20th Century

1944 — Dec 31, Fog, Southern Pacific mail-express hits passenger train, near Bagley, UT-48

 

–~50  Deseret News (Dethman), UT. “Great Salt Lake wreck stole headlines in 1944.” 1-1-2005.

—  49  Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Ogden Rail Wreck Kills 49.” 1-1-1945, p. 1.[1]

—  48  Chester Times, Chester, PA. “Wreck That Killed 48 is Cleared,” 1-2-1945, p. 1.

—  48  Ogden Standard-Examiner, UT. “Pacific Limited Crash Claims 48 Lives,” 1-1-1945, p. 1.

—  48  Roberts, Richard C. “How Trains Helped Win a War.” Utah History to Go. ©2016.

 

Narrative Information

 

Roberts: “In the early morning of December 31, 1944, a fast-moving express and mail train crashed into the rear of a passenger train, the Pacific Limited from Ogden, at Bagley, 17 miles west of Ogden on the Lucin Cutoff track.[2] The crash killed 48 people and injured 79. Local sheriff’s officers, National Guard troops, and medical personnel came to the Union Station to meet the rescue trains. The first casualties arrived at 10:45 a.m. Some 15 to 30 ambulances lined the track to receive the dead and injured. This was the worst accident in which the Ogden depot played a part.” (Roberts, Richard C. “How Trains Helped Win a War.” Utah History to Go. ©2016.)

 

Newspapers

 

Jan 1, Ogden Standard Examiner: “Some 50 persons died and 80 others were injured in the Sunday crash of a speeding southern Pacific mail-express and a slowly-moving passenger train — both westbound — on a fog-shrouded causeway near Bagley, in shallow waters of Great Salt Lake, 17 miles west of Ogden. The locomotive of the second section bored into the rear Pullman of the passenger unit…. Force of the impact sent another sleeping car smashing through the dining car and farther ahead slammed one coach into the wooden coach ahead of it.  Cars of the express section piled up crossways of the track behind the engine, some of them sliding down the causeway embankment into water.

 

“Most of the dead were taken from the rear Pullman car and from the telescoped coach.  At least 28 were military service men.  The train had left Chicago at ten a.m. Friday, bound for San Francisco.

 

“Pacific Limited Crash Claims 48 Lives

 

“Weary railroad officials and army and navy authorities today continued to add to the still incomplete list of casualties in the tragic wreck of the Pacific Limited early yesterday, as grim rescue squads hacked and burned their way through the twisted scrap to find possible new victims.”  (Ogden Standard-Examiner. “Pacific Limited Crash Claims 48 Lives,” Jan 1, 1945.)

 

 

Jan 1, SLT: “Ogden, Dec 31 — Forty-nine persons, mostly soldiers and sailors, were killed and 81 were badly injured when a mail and express train rammed into the rear of the Southern Pacific railroad’s Pacific Limited (No. 21) 18 miles west of Ogden shortly after 6 a.m. (MWT) Sunday.

 

“Known dead of army and navy personnel was unofficially set at 35, with all three rescue trains reporting back to Ogden. Thirteen civilian dead had been identified early Monday. Investigators believed there may still be one or more bodies in the wreckage which relief crews have been unable to reach.

 

“Among the identified dead were James McDonald, Ogden, engineer of the mail and express train; W. S. Duerdon, brakeman on the passenger section, and three dining car employes, all of Oakland, Cal….One of the cruelest tragedies of the wreck was the killing of four members of one family, and two of their in-laws. They were Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Porter of Sparks, Nev., and their daughters, Peggy, 14, and Mary, 8. The in-laws were Mr. and Mrs. Jack Francis of Carlin, Nev., brother and sister-in-law of Mrs. Porter….

 

“Thirty-nine of the injured were taken on west to Elko, Nev., in two army hospital cars which were near the front end in the Pacific Limited….

 

“The rear end crash occurred apparently in a dense fog arising from the Great Salt Lake marshes, a few hundred yards beyond Bagley, a railroad siding. The railroad line is double-tracked, equipped with block signals and straight at that point.

 

“Passengers aboard the Pacific Limited reported that the train was traveling slowly (about 15 miles per hour) when the express ploughed into the rear, crushing wooden cars in some sections of the train and leaving others almost intact….

 

“The worst carnage was in the last car, a Pullman sleeper, the diner (four cars from the rear), and a coach, the eighth or ninth from the locomotive. One coach was driven into a wooden coach ahead like a piston, compressing it into about one-fifth its normal length. This telescoped cr was a tangled mass of dead, dying, moaning injured and debris. The passenger train cars remained in a line, most of them on the track. The damage, it appeared, was due almot entirely to the weaker cars collapsing. The lead cars of the express and mail train were strewn around in the general shape of a six-pointed star.

 

“The site of the wreck is on a high grade, several miles before the trestle across Great Salt Lake starts. For miles on both sides is boggy, gray muck, making it impossible to reach the disaster scene with motor vehicles. This severely handicapped rescue work….

 

“There were 18 cars in all, and about 10 were in usable condition….” (Salt Lake Tribune, UT/ O. N. Malmquist). “Ogden Rail Wreck Kills 49.” 1-1-1945, p. 1.)

 

2005, Deseret News: “Scores of soldiers eagerly awaited a happy homecoming after serving in World War II…. But such a homecoming was not their fate. It was 60 years ago that a train wreck in Ogden killed some 50 people, including at least 35 army and navy personnel….

 

“The Pacific Limited[3] was on its way from Ogden to California. Thick fog filled the air as the first whistle sounded about 3 a.m. The train usually traveled in one long section, but on this day the train was split in two sections, the passenger car and the mail express train.

