Re: US Navy Parachute Incidents California 1925/1926
Story of the SDW Incident
I can positively ID all 5 crew but not 100% id "Chief Daniel Chamberlain"
Chief = Chief Machinists Mate
Dodson (not Dobson, which was why I could not find him initially) left the Navy and was amongst other things a Stunt Parachute Performer in Hollywood. He was knifed to death outside his home in Sept 1933
Still looking for a possible serial Probably between 1 (A-6085 to A-6095)
NAS San Diego
SAM DIEGO CROWD
THRILLED BY PLANE FIRE
Exclusive Dispatch
SAN DIEGO, Oct 26' Five
airmen narrowly escaped
serious injury, and the huge crowd that packed North
Island for observance of Navy Day
were provided with a thrill not on
program shortly before noon
when as huge naval "SDW"
caught fire at an altitude of
200 feet during an exhibition of
of parachute jumping.
Lieut Cornelius Joseph O'Connor acting chief
flight officer of the air at the
controls and with him were
Chief William Erbe and Chief Daniel Chamberlain.
Chief "C Dodson" - (Actually William Thornton 'Bill' Dodson)
and "Chief A Munttrich" - (Actually Robert James Munkittrick)
as parachute jumpers
Dodson and Munttrich were on the
wings of the plane, ready to make
parachute jumps, when fire
broke out and in a moment hid the
craft from view in cloud of
smoke.
Lieut O'Connor at once ordered
the parachute jumpers to leap, although
it was not their scheduled
time and then directed the fighting of
the flames with extinguishers.
Airmen said afterwards that
the lives of those in the plane,
as well as the plane itself, were
saved by the cool work of Lieut
O'Connor. The flames were extinguished
and the plane descended
safely
Parachute jumper Dodson landed
safely near the shore of the island
and Munttrich landed in a tree
but both escaped injury.
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