1943 — June 26, six USAAF Plane Crashes and Collisions, CA (2), FL (2), ME, SC — 16
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 5-7-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
Cameron, SC, 1M south of. USAAF Stearman PT-17 crash.
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 417.
~Fulton, CA. USAAF North American AT-6A wing failure 3M SE of Fulton.
— 2 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 417.
~Perry Field, FL. Two USAAF Republic P-47D planes collide midair 20 miles S of Perry Field.
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 417.
Presque Isle, ME. B-26 Bomber, buzzing relative’s farm, crashes, kills crew and field workers.
–9 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 417.
–9 Waterloo Sunday Courier, IA. “9 Killed When Plane Crashes in Potato Field.” 6-27-1943, 2.
~Tyndall Field, Panama City, FL. USAAF Taylor-craft L-2B crash 12M NE Panama City, FL
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 417.
War Eagle Field, Lancaster, CA. USAAF Vultee BT-13A crash 7M southeast of base.
— 2 Greely Daily Tribune, CO. “Former CDCE Student Dead in Plane Crash.” 6-28-1942, 1.
— 2 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 418.
Narrative Information
Cameron, SC:
Aviation Safety Network, ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 99350:
“Date: Saturday 26 June 1943
“Type: Boeing-Stearman PT-17
“Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
“Registration: 41-8343 ….
“Aircraft damage: Destroyed
“Location: Cameron, SC ….
“Nature: Military ….
“Narrative: Crashed.” (Cites aviationarchaelology.com.)
Mireles: “6-26-43C. Cameron, South Carolina. At 1040, a Stearman PT-17 crashed one mile north of Cameron, South Carolina, killing A/C James L. Cobb. The student was on an authorized acrobatic flight. The airplane was seen flying south approximately 30 feet over Highway 31, passing over an automobile. The driver of the automobile reported that the airplane’s bottom wing was at nearly the same level as the automobile’s roof and that the pilot waved with his left hand as he flew over. Still flying at an extremely low level, the pilot began to rock his wings and then attempted a climbing 180-degree turn to the right. As the airplane approached a north heading, it hung on its nose for a moment before it dove into the ground on the edge of a cotton field at an angle of 60 degrees. The airplane burst into flames within three minutes of hitting the ground.” (Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006, p. 417.)
Fulton, CA:
Mireles: “6-26-43B. Fulton, California. At 0721, a North American AT-6A suffered a catastrophic structural failure of the port wing and crashed three miles southeast of Fulton, California, killing pilots 2Lt. Joseph M. Osborn and 2Lt. Fonemor Saxton. The airplane had taken off from Santa Rosa Army Air Field, California, on a scheduled instrument navigation training flight. Witnesses on the ground stated that they had heard a loud report and looked up to see the airplane spinning to the ground in a nose clown attitude minus a wing.” (Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006, p. 417.)
The Press Democrat, 5-126-2023:
“Joseph N. Osborn Jr, 22.
“Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
“Date of accident: June 26, 1943
“Crash site: Alton and Fulton roads
“Airfield: Santa Rosa Army Airfield.”
“Fenimor B. Saxton, 19
“Hometown: Binghamton, N.Y.
“Date of accident: June 26, 1943
“Crash site: Alton and Fulton roads
“Airfield: Santa Rosa Army Airfield.”
(The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA. “Names of World War II airmen who died from Santa Rosa Army Airfield or who crashed in Sonoma County.” 5-26-2023.)
Perry Field, FL, 20 miles from:
Aviation Safety Network. “ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 115924”: Cites aviationarchaeology.com
“Date: Saturday 26 June 1943
“Type: Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
“Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
“Registration: 42-22380 ….
“Aircraft damage: Destroyed
“Location: 20 mi S Perry AAF, FL – USA….
“Narrative: Mid-air collision.”
Baugher: “Republic P-47D-2 RA Thunderbolt….22380 (MS 131). 441st FS, 338th FG, 3rd AF, Perry Field, FL; Mid air collision 26Jun43 with P-47D 42-22385 and crashed 20 miles S of Perry, Pilot killed.”