 

“Somehow in the midst of the fog hovering above the Great Salt Lake, the driver of the second engine plowed into the back of the passenger train at Bagley, 17 miles west of Ogden on the Lucin cutoff track. The passenger train was moving at 18 mph, while the freight train was chugging along much faster.

 

“Several train cars plummeted into the cold Great Salt Lake. In total, 81 other people were injured in the tangled mass of wreckage strewn for more than a half mile along the tracks….” (Deseret News (Leigh Dethman), Salt Lake City, UT. “Great Salt Lake wreck stole headlines in 1944. Train crash claimed 50 lives on New Year’s Eve.” 1-1-2005.)

 

Jan 2, UP: “Ogden, Utah. (UP) – Traffic was resumed over the Southern Pacific Railroad today as officials tentatively scheduled an investigation, Thursday, into the wreck of the Pacific Limited in which 48 persons were killed and 79 others were injured early Sunday in a rear end collision 22 miles west of here.”  (Chester Times.(PA). “Wreck That Killed 48 is Cleared,” January 2, 1945, p. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Chester Times, PA. “Wreck That Killed 48 is Cleared,” January 2, 1945, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=95224036

 

Deseret News (Leigh Dethman), Salt Lake City, UT. “Great Salt Lake wreck stole headlines in 1944. Train crash claimed 50 lives on New Year’s Eve.” 1-1-2005. Accessed 12-16-2016 at: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600101823/Great-Salt-Lake-wreck-stole-headlines-in-1944.html

 

Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden, UT. “One of West’s Worst Rail Accidents.” 1-1-1945. Accessed 12-16-2016 at Genealogybuff.com: http://www.genealogybuff.com/misc/ut-bagley-trainwreck.htm

 

Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden UT. “Pacific Limited Crash Claims 48 Lives.” 1-1-1945, p. 1. Accessed 12-16-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/utah/ogden/ogden-standard-examiner/1945/01-01?tag

 

Roberts, Richard C. “How Trains Helped Win a War.” Utah History to Go. ©2016. Accessed 12-16-2016 at: http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/from_war_to_war/howtrainshelpedwinawar.html

 

Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “Ogden Rail Wreck Kills 49.” 1-1-1945, p. 1. Accessed 12-16-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/utah/salt-lake-city/salt-lake-tribune/1945/01-01?tag=bagley

 

 

 

 

[1] In the article text 35 military and 13 civilian deaths are noted, which comes to 48, while noting that “Investigators believed there may still be one or more bodies in the wreckage which relief crews have been unable to reach.”

[2] The Salt Lake Tribune of Jan 1, 1945 includes a drawing of the area showing Bagley as near and just to the east of Promitory Point.

[3] Of the Southern Pacific line.

1944 — Dec 30, Residential Home Fire, Columbus, IN                                                 —       8

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-28-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–8  Council Bluffs Nonpareil, IA. “Eight Persons Perish as Fire Destroys Home.” 12-31-44, 10

–8  Daily Register, Harrisburg, IL. “Eight Persons Burned to Death in Indiana Fire.” 12-30-44, 1

Narrative Information

Dec 30: “Columbus, Ind., Dec. 30 – (UP) – Eight persons were reported by firemen to have been burned to death today when flames destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. May England in a north-side residential section. Firemen recovered six bodies and searched for two other victims reported in the house. None was identified immediately, according to Dr. Marvin R. Davis, Bartholomew county coroner. Those believed dead were:

 

“Mrs. Opal England, 30, and her four children, Bonnie, 8, Willie, 9, Dale, 4, and Norma Jane, aged one; Mrs. England’s brother-in-law, Joe England, 18, and his wife, Ruth, 19, and their four-month-old baby, Roger.

 

“Kay England, a Columbus foundry worker, was absent from home when the fire was discovered at 6 a. m.  He had gone to Kentucky to take home a niece who had visited his family.

 

“Firemen said that the four-room frame house was a mass of flames when they arrived. Three ambulances were called to the scene to remove the bodies.”  (Daily Register, Harrisburg, IL. “Eight Persons Burned to Death in Indiana Fire.” 12-30-44, 1.)

 

Sources

 

Council Bluffs Nonpareil, IA. “Eight Persons Perish as Fire Destroys Home.” 12-31-1944, 10. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=3680389

 

Daily Register, Harrisburg, IL. “Eight Persons Burned to Death in Indiana Fire.” 12-30-1944, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=5820838

 

1944 – Dec 29, USAAF B-24J structural failure, poor weather, crash ~Meridian, ID  –all 10

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-29-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10  AP. “10 Fliers Killed In Idaho Crash.” Salt Lake Tribune, 12-30-1944, p. 13, col. 5.

–10  Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1010.

Narrative Information

Mireles: “At 1907 MWT, a Consolidated B-24J flying in poor weather suffered a catastrophic structural failure and crashed two and one-half miles northeast of Meridian, Idaho, killing the crew of ten.

