ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 110537
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| Date: | Saturday 25 September 1943 |
| Time: | 10:30 |
| Type: |  North American AT-6A Texan |
| Owner/operator: | 364th FSqn /371st FGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-16165 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | The Magothy River off Wards Point, 9 miles north of Annapolis -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | |
Lieutenant Mark Eugene Millard was born October 6, 1922 in East St. Louis, IL to Mark and Helen (Hazel) Millard. His father was a longtime employee of the Alton (and later Gulf, Moblie & Ohio) Railroad. The family moved to Bloomington in 1926. Ever since a child, he had been interested in aviation, dreaming of becoming a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot and flying the fastest plane in the world. His interest in speed might have originated from his victory in the 1937 Bloomington soap box derby.
Before the U.S. entered World War II, Millard unsuccessfully tried to enlist in the Canadian Air Force. After Pearl Harbor, he successfully enlisted on April 6, 1942 at Peoria, IL. Millard was in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to late 1943. His ground training was at Kelly Field, San Antonio, TX. He continued his training at Corsicana Air Field, also near San Antonio, flying his first solo flight on October 26, 1942. He then had basic training back at Kelly Field and flew more training hours at nearby Randolph Field, which was known as "The West Point of the Air." He finished his advanced training at Moore Field in McAllen, TX. Graduating as a fighter pilot and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Force, on April 22, 1943, he was ordered to Mitchell Field, NY.
Millard was then transferred to Camp Springs Air Field, outside of Washington D.C., to complete his fighter training. He was assigned to the 364th Fighter Squadron, 371st Fighter Group, which was flying the P-47 Thunderbolt and was at that time the fastest fighter plane at high altitude. He completed his training in early September 1943 and was ordered to prepare to go overseas. After a nine day leave he returned to duty on September 15.
On the morning of September 25, 1943, 2nd Lt Millard and his roommate, 2nd Lt Robert B. Lind, of Columbus, Indian, took off in the AT-6 41-16165, a trainer belonging to their squadron, for a practice flight. Around 10:30 am their plane crashed into the Magothy River off Wards Point, 9 miles north of Annapolis, MD.
A civilian witness on the ground reported that the airplane was heading in a northwesterly direction with a backfiring engine. The terrain in the area included populated areas and heavily wooded areas. The pilot did not have enough altitude to find a field for an emergency landing and was forced to try a ditching in the river. The airplane stalled and was seen to enter a nose down attitude before striking the water. The pilots were not seen to exit the airplane and it sank in a matter of minutes. It is not known what caused the crash or who was flying the plane, but it was assumed that the force with which they hit the water knocked them unconscious and they drowned.
Millard’s body was returned to Bloomington, escorted by one of his flight mates Lieutenant Roy Lacy. He was buried in Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, on September 29, 1943. After his death his mother, Helen Millard, became an active member of the local Gold Star Mothers chapter, an organization for the mothers of deceased soldiers.
Sources:
http://www.mchistory.org/Lieutenant_Mark_Millard_Collection_Finding_Aid.html
"Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945. Volume 2, July 1943-July 1944", by Anthony J. Mireles. ISBN 0-7864-2789-2
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Sep1943S.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magothy_River
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Dec-2018 20:31 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Mar-2020 19:47 | DG333 | Updated [Operator, Location, Operator] |
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