1944 — Oct 18, USAAF B24H disintegrates midair ~Birkenhead, Merseyside, England– 24
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-20-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
— 24 Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 29.
— 24 Schroeder, Colin. “USAAF Liberator Bomber number 42050347.” At: Oldwirral.com
— 24 Socrata, the Open Data Co. Airplane_Crashes_and_Fatalities_Since_1908(1).
Narrative Information
Gero: “…c. 15:40 Registration number 42-50347
“All 24 American servicemen aboard perished, including a crew of five, when the four-engine bomber crashed in the vicinity of Liverpool during a transatlantic flight.[1] Its passengers were all airmen returning to their base in New York. Proceeding through an area of squally weather conditions, with heavy rain, a broken overcast of 1,000ft (300m), a visibility of 8 miles (13km) and a westerly wind of around 30 knots, the aircraft suddenly disintegrated at an estimated height of 6,000ft (1,800m) after either an explosion or a catastrophic structural failure, the cause of which could not be determined. Investigation revealed no evidence of pre-impact fire or mechanical failure.” (Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 29.)
Schroeder: “At 3:40 pm on Wednesday 18th October, Merseyside’s worst air crash occurred at Landican on the outskirts of Birkenhead. A B24 Liberator disintegrated in mid-air, scattering wreckage across farmland and killing all 24 on board. The cause of the crash remained undetermined and is a mystery to this day.
“The aircraft serial numbered 42-50347, was a B24H built at Consolidated Aircraft’s Fort Worth Plant, Texas in 1942. Its individual aircraft letter code was “F” and it was assigned to the 703rd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group at Tibenham in Norfolk. It was evidently a veteran of many combat missions and was finished in the original olive drab with grey undersides, whereas most of its contemporaries were by now in natural metal finish. With 645 flying hours it was probable classified in the official terminology as ‘war weary’ and used for transport and other general duties.
On the fateful day, the aircraft was acting as a “taxi”, returning to Tibenham with the crews of three other B24s that had been ferried to Greencastle in Northern Ireland from Tibenham. Ralph Stimmel, who was the test pilot for the 445th Bomb Group, had flown the aircraft to Greencastle. He handed the aircraft to Captain William Driscall, as he was to pick up a new plane for the group. As test pilot, he flew every new aircraft first. The flight plan gave a flight
time of two hours with fuel for seven hours endurance. The flight was to be made at 2,000 feet crossing the coast at Rhyl 40 minutes after take off. The actual time of departure was 2.55 pm.
“The aircraft flew through squally weather with fairly low ceilings. …numerous witnesses had their attention drawn to the aircraft because they heard an explosion or an unusual sound from the engines, as they watched, the aircraft come apart in mid-air. The wreckage came down in Landican, mainly in two fields, known locally as “The Seven Oaks” farmed by Alexander
Duncan and “Top sheep field” farmed by Kirk Okell. The crash had brought down power lines blacking out Barnston.
“One of the first on the scene was Mr. J.R. Humphrey’s, who had been enjoying a cup of tea with his father. When he arrived at the crash site he found one young man Clesen H. Tenney still alive with his parachute partly open. Unfortunately, he died a few minute later. The bodies of the airmen were found in and around the aircraft wreckage. Some bodies had hit the ground with such force, that they were badly disfigured and left small craters. Surprisingly the pilot and co-pilot looked as if they were asleep in the cockpit with no marks on them….
“Eight bodies were found in the nose section and four in the main portion of the rear fuselage, the remainder being in the immediate vicinity of the fuselage, with two bodies found in a field some distance away. Inspector Noble of the Birkenhead Police stated that only two bodies had chutes on. It believed that the occupants were wearing harnesses but were not able attach the packs in time to jump, since the plane appeared to be flying about 1,000 feet….
“The bodies were taken to the US-Army’s 157th General hospital at Clatterbridge in a fleet of US and Civil Defence ambulances (this hospital had been taken over by the Americans in expectation of heavy Normandy invasion casualties which would have been flown direct from the battle front to Hooton Park). Eventually all bodies were buried with full military honours at the American military cemetery Madingley, Cambridgeshire. Today only four remain, the rest have been reburied in America.
“Major units of the aircraft were scattered over an area estimated to be half a mile in diameter, while small pieces of wreckage were scattered as far as three miles from the main wreckage… It was evident from the location of the wreckage and from the absence of skid marks that the aircraft had disintegrated before crashing. There was no evidence of fire in any portion of the wreckage except the wing centre section with the engines, which was consumed when the fuel tanks exploded. This section fell apart from the other wreckage Lack of burns on all the bodies indicates that there was no fire in the fuselage before the aircraft disintegrated.
“All the engineering and historical record of the aircraft was sent to the 3rd Strategic Air Depot, RAF Watton in Norfolk who specialized in B24 maintenance. Examination of these records did not disclose any mechanical defects, gas leaks, electrical troubles, or records of battle damage, which might indicate possible causes for an explosion or structural failure. Number 4
engine had just been changed and the pilot who slow-timed the engine reported it to be in excellent mechanical condition…
“During the accident investigation, the Station Weather Office at Burtonwood provided a weather report for 1500-1600 hours Double Summer Time in the Birkenhead area as follows:
“Polar trough passed through during the period with strong gusty winds and light continuous rain. Ceiling lowered to 800-1200 feet in rain with tops of cumulous above 10,000 feet, 8/10-10/10. Visibility was 4-8 miles lowering to 2 miles in
industrial areas. Freezing level was 4000-4500 feet with medium icing in cumulous above that elevation. The air was unstable and rough but no lightning was reported in the area during the period”.
