1947 Army Advisory Group Plan or Map of Nanking / Nanjing, China

An extremely rare find, this 1947 Engineer Section Army Advisory Group plan or map of the U.S. residential section in Nanking (Nanjing), China references American efforts to bolster the wavering Chinese National Army after World War II. The map details the American residential area in Nanjing. Forty-six locations important to American soldiers, civilian personnel, and their families are listed along the left border and correspond to residences identified on the map. Other locations, such as the International Club, Nanking University, the Russian Embassy, and the Ku Lin Temple are also noted.

The American Advisory Group

The Army Advisory Group was one of a series of names assigned those Americans stationed in Nanking after World War II to advise the Nationalist Chinese forces. Per a finding aid generated by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas

The headquarters of U.S. forces in China was located at Nanking, the Nationalist capital. This headquarters was known as the Chinese Combat Command during the war, but was designated the Nanking Liaison Group in December 1945, the Nanking Headquarters Command in February 1946, the Army Advisory Group in October 1946, and the Joint United States Military Advisory Group in 1948.[…] The Military Advisory Group was withdrawn from Nanking in January 1949 when Communist forces began to threaten the area. They relocated to Tokyo, Japan, and suspended activities on March 3, 1949.

The Army Advisory Group trained Nationalist Chinese army officers and tried to reorganize the army itself. It also created plans for a series of training schools, but these schools never materialized.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the Engineer Section of the Army Advisory Group. We are aware of one other publication produced by the Engineer Section, a booklet for members of the group entitled Magic Welcome to China/ This is the only known example of this map.