 

“The airplane took off at 1850 MWT from Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, on a local bombing mission. At 1855, the pilot contacted the bombing range control officer for a range assignment. The control officer informed the pilot that the range was closed due to poor weather. The pilot was advised to fly contact in the local area and the pilot acknowledged. At 1904, the pilot was instructed to return to the field and land. A few minutes later a pilot flying in the area observed the explosion on the ground and reported it to the tower. Investigators stated,

 

[The] aircraft was appar­ently in the overcast coming down in a power dive. Air­plane was out of control in a spiraling dive when it was observed coming out of the overcast and just before crashing was seen to ‘flip over’ in the nature of a snap roll. There was no fire issuing from the aircraft prior to the crash. Aircraft struck the ground in a partially inverted position. Violent use of the controls at exces­sive speed was evidenced by fabric torn off and ribs of elevators sheared off in addition to the entire tail as­sembly…. Pieces of fabric were first found in a field about 2 miles from the scene of the crash. Then con­tinuing in southeasterly direction towards the crash, additional pieces of fabric parts of rudder and parts of elevator, ribs, etc., were found at intervals. These were followed by other parts of the airplane such as: right front bomb bay door, left rear bomb bay door, sec­tion of the right wing, portion of the top section of the right vertical stabilizer, and finally, the entire tail sec­tion, (horizontal stabilizer with vertical stabilizers at­tached), which was found 300 yards from the main wreckage.

 

“Weather at the scene of the crash was re­ported as ceiling of 700 feet agl with a rainsquall in the area and was described as “bad”.”  (Mireles 2006, 1010.)

 

Newspaper

 

July 29, AP: “Meridian, Ida., Dec. 29 (AP) – Ten crew members of a Gowen army airfield B-24 bomber were killed Friday night [Dec 29] when the huge plane crashed and burned near here, Col. John R. Kane, commandant of the base at Boise, said. The colonel said the plane was Gowen-based and was on a combat training mission at the time of the crash. The bomber plunged to earth on the Fred Rosti farm near Meridian, which is eight miles from Boise.” (Associated Press. “10 Fliers Killed In Idaho Crash.” Salt Lake Tribune, 12-30-1944, p. 13, col. 5.)

 

Sources

 

 

Associated Press. “10 Fliers Killed In Idaho Crash.” Salt Lake Tribune, 12-30-1944, p. 13, col. 5. Accessed 1-29-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salt-lake-tribune-dec-30-1944-p-13/

 

Mireles, Anthony J.  Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3:  August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

1944 — Dec 29, USAAF C-47A crash into hillside near Adak Army Air Base, AK       –all 13

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-8-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–13  Assoc. Press. “13 Men Killed in Aleutians Crash.” Ottumwa Daily Courier, IA. 1-5-1945, 1.

–13  Aviation Safety Network. USAAF C-47A crash 16km N of Adak Army Air Base, Alaska

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network. USAAF C-47A crash 16km N of Adak Army Air Base, Alaska:

“Date:                          Friday 29 December 1944

“Type:                         Douglas C-47A-85-DL (DC-3)

“Owner/operator:        United States Army Air Force – USAAF

“Registration:              43-15528

“MSN:                         19993

“Year of manufacture: 1944

….

“Fatalities:                   Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13

“Aircraft damage:       Destroyed

“Location:                   16 km N of Adak AAB, AK (ASK)

“Phase:                        Unknown

“Nature:                      Military

“Departure airport:      [not noted]

“Destination airport:   [not noted]

“Narrative:                  The C-47A, operating on behalf of the USAAF Air Transport Command,

impacted a hillside near Adak Army Air Base, Alaska.

 

Newspaper

Jan 5, AP: “Adak, Aleutians. (Delayed) – (AP) – Thirteen servicemen and civilians, most of them homeward bound after long service in the rugged Aleutians, were killed before dawn December 29, when the air transport command C-47 plane carrying them crashed into a hillside and burned. An 11th air force spokesman said the plane was operated by civilian personnel and no aire force men were killed. Casualties included: Second Lt. Raymond S. Metz, Mineral Point, Wis., and Lt. James Lovelady, Sidney, Iowa.” (Associated Press. “13 Men Killed in Aleutians Crash.” Ottumwa Daily Courier, IA. 1-5-1945, p.1.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “13 Men Killed in Aleutians Crash.” Ottumwa Daily Courier, IA. 1-5-1945, p.1. Accessed 3-8-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ottumwa-daily-courier-jan-05-1945-p-1/

 

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1944. USAAF C-47A crash 16km N of Adak Army Air Base, Alaska, 12-29-1944. Accessed 3-8-2024 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/338938

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1944 – Dec 27, USAAF B-24J crash in poor weather, near Mattituck, Long Island, NY–  11

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-31-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  11  Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. “Late News Bulletins,” 12-29-1944, p. 1, col. 3.

—  11  Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1008.

Narrative Information

 Mireles: “At 1815, a Consolidated B-24J flying in poor weather crashed two miles west of Mattituck, New York, killing eleven crewmembers. The airplane took off from Westover Field, Chicopee, Massachusetts, on a cross-country flight to Montauk Point and return. The airplane was observed circling the area of Suffolk County Army Air Field, Suffolk County, New York, at about 1735 EWT. Ceiling was about 1,200 feet agl with light snow show­ers. The control tower attempted to contact the air­plane by radio but was unsuccessful. Control tower personnel gave the airplane the green light for a land­ing but still did not receive a reply from the crew. The weather was deteriorating as the airplane circled and at 1750 it was seen to fly away from the area of the field on a heading of 50 degrees, apparently toward West­over Field. Some minutes later a large explosion was observed. Investigators stated,

 

The position of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft hit the ground with its left wing low at approximately an 80-degree angle with the ground, then flipped over on its back and ex­ploded. The fuselage broke away from the engines.

 

“Investigators speculated that the pilot had lost control of the airplane when he suddenly encountered instrument conditions at low altitude and was not able to make the transition to instrument flight from visual flight.”  (Mireles 2006, p. 1008.)

