Ashingdon Hill

Aircraft crash site

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Detailed History

"A United States Army Air Force wartime Martin Marauder B26 aircraft crashed in Ashingdon in the fields to the north of Canewdon Road during the Second World War on 24th September 1944. The aircraft was flying from Amy Aerodrome near Roye in Northern France in very bad weather to their home base at Matching Green, Essex. The crew of 4 men died in the crash and a monument was erected in the field near the crash-site. The weather had been atrocious and their previous day’s mission to Düren in Germany had to be cancelled due to bad weather so they landed in France. Probably, they should not have set off that day, but 6 B26 aircraft were ordered to return that fateful day. The very high winds, poor visibility and torrential rain meant that they all made slower progress and lost bearings and as a result ran out of fuel and crashed. Two other aircraft crashed that day killing all on board, two more crashed-landed at Matching, destroying the aircraft but the crews survived, and only one landed safely, but only just, it ran out of fuel while taxying. The heavy rain meant the fields along Canewdon Road must have been covered in rain water. That is why it is believed that the airmen thought they were landing onto water, because all five airmen had removed their boots before the crash, as per normal instructions for landing on water. A lady in our village heard and saw the aircraft approaching very low and the engines were very loud. It flew low beside the hill where St Andrew’s Church was on the left higher than the aircraft. As it crossed Canewdon Road, it hit the tops of a row of very tall elm trees beside the road, then it hit some more elms 200m further on along the next field boundary parallel with the road. That wrecked the aircraft and set it on fire and it crashed into the field where they thought to land and killed all 4 men on board. Air Raid Damage reports at that time reported : “An American aircraft believed Marauder crashed and exploded in field near Noon’s Farm. The bodies of four airmen were recovered and conveyed to RAF Aerodrome Rochford. Number and Station of aircraft were not known”. (The report should have said “Moons” Farm. The USAAF 391st Bomb Group, 9th Air Force airmen who died in our village on 24th September 1944 were : Second Lieutenant Jack T. Hanlon, from Ohio, 0672084, Pilot, 572nd Squadron First Lieutenant Jay M. Sink Jr, from S. Carolina, 0733236, Navigator, 573rd Squadron Staff Sergeant William L. McCarty, from Iowa, 37196353, Flight Engineer, 572nd Squadron Corporal Gerald F. Smith, from Missouri, 37245841, Radio Operator / Gunner, 572nd Squadron Another USAAF airman was believed to be on board Lilly Commando on that flight that day. Many people have said that 5 airmen died in Ashingdon on that day, but we have no conclusive proof of the death of a fifth person. He was named as Sergeant Frank Bothel, 13048052, Armorer / Gunner, 572nd Squadron. The aircraft was a Martin B26 Marauder medium bomber, 42-96102, T6-X, “Lilly Commando”, of 573rd Squadron. “Lilly Commando” was not their normal “ship”. Lt. Hanlon and Sgt. McCarty normally flew on “Rationed Passion”. Lt. Sink and Sgt. Bothel normally flew on Lt Dickinson’s aircraft 42-95834, P2-B, “Ill Wind”. Cpl. Smith normally flew on Lt. William Knight’s aircraft. “Lilly Commando” was the normal aircraft for First Lt. William Youse and his crew. SSgt. William L. McCarty is buried in The Cambridge American Cemetery, near Cambridge, England. Lt. Hanlon, Lt. Sink and Cpl. Smith were repatriated for the USA for burial there. Lt. Hanlon is buried in The Maple Grove Cemetery, Cleves, Ohio, near Cincinnatti. Cpl. Smith is buried in The Lawson Cemetery, Lawson, Missouri, near Kansas. We are not sure where Lt Sink was buried, but we believe it could be that : Lt Sink may be buried in Glendale Memorial Cemetery, Walterboro, S. Carolina, near Charleston. Seven more of their comrades died on the same day in the other two aircraft that crashed en route to Matching Green, Essex. They died in the two other fatal crashes at Blackmore and Hatfield Heath in Essex. Five of those other seven airmen are buried in Cambridge. Most of the other airmen killed in the other 2 aircraft who were not buried at Cambridge, but were repatriated to the USA for burial at the request of their families. We are not sure about Lieutenant Sink and we do not know where Sergeant Bothel is buried. It was normal practice for officers to be repatriated. The existing plaque at the crash site is an attractive but rather weather worn aluminium panel with the 9th Air Force and 391st Bomb Group insignias. It also has a side view drawing of a B26 and it lists the names of five USAAF airmen. Only one of those five names is correct – SSgt. McCarty. The other four airmen were killed on the same day in two other aircraft. Lt. Baehr normally flew “The Three Bears” but he and SSgt. Demyanovich and Lt. Yawitz were killed in “Baby Doll III” at Blackmore, Essex. SSgt. Crider normally flew with Lt. Noland and both were killed in “Miss Laid” at Hatfield Heath, Essex."



The existing plaque at the crash site is an attractive but rather weather worn aluminium panel with the 9th Air Force and 391st Bomb Group insignias. It also has a side view drawing of a B26 and it lists the names of five USAAF airmen. Only one of those five names is correct – SSgt. McCarty. The other four airmen were killed on the same day in two other aircraft.

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 391st Bomb Group 572nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 0-795337
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
Memorial, Blackmore Village church, Essex
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 391st Bomb Group 572nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12145428
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 391st Bomb Group 572nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 391st Bomb Group 572nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37196353
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer
Memorial, Blackmore Village church, Essex
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 391st Bomb Group 572nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16014010
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Role/Job: radio-gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Baby Doll III
  • Unit: 572nd Bomb Squadron 391st Bomb Group
  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Lilly Commando
  • Unit: 391st Bomb Group 572nd Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Changes
Sources

"Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Bishop & Hey;
https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/87050;
www.ashingdonparishcouncil.gov.uk/history/ USAAF AIRCRAFT CRASH