"The Coonskin Boys"

ooooohhhhh lovely !

Thanks !
Martin

Excellent photos!

According to O. Dene Fahey’s book “79th. Fighter Squadron – Tiger History (1943-1976”, the third photo was taken while the squadron were flying close support for US Marines at Camp Pendleton, California. Squadron Commander Maj. Walter Overstreet is third from left, standing. At that time the pilots were acting as their own mechanics. A different though very similar photo appears in the aforementioned book.

I don’t have any information about Slocumb’s time in the 79th. but he did indeed fly with the 16th. Fighter Squadron in the CBI and scored 1 confirmed aerial and 3 confirmed ground victories. He was later the CO of the 366th. Fighter Bomber Wing in the mid 50’s.

Do you know Miller personally?

Some more 79th FS Postwar photos. I got them from Earl Miller who was a Captain at the time. He’d flown P39s and Jugs with the 345th FS, 350th FG in the Med, earning a Silver Star and DFC in the process.

The images were taken in 46. The first is a photo of Earl Miller next to the CO’s aircraft. Note the fancy paint on the nose. The best he and I can figure is that it belonged to Clyde Slocumb who was the CO. I came across his name with the 23rd FG in China, which might explain what looks to be Japanese flags under the cockpit.

The second is Earl Miller and his crew cheif next to his 51, which is the one in the in flight photo.

Both those images were scanned from very small photos that seem to have been common at the time.

Third and fourth images are group photos with a Mustang.

Dan

Martin and Dan you both have private messages. Thanks again!

Great pic, I’ve never seen a post-war 79th. FS P-51 before!

Here’s a postwar 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th FG Mustang based Stateside.

I haven’t forgotten you Martin 🙂

Just been busy. I’ll get the others on the way

Dan

Does the book have any photos with Crites in them?

nope.

Martin

Thank you, Martin. I know in 2001 a group went over the crash site and a few fragments of the aircraft were found as well as the sole of a shoe and a few other small items.

The memorial to the 21 men who died was erected a few years ago, I haven’t seen it yet but I’ll be headed to Yeager Airport Nov. 15th. and 19th. so I’ll have plenty of chances to check it out. I am also hoping to visit Crites’ gravesite during one of those two days, he’s buried in nearby St. Albans, West Virginia.

Another sad fact to this story is Crites’ brother, Ardith, died in a crash while training to be a bomber crewman in Florida in the fall of 1942.

Does the book have any photos with Crites in them?

Okay

the “Coonskin Boys” book is on my desk now.

It contains about the same information as already posted earlier:

On Sunday morning, April 8, 1951, C-47 number 6004, with Capt. Edward K. Whittington at the controls, slammed into a hillside four miles short of Kanawha Airport. Nineteen men died in the fiery crash and two more died within three days of burns and massive injuries. The hadest-hit section of the squadron was the armaments division, seven of its 28 members were los.
The reason for the crash never was determined. There was heavy fog, but, aside from that, investigation showed that both engines were running perfectly at the time of impact. Also, the pilot was very familiar with the terrain. One strange thing deepens the mistery even more; the overhead cockpit-escape hatch was found 1.5 miles back on the flight path from the crash site.
Something good happened as a result of the crash. A later investigation of the site showed that the top of the mountain contained a magnetic field that could affect navigational instruments in approaching aircraft. The top of the mountain was cut down, thereby elimination possible cause for a future accident.
Those who died in the crash and were identified include Capt. Edward K. Whittington, pilot; First Lt. Harry B. Kesler, co-pilot; Tech Sgt. William H. Shelton, crew chief, Staff Sgt. David Rollyson, Sgt. Winson A. Schoonover, Sgt. James E. Creasy, Cpl. Columbus Hall, Capt. Charles E. Cobb, Cpl. Dennis I. Meeks, Cpl. John R. Price and Pfc. Jimmy Dolan. Unidentified dead include First Lt. Drexel E. Crites, First Lt. Lyle E. Finley, First Lt. Herman F. Winter, First Lt. Charles R. Michaelson, First Lt. William J. Frank, Staff Sgt. Kenneth C. Amick, Sgt. Richard F. Hazeltine and Pfc. James R. Lewis. Injured men who died later include Maj. Issac E. Bonifas and Capt. Harry K. Blackhurst.

