At an exhibition on "Hump Action ", 84-year-old Leonard Lam saluted to the picture of General Claire Chenault, a hero of the US air force who made great contribution to China during the war against Japanese aggression.

"We should thank the US friends who helped us so much or we would not be able to ferry war materials to China," said Lam who was a ferry pilot of the "Hump Action".

In May 1942, Japanese troops overran Burma bordering on India, cutting off the last significant land routes that supplied the struggling armies in China.

China and the US then decided to transport war supplies by flights and there gave birth to the Hump route of 500 miles, involving the flying at an altitude between 4,500 and 5,500 over the Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains.

The large-scale photo exhibition on "Hump Action" was launched here Tuesday. It had been toured in the US for four times before coming to Hong Kong -- China's first stop. It was one of the highlight activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the victory of war against Japanese aggression in Hong Kong.

The exhibition was jointly organized by Education and Manpower Bureau of Hong Kong, the Preparatory Committee of 60th Anniversary of the Victory of Resistance War Against Japanese Aggression and some other organizations.

People participating in the opening ceremony of the exhibition included Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung, Commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Garrison Troops in Hong Kong Wang Jitang, Consul General of US in Hong Kong James B. Cunningham and some other guests.

Speaking at the activity, Cunningham said the example of heroic of American and Chinese airmen served as an example that if nations and individuals work together, they can change the course of history.

Pilot's boots, water bottles, helmets and pictures depicting views of the Hump route recalled the memories of members who joined the "Hump Action" during the war against Japanese invasion.

"I was responsible for transporting war supplies from India to Kunming. Because of the high altitude, I had to wear a mask for oxygen supply in the flight," Lam retrieved his memories of the days he flied through the Hump route.

Showing on the exhibition boards, one could learn that war materials were transported to Kunming, capital of China's Yunnan province, through the Hump route.

During the course of three years, the Hump flights transported more than 800,000 tons of war supplies to China. On average, there were over 100 air freighters flying over the Hump daily.

"This kind of activity is indeed very meaningful and I hope that more can be held in the future as they can arouse young people's attention to this episode of tough history of China," Lam expressed his hope before leaving the exhibition hall.

Source: Xinhua