 

Newspaper

 

Dec 29: “Westhampton Beach, N.Y., — Eleven crew members who were killed when a B-24 bomber exploded and crashed near Mattituck, Long Island, Wednesday night [27th] during a combat training mission from Westover Field, Mass., were identified by officials of the Suffolk army air base last night.” (Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. “Late News Bulletins,” 12-29-1944, p. 1, c. 3.)

 

Sources

 

Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. “Late News Bulletins,” 12-29-1944, p. 1, col. 3. Accessed 10-4-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=36050833

 

Mireles, Anthony J.  Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3:  August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.

 

 

 

 

1944 — Dec 25, USAAF C-47 hits Black Mesa Mt. top (low visibility), ~Quartzsite, AZ–   17

—  17  Baugher. 1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437). 11-7-2011 rev.

—  17  Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1006.

Narrative Information

Baugher: “Douglas C-47B-1-DL….16151 (c/n 10617) crashed into mesa 20 mi SE of Quartzsite, AZ Dec 25, 1944 on flight from Tucson, AZ to Los Angeles, CA. All 17 onboard killed.”  (Baugher. 1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437). 11-7-2011 rev.)

 

Mireles: “At 1215 MWT, a Douglas C-47B flying in instrument condi­tions crashed into Black Mesa Mountain 13 miles southeast of Quartzite, Arizona, killing seventeen pas­sengers and crew. The airplane took off from Tucson Municipal Airport, Tucson, Arizona, at 1048 MWT on a flight to Palm Springs, California. The flight origi­nated at El Paso, Texas, and the pilot was scheduled to transmit position reports at Phoenix, Arizona, and Blythe, California, en route. The airplane apparently entered instrument conditions while flying over moun­tainous terrain. The airplane collided with the moun­tain about 15 feet from the peak. The airplane broke up and burst into flames upon impact. The airplane was not found until 12-28-44…”  (Mireles 2006, 1006.)

 

Newspaper

 

Dec 29, AP: “Colorado Springs, Colo., Dec. 29. (AP) – Twelve persons were killed in the crash of a transport-type plane which, the Army reported yesterday, has ben found on Black Mesa mountain in Arizona. Second air force headquarters placed the location 40 miles east of Blythe, Calif. The victims were not identified immediately.

 

“The plane, based at Malden, Mo., and reported overdue Christmas day, was en route from Tucson, Ariz., to Palm Springs Calif. It was found by Capt. Ruth Reinhold, of the Arizona wing of the civil air patrol and CAP Sgt. Victor H. Pulis, jr., both of Phoenix. Eleven other civil air patrol planes had been engaged in the search. Capt. Reinhold and Pulis explained that the transport needed only 15 more feet to have cleared the mountain…” (Associated Press. “12 Perish in Plane Crash on Black Mesa.” Tucson Daily Citizen, AS. 12-29-1944, p. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “12 Perish in Plane Crash on Black Mesa.” Tucson Daily Citizen, AS. 12-29-1944, p. 1. Accessed 2-1-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/tucson-daily-citizen-dec-29-1944-p-1/

 

Baugher, Joseph F.  1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437). Nov 7, 2011 revision. Accessed 12-18-2011 at:  http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html

 

Mireles, Anthony J.  Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3:  August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1944 — Dec 25, USAAF C-47A crash in inclement weather, Roundtop Mt. ~Harrisburg, PA–  12

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-3-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

 — 12  Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Found., Database, 1944. USAAF C-47A, 12-25-1944.

— 12  Baugher, Joseph F.  Recent Updates to List of USAF Serial Numbers.  1-21-2012 revision.

— 12  Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47A…Harrisburg: 12 Killed.”

— 12  Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1006.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Found., Database, 1944. USAAF C-47A, 12-25-1944:

“Date:                          Monday 25 December 1944

“Time:                         04:27

“Type:                         Douglas C-47A-5-DL (DC-3)

“Operator:                   United States Army Air Force – USAAF

“Registration:              42-23360

“MSN:                         9222

….

“Crew:                         Fatalities:   4 / Occupants:   4

“Passengers:                Fatalities:   8 / Occupants: 23

“Total:                         Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 27

“Aircraft damage:       Damaged beyond repair

“Location:                   5 km (3.1 mls) SW of Harrisburg, PA

“Phase:                        Approach (APR)

“Nature:                      Military

“Departure airport:      Dayton-Wright Patterson AAF, OH

“Destination airport    Minneapolis-Wold-Chamberlain Field, MN

“Narrative:                  [The source for the one paragraph description is noted as Mireles.]

 

Baugher: “42-23360 (c/n 9222) to USAAF Mar 15, 1943 – USA – crashed 5 km SW of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Dec 25, 1944 on flight from Dayton-Wright Patterson AAF, Ohio to Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis, MN.  Enroute, the plane encountered substantial headwinds, and tried to return to Patterson Field.  Weather had deteriorated and plane diverted to Harrisburg.  But weather was bad at Harrisburg as well and after five unsuccessful attempts to land, flew into 900-foot hill and caught fire.  12 out of 27 onboard killed.” (Baugher, Joseph F. Recent Updates to List of USAF Serial Numbers. 1-21-2012 revision.)

 

Mireles: “At 0427, a Douglas C-47A crashed three miles southwest of the municipal airport at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, killing four crewmembers and eight passengers. Fifteen passengers were seriously injured.

