Evening star., 1944-11-15
3 Bodies, 3 Injured
Found After Plane
Falls in Newfoundland
By W. n. sHIPPKN, yY.,
Aviation Iditar of TIA RtsY

sUssS III VVWuVOluUU0u1v
~ W. n. sHIPPKN, yY..
Aviation Edttsr Of The star.
HARMON FIELD. Newfoundland
Nov. IL (By Air Courier. Delayed :
Returning from lonely, wind-swep
headland Uttered with the wreckag
OF q huge ATC four -motored trans
port which crashed Saturday night
search parties reached here las
night after completing the rescue o
nine men under the worst possibl
conditions. Nine others were foun,
dead.
(The Associated Prsss reported
the dead and injured were listed
BY the Army ~ follows:
The dead: I. c. Watkins, 20,
civilian airlines captain and pilot
Of the plans, Of The Oaks, Roslyn
Estate. Long Island. N. Y: j. y.
Armstrong. 25. civilian first on.
Ger, Elmhurst, N. y; 8. Z. Barton,
~, civilian crew member and
navigator, Wenhan. Mas; q. N.
Cocket, ~. civilian radio operator.
jackson Heights. N. Y; w. A.
Hadibus, "a, civilian flight ensi-
neer. Steubenville, Ohio; Second
1t. John F. Skupa, Omaha, Nebr.:
Corpl. Robert E. Pitts, Mount
Pleasant, Tenn: Pfc. Kenneth d.
Gramstead, Minger, Mimi, and
Pvt. Floyd M. Wilson, Van Vert.
Ohio.
The injured: Maj. Arthur B.
Workman, Columbus, Ohio:
Sergt. Marvin D. Damron, Lola,
KY; Corpl. Carl G. jackson, Lit
tie Rock, Ark: PFC. Joseph @.
Wozniak, Dunkirk, N. Y; Pfc.
Charles c. Chouka, Stratford,
Conn; Pvt. William Turner,
Manila, Ark; Pvt. Charles w.
Peterson, Louisville, KY; Pvt.
Joseph Kaia, Woodbridge, N. j.,
and Pvt. Leroy L. Thompson, Will
Transport, Pa.
Hacked Trail Through Thickets.
The nine injured were carried out
Monday night by relays of litter
bearers who had to scale granite
cliffs and hack trail through al
most impenetrable spruce thickets
About SO Newfoundland fishermen
and trappers made their way to the
crash scene up 1,00O-foot mountain
near Cape st. George, about 80 miles
from here, and for more than 90
hours worked side by side with Army
rescuers, administering to the In
Jured, building trails and collecting
scattered material not consumed in
the explosive fire that followed the
crash.
Sacks Of mail destined for service
men abroad were scattered when thu
giant airplane sheered through sew
eral hundred feet of spruce thicket
broke in two and burned. A strone
crosswind was blowing at the time
The pilot reported in to the Harmon
Field control tower just before he
crashed.
Survival Kits Dropped.
Three search planes found the
wreckage just after daylight and
dropped survival kits containing
food, clothing, blankets and medical
supplies. They radioed the position
and three ambulances and a number
OF jeeps were dispatched.
In four hours the vehicles had
reached the foot of the mountain,
about 6 miles from the wreck. An
S5-foot sea rescue boat also was sent
TO the coast. The men landed
through the surf in small boats
and scaled = sheer cliff to join the
others.
Capt. Norbert A. Lasher, search
and rescue oficer for the base, was
accompanied by litter bearers, two
night surgeons and civilians vhe
volunteered near the scene. The
latter already were clearing q trail
As they scaled the mountain they
met native who said the plane had
crashed into his line Of rabbit traps
Somewhat farther along they met
one crash victim trying to walk out
His feet had been badly burned
through his Arctic boots and he was
thought to have = fractured hip.
1t took the party three hours to
toll up the mountain. Five of the
six members of the crew were found
to have been killed instantly. The
tail section had broken free and did
not burn. Men in the tail of the
ship were hurled clear.
Several injured soldiers forgot
their own hurts to help their fellows.
One youth whose face, arms and
hands were critically burned, kidded
the doctor who was cutting away
the charred strap of his wrist watch.
Il always wind my watch at this
time of day, Doc" he said, but
l.