1942 — April 3, seven USAAF Planes Crash: ID, LA, NC, RI, SC/2, TX — 20
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 6-23-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
— 20 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
–8 B-17E breakup and crash 6M north of Strevell, ID, all killed.
–1 B-25C takeoff crash, Barksdale Field, Shreveport, LA.
–1 P-40E hits ground maneuvering at high speed at night 6M N Elizibeth City, NC
–5 B-25A port engine malfunction shortly after takeoff, West Greenwich, RI
–3 A-20A crash after takeoff, Columbia Air Base, Columbia, SC–all killed.
–1 two BT-15s collide in 3-ship formation 10M NNE of Shaw Field, Sumter, SC
–1 AT-6B dove into Espiritu Santo Bay, TX, failed to recover from intentional dive.
Narrative Information
Bridge and Strevell vicinity, ID. USAAF Boeing B-17E breakup and crash, 8:55 p.m.
— 8 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
— 8 Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Army Finds Eighth Body in Idaho Bomber Crash.” 4-6-1942, p. 15
Barksdale Field, Shreveport, LA. USAAF North American B-25C takeoff crash, 3:15 p.m.
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
Elizabeth City vicinity, NC. USAAF Curtis P-40E Crash, 8:40 p.m.
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
West Greenwich, RI. Plane Crash, USAAF North American B-25A, 6:30 a.m.
— 5 Albuquerque Journal, NM. “Five Army Airmen Killed in Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1.
— 5 Baugher. “1940 USAAC Serial Numbers. 12-11-2011 revision
— 5 Fitchburg Sentinel, MA. “Five Killed in Bomber Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1.
— 5 Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. “13 Army Fliers Killed in Four Crashes.” 4-3-1942, p. 1.
— 5 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
— 5 Lowell Sun, MA. “Inquiry into Crash Which Killed Five.” 4-4-1942, 1.
— 5 Mansfield News Journal, OH. “5 Die as Army Bomber Falls, Starting Blaze.” 4-3-1942, 1.
Lexington Airfield, ~Columbia, SC. USAAF Douglas A-20A Crash after takeoff, 9:00 a.m.
— 3 Charleston Gazette, WV. “Series of Plane Smashups Probed.” 4-4-1942, p. 4.
— 3 Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. “13 Army Fliers Killed in Four Crashes.” 4-3-1942, 1 and 8.
— 3 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
— 3 Montana Standard, Butte. “Three Flyers Killed.” 4-4-1942, 2.
Shaw Field vicinity, ~Sumter, SC. Two USAAF Vultee BT-15 planes collide midair, 8:50 a.m.
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
— 1 Kingsport Times, TN. “Aviation Cadet is Killed in Shaw Field Accident.” 4-5-1942, p. 8.
Espiritu Santo Bay, TX. USAAF North American AT-6B plane crash, 1:30 p.m.
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.
— 1 Lubbock Morning Avalanche, TX. “Killed in Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1.
— 1 Mansfield News Journal, OH. “Cadet Killed.” 4-4-1942, 1.
Narrative Information
- West Greenwich, RI, Plane Crash, USAAF North American B-25A, 6:30 a.m.
Baugher: “North American B-25A Mitchell… 2193 crashed in West Greenwich, RI Apr 3, 1942, killing all 5 onboard.” (Baugher. “1940 USAAC Serial Numbers. 12-11-2011 revision.”)
Mireles, p. 67: “4-3-42A. West Greenwich, Rhode Island. At about 0630, a North American B-25A crashed at West Greenwich, Rhode Island, killing the crew of five. The airplane slammed into the ground after its port engine malfunctioned shortly after take-off on a submarine patrol mission from Westover Field, Chicopee, Massachusetts.
“Investigators speculated that the port engine had either failed or quit completely causing the pilot to return to Westover Field. The pilot did not deem the situation serious enough to jettison the depth charges the airplane was carrying. On the way back to the field the starboard engine apparently quit, forcing the pilot to execute a steep descending glide to a clearing for an attempted crash landing. The pilot was able to maintain flying speed and make it to the clearing, but when he attempted to flare for the landing he stalled the airplane and it mushed into the ground in a near flying attitude. The aircraft was consumed by fire, which detonated the depth charges…” (Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, 67.)
Newspapers
April 3, Associated Press: “West Greenwich, R.I., April 3 – (AP) – An army medium bomber, crashed into the woodlands here today and exploded, killing all five occupants, two officers and three enlisted men, the first corps area announced. The plane was on a routine flight and a craft of that type was overdue at Westover Field, Chicopee, Mass., the announcement added.