 

“The airplane took off at 1440 EWT (12-24-44) from Jacksonville, Florida, on a flight to Stout Field, Indianapolis, Indiana. When the airplane arrived at Stout Field, the pilot discov­ered that the field was closed. The airplane diverted to Patterson Field, Ohio, and landed there at 2059 EWT The airplane was serviced and took off for Min­neapolis, Minnesota, at 2221 EWT (12-24-44). The airplane was cleared to fly at 12,000 feet from Day­ton, Ohio, to McCool, Indiana, and then over Chicago, Illinois, to the Madison, Wisconsin, range and then to Minneapolis. The airplane was east of Dayton when the pilot radioed Cincinnati Flight Control and re­ported that he was picking up 54 mph headwinds and was requesting a different altitude. Control personnel advised the pilot to return to Patterson. The pilot flew on the original course for a short time and then began to pick up ice. The pilot elected to turn back for Pat­terson Field at 2318, reporting that he was suffering some radio problems. The airplane returned to Patter­son Field but the weather had deteriorated somewhat since departure. The pilot overshot the field on his first landing attempt. The ceiling began lowering and the pilot was given an alternate of Harrisburg, Pennsylva­nia, which was reporting a ceiling of 2,500 feet and good visibility.

 

“The airplane arrived in the area of Har­risburg amid deteriorating weather conditions and was cleared for a straight-in approach on Runway 12. The airplane made five unsuccessful landing attempts and was given an alternate. The pilot replied in the nega­tive, stating that he was low on fuel and had a good amount of ice on the airframe. The airplane made four more landing attempts and was unsuccessful. Control tower personnel had the airplane in sight and attempted to guide the airplane in, but the pilot disregarded in­structions for a base leg turn that would have lined him up perfectly with Runway 12. The ceiling gradually lowered until the point where tower personnel would have the airplane in sight only intermittently. Ceiling was 700 feet agl and freezing rain had moved into the area. The airplane was observed to make its last ap­proach, coming in at 600 feet agl with excessive speed. The airplane was seen to make a shallow turn to the right before disappearing into the weather. The tower advised the airplane to turn left and head to Middle­ton, Pennsylvania. The airplane did not reply although tower personnel could still hear the airplane. Moments later the airplane was heard to crash. The airplane had collided with 900-foot Reeser’s Summit at an elevation of approximately 700 feet msl. The airplane broke up and burst into flames upon impact, smashing to pieces as it careened across the terrain.”  (Mireles 2006, p. 1006.)

 

Newspapers

 

Dec 25, AP: “Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 25. – (AP) — A twin-engined C–17 Army transport carrying 27 persons crashed on Roundtop Mountain in a heavily-wooded section about three miles west of New Cumberland Airport shortly before 5 a.m. today. Fifteen injured were brought to Harrisburg General Hospital where attendants said they understood ”eight or nine” had been killed. Hospital officials said, without amplification, that most of the men were suffering from fractures and burns.  Men aboard the plane were reported homeward bound on Christmas furloughs.

 

“The crash was discovered by firemen summoned by a woman who said there was a fire in the woods.

 

“Cpl. Earl Moore, in charge of the State Police Barracks here, said 27 persons were aboard the transport when it crashed about 4:30 a.m. (E.W.T.).

 

“Mrs. C. O. Grissinger, near whose farm the crash occurred, said there was a continuous stream of Army ambulances carrying injured persons from the scene.

 

“New Cumberland firemen, summoned shortly after the plane crashed, were standing by after extinguishing a blaze which Chief William A. Vogelsong said occurred after the accident.”  (Oakland Tribune, CA. “27 Army Men on Christmas Leave in Plane Accident.” 12-25-1944, 1.)

 

Dec 26, AP: “Harrisburg, Dec. 26. (AP) — A board of Army officers today sought to fix the cause of the Christmas Day crash of an army transport plane which took the lives of 10 soldiers and injured 17 others.  The Middleton Air Technical Service Command set up the board of inquiry…

 

“Flying in a dense fog, the big ship enroute from Jacksonville, Fla., to Minneapolis, crashed into Roundtop Mountain early yesterday apparently after several futile attempts to land at the Harrisburg airport, three miles from the Mountain peak.

 

“Miss Anita Ruby, who lives near the airport, told reporters she heard the plane circling about the landing field a number of times before the crash.

 

“Within a few seconds after the motors grew faint the last time she said. ‘we heard a sickening, muffled explosion, like a string of railroad freight cars crashing together when they begin to stop.’

 

“The crash occurred at 4:27 a. m. in a heavily wooded section of the mountain three miles west of Harrisburg airport at New Cumberland.  ”It was the worst sight I ever saw!’ said William Vogelsong, New Cumberland fire company chief, one of the first to reach the scene.  “The men were in the plane crying for help and we had to cut our way to them with an ax.”  One soldier rolled about 100 feet clear of the wreckage and Vogelsong said the first thing he asked was “how far are we from Minneapolis.”

 

“Roads were covered with snow, ice and mud and ambulances were able to get only within a quarter of a mile of the wreck scene. Firemen and military personnel carried the injured down the mountain to ambulances.” (Indiana Evening Gazette, PA. “Plane Crash Kills 10 Near Harrisburg.” 12-26-1944, p. 1.)

 

Dec 27, INS: “Harrisburg, Dec. 27. – (INS) – A heavily censored official story was spread on the record today by spokesmen for the Middletown Air Technical Service Command of the crash of an Army transport near the Harrisburg airport Christmas morning which claimed the lives of 11 soldiers and resulted in injuries to 16 others.  Army officials attached ‘no significance’ to the fact that seven of the dead soldiers and 14 injured came from South Dakota when the list of casualties was issued last night.  None of the soldiers were Pennsylvanians….

 

“The huge plane, which crashed and partially burned on a heavily wooded ridge in a dense fog, was en route from Jacksonville, Fla, to Minneapolis, Minn., on a ‘special mission’ when the accident occurred.  All of the men were either killed or injured.” (New Castle News, PA.  “Victims of Plane Crash Nearly all from S. Dakota.” 12-27-1944, p. 14.)

