A ten-man United States Army Air Forces crew stands and kneels before their twin-engine aircraft in a formal group portrait, a scene repeated at airbases throughout the China-Burma-India theater during the Second World War. The mix of leather A-2 flight jackets, garrison caps, and officer service dress reflects the informal camaraderie of combat air crews who flew demanding missions over Japanese-held territory and the treacherous 'Hump' route across the Himalayas. Photographs like this one, often taken before or after a mission or upon completion of a combat tour, served as keepsakes documenting the bonds formed among men who depended on one another for survival in the air. Project: 218089