Evening star., 1944-02-18
I 7NavyP|anes,
TraiinerCrashin in
DC. Area;2Die
Officers Are Killed
When Transport Hits
Trees in Montgomery

seven Navy planes, four Of
which were a part of a six
plane squadron, were involved
yesterday in a series of eight
crashes in Virginia, MARYLAND
and West Virginia.
Two Navy officers were killed and
three other Navy men and a ci-
william were injured when their
tWln-engined Navy transport plane,
which had circled Washington for
almost three hours in dense fog,
crashed on a Montgomery County
dairy farm between Travilah and
Pennyfleld Lock. about nine miles
northwest of Rockville. No re-
ports OF casualties were available in
the other accidents.
All names in the Montgomery
crash were withheld pending noti-
flcation of next of kin. The four
injured men were reported in good
condition today at the Bethesda
Naval Medical Center.
Three planes of the six-plane
Navy squadron crashed near Mont
ross, Va, and the fourth plane
crashed near Quantico. The other
two planes landed safely.
Two Other Crashes.
In two other accidents involving
Navy planes. one crashed at Elkins,
w. Va, and another at Millington.
Md. In an accident involving a
private plane, Morris Powell, is, of
Waynesboro, Va, was injured
slightly when his training plane
crashed near Staunton
Three flyers were reported to have
parachuted to safety yesterday from
a plane at Marlboro, Md, but Army
and Navy officials had no confrma-
ton OF the report. Prince Georges
County police said the flyers landed
on the Marlboro race track. The
plane was reported to have landed
later near Bowie.
The plane that crashed in Mont
gomery County had taken off from
6uonset Point, r. l., and was en-
route to the Naval Air Station at
Anacostia. Survivors said the plane
ran out of gas. as they sought des-
perately for a place to make a
forced landing.
One of the planes occupants, the
mechanic, walked away from the
wreckage in search for help. He was
taken to the nearby Hatton Waters
dairy farm by two electricians who
lyrfo
rushed to the crash scene They had
heard the crash while making in
stallations on nearby farm.
Didn't See Trees Soon Enough.
| The mechanic said tree tops into
which the plane crashed weren't
visible until the plane was right on
them. The plane first hit a tree
atop l5o-foot hill, after which 1t
somersauited down into a gully on
the old Pennyfield farm. While
the planes wings were sheered off,
small trees on the side of the hill
cushioned the fall and were credited
with saving the lives of the sur
vivorS
Atlee Burroughs, Pepco employe at
Rockville, and Walter Harman, a
Rockville electrician, the first men
to reach the scene, said they were
barely able to see the plane as it
passed overhead just before the
crash. Mr. Burroughs said the mo-
tor made loud roar just before the
crash.
While Mr.. Harman helped the me-
chanlc put in call for help. MIR.
Burroughs went to the wreckage and
began giving first aid to survivors
with equipment carried on his Pepco
truck
Writes to Wife.
Mrs. Mabel Thomas. tenant on
the Hatton Waters farm, treated
the injured mechanic who was bleed
ing from cut on the head. One Of
MS flrst requests after telephoning
1or help, she said, was for stationery
to write his wife who is expecting a
baby
The Rockville Rescue SQUAD car
rled the four injured men to ths
Naval Medical Center.
Inc laInlly OF william Poole, ten
ant-farmer on the Pennyfeld farm,
Where the crash ocurred. was not at
home when the accident occurred.
montgomery County and Rockville
police roped off the area and stood
guard duty until the Navy began
salvage operations last night. DR..
r. j. Breschart, Montgomery County
coroner. said he would issue GER
tlficates of accidental death for the
two victims.
Residents of the rolling farm
nelghborhood recalled that Grover
Cleveland made the Pennyfield farm,
bordering on the Chesapeake and
ONO Canal, his fishing retreat.