 

Dec 28: “Middletown, Pa., Dec. 28 (UP) – The Middletown air service command continued its investigation today into the crash of an army transport plane on a hillside, one mile west of the Harrisburg airport that killed 11 soldiers and injured 16 others.

 

“The command announced that 2nd Lt. Eugene Hoskins, 24, pilot, Huntington Park, Calif., was among those killed and Pvt. Charles R. Zard, 18, Portland, Ore., was among the injured.

 

“The command said the plane was on a “special mission” and crashed while “attempting a landing” at the Harrisburg airport. A dense fog enveloped the area and visibility was described as “poor.”‘  The plane was en route from Jacksonville, Fla., to Minneapolis, Minn.” (Ogden Standard-Examiner, UT. “Army Probes Fatal Airplane Crash.” 12-28-1944, p. 3.)

 

Sources

 

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1944. USAAF C-47A, 12-25-1944. Accessed 2-3-2024 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19441225-5

 

Baugher, Joseph F. Recent Updates to List of USAF Serial Numbers. 1-21-2012 revision. Accessed 3-15-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/recentusafupdates.html

 

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47A…Harrisburg: 12 Killed.” Accessed 2-3-2024 at: https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-c-47a-5-dl-harrisburg-12-killed

 

Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA. “Plane Crash Kills 10 Near Harrisburg.” 12-26-1944, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=116476633

 

Mireles, Anthony J.  Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3:  August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.

 

New Castle News, PA.  “Victims of Plane Crash Nearly all from S. Dakota.” 12-27-1944, 14. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=59214556

 

Oakland Tribune, CA. “27 Army Men on Christmas Leave in Plane Accident.” 12-25-1944, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=33496812

 

Ogden Standard-Examiner, UT. “Army Probes Fatal Airplane Crash.” 12-28-1944, p. 3. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=54031739

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1944 – Dec 22, USAAF B-24 breaks-up in flight/crashes, Mt. Gleason, La Crescenta, CA–10

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-4-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10  Aviation Safety Network. USAAF B-24 crash, 8M NE La Crescenta, CA, 12-22-1944.

–10  INS. “10 Airmen Killed in Mountain Crash.” Long Beach Independent, CA. 12-24-1944, 5.

–10  Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1004.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network. USAAF B-24 crash, 8M NE La Crescenta, CA, 12-22-1944:

“Date:                          Friday 22 December 1944

“Time:                         16:15

“TypeL                        Consolidated B-24J Liberator

“Owner/operator:        United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)

“Registration:              44-40523

“Fatalities:                   Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10

…

“Location:                   La Crescenta, CA, 8 mi NE – USA

“Phase:                        En route

“Nature:                      Military

“Departure airport:      Muroc Army Airfield, California

“Destination airport:   Muroc Army Airfield, California

“Narrative:                  Crashed onto a mountainside during a snowstorm, eight miles northeast of

La Crescenta, in Los Angeles County, California.

 

The aircrew were returning to Muroc airfield (modern-day Edwards Air

Force Base) from a high altitude navigational training flight over the

Pacific Ocean that had taken them to Rocas Alijos off Baja California. They were assigned to fly at 15,000 feet elevation when their airplane disintegrated in poor weather and crashed onto the side of Mt. Gleason.”

 

“The airmen killed were:

 

2nd Lt. Barrett D. Corneille, O-718560, IL, Pilot

2nd Lt. Robert H. Asplund, O-778692, CA Co-Pilot

Flt. Off. Alan P. Dondero, T-005523, MA, Bombardier
Flt. Off. Donald M. Pipkin, T-129734, CA, Navigator

Cpl. Peter P. Bobovich, 35742718, WV, Asst. Engineer
Cpl. Eugene L. Ferrin, 35223921, OH, Flight Engineer
Cpl. Elliot R. French, 39860766, AZ, Radio Operator
Cpl. Robert E. Jacoby, 35295149, OH, Gunner
Cpl. Jerry K. Stillinger, 17148827, NE, Gunner
Cpl. Reuben F. Welk, 37578871, ND, Gunner”

 

[For the names of the crew, cited is http://usaafdata.com/?q=search&page=1606&order=field.]

 

Mireles: “At an unknown time between 1611 and 1617, a Consolidated B-24J broke up in mid-air and crashed onto Mt. Glea­son eight and one-half miles NNE of La Crescenta, Cal­ifornia, killing the crew of ten. The airplane took off at 0802 PWT from Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc, Cal­ifornia, on an over-water instrument flight to Alijos Rocks and return. The B-24 was assigned to fly at 12,000 feet indicated altitude, The airplane made eight position reports during the flight. At 1603 PWT, the airplane radioed Muroc ground station and reported that it was experiencing atmospheric interference; at 1611, the crew radioed Muroc ground station and re­ported that they were lost and were requesting a vec­tor. Muroc ground station told the crew to stand by; at 1618 PWT Muroc ground station radioed the sub­ject airplane but received no reply. The airplane did not answer repeated radio calls and failed to return to Muroc Army Air Field. The airplane was found the next day. Investigators stated,

 

An examination of the wreckage at the scene of the crash indicated that the aircraft had disintegrated in the air. The wreckage was strewn over an area of 3,000 feet by 2,500 feet on both sides of a ridge. The ridge on which the wreckage was distributed was lower that the surrounding mountains, but the wreckage showed no indication of contact with the ground before disintegration.”  (Mireles 2006, 1004.)

