A number of drops were made on the north bank of the Han River. Royal Air Force 1913 Independent Light Liaison Flight were based on an airstrip called "Fort George" on the southern bank of the Imjin river. Courtesy of the 656 Squadron Association.

8240 worked with the Royal Air Force 1913 Independent Light Liaison Flight, which was was manned by Glider Pilot Regiment pilots and ground crews. 8240 wanted to see how suitable an Auster 6 could be as a parachutist's platform. A number of drops were made on the north bank of the Han River. Royal Air Force 1913 Independent Light Liaison Flight were based on an airstrip called "Fort George" on the southern bank of the Imjin river. Courtesy of the 656 Squadron Association.