Mireles: “6-26-43E. Perry Field, Florida. At 1620 EWT, two Republic P-47D type airplanes collided in midair 20 miles south of the Army Air Field at Perry, Florida, killing 2Lt. Norman R. Messier aboard P-47D #42-22380. 1Lt. Weston M. Lennox escaped injury and was able to land heavily damaged P-47D #42-22385 at the field. The airplanes were on a scheduled ground strafing training mission. Lt. Lennox stated to investigators, “After having flown straight and level about 1,500 feet and approximately south for about 15 miles I started diving on a pier. As soon as I started my dive, I called Lt. Messier on the radio and told him that we would simulate an attack on the dock. After making a pass on the dock, I pulled up turning to the left and away from my wingman. While I was still in a steep bank and at about 1,500 feet, I looked back and to the left to check on Lt. Messier’s position. I saw his ship directly under mine. He was closing in so rapidly that I could not react before his ship hit my low wing. Lt. Messier’s ship was in a shallow turn to the left. He came from behind and inside of my turn, passed directly under my ship, and swept ahead of my ship and to the outside of my turn. I rolled out of my bank, glancing at my damaged left wing and checking aileron control; then I looked to the right to see what had happened to Lt. Messier’s plane. He was still in a shallow turn to the left and then straightened out in slight dive. By this time, I was slightly above, to the left and almost parallel to Lt. Messier’s ship. There was a large tear in the top of the fuselage of his ship just aft of the intercooler doors and the torn metal skin was hanging at the left side. I called for him to pull up several times; it appeared that he had no elevator control. I started to tell him to bail out but lie was very low. The ship clove into a wooded area.”” (Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006, p. 417-418.)
Presque Isle, Maine:
Mireles: “6-26-43A. Presque Isle, Maine. At 0815, a Martin B-26B crashed into a horse drawn wagon after striking the ground with its starboard wingtip nine miles NNE of Presque Isle, Maine, killing five crewmembers and four civilian farm hands working in a potato field near the wagon. The aircraft had taken off from the Army Air Base at Presque Isle on a flight to the European war zone.
“The pilot’s father-in-law, Carl Rasmussen, owned a farm near the airfield and the pilot had told friends and relatives that he was going to “fly over” after he took off from the base on his flight overseas. He buzzed the Rasmussen house twice at extremely low altitude. On the second pass, the pilot also buzzed two horse drawn wagons and a group of farm workers in a field nearby. The pilot attempted a climbing turn to the right. The starboard wing struck the ground 200 feet in front of the team of horses, wagons and five workers. The B-26 cartwheeled into the ground and exploded into flames, cutting down the horses, wagon and workers in its path. Wreckage of the B-26, the wagon and dismembered bodies of victims and horses were strewn over potato fields on the farms of Carl Rasmussen and O.B. Griffith.
“Army fliers killed in the crash were: 1Lt. Bertrand H. Robertson, pilot; 2Lt. Herbert F. Meyers, co-pilot; 1Lt. Edwin M. Hankinson, navigator; SSgt. William H. Jochim, engineer; TSgt. John M. Kuser, radio operator. Civilians killed were: Alfred Winter, 36; Alfred Winter, Jr., 9; Ann Therialt, 23; Eloise Newton, 18; all were from Caribou, Maine. Freeman Hitchcock, 48, Caribou, Maine, escaped with minor injuries when he lashed and drove a team of horses and a wagon into nearby woods when a collision seemed imminent.” (Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006, p. 417.)
June 27, INS: “Presque Isle, Me. – (INS) – Army authorities Saturday night were investigating the crash of a U. S. army plane, which killed nine men when it plowed into a farm. All five airmen aboard the ship were killed, officials at Presque Isle air base revealed. Four civilians working in a field also lost their lives when they were peppered with flying bits of wreckage. The dead included First Lt. Edwin M. Hankinson, of Morrice, Neb., and Staff Sergeant William J. Hochim, of Louisville, Neb.” (Waterloo Sunday Courier, IA. “9 Killed When Plane Crashes in Potato Field.” 6-27-1943, 2.)
