Researching USAAF Crashes Re Memorial

Well done!

Just to update this thread , I had a phone call from an elderly man in Australia last week. Mr Marsh , who lived in Kedington during the war. On April 1st 1945 (his birthday) he watched two fighters collide over the village and also visited the crash site of the fighter that came straight down. He confirmed that he saw the deceased pilot still in the cockpit . So it seems that we have found our near forgotten American hero. Thank you to all who have contributed to the thread. We have so far raised just over £5000 towards the sculpture to honour the crews of the five aircraft that crashed in the village.https://www.facebook.com/kedingtonair/

Thanks Jeff that is very helpful. I have just put some information on an 8th Air Force historical group page on facebook to see if it turns up any other info related to this collision. Best regards Kevin

Kevin, reports are available from various sources; the USAF – was free but not fast and haven’t ordered any direct for many years, or at a cost from either Accident report.com (http://www.accident-report.com/world/europe/uk/uk4504.htm) or from AAIR (lhttp://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbahb.asp?offset=2175) Again not used either for sometime but personally favoured AAIR.

Damage categories range from 1-5 (1 being lesser damage) however in the latter part of WW2 ‘5’ seems to have been less used even in complete destruction cases. Conversely 5 has also been used on apparently less severe crashes. I would assume that it would depend a degree on the age/hours of the a/c as whether the damage was economic to repair rather as cars are ‘written off’ by insurance companies.

Thanks Jeff you have been very helpful. What sort of level is Cat 3 . Any idea where I might find the accident report. American air museum?

Afraid not to any more info regarding locations. The accident report may give a better clue within the narrative but I wouldn’t hold out too much hope. I would guess that Hoeflein managed to land – his ac damage is listed as Cat3. That area isn’t that well covered regarding comtemporary reports unfortunately. Jeff

that sounds very promising Jeff and thank you very much indeed, It seems like right type , right day of the week , and according to Mrs Smith who I spoke to today, right era. Have we got any indication of crash sites for each aircraft or is it a rough location for both as such ? Locals that I have spoken to over the years all seem to talk along the lines of significant fire , exploding ammunition and the death of the pilot. This also ties up with what my father told me many years ago with regard to a collision, He is the only person as far as I can remember who said it was as the result of this. Kevin

I’ve scratched my head over this before – ruling out several around the area that we’ve found in the past. However a candidate could be the mid air collision between a pair of 56FG P47Ms. 1Lt John F Frazier in 44-21126 & 1Lt Robert W Hoeflein in 44-21187. Frazier was killed in the crash of his a/c, but it appears that Hoeflien was able to land with some damage. The location from the accident report is listed as 7m NE of debden – right direction but about 3m short. However acc report locations can be notoriously inaccurate. The date was 1st April 1945 – a Sunday.

Jeff

Fresh news regarding the search for information on the US fighter that came down in Kedington. Today I went to meet an elderly couple who still live in the village and by chance the lady turned out to have witnessed the event. She was on her way home from a Sunday church service at around 12.15 pm and watched a single fighter coming in low over the village coming from Hundon- Stoke by clare direction , headed toward Haverhill , probably travelling along the line of the road now called Kings hill , It dipped suddenly somewhere near the top of the hill , so low that she felt it might have bounced off the road and then rose again to clear the brow of the hill only to crash on the other side . So the collision theory is probably out of the window. She also felt that it was late war or even just after the end of the war. I also met another elderly man in the village about three weeks ago to ask him what he remembered and he described the fighter as having a large radial engine on the front. It now seems likely that we are looking for a late or post hostilities Thunderbolt loss and probably a casualty as each witness talks of fire and at least two people have recalled ammunition going off.
I would be so grateful if anyone can narrow this down as the police record research seems daunting as there is no index and they are kept in a regional file. Best Regards Kevin

Update on the Kedington Suffolk air memorial which will honour the mainly Bomber command men who lost their lives in the parish. I am making a presentation to a meeting of the Community association, Local Legion, and the Parish council on 13th Feb. The good news is that we already have the go ahead as all parties are keen to make it happen. We intend to have an alloy casting of an angel in the new foyer of the community centre. I am still hitting a brick wall with regard to the fighter or fighters that came down behind Ruses farm in Kedington. My further meetings with elderly resident’s have not been much help but I think I am now looking for one aircraft probably US air force and either a Mustang, Thunderbolt,Lightening, or even a Spitfire! I am hoping for a little gem of evidence before the 13th. Kevin

Still having little luck on this one, I found another resident this week who was in the village at the time of the crash. He said it was one aircraft ”Thunderbolt” and pilot killed. I am still trying to get a rough date from someone. Kev

I wonder if it was listed as Calford green, It,s a Hamlet of Kedington , or could it have been an empty aircraft?

Thanks Guys that is very odd. over the years I have spoken to quite a few residents and the story always stated two US fighters, behind Ruses farm which lies on the right hand side of the road between Kedington and Calford green on the way to Sturmer, Same family at the farm for donkeys years too. Very much appreciate your help. Kevin

Only to add to Alan’s post above. See here for the accident report for the B17’s http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/One384thAircraft.php?AircraftKey=42-102442
I think this is over Withersifield but that was where the aircraft is believed to have crashed. Perhaps the crew bailed out over Kedington?

Perhaps a look through the parish records might help with you more?

Good luck.

I can only find one mid-air collision in that area, it is listed as 1 1/2 miles North of Haverhill which looking at the map is the wrong direction but then the distances and directions in some of the US reports can be very wrong.

The aircraft involved were B-17G 42-102442 & B-17G 44-6147 both of the 545th BS / 384th BG which collided on the 7th July 1944, there were fatalities as the cause code is KMAC for both aircraft.

I found a bail out 2 miles SW of Haverhill, a P-51D of the 4th FG on the 11th August 1944, but that was none fatal.

P-51B 43-6772 of the 434th FS / 479th FG also crashed in the area, but is given as 1 miles South of Hundon on the 13th December 1944.

As you are looking for a mid-air collision I would be leaning towards it being the two B-17s, you could get the accident report(s) from a couple of people in the US (either via www.aviationarchaeology.com or www.accident-report.com) or from the USAF Historical Research Agency.