 

Newspapers

 

Dec 23, UP: “Los Angeles, Dec. 23. – (UP) – Searching parties today sighted on the south slope of Mt. Gleason near Eagle Rock the wreckage of a B-24 bomber which crashed and burned last night. The wreckage was in the treacherous terrain, about 4500 feet up the slope of Mr. Gleason, and searchers were expected to have difficulty in reaching the burned-out carcass. No signals have been observed from the wreckage site, causing belief there are no survivors. No positive identification of the plane has been made, but a B-24 Liberator, with a dozen army personnel aboard, flying from Livermore to Burbank, was long overdue. Lt. Sewell F. Griggers, of the sheriff’s aero detail, is in charge of searchers from the sheriff’s office and the army. Hunting parties, equipped with walkie-talkies, started out at dawn to search for the plane.” (United Press. “Wreckage of Bomber Sighted.” San Mateo Times, CA. 12-23-1944, p. 7.)

 

Dec 23, INS: “Los Angeles, Dec. 23. – (INS) – Ten bodies were found late today in the wreckage of a bomber on Mount Gleason, 18 miles northeast of La Canada. The plane had been en route from Livermore to Burbank.” (INS (International News Service). “10 Airmen Killed in Mountain Crash.” Long Beach Independent, CA. 12-24-1944, p. 5.)

 

Sources

 

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1944. USAAF Consolidated B-24J Liberator crash, 8M NE La Crescenta, CA, 12-22-1944. Accessed 2-4-2024 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/281660

 

INS (International News Service). “10 Airmen Killed in Mountain Crash.” Long Beach Independent, CA. 12-24-1944, p. 5. Accessed 2-4-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/long-beach-independent-dec-24-1944-p-10/

 

Mireles, Anthony J.  Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3:  August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.

 

United Press. “Wreckage of Bomber Sighted.” San Mateo Times, CA. 12-23-1944, p. 7. Accessed 2-4-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/san-mateo-times-dec-23-1944-p-7/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1944 — Dec 18, USN Task Force 38, typhoon, Hull, Spence, Monaghan capsize off Philippines–790

— ~790 US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”
— ~790 US Dept. Navy, Naval Historical Center. “U.S. Navy Ships Lost in Selected Storm…”
— 790 NH&HC. “Personnel Casualties Suffered by Third Fleet, 17-18 Dec 1944…” 4-14-2007.
— 2 Alywin (dead or missing)
— 1 Baltimore (dead or missing)
— 1 Benham (dead or missing)
— 1 Cache (dead or missing)
— 1 Cowpens (dead or missing)
— 3 Donaldson (dead or missing)
— 1 Hilbert (dead or missing)
–202 Hull (dead or missing)
— 1 Independence (dead or missing)
–256 Monaghan (dead or missing, approximately)
— 3 Monterey (known dead)
–317 Spence (dead or missing)
— 1 Twining (dead or missing)
— 790 Wikipedia. “Typhoon Cobra.” 6-23-2020 edit.
— 779 Baldwin. Sea Fights and Shipwrecks. Hanover House, 1955. Cited by Wikipedia.
–202 Hull (202 drowned and 62 survived).
–256 Monaghan (256 drowned and six survived).
–317 Spence (317 drowned and 23 survived).
— 1 Cowpens (ship’s air officer Robert Price).
— 3 Monterey (from hangar deck fire).
— >769 Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). 1982, p. 411.
–202 Hull
–250 Monaghan
–317 Spence
— >730 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 702.
–139 Hull
–250 Monaghan
–341 Spence

Narrative Information

Cornell: “The U.S. Navy’s Third Fleet under the command of Admiral William F. (“Bull”) Halsey steamed east after its decisive victory in the Battle of Leyte Gulf for a refueling rendezvous some 500 miles off Luzon [north Philippines]. Despite spotty reports of bad weather ahead, the fleet sailed straight into a typhoon. Seas were so heavy on December 17 that all fueling operations were canceled. Already low on fuel and empty of ballast in preparation for the refueling operation, the ships were ill-equipped for the storm, pitching and rolling badly in the boiling waves. By the forenoon watch, December 18, the typhoon winds had risen to 124 knots [142 mph]. Ships of all sizes became derelict, drifting and tossing at the mercy of the wind and waves. The smaller ships were the worst hit, with the destroyers Spence and its 317 men, Hull with 202 men, and Monaghan with 250 men capsizing. Several other light carriers and destroyers were severely damaged. Nearly 150 airplanes were lost overboard or damaged beyond repair and scores of men were seriously injured. The storm caused higher losses than the navy would experience in any single battle of the war. Responsibility for the damage fell squarely on Halsey, but no actin was taken because of his extraordinary campaign record. The experience of the typhoon would lead to new naval designs and procedures, including a policy of only partial ballast pumping and the lightening of topside loads. (The Third Fleet would be caught in a second typhoon June 5, 1945, which also caused severe damage.)” (Cornell. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). 1982, p. 411.)

Naval History and Heritage Command: “Task Force 38 struck by typhoon off the Philippines. Destroyers USS Hull (DD-350), USS Spence (DD-512), and USS Monaghan (DD-354) capsized and sank, at least 28 other vessels damaged. About 790 killed and 80 injured. 18 Dec. 1944.” (Naval History and Heritage Command. “U.S. Navy Ships Lost in Selected Storm/Weather Related Incidents.” 4-28-2010.)

