I have been involved with a year long project to document the history of a B-24M crash in 1945 that took my uncle's life. After many hours of research and data collected from family, The National Archives & Records Administration, The AAIR Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research, Greg Stone, Dan Williams, Terry Newhouse and The Collings Foundation I was able to complete my research and report.
On May 12, 1945 the Consolidated B-24M-10-CO, 44-41995 took off from March Field in California to accomplish a 12 hour Ferret (Intelligence Gathering) training flight, to prepare for a special mission in the pacific. The flight was to fly low level (1,000 feet) over the Pacific Ocean along the coast of California and Oregon. Approximately 5 hours into the flight the weather came in with ceilings 500-1,000 feet, 0-.5 mile visability and rain. Some how the airplane drifted over the coast line and flew through the redwood trees on top of Anderson Cliff, killing all eleven crew members on board. The airplane, weather, and terrain were all co-altitude at the time of the crash. My uncle Sgt Robert G. Lord was the Flight Engineer and Top Turret Gunner on that fatal flight.
Last weekend The Collings Foundation brought their B-17 "Nine O Nine" and their B-24H "Witchcraft" to a local airport near where I live. Although the flight was expensive, I could not pass up the chance to fly on the last B-24 still flying. After aborting our first takeoff attempt for a malfunctioning propeller governor, we finally got off the ground at 17:30 (5:30 PM). To honor my uncle I brought along the flag that draped his casket at his funeral in 1945. The flight was truly historical and ment allot to me to see where my uncle performed his crew duties.
If you ever get the chance to fly on a WWII warbird, do so, you will never forget it!
Keep the shinny side up and the dirty side down!
Ret SMSgt Cliff Lord, C-130 Flight Engineer
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