This story has been in the works four years.
Let me introduce you to Alice Aleta Winans.
We begin -- it's February 1952, in San Mateo, California.
Alice is working in a San Mateo firm owned by Anker Henningsen.
Mr. Henningsen had extensive holdings in Shanghai prior to the Japanese invasion.
He and his wife had suffered in a Japanese military prison in the Philippines during World War II. I'm not sure the circumstances surrounding how they were caught-up in Manila.
Mr. Henningsen had extensive holdings in Shanghai prior to the Japanese invasion.
He and his wife had suffered in a Japanese military prison in the Philippines during World War II. I'm not sure the circumstances surrounding how they were caught-up in Manila.
Following
their release from Japanese custody, they returned to the United States, where Mr Henningsen re-established the
firm's headquarters from Shanghai to Hong Kong, with satellite offices in Tokyo,
Taipei and San Mateo.
Alice begins telling her story, her writings....
At the time I was employed in the San Mateo office, I was single and my name was Alice Baillard.
Early
in 1952 I was asked to move to our Taipei office, "Taipei Trading
Corporation" to help in its organization and to work with the personnel
there.
I accepted the offer and thus began a wonderful adventure in my life.
Arrangements
were made, trunks were packed and soon, our Pan American Stratocruiser
lifted off from San Francisco and over the Pacific.
Notice how many
passengers this plane carried compared today’s aircraft.
It was all very comfortable and the luxurious
cocktail lounge below stairs, in the belly of the ship, provided an opportunity
to move about easily and meet and chat with other passengers while enjoying a
beverage of choice.
Our first stop
was Honolulu where I spent about 3 days in Waikiki meeting with and being
wonderfully entertained by company clients.
I was soon on
another Pan Am Stratocruiser headed for Tokyo. When we touched down on Wake Island for refueling I recall seeing the remains of a destroyed
aircraft, probably left over from the fighting that took place during World War
II.
On the flight
from Wake Island to Tokyo
I was invited into the cockpit of the aircraft where I could look out the
Plexiglas nose of the plane. I wasn’t aware of any sound of the engine, just
that It was indescribably awesome to
be soaring as if one were something free and apart from all else, seeing
nothing but ocean in every direction
After a long
flight we arrived in Tokyo. I stayed in a Hotel for a few days, meeting
other company personnel and their families.
My initial impression of the Far East,
was like nothing I had ever experienced before.
It was bitter cold and the noise of the city was deafening. The traffic was wild. Moving vehicles of all kinds weaving in and
out frantically, blowing horns nonstop, while the streets were crowded with
people scurrying along. Many were
dressed in native garb, cotton masks pulled over their lower faces, many
wearing awkward looking wooden clogs that gave off a staccato sound. Bombed out areas were all over….. one right
next to my hotel.
I left Tokyo the evening of February 23, 1952 on a Northwest
Airlines DC-4 heading for Taiwan. There were only a few passengers on the plane and we had a double
flight crew on board. About an hour or two out over the sea I noticed one of
the crew members peering out a front window with a big flashlight. Next, orders were issued to remove our shoes
and don our life jackets… we had lost one of the engines and were turning back
to Tokyo. The Asians on board didn’t seem overly
bothered. One of the crew members came
back and sat with me for awhile. It was black outside and I was terrified! Incidentally,
Northwest was known at that time for having a bad maintenance record.
We arrived back
in Tokyo and
they announced we’d be put on another plane.
Not for me!
They put me up somewhere close by the
airport, and I flew out the next morning on dear old CAT Airlines. We were loaded with passengers, many had
caged chickens or birds on their laps and anything else you could imagine.
We landed at Iwakuni Air Base, approximately 600 miles southwest of Tokyo. Our stop probably was for refueling and cargo but the passengers were more interested in finding the rest rooms. Forget that! The airport was like a huge dark dungeon and the line led only to a large sign “Latrine.” That was my introduction to the Far East co-ed bathroom!
CAT C-46 Passenger Aircraft - Used with Permission |
We landed at Iwakuni Air Base, approximately 600 miles southwest of Tokyo. Our stop probably was for refueling and cargo but the passengers were more interested in finding the rest rooms. Forget that! The airport was like a huge dark dungeon and the line led only to a large sign “Latrine.” That was my introduction to the Far East co-ed bathroom!
We soon departed Iwakuni. The flight was great and I have sung the
praises of CAT
ever since.
Flying into Taiwan over the beautiful rice paddies on our
approach to Taipei
was thrilling. The beautiful contours of the terraced landscape stretched below,
and the rich green colors of the growing rice, and the mountains were
breathtaking. The Tamsui River
could be seen beyond.
My memory of the excitement surrounding the landing, passing through customs, meeting and greeting new people and being shown to my residence is something of a blur at this point."
Alice has made her way to Taipei. What a trip she experienced....
In our next post, we'll explore her new home and office in Taipei.
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