Mystery Liberator crash

[BC]

Hi all:

I've been asked to try to find out what I can on a USAAF B-24 which crashed (supposedly) in the area of Maidstone, Kent in early to mid-Oct 1944. Source of the inquiry is a member of the Holton Airfield Memorial Museum (HAMM) on behalf of the pilot, Will Plate.

Will transferred from the 489th Bomb Group at Holton to the 87th Transport Squadron, 302nd Transport Wing at Chipping Ongar. He states they were returning from a "Truckin" mission to France and descended through low cloud to ascertain their position. He then claims they hit a hill 650 ft ASL and crash-landed. None of the crew were killed or seriously injured and they were apparently looked after by servicemen from an "RAF Officer cadet camp" (sic) until ambulances arrived to take them to hospital.

Now I know Kent is bumpy in places, but not up to 650 ft. Can anyone please help me to sort out where this incident occurred and what the ID of the B-24 was?

TIA for any assistance.

BC

[SteveB]

Hi
The highest point in the Weald (Crowborough Beacon) is 240m/787ft.
Steve

[Graham Boak]

If he had an incorrect setting of sea-level pressure on the altimeter, this would mean that he wasn't actually at 650 ft.

[Revi16]

Not sure what information is accurate or not, but Chipping Ongar, 87th Transport Squadron, and B-24 don't seem to align with any of the information below.


Wiki shows the 302 Transport Wing as being stationed here,


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/302d_Air_Division

• RAF Sunninghill, England, 5 December 1943
• RAF Grove England, unkn-c. 8 September 1944
• RAF Cranford, England, c. 8 September 1944
• Paris, France, 15 November 1944
• RAF Grove, England, c. 1 October – 9 December 1945
• Marietta AAB (later, AFB), Georgia, 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949.

and the Groups/Squadrons composed of,



Groups

• 27th Air Transport: 1 September 1944 – 5 April 1945; 18 July – 15 October 1945
• 31st Transport: 1 September 1944 – c. 4 September 1945
• 435th Troop Carrier: 15 July 1947 – 26 June 1949
• 514th Troop Carrier: 17 October 1947 – 26 June 1949

Squadrons

• 310th Ferrying: c. 1 May – c. 25 August 1945
• 311th Ferrying: c. 18 July – c. 15 September 1945
• 320th Transport: 18 July – 8 August 1945.

and the aircraft flown as,

C-47 1944–1945
C-46 1945
C-64 1945

No 87th listed here either. http://www.ordersofbattle.darkscape....z_Wing-302.htm

[Leendert]

A USAAF loss list has B-24 42-50292 of 302nd Air Transport Wing with salvage date 18 Oct 44. Non-battle related.

Will Plate to be identified as Wilmer A. Plate, DFC.
42-50292 saw some previous combat missions: see http://www.b24bestweb.com/tenhigh-v2-1.htm

Regards,

Leendert

[BC]

Leendert, gentlemen - many thanks for your help. I was initially under the impression this had been a 489BG B-24 from Holton, until the revised info about this being an ATC B-24 came through from Will Plate. All I have to do now is find out where the incident occurred.
Thanks again for wonderful input.
BC

[Alex Smart]

Hello Leendert,
From the accident report .com website .

1944 - Walter Buell. Plate.
1945 - Wilmer A. Plate.

So must have been Walter Buell, Plate, if incident was in 1944 ?

Alex

[Leendert]

Alex,

There's an entry on wwiimemorial.com about Wilmer A. Plate being a pilot with 489th BG, 847th BS, hence my assumption that he is the person.

Will is more in line with Wilmer than with Walter?


Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello Leendert,

Thanks for the direction, I see that the entery for Walter B. has him as DNB, also rank as "AV C" so looks like you are correct about it being Wilmer A. Plate.
Thank you.

From airforcehistory.com pages.
Crew names: ASCHENBRENNER, ROBERT R.; QUINLY, JACK H.; MCLEOD, Vernon Elwood.; PLATE, WALTER BUELL; STEARNS, RICHARD C.; LIPPY, BENJAMIN H.; RHODES, GLEN LESTER; PYLE, LOWELL DALE (44-3-9).

But Aschenbrenner's a/c is listed as a UC-78C -Bobcat 43-32456 - New Mexico ? could they take six aboard ?
Because for AVC. Plate, Walter Buell, he is listed in the usdata.co site along with AVC. McLeod, Vernon E. as lost in AT-17 -42-352 same date ( 9th March 1944 ) and place as 43-32456.
Aviation Archaeology site gives both a/c, as being with the 1148th TEFTS and both in a fatal collision some 10 miles E of Sumner AAF New Mexico on the 9th March 1944.
The 1148th also lost UC-78B - 43-32236 piloted by HARGRAVES, GEORGE W. with WELCH, FLOYD V. on the same day in a non-fatal landing accident at Tucumcari Aux Field Fort Sumner.

Still looking for Wilmer A.

Alex

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

9th March, 1944 - Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

At 1100 MWT, a Cessna AT-17 (42-352), and a Cessna UC-78B (43-32456), collided in mid-air and crashed ten miles east of the Army Air Field at Fort Sumner., New Mexico, killing four fliers. Instructor 2Lt Robert R. Aschenbrenner, Berkeley, California, and student A/C Jack H. Quinly, Kansas City, Kansas, were killed in the crash of the UC-78B; student A/C Vernon Elwood McLeod, Sacramento, California, and student A/C Walter Buell Plate, San Francisco, California, were killed in the crash of the AT-17. The AT-17 was part of a three-ship flight on a student formation flight. The UC-78 was flying behind the formation so that Lt Aschenbrenner could give instructions to the student ships. The formation flight was completed without incident and the collision occurred when the formation was preparing to enter the traffic pattern for a landing at Fort Sumner Army Air Field. Both aircraft were observed falling to the ground out of control. There were no witnesses to the actual collision..

See:
Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945. Volume 2: July 1943- July 1944.
Mireles,Anthony J.
Jefferson:McFarland & Co. Inc.,2006.
p.718.

Col.