~Tyndall Field, Panama City, FL
Mireles: “6-26-43D. Tyndall Field, Florida. At 1000 CWT, a Taylorcraft L-2B crashed 12 miles northeast of Tyndall Field, Panama City, Florida, killing passenger Cpl. Verne L. Sharp and seriously injuring pilot 2Lt. Herman B. Bray. The airplane wreckage was not found until 1100 on 6-28-43. Lt. Bray was found at about 1600, one mile northeast of the wreckage of the airplane, “wandering about in a dazed condition.”” (Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006, p. 417.)
June 29, Panama City News-Herald, FL: “The wreckage of a small Cub plane, flown bravely away from Tyndall Field by a crew of two men at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, not to be seen in flight again, was found yesterday afternoon near a swamp about 15 miles north of Tyndall Field. In the remains of the machine was the body of Corporal Vern Leroy Sharpe, evidently the victim of instant death.
“Apparently having wandered in a dazed condition, without food and practically unclothed, for at least 48 hours, Lieutenant Herman B. Bray was found by a searching party three hours after Corporal Sharp’s body was recovered.
“The remains of the plane were found by some youths who were walking through the woods, it was announced today by the Public Relations Office of the Army Air Forces Flexible Gunnery School. The boys reported their find to the Florida Forest and Park Service which immediately related the word to Sheriff John Scott in Panama City. Tyndall Field officials were promptly notified and organized a searching party.
“The wreckage was located about 200 yards to the left of a graded road about three and a half miles east of Alpress Dairy on Road No. 20, Sheriff Scott said today. The scene of the accident was near a swamp covered with oak and pine trees and an undergrowth of palmettos.
“Members of this group located the wallet of Lieut. Herman B. Bray about 70 yards from the wreckage. On the opposite side of the plane they discovered the officer’s flying sit. The searching party, augmented by volunteers, continued to traverse the area in an effort to find Lieutenant Bray. At about 4:45 p.m., three hours after the hunt began, they discovered the lieutenant wandering near a creek some distance from the site of the crash. He was taken to the Tyndall Field Hospital, apparently the victim of shock….” Panama City News-Herald, FL. “Flier Found Alive, Another Dead.” 6-29-2943, p. 1.
War Eagle Field, Lancaster, CA
Greely Daily Tribune: “News of the death of her brother, Robert Elliott Gilchrest, 25, civilian instructor for army air cadets, in an airplane crash near the Lancaster, Calif., air base at midnight Friday, was learned Saturday by Janet Gilchrist, evening chief operator for the telephone company here. Gilchrist, a former student at Colorado State College of Education, had been an instructor for aviation cadets since January, 1942. One of the trainees was with him in the plane at the time of the accident…the plane apparently exploded in mid-air and both crew and craft were completely demolished….” (Greely Daily Tribune, CO. “Former CDCE Student Dead in Plane Crash.” 6-28-1942, 1.)
Mireles: “6-26-43F. War Eagle Field, California. At 2335, a Vultee BT-13A dove into the ground seven miles southeast of War Eagle Field, Lancaster, California, killing civilian instructor Robert E. Gilchrist and student A/C Harry C. Mullens. Investigation revealed that the airplane dove into the ground from an almost vertical-position.” (Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006, p. 418.)
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 99350. Accessed 5-7-2024 at: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/99350
Aviation Safety Network. “ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 115924.” Accessed 5-7-2024 at: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/115924
Baugher, Joe. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-10960 to 42-30031). 9-8-2023 revision. Accessed 5-7-2024 at: https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1a.html
Greeley Daily Tribune, CO. “Former CDCE Student Dead in Plane Crash.” 6-28-1942, 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=52021388&sterm=army+plane+crash
Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.
Panama City News-Herald, FL. “Flier Found Alive, Another Dead.” 6-29-2943, p. 1. Accessed 5-7-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/panama-city-news-herald-jun-29-1943-p-1/
The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA. “Names of World War II airmen who died from Santa Rosa Army Airfield or who crashed in Sonoma County.” 5-26-2023.
Waterloo Sunday Courier, IA. “9 Killed When Plane Crashes in Potato Field.” 6-27-1943, p. 2. http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=87088880&sterm=plane+crash+me