“Residents reported that they found two bodies but could not get close to the plane, because of terrific heat and dense smoke. A roaring forest fire was put out by the early arrivals. The explosion tore a crater 15 rods in diameter.
“Fritz Palmborg said the plane came down a half mile from his house and that he heard “three or
four small explosions” just before it struck the ground. Earl Harrington and his two sons, Donald and Bernard, among the first on the scene, said they started running toward the spot as the plane came down but were knocked flat by the concussion of the explosion. They were showered with falling wreckage. They said they found the bodies some distance apart. Near one body, Harrington added, was an unopened parachute….
“Military Intelligence at Mitchel Field on Long Island Identified the victims as:
Second Lieut. George L. Dover, 24, pilot…Shelby, N. C.
Second Lieut. N. W. Frame, 24, co-pilot, Porterville, Calif.
Staff Sergeant R. H. Trammel, 31, radio operator, Brunswick, Ga.
Pvt. H. R. Meredith, 21, bombardier, Memphis, Tenn.
Pvt. T. J. Rush, 27, gunner, a resident, Philadelphia.
“All witnesses agreed that the plane was flying low shortly before it came down. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fleck, who live two miles from the scene, asserted they heard the motors sputtering a few moments before the explosion.
“The Harrington’s reported, further, that they found a single motor some distance from the burning debris and shreds of wreckage of what appeared to them to be a tail assembly and fuselage.” (Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. “13 Army Fliers Killed in Four Crashes.” 4-3-1942, 1.)
April 3, International News Service: “West Greenwich, R.I., April 3 (INS) – Five Army airmen were killed Friday when a light Army bombing plane exploded and crashed in a West Greenwich wood. Killed were:
Second Lieut. George L. Dover, 25, the pilot, Shelby, N. C.;
Second Lieut. N. W. Frame, 24, co-pilot, Portersville, Cal.;
Staff Sgt. R. H. Trammel, 25, radio operator, Brunswick, Ga.;
Pvt. R. R. Meredith, 21, bombardier, Memphis, Tenn., and
Pvt. P. J. Rush, 27, gunner, Philadelphia, Pa.
“Pending completion of the Army’s investigation, officials said the plane apparently developed
motor trouble which set fire to its engines and ignited the gasoline tanks.” (Albuquerque Journal, NM. “Five Army Airmen Killed in Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1.)
April 3, International News Service: “West Greenwich, R.I. (INS) — With a roar that shook the countryside for miles around, a light army bombing plane exploded over Hopkins Hill and crashed today causing the deaths of five army airmen — two officers and three enlisted men.
“Blazing wreckage was scattered over an area of 200 yards, parts of the plane clinging to trees, and starting a woodland fire which burned over 150 acres before it was brought under control by firemen, led by Fire Chief John Potter.
“Two bodies were removed from the main section of the wreckage and taken to the funeral home of Frank R. Gorton in Coventry.
“Two truckloads of soldiers from Rhode Island army post were rushed to the scene and assisted state police and firemen.
“The bomber of the V-25 or 18 class was seen by farmers as it passed over the Pawtuxet valley. Suddenly in a remote section of Rhode Island, on the Exeter-West Greenwich town line, near the
Connecticut-Rhode Island border, the explosion occurred. It was heard even as far south as Wickford and Narragansett bay. In the flash that shattered the plane, parts of the bomber were scattered over a wide area in the woodland section.
“Army authorities said that the plane came from the Hillsgrove airfield, recently taken over by the army. It had gone 16 miles when apparently it suddenly developed motor trouble and plunged into the woodlands two miles off Victory highway.
“The plunge was accompanied by a deafening explosion, apparently, officials said, caused by the explosion of bombs in a rack. A farmer heard the blast and called state police. To reach the scene it was necessary to travel more than a mile on an unused road and gen go half a mile along a footpath.” (Mansfield News Journal, OH. “5 Die as Army Bomber Falls, Starting Blaze.” 4-3-1942, p. 1.)
April 4, International News Service: “West Greenwich, R.I., April 4 (INS) – A five man board of officers from Westover field, Chicopee, Mass., today opens an investigation into the crash and explosion on Hopkins hill of an army medium bomber with the loss of five lives…” (Lowell Sun, MA. “Inquiry into Crash Which Killed Five.” 4-4-1942, 1.)
