When Mr. Schafer was assigned to Manila and shortly after to Hongkong early in 1941, hardly more than a score of managerial personnel manned Pan American’s Pacific overseas sales force. Supporting personnel were largely locals. He managed Pan Am’s Hongkong office with a Chinese sales and traffic staff supplied by China National Aviation Corp. (CNAC), Pan Am’s subsidiary and general traffic agent for China.
Six months into his Hongkong assignment the Japanese laid siege to and overthrew the city. Mr. Schafer dispatched VIPs including the Kungs, gave up his seat on the last evacuation flight and wound up Pan Am’s affairs.
He then volunteered for the Hospital Transport Corps supervised by Dr. Selwyn-Clarke. With six fellow Americans, he spent the next six months as a truck driver, servicing hospitals and Stanley Internment Camp.
Upon repatriation in the first prisoner exchange, he returned to Pan Am and was assigned to the airline’s war effort.
In 1943-44, Mr. Schafer organized and taught the first course in “International Air Freight and Cargo Management” at the University of California Extension Division, San Francisco. In 1945, he researched, wrote and prepared for publication Pan Am’s first Orientation Manual for personnel assigned to 26 countries in the Pacific. On special assignment to China in 1946-47, he was assistant to the business manager of CNAC and flew all over China charged with bringing passenger service up to par for commercial peacetime operation.
In 1979 and 1982 he did research in Hongkong and renewed wartime friendships there before traveling on throughout China.
He worked on Clipper Hitch for more than forty years, finishing in 1985. We’re pleased to bring this important work to the public after another forty years.