U.S. Dept. of the Navy: “On 17 December 1944, the ships of Task Force 38, seven fleet and six light carriers, eight battleships, 15 cruisers, and about 50 destroyers were operating about 300 miles east of Luzon in the Philippine Sea. The carriers had just completed three days of heavy raids against Japanese airfields, suppressing enemy aircraft during the American amphibious operations against Mindoro in the Philippines. Although the sea had been becoming rougher all day, the nearby cyclonic disturbance gave relatively little warning of its approach. On 18 December, the small but violent typhoon overtook the Task Force while many of the ships were attempting to refuel. Many of the ships were caught near the center of the storm and buffeted by extreme seas and hurricane force winds. Three destroyers, USS Hull, USS Spence, and USS Monaghan, capsized and went down with practically all hands, while a cruiser, five aircraft carriers, and three destroyers suffered serious damage. Approximately 790 officers and men were lost or killed, with another 80 injured. Fires occurred in three carriers when planes broke loose in their hangars and some 146 planes on various ships were lost or damaged beyond economical repair by fires, impact damage, or by being swept overboard. This storm inflicted more damage on the Navy than any storm since the hurricane at Apia, Samoa in 1889. In the aftermath of this deadly storm, the Pacific Fleet established new weather stations in the Caroline Islands and, as they were secured, Manila, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. In addition, new weather central offices (for coordinating data) were established at Guam and Leyte.” (U.S. Navy Dept., Naval Historical Center. “U.S. Navy Ships Lost in Selected Storm…”)

Sources

Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982.

Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages.

Naval History and Heritage Command. “Personnel Casualties Suffered by Third Fleet, 17-18 December 1944, Compiled from Official Sources.” 4-14-2007. Accessed 7-20-2020 at: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/p/pacific-typhoon-18-december-1944/personnel-casualties-suffered-by-third-fleet-17-18-december-1944-compiled-from-official-sources.html

Naval History and Heritage Command. “U.S. Navy Ships Lost in Selected Storm/Weather Related Incidents.” 4-28-2010. Accessed 7-20-2020 at: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/us-navy-ships-lost-in-selected-storm-weather-related-incidents.html

United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. See “Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action.” Washington, DC: Washington Navy Yard. Accessed at: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/accidents.htm

Wikipedia. “Typhoon Cobra.” 6-23-2020 edit. Accessed 7-20-2020 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Cobra

1944 – Dec 30, USAAF B-29 engine fire, crash, 12M N of Walker Army Air Field, KS–    10

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-28-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10  AP. “Ten Die in Bomber Crash.” Lawrence Daily Journal World, KS. 12-30-1944, p.1.

–10  Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1010.

Narrative Information

Mireles: “At 1025 CWT, a Boeing B-29 suffering an engine fire crashed 13 miles northwest of Walker Army Air Field, Walker, Kansas, killing ten fliers. Three crewmembers parachuted to safety and received minor injuries.

 

“The airplane took off from Walker Army Air Field at 0915 on a high-altitude bombing mission. The airplane climbed to 25,000 feet. During the climb, the number-three en­gine began to run hot. Investigators stated,

 

Apparently the number-three engine swallowed a valve causing a backfire and forcing the manifold pressure to 65 inches and immediately after a fire broke out on the under­side of the engine. In the meantime the throttle had been retarded as soon as the fire was reported and the [propeller] was feathered, the fuel, mixture, booster pump, and ignition switch were shut off. One fire ex­tinguisher was pulled and the flames were reported to have subsided. However a few seconds later they burst forth again and the second extinguisher was pulled. The warning signal was given, the emergency bomb re­lease and emergency cabin air pressure release were pulled, and the wheels were put in the down position. Only the right main wheel extended according to the indicator lights.

 

Examination of the wreckage proved the right gear to be extended and the left gear and flaps to be retracted in that it normally extends first and here the right gear had extended first. Next the bail out ex­ecution signal was given and almost at the same instant a severe explosion occurred blowing the number-three engine from its mounting, tearing the right gear and oleo strut off, and weakening the wing structure to such an extent that it immediately broke off.

 

Close exami­nation revealed the main spars to be broken and torn but not burned. The left wing and the fuselage, with the exception of the tail, remained generally intact and crashed together with the number-one and number-two engines, which, it is believed, had been pulling normal power up until the crash. The tail probably tore loose at a high altitude soon after the spin started in that it was found a great distance from the wreckage. A second explosion somewhere between 3,000 and crashed together with the number-one and number- two engines, which, it is believed, had been pulling normal power up until the crash. The tail probably tore loose at a high altitude soon after the spin started in that it was found a great distance from the wreckage. A second explosion somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 feet caused by a fuel cell is believed to have blown several of the bodies out of the airplane and into the propellers. The airplane fire was caused by a fire in the induction system of the number-three engine….”  (Quoted in Mireles 2006, p. 1010.)

 

Newspaper

 

Dec 30, AP: “Training Accident Near Hays, Kan.; Three Out by Parachute

 

“Hays, Kan., Dec. 40 (AP) – A 4-engine bomber on a routine training flight crashed 12 miles north of the Walker army air field today, killing 10 men. Col. Claude E. Putnam, commanding officer of the field, announced. Three other occupants of the plane parachuted to safety, but were slightly injured, Colonel Putnam said. The plane was from the Walker base and crashed on a farm.” (Assoc. Press. “Ten Die in Bomber Crash.” Lawrence Daily Journal World, KS. 12-30-1944, p.1.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Ten Die in Bomber Crash.” Lawrence Daily Journal World, KS. 12-30-1944, p.1. Accessed 1-29-2024: https://newspaperarchive.com/lawrence-daily-journal-world-dec-30-1944-p-1/

 

Mireles, Anthony J.  Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3:  August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.

 

 

 

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