HAN ZHAI CHEN (陈汉斋)
(1915 Suzhou City, Jiangsu - 2000)
(Radio Operator)
(July 1935 - 1949)

Do you know Han Zhai Chen? Received the following from Young Chi Tang (son of CNAC Co-Pilot C.H. Tang) December 23, 2021 Chen Hanzhai (1915 ~ 2000). He joined CNAC in July 1935 as a radio operator. In 1942, he joined the Hump operation as a radio operator (number of Hump flights unknown) On October 1, 1947, as a radio operator, he participated in the first flight of CNAC from China to the United States. On 11/9/1949, he joined the "defecting/uprising" as a radio operator in a C-46, code XT-172, (flown by by Capt. Jack Young). January 1, 2022 This is written by Jihui Chen about his father Hanzhai Chen: During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the country was besieged by Japanese troops on all sides and foreign aid materials could not be transported to the inland. Uncle Moon Chin opened up the CAAC hump route with many difficulties and dangers. My father strongly supported the war of resistance. When I was a child, I listened to my father Hanzhai Chen talk about his great accomplishments. Father: Hanzhai Chen was born on June 5, 1915, in Suzhou city, Jiangsu province. He graduated from Shanghai Nanyang Radio School. He passed away on October 29, 2000. Mother: Daoyuan Wang was born on October 3, 1913, Yichang City, Hubei province. She passed away on January 19, 1995. My parents’ wedding photo was taken in 1938. The photo of parents sitting on the sofa was taken in 1967. The photo of my father sitting was taken at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The rest of the photos were taken in the United States from 1948 to 1949. In 1948 China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) and Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) jointly opened up China-U.S. air routes. Hanzhai Chen was the radio operator for the maiden flight from China to the United States. Jihui Chen chen.jihui@yahoo.com Daoyuan Wang and Chen Hanzhai Wedding Day - 1938 The photo of my father (Chen Hanzhai) sitting was taken at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The rest of the photos were taken in the United States from 1948 to 1949. Chen Hanzhai Chen Hanzhai Chen Hanzhai Chen Hanzhai A photo of Hanzhai Chen wearing a flying uniform, taken on Midway island while flying to the United States, May 1949. Daoyuan and Chen Hanzhai - 1967 If you would like to share any information about Han Zhai Chen or would like to be added to the CNAC e-mail distribution list, please let the CNAC Web Editor, Tom Moore, know. Thanks!