- Shaw Field vicinity, ~Sumter, SC, 2 Vultee BT-15 planes collide in midair, 8:50 am
Mireles, pp. 67-68: “4-3-42B, Shaw Field, South Carolina. At 0850, two Vultee BT-15 airplanes collided while in a three-ship formation 10 miles NNE of Shaw Field, Sumter, killing A/C Glen Hedges aboard BT-15 #41-10235. A/C Hugh J. Haslett landed badly damaged BT-15 #41-10298 safely at Shaw Field. Investigators stated that the accident was a result of the two students getting out of position, and then closing into position on the leader too rapidly… Hedges attempted to parachute to safety but fouled his parachute on the ship when he opened it prematurely. It was later determined that A/C Hedges was struck across the back just below the shoulder blades by part of the aircraft before he plummeted to the ground in the damaged parachute. He died at 1935 at Tuomey Hospital, Sumter, South Carolina.” (Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.)
April 5, Associated Press: “Bowling Green, Ky. – AP – Aviation Cadet Glenn E. Hedges, 26, of Lincoln, Neb., was fatally injured yesterday in a plane crash at Shaw Field, Sumter, S. C. He formerly was employed in Bowling Green and Glasgow and was engaged to be married this summer to Miss Francis Knight….” (Kingsport Times, TN. “Aviation Cadet is Killed in Shaw Field Accident.” 4-5-42, 8)
- Lexington AB, ~Columbia, SC, USAAF A-20A Plane Crash after takeoff, 9 a.m.
Mireles, p. 67-68: “4-3-42C. Columbia, South Carolina. At 0900, a Douglas A-20A crashed shortly after take-off from Columbia Army Air Base, Columbia, South Carolina, killing the crew of three. The port engine had been problematic on previous flights and is thought to have failed, forcing the pilot to return to the field shortly after take-off. Capt. M. P. Howard witnessed the crash and later stated to the Accident Classification Committee,
He was taking off on the southwest runway and when about 1,500 feet above the ground I thought he was going to do a chandelle off the field. I later noticed that he seemed to be in trouble and that his left wing seemed to dip and carried him over the rise of the ground where he disappeared from view and it looked from where I was standing that he would crash but just a few seconds later, after making a 90-degree turn, he came over the rise and cleared the trees. The left wing was still low and I noticed at this time that his landing gear was still down. It seemed that he leveled off and I thought for a minute that he would probably make the field. Then his left wing again dipped and forced him immediately to the ground. It seemed to me at one time when he was leveling out both motors were working and that he had momentarily gained control of his ship but just as he was ready to level off to approach the field either his left motor gave out or he lost control of his ship, forcing him to make a steep turn to the left, then crashing to the ground, the ship immediately burst into flames…
April 3, International News Service: “Columbia, S.C., April 3. – (INS) – Army authorities tonight were investigating the cause of an army air corps plane crash which cost the lives of three fliers during a takeoff from the Lexington air base near here. The fliers were identified as
2nd Lt. G. F. Hayman, Jr., said to have been the pilot;
1st Lt. A. C. Darden, and
Sgt. C. B. Fisher, all based at Savannah, Ga.
“The plane is said to have burst into flames, trapping the men inside.” (Charleston Gazette, WV. “Series of Plane Smashups Probed.” 4-4-1942, p. 4.)
April 3, Associated Press: “Columbia, S.C., April 3. – (AP) – Three occupants of an army plane were killed today when the plane crashed at the Lexington airport, five miles southeast of here. The plane crashed and burned shortly after it had taken off for a return flight to Augusta, Ga., about 9 a. m….” (Evening Independent, Massillon, OH. “Three Perish in Crash of Plane.” 4-3-1942, p8.)
April 3, Associated Press: “Columbia, S.C., April 3. – (AP) — Three occupants of an army plane were killed today when their plane crashed at the Lexington airport, about five miles southwest of here. Public Relations officers at the field said the plane was piloted by 2nd Lieutenant G. P. Hayman Jr., with 1st Lieut. A. C. Darden and Sgt. C. D. Fischer as copilot and mechanic. They were killed instantly. The plane crashed and burned shortly after it had taken off on a return flight to Augusta, Ga., about 9 a. m.
“The three Air Corp members had arrived here earlier this morning from Augusta where they were stationed. Col. W, B. Mayer, base commander, said there was no indication of what caused the crash but a board of officers has been named to investigate.
