Crash C-47 A at 09.April 1945 in Wahn

[RSwank]

I received the IDPF files for John D Lampman, Jr and Harvey G Larson.

John D Lampman’s IDPF file is 96 pages long. Harvey G Larson’s IDF file is 133 pages long. The pages are roughly in reverse chronological order in each file. Many of the pages are concerned with the identification of the men on the plane.

Lampman was the co-pilot of C-47 42-23604 that crashed on April 9, 1945, near Wahn Germany. The plane carried a crew of 4 from the 86th Air Transport Squadron and 5 “unauthorized” passengers from the 258th Quartermaster Railhead Company. Larson was one of the “unauthorized” passengers. All nine men were killed in the crash.
All nine of the men were originally buried in a row by the Germans in a common grave in the Wahn-Heide Civilian Cemetery. All nine bodies were recovered after the war and much of the IDPF files concern the process by which the bodies (including Lampman’s and Larson’s) were identified.

After identification (which occurred at Margraten and was done by dental records) Lampman and Larson were buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Belgium in 1951.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...john-d-lampman
https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/lampman%3Djohn
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...arvey-g-larson
https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/larson%3Dharvey


While flying at a low altitude and apparently having engine trouble, plane was hit by flak which blew off one wing. Plane crashed and burned outside Wahn Germany, 9 April 1945. All of the men on the plane were killed. The Germans recovered the bodies (they believed they had 8 men but they actually had all 9). On April 14, 1945 the Burgermeister of Wahn reported the crash to American Authorities and turned over to the Americans the dog tags (8 sets) that they had removed from the bodies before burial. A 9th dog tag was found at the crash site. The Americans identified the plane as C-47 42-23604. The Americans recovered the bodies in 1946. The bodies were moved to Margraten. Three were quickly identified, (two crew and one 258th QM railhead company member) based on laundry marks on the clothing and other physical characteristics including dental charts, but the army did not have complete dental records for all the men initially. In some of those cases the army contacted the families. The families were asked to try and get reports from the civilian dentists that had done some work on the men before they entered the service. Final identifications were made in 1949.


As to what the 5 men from the railhead company were doing on the plane, the AAF had statements from Captain John W. Maloney, Jr and Cpl. Seymour K Shampain, both from the 258th QM Rhd Co. It is not clear if they made identical statements for each of the 5 men, but the letters in the IDF file refer to specifically to William Mitchell (and indirectly to Larson).

“On 9 April 1945, at approximately 1400 hours, at the Airport in Eschwege, Germany I saw Pfc. William B. Mitchell, along with four other members of the Company, enter a C-47 Plane. I had my camera with me at the time so I took a picture of the plane. Later I turned the picture into the Orderly Room.”
Signed Seymour K Shampain, 26th day of June, 1945.


“At Reveille formation on 11 April 1945 it was reported that Pfc. William B. Mitchell, 34771564, was absent from the Company area. Upon investigation it was learned he had entered a C-47 Plane at the Eschwege Air strip, with four other men of this organization. The Plane had been used to bring in Class III (fuel) for Third U.S.Army. The men have not been heard from since about 1400 9 April 1945, the day they entered the plane.” Signed Captain John W. Maloney, Jr. 258th QM Rhd Co.



Also in the IDPF file for Larson is this, a letter, written to the father of William B Mitchell, in 1946. The letter was written before the bodies were recovered at Wahn.

Dear Mr. Mitchell:
I am writing you relative to your son, the late Private First Class William B. Mitchell.
The distress you have suffered since receiving the sad announcement of your son’s death is fully understood and I wish to advise you that a report has now ben received. This report discloses that Private Mitchell as last seen on 9 April 1945 at Eschwege, Germany, boarding an aircraft whose operational mission in a combat zone was to deliver gasoline. Your son was not under orders to fly and it is presumed that he was invited for a ride by members of the crew and was to return to his field on the next run in for supplies later the same day. Information received from the Graves Registration Company states that as the airplane was flying low altitude over Wahn-Heide, Germany and appeared to be having engine trouble. An anti-aircraft battery opened fire, blew off one wing and the plane crashed and burned, completely incinerating those on board. A few days later the remains of the plane, but not of the crew were found. It has been concluded that your son’s death was in line of duty and was not the result of his own misconduct.

May I again extend my deepest sympathy in your great loss.

Sincerely yours,
Edward F Witsell
Major General
The Adjutant General of the Army
15 February 1946

[RSwank]

I put the IDPFs on a Google Drive. This link should give you viewing/download access:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...usp=share_link

[manniw]

Hello Roland,

I must apologise for only now replying to your last message. But I had some private problems to solve that simply took priority.

Thank you very much for your information about Lapmann and Larson, very interesting details that I can find here. Even more interesting is that there was another crash of a C-47 (43-15179) a few days before here in Wahn. I didn't know anything about that until now.

You also sent me some information about EUGENE HENRY CHARPIER......I just can't find anywhere to put the boy. Was this information perhaps intended for someone else?

I will now evaluate the information and compare it with my research. Then I will get back to you.

Greetings from Cologne
Manni

[Leendert]

Manni,

Cpl. Eugene H. Charpier was killed in a B-17 of 379th Bomb Group on a mission to Wesseling, Germany on 11 October 1944. He was hit by shrapnel and died when plane made an emergency stop 'on a muddy field' somewhere in Belgium. Cpl. Charpier was first buried at a civil cemetery at Evere (Brussels).

Regards,
Leendert

[RSwank]

Manni,

Sorry for the confusion. I had put Charpier's IDPF on the Google Drive site as it was easy for Leendert to download it using the same link address, (it relates to a crash landing he is investigating) I did not think anyone was looking at the links anymore so was thinking I could avoid setting up a separate download folder for him.

As for the C-47 crash near Cologne, I think the men from the railhead company had been assigned to unload the gasoline from the C-47s when they landed. The gas was in Jerry cans, each contained a little more than 5 gallons of gas.

A photo of the unloading of a C-47. (Not sure those are ex-POWs doing the work, looks more like men in a segregated army support unit).

https://www.fold3.com/image/37241804...mewhere-in-ger


The "mission" symbols on the plane are interesting. Three glider tow missions?, Eight parachute drops (two for parachutists, and six for supply drops)?, and maybe below the line a Jerry can for a gasoline mission? Also the windows have the "porthole" in the center for parachutists to fire their rifles. I am not sure those were ever used by anyone during the war.