Richard W. Nellis
BIRTH 1920 DEATH 15 Jan 1943 (aged 22–23) BURIAL North Watertown Cemetery Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, USA PLOT N.W. SEC. M "Lt. Dick Nellis and his infectious smile, which all who knew him will well remember, drowned off Jones Beach NY, January 15, 1943. Nellis is an unrecognized hero. While testing a Republic P-47 over Long Island, his P-47, maybe the one in this picture, caught fire on a training mission. He stuck with it, piloting his flaming P-47 out to sea, until he was sure it would not crash on land to avoid crashing in a populated area. When he bailed out the wind blew him out to sea. He lost his life!" P. R. Adair
Watch the video of Lt. Phil Adair remembering Lt. Nellis's crash, death and funeral. Rest in Peace Sir! Slow Salute! Thanks to Robin Adair and the Adair family. https://www.burmabanshees.com/ |
Photos by Lt. Phil Adair
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23 March, 1943 A Republic P-47C-2-RE Thunderbolt, 41-6292, of the 328th Fighter Squadron, 352d Fighter Group, crashed into Barnard Hall at Hofstra College shortly after take-off from Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York, hitting the west side near the roof and setting the building afire. Pilot Earl D. Hayward died. The blaze was brought under control within 45 minutes by firemen from MF, Hempstead, East Hempstead and Uniondale. No students were in the vicinity at the time. The Eastern Defense Command in New York City announced that the pilot was killed. He had taken off from Mitchel Field on a training mission shortly before the crash. This crash led to the abandonment of the use of Runway 18/36 at Mitchel Field. |
Video: Lt. Don Gaston Shofner's P-47 Plane Wreckage
On 15 April 1943, while on a training flight the P-47 of Lt. Don G. Shofner exploded over the Atlantic Ocean. The body was recovered in June 22, 1943 but the plane was undiscovered until the 1980's. This video was taken in January 2014 by Bob Contreras, whose main mission is the discovery of the wreckage of Owen Allred (depicted as #9 in the opening photo.) My thanks to Bob for the video and all of his efforts, your support of his to find Major Allred is appreciated. |
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Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland, Ohio Monday, 10 May 1943 CLEVELAND FIGHTER PILOT DIES IN EASTERN CRASH Second Lieut. Robert O. Jamison, 22, Cleveland Army flier, was killed shortly after noon yesterday when his fighter plane crashed and burned in the Village of Hempstead, N.Y. Details of the crash from an Associated Press dispatch were verified to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gernard G. Jamison, 11410 Hazeldell Road, N.E. by the flier's commanding officer at the Mitchel Field Air Base, who called the parents by phone. The Eastern Defense Command, through which the announcement of the crash was made, said the airplane struck a grapevine trellis, but avoided a house and barn, which the trellis connected. The plane crashed on the lawn of a private home at Fairview and Rose Streets, Hempstead. Cause of the accident, which occurred as the flier was coming in for a landing on Mitchell Field, had not been determined. |
BIRTH 1920 DEATH 9 May 1943 (aged 22–23)
BURIAL United Brethren Cemetery Harrison County, Ohio, USA |