“The crash was the first fatal accident at the new army airport.
“Authorities at the men’s Augusta base said Hayman was from Tampa, Fla., Darden from Franklin, Va,. and Fischer from Little Rock, Ark.” (Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. “13 Army Fliers Killed in Four Crashes.” 4-3-1942, pp. 1 and 8.)
April 3, United Press: “Columbia, S.C., April 3. – (UP) Three Army flyers were killed Friday [April 3] when their plane crashed shortly after leaving the airport here for Augusta, Ga., their base. The flyers were identified as Second Lieut. G. F. Hayman, Jr., of Tampa, Fla.; 1st Lieut. A. C. Darden of Franklin, Va.. and Sgt. C. D. Fisher, Little Rock, Ark.” (Montana Standard, Butte. “Three Flyers Killed.” 4-4-1942, 2.)
- Espiritu Santo Bay, TX, USAAF North American AT-6B plane crash, 1:30 p.m.
Mireles: “4-3-42D, Espirito Santo Bay, Texas. At 1350, a North American AT-6B dove into Espiritu Santo Bay, Texas, after failing to recover from a simulated diving attack on a small boat… A/C George M. Duvall was killed in the crash…” (p.68)
April 3, Associated Press: “Victoria, April 3 (AP) – Flying Cadet. George M. Duvall, 24, Columbus, Ohio, was killed today in the crash of the pursuit training plane he was piloting into Matagorda bay.”[1] (Lubbock Morning Avalanche, TX. “Killed in Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1.)
April 4, International News Service: “Columbus – (INS) – Aviation Cadet George M. Duvall, former Ohio State university student, was killed when his pursuit training plane crashed off the Texas coast.” (Mansfield News Journal, OH. “Cadet Killed.” 4-4-1942, 1.)
- USAAF B-23C takeoff crash, Barksdale Field, Shreveport, LA, 3:15 p.m.
Mireles, p. 68: 4-3-42E. Barksdale Field, Louisiana. At 1515, a North American B-25C crashed while attempting to take-off from Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana, killing one crewman. Investigation revealed that the airplane contacted the runway after the co-pilot retracted the landing gear before the airplane became fully airborne. The landing gear retracted fully and the airplane structure and propellers contacted the runway, causing the pilot to lose control. The airplane bounced along the runway until coming to a rest and bursting into flames, killing the engineer Sgt. Edward E. Hughey….”
- USAAF P-40E collides with ground while maneuvering ~Elizabeth City, NC, 8:40 p.m.
Mireles, p. 68: “4-3-42F. Elizabeth City, North Carolina. At 2040, a Curtis P-40E collided with terrain while maneuvering six miles north of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, killing pilot 2Lt. Ralph D. Davis. The aircraft had been on a night navigation mission and witnessed reported that the aircraft had been flying low and at a high rate of speed. The P-40 attempted a steep turn to the right when the nose dropped and the airplane flew into the ground. The airplane crashed into a remote swampy region and the pilot’s body was not fund and recovered until 4-8-42.”
- Bridge and Strevell vicinity, ID, USAAF Boeing B-17E breakup and crash, 8:55 p.m.
Mireles: “At 2055, a Boeing B-17E broke up in flight and crashed six miles north of Strevell, Idaho, killing eight fliers. Investigators stated,
….the pilot was cleared by the Weather Officer in questionable weather; and by the Clearing Officer at an altitude lower than the highest peaks along the route….
…shortly after take-off the weather changed to lower ceilings and turbulence. Lt. Walker apparently climbed to 10,000 feet, the altitude at which he was cleared west, and apparently ran into the wind shift line into an area of great turbulence. In trying to control the bucking of the plane, either he or the co-pilot, or both pushed forward too violently on the wheel, causing the tail surfaces to fail, or an exceedingly violent updraft threw the plane on its back from which position it could not be righted, but started to disintegrate. The plane completely disintegrated in the air….”
(Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 67-68.)
April 4, Assoc. Press: “Boise, Idaho, April 4 – (AP) – An army bomber crashed in the isolated Utah-Idaho border country last night, killing at least six men. Three fliers still were missing late today. Six bodies were located at the scene, two in the wreckage of the four-motored B-17 ship that ran into disaster after leaving Hill Field at Ogden, Utah. Bodies of four others were found by ground parties in the brush-covered hills. Army crews were combing the nearby terrain in an effort to locate the missing men. Public Relations Officer R. S. Gibbs of Gowen Field said the wreckage was located near Bridge, Idaho, about 10 miles north of the Utah-Idaho border.
