G.I. Vagabond Journey Across India

“The Rail Trip From Ledo to karachi Was Made by the First CBIers Going Home After the War”

This uncommon pictorial map captures an important railway route through India during and immediately after World War II. The route from Ledo to Karachi is illustrated with stations, hospitals, and other stopping points, documenting the roughly 2,500-mile journey across the Indian subcontinent. Pictorial vignettes showcase some of the region’s hazards—jaguars, mosquitoes, high temperatures, and more – as well as its attractions, including women, distinctive architecture, and poppy fields.

The piece appears to have been issued after the war to commemorate an important route home for the “CBIers,” many of whom traveled by rail from Ledo to Karachi before embarking for the United States. Published by Joe F. Whitley of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and printed by the Calcutta Phototype Company. Undated, but the paper and printing suggest that this may be a later reissue, possibly dating to the 1960s or 1970s.