ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 111775
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| Date: | Wednesday 10 January 1945 |
| Time: | 16:00 |
| Type: |  North American B-25C Mitchell |
| Owner/operator: | 330th BU USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-13290 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Godfrey, Georgia -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Greenville SC. |
| Greenville SC> |
At 1600 EWT, the North American B-25C 41-13290 of 330th BU USAAF crashed at Godfrey, seven miles southwest of Madison, Georgia, killing five fliers. The airplane took off from Greenville Army Air Base, Greenville, South Carolina, on a low-altitude rendezvous mission at 500 feet. Investigators stated, "The formation broke and the subject aircraft flew in the vicinity of Monticello and Madison, Georgia. Witnesses stated thta the airplane flew altitudes ranging from 50 feet to 500 feet. The airplane was seen to descend from 300 feet to an altitude of approximately 100 feet, at which time the wings of the airplane were perpendicular to the ground. At that time the right wing, which was the lowest, struck a tree and the airplane hit in an inverted position. The airplane burst into flames upon impact. There was no survivor.
Crew (all killed):
2nd Lt Calvin Elden Stocking (pilot)
2nd Lt Samuel James Strong (copilot)
2nd Frank H. Bartels (navigator/bombardier)
Cpl William E. Thrash (engineer)
Cpl Robert Deana Rodgers (radio operator)
In 2009 Morgan County, Georgia, inaugurated a marker on the crashsite bearing the following inscription:"
On the occasion of its Bicentennial, Morgan County placed this marker here to commemorate the WW II B-25C Airplane Crash
In the early afternoon of January 10, 1945, residents of the south-western portion of Morgan County were witnesses to the crash of a B-25C airplane in a field near the intersection of present- day Godfrey Road and Walton’s Mill Road. The plane had taken off from Greenville Army Air Base in Greenville, South Carolina, and it was on a low altitude rendezvous mission at 500 feet.
Witnesses to the accident reported seeing the airplane flying below altitude and very close to the trees. According to published reports from Army Air Forces, after striking a tree the plane crashed to the ground and burst into flames. Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the plane before it crashed, suggesting mechanical failure. The official report filed with the AAF Office of Flying Safety identifies a possible loss of power on right engine as a contributing factor to the crash, but the underlying cause is listed as “unknown.”
Casualties were: Lt. Calvin Elden Stocking, 21, pilot, Greenville, SC; Lt. Samuel James Strong, 21, co-pilot, Bakersfield, CA; Lt. Frank H. Bartels, 25, bombardier-navigator, Ronceverte, WV; Cpl. William E. Thrash, 20, engineer gunner, Murphreesboro, AK, and Cpl. Robert Deana Rogers, 19, radio-gunner, Maplewood, NJ. The local newspaper Madisonian noted on January 19, 1945, "the sympathy of the people of Morgan County goes out unstintingly to those whose homes are bereaved by this unfortunate accident."
Location: 33° 28.565 N, 83° 30.823 W. Marker is in Godfrey, Georgia, in Morgan County. Marker is at the intersection of Godfrey Road and Walton’s Mill Road, on the left when traveling north on Godfrey Road.
Sources:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=20192
"Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945. Volume 3, August 1944-December 1945", by Anthony J. Mireles. ISBN 0-7864-2790-6
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jan1945S.htm
http://www.hmdb.org/map.asp?markers=20192,16176,16156,16246,16223,19944,17397,19872,20483
Images:
Crash site 11 January 1945
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Aug-2011 23:31 | BBC | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Jan-2017 09:54 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Feb-2020 16:46 | Iwosh | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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