Evening star., 1943-01-22
Army Board Probes
Crash Of Transport
Plane, Killing IS
Grew Was Just About
Best in the Business,
Gen. h. l.. George Says

A board Of Army officers toda,
was investigating the crash ot
the transport plane which tool
the lives of 35 men, including /.
from the Washington area. neal
the coast of Surinam Dutch
Guiana last Friday while er
route overseas.
The disaster, disclosed yeSterda,
by Maj. Gen. Harold L. George O
the Air Transport Command, wa
the worst plane crash in American
history. Never before had a singl,
crash cost so many American lives
Among the victims were Mai. Erit
Nd. Knight, author of This Above
All" and P. E. Foxworth. assistant
director of the Federal Bureau ot
Investigation.
The transport, flying south
crashed in dense South American
Jungles, killing everyone aboard
Announcement of the crash was
delayed, the Air Transport Com
mand explained. because of the
difficulties in reaching the scene an6
determining the extent of the losses
and notifying relatives.
Some Headed for Africa.
Gen. George said some of the
planes passengers were headed for
North Africa, while others would
have gone to the other overseas
fronts.
The cause of the disaster was not
Immediately aScertainable, Gen.
George said in announcing that an
Army board had started an investi-
cation.
He added that the pilot and crew
were just about the best in the
business"
Although the type of plane was
hot disclosed, it apparently was one
of the new four-motored transports.
The plane was operated by a COM
n1ercial airline, which the Army
did not identify.
Crew All Airline Employees.
All members of the crew were en-
ployes of the airline on the contract
flight.
The percentage of losses on these
contract flights has been extremely
low, Gen. George noted. He added.
however, that as more and more
planes are being used in the opera
tons of the global war, it is to be
expected that accidents will happen.
With the transport planes becom-
ing larger than those previously
used in cross-country passenger
flights, Gen. George added, the acci-
dents will involve greater number
of lives.
In addition to the English-b born
novelist and the veteran G-man,
the casualty list included William
Hodson, New York City welfare
commissioner, on his way to North
Africa as relief director; o. E.
Henryson of the State Department,
Harold D. Haberfeld, an FBI agent
on a special mission; Morris Lewis,
New York publicist who assisted in
preparing guide books for troops,
and Capt, Basil D. (Reds) Gal
lagher, former New York news
paperman. Addresses of many of
the victims were announced too late
for complete identification in yes
terday's papers. Biographical infor-
nation on some Of these follows:
DR.. S. S. Dorrance, flight surgeon
for the airline, lived with his
wife at 222 Washington street,
Alexandria, Va, had been employed
by TWA since September, 1912.
He was making routine trip as
flight surgeon at the time of the
crash. according to colleague,
DR.. r. B, Miller, flight surgeon.
Or. Dorrance was being sent over
seas on a medical survey and to
facilitate the medical care of airline
personnel abroad, He was also going
to investigate the problems of
tropical medicine.
Studied Aviation Medicine.
A graduate of the Albany Medical
College in New York State, DR.. Dor
rance was 30 years old. Prior to
his airline service, he served as
house physician at Mount Sinai
Hospital in New York for two years,
and as research fellow in medicine
at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Balti-
more for two years. He also served
as assistant professor of physiology
and pharmacology at Albany Med
ical College and was an associate in
medicine at Albany Hospital DR.
Miller said that Dr.. Dorrance had
made several contributions to med
ical literature on the subject of avia-
tion medicine while working at
Johns Hopkins. His widow is with
her parents in New York City
Friends said his brother was killed
while fighting with the Loyalists in
Spain.
Capt. Benjamin Hart Daily, jr.,
who piloted the plane, has been fly
ing for more than 10 years. accord
ing to his widow Mrs. Susan D.
Daily, who lives with their 4-year-
old daughter in Alexandria, Va.
The pilot was born in Milwaukee,
Wis. in 1907 but moved as a child
to st. Louis, Mo, where his family
now lives. He attended Kemper
Military Academy and was gradu-
ated from Westminster College.
While working in an airline traf-
&c department, he became interested
in flying and was graduated from
the Army flying school at March
Field, Calf, in 1882. He few for
the Army until 1885 when he be-
came a co-pilot on commercial
airliner, later becoming a flight SUI
perintendent. He was raised to the
rank of captain II 1889 He had
been living here since last Novemher
IN addition to his widow and child
Capt. Daily is survived by his fati2e"
three brothers and one sister, ali
of St. Louis
First Radio Operator Leonard
La Frank would have been 81 years
old yesterday Last night, several
of his old friends who had planned
to attend his birthday party went
instead to comfort his widow, Mrs
Joan B. La Frank, at their home in
Alexandria, Va.
The La Franks had been married
seven years and had l0-month- -old
baby.
Mr.. La Frank was born in Pitts