May they rest in peace !

Martin / Swiss Mustangs

Very much appreciated Martin and Mike, this is one of the greatest forums I have ever been assocaited with! 🙂

I’ll send you a list tonight (my time), i.e. in approx 4 hours.

Martin

Martin, what have you got that’s 79th. Fighter Squadron related?

Pleasure is mine – after 15 years research into P-51 operations, I have done some of my homework….

BTW- I have dozens of WV ANG photos…… 😉

Martin

It is indeed amazing how small the internet has made this world, here I am getting information from Switzerland about something that happened right up the road from me! Thanks for the info, Martin, I’ll send you some pictures of “Wham Bam” once I get them taken.

Now you have me interested in trying to figure out what wartime units the other five officers killed aboard the C-47 had been part of. Guess I will have to wait until I get up there and get their names off the memorial for starters.

Martin. I’m not familiar with who Michaelson was, can you enlighten me?

He was member of the 55th FG 343rd FS and became POW in February 1945 when lost on a mission over Germany

http://www.station131.co.uk/55th/Pilots/343rd%20Pilots/Michaelson%20Charles%20R%20Lt.htm

Martin

Martin. I’m not familiar with who Michaelson was, can you enlighten me? Also, as an aside the Silver Bridge, mentioned on the second link, collaspsed less than a mile from my residence.

it was C-47D 43-48298 and I have crash location as CHARLESTON 8 MILES NE, WV

April 8, 1951: National Guard plane crash at Charleston
The 21 West Virginia airmen aboard a military C-47 transport plane had little warning before their plane crashed and burned on April 8, 1951. The plane crashed just 20 minutes after its pilot radioed air traffic controllers that he would attempt to land at Charleston’s Kanawha Airport.

The plane slammed into a hillside near Little Sandy Creek, north of Charleston. It skidded about 400 feet through mud and heavy underbrush and one wing was torn off before the plane erupted in flames.

Seven officers and twelve enlisted men died on impact and two officers were thrown clear of the wreckage but died later of severe burns. The airmen were from Kentucky’s Godman Air Force Base, where they were training for overseas duty during the Korean War. All but one of the dead were West Virginians, most from the Charleston area.

The plane was one of two on its way to Kanawha County for the funeral of a colleague, Major Jock Sutherland of St. Albans, who had died three days before in a plane collision in Florida. Both planes carried 21 airmen and were expected to land just after noon. The other plane returned to Kentucky after learning of the crash.

News of the tragedy reached people in Charleston just after Sunday church services. Governor Okey Patteson and Mayor Carl Andrews requested flags be flown at half staff for a week.

The death toll equaled West Virginia’s worst aviation accident involving a military plane. In 1942, another transport plane had crashed into a mountain near Welch in McDowell County, also killing 21.

P-51 pilot 1LT Charles R. Michaelson perished also in this crash

and check this:

http://www.wvgazette.com/static/century/GZ0408.html

http://www.dailymail.com/static/specialsections/lookingback/lb0212.htm

Martin

Got it as well – both issues (P-51 era and the Jet era).

But it also will have to wait ’till evening (19.00 h GMT+1)

Martin / Swiss Mustangs

Holy cow that was fast! I live about an hour from where the crash happened and Drexel Crites was one of the 21 Air National Guard personnel killed when the plane crashed. Crites was born and raised not far from my current home and was buried in the cemetery where my grandparents were laid to rest.

Next month I’m going to be taking my gf to Yeager Airport (formerly Kanawha County Airport) and will be checking out the memorial to the ANG personnel that is there — as well as the former 167th. Fighter Squadron P-51 displayed nearby.

Thanks for all your help! 😀