Photos of 1943 B-25 Crash Rediscovered 1978

[FinishForty]

Just came across some old photos and got them scanned so I could share them. My friend Walter Grimes and I rediscovered this 1943 B-25 crash in 1978. The plane crashed into a wooded swamp about one mile short of its runway at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. There was a fire after the crash, which destroyed much of the plane which was not in swamp water. Walt and I found exploded .50 cal shells. Someone had etched a memorial of sorts into a propeller blade which protruded from the ground like a tombstone. I am aware of at least one later forest fire which must have taken its toll on the wreck. Today the area is a housing development. More detail in the captions of a few photos which I posted on my book's Facebook page, here.

[dp_burke]

Do you think was this an Air Force B-25 or a Naval PBJ? Was there any indication of the crew names?

A list of dead from 1943 MCAS Cherry Point from Ancestry.com North carolina death certificates.
Date is given in MMDD, the leading zeros haven;t displayed, add a zero to the front of any three digit number
i.e. 128 = Jan 28th
1101 = Nov 01st

Joyner Roma 29 Oct 1915 Middlesex, North Carolina, United States 28 Jan 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 128
Jabe William Cullen 1 Mar 1915 Mississippi, United States 8 Mar 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 308
Walter Robert Gauvin 29 Apr 1924 New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States 14 Mar 1943 U S M C Air Station Cherry Pt, Craven 314
Baker Minard Low 21 Jul 1921 Clinton, Iowa, United States 7 May 1943 U S M A C S Cherry Point, Craven 507
Ralph Waldo Hathaway 12 Aug 1917 Dayton, Ohio, United States 13 Jun 1943 Usmcas Cherry Pt, Craven 613
J W King 25 Oct 1915 Tennessee, United States 9 Jul 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 709
Douglas Gordon Mcdonald 14 Jun 1919 Lansing, Michigan, United States 9 Jul 1943 Usmacas Cherry Point, Craven 709
Gordon Albert Stitt 20 May 1925 American Falls, Idaho, United States 9 Jul 1943 Usmcas, Cherry Point, Craven 709
William Paul Flessner 19 Dec 1924 Baltimore; Maryland, Maryland 2 Aug 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 802
Russell Benton Porter 16 Jan 1920 Bridgaport, Connecticut, United States 12 Aug 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 812
Elmer Wesley Walker 20 Apr 1921 Iowa, United States 22 Aug 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 822
Roy Lewis Wilson 12 Apr 1919 Sabina, Ohio, United States 26 Aug 1943 Cherry Point, Craven 826
John William Rider 25 Apr 1922 Halltown, West Virginia, United States 5 Sep 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 905
Alfred Willard Ausley 13 May 1923 Moundville, Alabama, United States 1 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1101
Henry Carroll Chmara 30 Mar 1921 Brooklyn, New York, United States 1 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1101
Louis Laurent Napoleon Coulombe 9 Feb 1924 Mpls, Minnesota, United States 1 Nov 1943 Usmcas, Cherry Point, Craven 1101
Robert Johns Nelson 24 Aug 1916 Michigan, United States 1 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1101
Vivian Harold Scott 20 Jul 1920 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States 1 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1101
Richard Homer Seavers 24 Jul 1923 St Louis, Missouri, United States 1 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1101
Roy Ocie Dozier Jr. 25 Apr 1920 Norfolk, Virginia, United States 15 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1115
T Sgt Usmcr Harry Ingersoll Rattenbury 17 Nov 1920 Northville, Michigan, United States 15 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1115
S Sgt Usmc Raymond Bosworth Smith 24 Mar 1919 Corwith, Iowa, United States 15 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1115
T Sgt. Usmc Henry Bradley Starling 6 Apr 1918 Brookhaven, Mississippi, United States 15 Nov 1943 Usmcas Cherry Point, Craven 1115
1st Lt Usmcr Theodore Arnold Stewart 22 Nov 1921 San Francisco, California, United States 15 Nov 1943 Usmcas, Cherry Point, Craven 1115
Robert Edward 13 Apr 1916 Wytheville, Virginia, United States 20 Nov 1943 Cherry Paint, Craven 1120
Jean Elizabeth Frantz 7 Jan 1923 Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, United States 24 Dec 1943 Cherry Point, Craven 1224
Catherine Spaulding Lawson 25 Oct 1921 Sedalia, Missouri, United States 24 Dec 1943 Cherry Point, Craven 1224

[FinishForty]

Dennis, I think we accessed a news article about the crash but did not copy it, or maybe had no way to copy it. I see one group of five listed above, which looks very possible, but I can't be sure. Walt and I identified the plane as a B-25 from the wreckage, but it was probably a Navy or USMC plane since it was approaching Cherry Point MCAS. At age 16, I wasn't an historian, so in hindsight I would have done many things differently.

[Leendert]

Phil,

On findagrave.com it says with PFC Vivian Scott that he was killed with five other servicemen on 1 Nov 1943 when a Navy plane ready for take-off exploded at Cherry Poiint MCAS.

Regards,

Leendert

[FinishForty]

Thanks, Leendert, since this one was on approach about a mile from the runway when it went in, appears the 1 November '43 loss doesn't match.

[Leendert]

Phil,

It may well worth to look into the crash of PBJ-1D Mitchell with BuNo 35057 on 15 Nov 1943 one mile from Cherry Point with five casualties, most likely the five men mentioned with that date on the list Dennis provided. Unit is given as OTS-8 on website http://www.pbjmitchell.com/buno.htm
This and Joe Baugher's websites say the a/c came down after take-off, while you gather it was on the approach?

Regards,

Leendert

[FinishForty]

I'll check it out, Leendert. I thought the plane was on approach because the 1943 news article said so, but of course it may have been mistaken. The orientation of the wreckage had the plane pointed toward the runway, but there could be many reasons for that, too. Thank you for the lead!