Two twin-engine Douglas B-18 Bolo bombers, with twofighter escorts left Mitchel Field on a routine training flight. The two bombers carried a crew of 11. 15 miles from Mitchel Field, above densely populated Bellerose Manor of Queens, NY, the two bombers executed a maneuver at 2,500 feet, one passing under the other. The two planes collided and crashed in flames. One landed within a block of a school and the second smashed into a one-story residence that instantly went up in flames. All 11 crewmen — two of whom unsuccessfully attempted to escape by parachute — perished in the wreckage.” |
Portraitofwar.com |
Posted: Thursday, March 19, 2015 10:30 am by Ron Marzlock, Chronicle Contributor This year marks the 75th anniversary of the terrible midair crash over Bellerose Manor that rained destruction down on the homeowners of 239th Street off Hillside Avenue. On June 17, 1940 two twin-engine Douglas B-18 bombers were sent out from Nassau County’s Mitchel Field for a training exercise at 2,500 feet, in which one plane would pass under the other one. The maneuver did not go off as planned and the two collided, raining down metal, glass, other debris and fuel onto the newly built homes. All 11 men on board — including two who tried to parachute to safety — died. |
The scene on 239th Street south of Hillside Avenue in Bellerose Manor shortly after the plane crash of June 17, 1940.
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One civilian, Emily Kraft, age 35, died the next day of burns suffered due to fuel that ignited in her home. Queens General Hospital, a new state-of-the-art facility at the time, responded to the scene with its “Catastrophic Squad.” A small plaque later was set up near the site to mark the tragic event. Asbestos companies seized the opportunity to run full-page ads touting the safety of their product, as the homes with asbestos siding, shingles and roofing did not ignite and burn when sprayed with the fuel. |
The mid-air collision of two Curtiss P-40 fighters over Wyandanch on February 6, 1941, killed one army pilot (J. T. Laycock) whose fighter plane crashed on Main Avenue, the other piloted by John H. Eakin came to earth on Long Island Avenue near Little East Neck Road. Eakin survived the crash.
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Thanks to Vanderbuiltcupraces.com
for these articles |
Additional information by Hempstead Town Historian Howard Kroplick, December 24, 2016
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