“The bomber left Ogden, Utah, at 9:18 p.m. Mountain War Time, last night. Its last report to Hill Field, at Ogden, was made three minutes after the takeoff. A ground party was dispatched to the scene from Boise….
“Bridge is near Strevell, a village on U.S. Highway 30 south….” (Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. “Bomber Crash on Utah-Idaho Line Fatal to Six Men.” 4-4-1942, p. 1.)
April 4, Associated Press: “Bridge (Cassia County), Ida., April 4 (AP) – A four-motored army bomber on a night flight from Ogden, Utah, to Boise crashed with terrific force near this Utah-Idaho border town, killing seven fliers and presumably an eighth whose body had not been found late today. Wreckage of the huge ship was scattered over a wide area. First reports were that there were nine aboard, but Capt. R. S. Gibbs, Gower field public relations officer at Boise, said clearance papers showed only eight. The dead were listed by Gibbs as:
Second Lt. James R. Walker, pilot;
Second Lt. Albert J. Rich, co-pilot;
Second Lieut. Maurice Victor Bradley;
Sgt. Hugh P. Jennings;
Sgt. Henry O. Williams, Jr.,
Pvt. Joseph W. Koury and
Pvt. Charles J. Gneiding.
“Gowen field officials…theorized the crash, about 10 miles north of the Utah line, occurred shortly after the take-off….
“Lt. Walker, formerly of Seattle and one-time University of Washington student, had been married only a few months. His wife lives in Boise….L. Bradley…has a wife in Boise.” (Twin Falls Times News, ID. “7 Known Dead as Bomber Crashes in Cassia County.” 4-5-1942, p. 1.)
April 5, Associated Press: “Boise, April 5 (AP) – Recovery of an eighth body from the wreckage of a four-motored bomber plane near Bridge, Idaho, near the Utah-Idaho border in southernmost Cassia county, was reported by radio Sunday night to the Gowen field army air base here….it was assumed the last body was that of Private Kenneth S. Biddinger, an engineer on the wrecked ship….
“Captain Gibbs said the crash apparently came so quickly that none of the men had an opportunity to use parachutes. He added that an army investigation board had gone to the scene, but said their report probably would not be available for some time. As to the plane itself, Captain Gibbs said: ‘We understand the wreckage was scattered over a wide area…’.” (Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Army Finds Eighth Body in Idaho Bomber Crash.” 4-6-1942, p. 15.)
Sources
Albuquerque Journal, NM. “Five Army Airmen Killed in Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=54275844
Baugher, Joseph F. 1940 USAAC Serial Numbers. July 16, 2011 revision. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1940.html
Charleston Gazette, WV. “Series of Plane Smashups Probed. Four Scattered Crashes…” 4-4-1942, p. 4. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=40389493
Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. “Bomber Crash on Utah-Idaho Line Fatal to Six Men.” 4-4-1942, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=90868301
Evening Independent, Massillon, OH. “Three Perish in Crash of Plane.” 4-3-1942, p. 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=97806976
Fitchburg Sentinel, MA. “Five Killed in Bomber Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=31902309
Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. “13 Army Fliers Killed in Four Crashes.” 4-3-1942, pp. 1 and 8. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=65005173
Kingsport Times, TN. “Aviation Cadet is Killed in Shaw Field Accident.” 4-5-1942, p. 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=49002493
Lowell Sun, MA. “Inquiry into Crash Which Killed Five.” 4-4-1942, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=30959648
Lubbock Morning Avalanche, TX. “Killed in Crash.” 4-4-1942, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com
Mansfield News-Journal, OH. “5 Die as Army Bomber Falls, Starting Blaze.” 4-3-1942, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=15716974
Mansfield News-Journal, OH. “Cadet Killed.” 4-4-1942, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=15717255
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.
Montana Standard, Butte. “Three Flyers Killed.” 4-4-1942, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=66212060
Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Army Finds Eighth Body in Idaho Bomber Crash.” 4-6-1942, p. 15. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=89905734
Twin Falls Times News, ID. “7 Known Dead as Bomber Crashes in Cassia County.” 4-5-1942, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=169419753
[1] According to Gero the crash was into Espiritu Santo Bay, contiguous to Matagorda Bay to the southwest.