US Navy crash near Pensacola on 12 January 1942

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

A long shot, but I would like to identify aircraf and unit of a crash that occured near Pensacola on 12 January 1942. Both crew, Ens Russel Vroom Adams Jr (pilot) and Aviation Cadet Francis Allen Rafferty, were killed.

Details of crash as reported in US newspapers:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3611...-news-journal/

I found nothing on fold3 or www.aviationarchaeology.com about this accident, neither in the book "Aircraft Accidents in Florida".

Both links below confirm Rafferty's death on 12 January 1942:
https://www.fold3.com/image/321205083
https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/3...allen-rafferty

On the other hand, I have been unable to find anything for Russel Vroom Adams, so the name may be wrong.

[udf_00]

https://www.geni.com/people/Russell-...00017178053385

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks for the above link. It seems the dead pilot was Russel Adams Jr, Russel Vroom Adams being his father.

By the way, "Vroom" is the noise French little children do when playing with miniatures cars . Well, Russel Vroom Adams was born before the first car was made.

[Revi16]

Some info on Corry Field, http://www.airfields-freeman.com/FL/...ensacola_W.htm

Aircraft most likely one of these, PT-17, N2S, SNJ.

[Leendert]

Laurent,
Nice remark about Vroom (in Dutch we use 'vroem' with same pronunciation to express speed..), but I think 'Vroom' here has more to do with the Dutch word for 'pious' or 'god fearing'. Equivalent: the German word 'fromm'.

Found a reference that Squadron 1 at nearby Saufley Field used the NAF N3N-3. In newspaper it says Squadron 1-A at Corry Field, a detachment?

Ensign Adams is mentioned as Russell Vroom Adams, Jr. on the memorial wall of Princeton University (Class of 1940).

Regards,
Leendert

[edwest2]

Aircraft accidents were quite high in the U.S. There is this three volume set.


https://www.amazon.com/Forces-Aviati.../dp/0786421061


Best,
Ed

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks for your replies.

Ed, the book series by Mireles is about USAAF fatal accidents in the US (and just across the border in Canada and Mexico for some cases) but does not cover the Navy and Marine aircraft, for which there is no complete accident loss online as far as I know. By the way I have copies of the pages of Mireles book for the first months of 1942.