2023-10-24, 10:26 AM
An incident I only just learned about. Maybe some of the old timers are already aware of it, but it was new to me. DV has soooo many secrets still.
The part about dynamiting the wrecks and trying to bury them was especially interesting.
In August of 1944, at night, 20,000 ft over DV, six B24 Liberators were on a training flight in close formation. Most all of the crews were only 18 years to early 20's old. Two of the planes collided and the blades of one cut off the tail of the other. The two planes broke apart in mid-air. 18 men (9 per plane) were plummeting to the ground. Only one of the men, a belly or tail gunner, had a parachute on. He was luckily thrown free from the tumbling wreckages and made it alive to the ground, his head scalped by swirling metal in the air, but alive. They found him in the daytime wandering around dazed in the 120 degree heat. 17 men died though. The Army collected the deceased and decided that due to the logistics, I would be best to dynamite the two plane wreckages and bury the debris in the salt pan. It sort of worked but not 100%. The remaining parts and pieces stand as a reminder that the cost of war happens even before airmen and soldiers make it to the battlefield. In 1944 alone, over 5,000 airmen died JUST training. They never left the USA. Let's remember their sacrifice and if you know this location, please respect the site as a memorial, there are still relatives alive of the deceased.
On August 1, 1944, six B-24 Liberators took off from Muroc Army Air Field for training in gunnery and formation flying. One B-24J collided with, and sheared off the tail of, a B-24D which immediately plummeted. Gunnery student Private Newton J. Steven was thrown from the B-24J and was able to parachute successfully. All the other eight aviators in the B-24J perished along with all eight airmen on the B-24D (Mireles 2006). Scattered debris from the crash is still visible in the park (Macha and Jordan 2002).
Photo courtesy of Steve Williams on FB.
Wondering what the total of downed aircraft in the park is. Obviously there's the Albatross on Towne. I've heard of another B24 crash landing in Saline Valley.
The part about dynamiting the wrecks and trying to bury them was especially interesting.
In August of 1944, at night, 20,000 ft over DV, six B24 Liberators were on a training flight in close formation. Most all of the crews were only 18 years to early 20's old. Two of the planes collided and the blades of one cut off the tail of the other. The two planes broke apart in mid-air. 18 men (9 per plane) were plummeting to the ground. Only one of the men, a belly or tail gunner, had a parachute on. He was luckily thrown free from the tumbling wreckages and made it alive to the ground, his head scalped by swirling metal in the air, but alive. They found him in the daytime wandering around dazed in the 120 degree heat. 17 men died though. The Army collected the deceased and decided that due to the logistics, I would be best to dynamite the two plane wreckages and bury the debris in the salt pan. It sort of worked but not 100%. The remaining parts and pieces stand as a reminder that the cost of war happens even before airmen and soldiers make it to the battlefield. In 1944 alone, over 5,000 airmen died JUST training. They never left the USA. Let's remember their sacrifice and if you know this location, please respect the site as a memorial, there are still relatives alive of the deceased.
On August 1, 1944, six B-24 Liberators took off from Muroc Army Air Field for training in gunnery and formation flying. One B-24J collided with, and sheared off the tail of, a B-24D which immediately plummeted. Gunnery student Private Newton J. Steven was thrown from the B-24J and was able to parachute successfully. All the other eight aviators in the B-24J perished along with all eight airmen on the B-24D (Mireles 2006). Scattered debris from the crash is still visible in the park (Macha and Jordan 2002).
Photo courtesy of Steve Williams on FB.
Wondering what the total of downed aircraft in the park is. Obviously there's the Albatross on Towne. I've heard of another B24 crash landing in Saline Valley.
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