Evening star., 1943-07-02
P|unging Axis Plane, Carrying Dead Man,
Narrowly Misses D. C.. Flyer Over Sardinia
Maj. E. B. Stoddord
Thought Collision
Wus Inevitable
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star stan Correspondent


UNITED STATES AIR BASE IN
NORTH AFRICA (By MaiD I'm all
the ~ missions in which he has
taken part as q combat flying oficer
the closest call for Maj. Edward B.
Stoddard, 3731 Van Ness street NV,
was a brush with hurting plane
with q dead man at the controls.
1t happened in a raid over sar-
dinia when an italian Macchi fighter
suddenly came tumbling through
the bomber formation in which Maj.
stoddard was flying and passed
barely 3 feet away from the right
wing of his plane. For few seconds
it looked as If . mid-air crash was
unavoidable.
The italian had stopped firing
about 200 yards away. Then his
plane seemed to 60 out Of control
altogether and hurtled right into
the center Of the American forma-
ton. He continued downward and
was seen to crash in flames. &,
There Is no doubt in my mind"
Maj. Stoddard says. that the man
was dead before the dive started.
He probably had been hit by one
of our gunners and turned his plane
into the dive in the few seconds be-
fore he died"
Joined Air Corps In 1889.
Mai. Stoddard, since this incident,
has become group operations oficer
of his squadron.
A graduate of Massachusetts, State
College, he joined the Air Corps in
June, 1899, and got his wings and
bars from Kelly Field in March, 1910.
He served in the Caribbean area
for one year before being trans
ferred to the African theater. A
brother, Robert, is an Air Corps
sergeant stationed near Boston.
Mass. and his mother lives at
Framingham. Mass.
Mai. Stoddard, whose wife Esther
now is employed in the Az section
of the War Department in Washing
ton, wears the air medal with silver
star awarded for outstanding COM
bat service in two war theaters. In
the words of the citation: LAS a
squadron commander at great per-
sonal risk he has led many high
altitude daylight bombing missions
both in England and North Africa
and has displayed outstanding
leadership and courage despite in
tense barrages of enemy antiair-
Graf. and repeated attacks by enemy
fighter planes"
In the same outfit. serving as per-
sonnel officer, is 1t. John Kelliher,
1859 Bryant street NE. and Capt.
Evan Derby.
1t. Kelliher joined the Air Forces
in May. 1912. and was stationed first
at Selma Field, Ala. He got his
bars at the Onicers' Candidate
School at Miami. Fla. and later
served at Salt Lake City. 81
He has been overseas since April
1st of this year, and in letters to his
wife Anne states that he likes his
work" and is happy"
Capt Derby when attending Army
intelligence schools in Washington.
lived with his sister. Miss Carrie
Derby at 1851 Massachusetts, avenue
NV.
Overseas for Year.
His military career began when
he was cadet major in the R. o. T. c.
at the Marion tAlaD Military Insti-
tute. Capt. Derby joined the Air
Corps in August. 194l, before gradu-
alton from the Alabama Polytechnic
Institute and has been overseas
since June. 1912.
Miss Derby is executive secretary
Of the Young Democrats Of America
and works in Senator Lister Hills
ONCE.
Others from Washington and Vir-
ginia and nearby Maryland in the
same group are: James J. Farrell,
1ndianhead, Md: Boyd w. Thomp-
son. jr., Crimora, Va; Edward j.
Carter. former furniture store pro-
prietor of Clincho, Va. near Will
liamsburg; Robert L. Harmon. jr.,
Tazewell, Va; Harold E. Adams,
Brucetown, Va, and David Castell
of Abingdon, Va.