Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Hello, I am new to this site so hopefully I am onto the correct forum for my questions.

I am trying to find out details of an US Air Force Dakota that crashed around Upwaltham near Ford airfield south England, sometime early 1944 I believe. If anyone can help me with the answers to this question or be able to point me in the correct direction I would appreciate it. Apparently the Pentagon and US Vets Assoc don't seem to be very helpful siting "privacy laws" but we are trying to have a memorial made to the lost aircrew this year. I may be able to get more infomation regarding actual date/names of crew.
Thank you

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Feb 11th 1945 C-47B 43-16394 of 311 FRS, 27ATG Piloted by Richard L Pogue crashed at UpWaltham Hill

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

If you wish to PM me I believe I have the Police Report with all crew details etc etc.

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Rustynails:
Have you been on to ArmyAirForces.com/Forum/USAAF Units 1 - 49. The 27th ATG has a page.......

Andy (BigWeeker)

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Many thanks for your prompt replies - sorry I wasn't prompt in replying. I will pass on this information. Do any of you imagine there will be a problem when the information is fully collected that the local Parish Council put the info in a booklet to be on display/for use by the general public in the church? Andy Saunders - Forgive my ignorance but what did "PM me I believe...." mean?

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

thank you for answering my query regarding the Dakota crash. I am informaed that it was in fact the correct plane and wonder if you have any more information regarding this crash to allow it to be put in a booklet to go with the memorial in the local church.

Rustynails

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

I have PM you but haven't heard back - hope there isn't a problem. I really would love to have sight of thepolice report and as much detail as you are able to supply as this will go into a booklet to be available when folk visit the church and view the memorial that is planned. Please reply and thank you in advance. I did give you my email when I PM you.

Rustynails

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

RustyNails....sorry for being so tardy.

You can e-mail me at sndz338@aol.com

I will try to find the Police report next week!

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Thank You Andy. I will contact you via your email sometime next week - maybe leave it till about Thursday unless you contact my email address beforehand. The sooner I can get fuller details then this allows folk to design/print the leaflets. I don't know what format they will use, as I am not organising any of it. I am a relative of one of the crew of the Lancaster that crashed 1 year ealier and I think my investigations in 2006 may have promted something to be done in the local church - would be nice if it was, but lovely nonetheless.

Chat soon,
Regards,
Rustynails

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Hello Andy Saunders,

Unfortuantely, I don't appear to be getting any contact from yourself although you mentioned on 27th March that you will try and get the police report for me and which you asked I contact your email, which I have done. Is there a problem?

Rustynails

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

No! Sorry. Just a bit overwhelmed with other stuff but hope to have the report next week-ish.

Sorry if it seems I have been ignoring you!

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Thank you for your reply.

Rustynails

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Can someone post the crew list please, I'll check around on ancestry.com and see if I can find other details, relatives etc for you and the parish.


From:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/s...y/Feb1945O.htm
The information presented in posts above.

if you want a copy of the USAAF crash report, send an email to the kind folks at the US Air Force Historical Support Office, You should get an very prompt response, ask also for any details they might have of the crew members:
afhso.research@pentagon.af.mil

From www.abmc.gov

The pilot:

Richard L. Pogue
First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # O-518549
1412th Army Air Force Base Unit
Entered the Service from: California
Died: 11-Feb-45
Buried at: Plot C Row 3 Grave 49
Cambridge American Cemetery
Cambridge, England
Awards:

And from:
www.wwiimemorial.com

1 LT Richard L. Pogue
ID: O-518549
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Status: DNB (Died Non Battle)

There is a website, I've not checked if its still active, but its for the 27th ATG, http://www.angelfire.com/co4/27thatg/

Richard Lee Pogue, born Woodlake CA, is on a Family Tree on ancestry.com I can contact the owner and see if they will contact you, I'll direct them to this thread.

From the US NARA website:
http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-list.jsp?cat=GP23

his enlistment from the Reservice Corps records can be found:
he enlisted under enlisted airman's serial number 19051145 on 15 December 1942, it suggests he was married at the time he enlisted.

Also, remember for anything that might be printed or etched in stone, the aircraft was a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the name Dakota was the Royal Air Force's 'official' name for the aircraft. The American "official" name was Skytrain.
http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/skytrain.htm

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

I also found an obituary newspaper article for Richard Pogue from his local paper, the Fresno Bee Republican. I can email it to you if you contact me. My contact details can be found by clicking on my name in the message header etc.

Dennis Burke
www.skynet.ie/~dan/war/crashes.htm

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

The full crew and passenger list from the crash report I recieved today is:


1st Lt Richard L POGUE O-518549 Pilot
2nd Lt Robert G ROBINSON O-674949 Co-pilot
Cpl. Jerome T SMITH 12193247 Radio Operator
S/Sgt. Victor C CORSON 15323223 Engineer
Sgt. Robert S NORRIS 34570926 Engineer
2nd Lt Craig C MOORE O-1999350 Passenger
Sgt. Carl G CLAYTON 32387705 Passenger

regards

Dennis

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Hello Dennis,

I just popped in here to see if I have received any information from Andy Saunders. Seems not.

Rustynails

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

I have finally dug out the Police Report on the incident as promised. I am sorry for the delay, but afraid that it has gradually worked its way to the top of my "to do" list and have been rather overwhelmed with other projects and deadlines.

Anyway, here is what I have....

Hope this helps! The map reference is on the wartime Casini Grid but equates to roughly 947130 on current OS Map.

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Thanks Andy,

to somewhat complete the picture here are the crash report and the details I was able to come up with.

regards

Dennis

http://www.skynet.ie/~dan/temp/C-47%2043-16394.pdf

This then is details of the crew men, all USAAF.
http://www.skynet.ie/~dan/temp/Crew%2043-16394.pdf

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Thanks Dennis. Very comprehensive!

I hope Rustynails now has all the information she needs to start putting things together. Aside from the posts here I have e-mailed her with the Police Report and look forward to hearing her progress with the project.

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Dennis and Andy,

Very many thanks to you both for all the hard work and information you have supplied to me and the folk at Upwaltham. I think they have all the details they need now and hopefully after August I will be able to send you disks of the event which I hope you both would be interested in. Heres hoping kind weather. I am not sure if you both are aware, but the organisers hope to have the US Air Attache, the 617 Historian attending and a fly past of the Lancaster and hoping to have a Dakota (Skytrain - sorry Dennis). Sounds as though they have worked very hard to make this a memorale day. Once again THANK YOU. Rustynails.

Re: Dakota Crash c1944 southern UK
 

Rustynails - please keep me posted on dates as I'd like to attend! I am only the other end of Sussex.

I am sure I have some correspondence somewhere from a relative of the Lancaster pilot.