The last remark does not accord with a mention in a contemporary Birkenhead News of two road menders sheltering from a thunderstorm in Landican Lane….
“Accident report eyewitnesses statements.
The USAAF Accident Report of the 11th November 1944, which ran to 18 pages contains a number of differing eyewitness accounts of the crash. One of the nearest to the crash was a lady who lived in Prenton Dell Road, half a mile to the east:
“About 3:45 pm I was in the upstairs back bedroom of my house, which looks out towards Landican. I heard an aeroplane making a zooming noise close by and saw an aeroplane flying at an ordinary height towards Storeton village. When the plane got into line almost between Storeton and Landican village it turned to the right very suddenly. I had the bedroom window open by this time, but I did not hear the sound of the engine. Almost immediately, I heard a noise similar to an engine back firing. At the same time, the plane seemed to hover in the air and immediately the wings fell apart from the plane together with numerous objects. The body of the plane at once fell flat to the ground and then there was a terrific explosion which sent up thick black clouds of smoke and flames”.
….
“Unofficial theories.
“Ralph Stimmel, who died in 1998, was the pilot on the outward leg. He had been very uneasy about this aircraft prior to going to Greencastle because of the strong gasoline odours. The leak was not found. He cautioned that nobody should even think of lighting a cigarette. He passed this warning to the pilot bringing the aircraft back to Tibenham. It would be difficulty in preventing 24 American airmen from smoking on a two-hour routine flight, especially when 19 of them were idle passengers! On reading, a copy of the Accident Report Ralph Stimmel commented. “That it confirms my belief that the plane exploded in flight. The item that bothers me most is the statement that the plane had no gas leaks. It most certainly did I am afraid that the investigating body put a bit of spin on the report”.
“The fuel leakage problem, or rather the indication of leakage due to the presence of gasoline odours, was well known on the Liberator. When Liberators was parked on the tarmac, the bomb doors were often left slightly open to allow fuel fumes to be dispersed. The fuel transfer system was mounted on the forward bulkhead of the bomb bay along with the air heating system and main electrical switchgear, which would occasionally spark. It was known that quite a few Liberators just disappeared or blew up in mid-air. It is suggested that some B24 groups of the 8th
Air Force actually disconnected the heating system completely due to doubts over the safety of this system. One experienced RAF Liberator pilot mentions that the smell of gasoline being so strong during a transatlantic ferry flight that he refused to allow the radio and radar to be switched on, although subsequently no fault was found.
“The evidence for a mid-air break-up is that the aircraft separated into the major assemblies joined together on the production line. The plan of wreckage distribution shows a linear distance in the direction of flight of about 1,800 feet, with the main components included nose and flight deck, fuselage to rear of the bomb bay at the end of the trial of wreckage, with parts of the vertical stabilizers found at the beginning of the trail. The engines and wing centre-section burned out.
“Present day. Doug Darroch never forgot the accident and was determined he would put up a memorial to the dead. Doug and his family organized a tribute. It is located at Junction 3 off the M53 Motorway on the North Cheshire Trading Estate, not far from the crash site. On this Estate, at the side of Brook Way is a two-ton granite stone, given free of charge by a North Wales quarry. In October 1996, Howard Mortimer organized the unveiling of the memorial by Mayor Myrra Lea and its dedication by Rev. Canon Alan Poulter Rural Dean of Birkenhead. It was witnessed by a small gathering, which included Lieutenant Colonel Patrick D. Mullan Assistant Air Attaché at the American Embassy and eyewitnesses of the crash. The inscription on the plaque reads: “In memory of the 24 American Servicemen of the U.S. Army Air Force who died when their aircraft exploded in mid air over these fields on 18 October 1944”.
“During 2001 a plaque was added listing all the names, plus that of 2nd Lieutenant Jay F. Simpson killed in a P-47 Thunderbolt that crashed on a test flight from Burtonwood on 9th October 1944 a few miles away at Saughall Massie. Simpson’s name was placed on the plaque in error from a list provided by the American authorities of American airman killed in October 1944, but it seemed appropriate to leave it in situ.
“To day there is still a large depression, where the major portion of the fuselage fell and small waterlogged pit, presumably where the wing section was dug out and which seems to have been diligently avoided by the farmer ever since. The cornfield has a large area of distinct coloring where the engines fell and burned.
“The true facts will never be known, but it is worth bearing in mind that the plane was flying southeast over Oxton when the first ‘explosion’ occurred, possibly a lightning strike, causing minor damage and throwing out small bits of wreckage. The pilot realizing that he was in trouble and, being over a built-up area, could have turned sharply right (south west) towards Storeton, Landican, and their open fields. Then, almost immediately the second massive explosion, probably a gas explosion, blew the plane apart with the result as graphically described. Had it crashed on a densely built-up area, with its large fuel load, the result could have been carnage. Thus, it could be that Captain William Driscoll may have saved many innocent residents of Bebington or Port Sunlight from a dreadful fate, just as schools were letting out.” (Schroeder, Colin. “USAAF Liberator Bomber number 42050347.” At: Oldwirral.com)
Sources
Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.
Schroeder, Colin. “USAAF Liberator Bomber number 42050347.” Accessed 3-16-2012 at: http://www.oldwirral.com/landican_bombercrash.html
Socrata, the Open Data Co. Airplane_Crashes_and_Fatalities_Since_1908(1). Accessed at: http://www.socrata.com/
[1] According to the lengthy Schroeder article this was a local taxi flight not a transcontinental flight.