Gillingham Battle B26 Crashes June 4, 1944

12 Apr 2010 14:13 #1 by Lori_0
I am researching these two separate mid air collisions involving 4 B26's- details

All 4 planes were from the 587th Bomber Squadron, 394th Bomber Group Medium, IX BC Ninth AF. They were stationed out of Station No.161 located in Boreham, Essex.

At 5:05 am on June 4th 1944 two were involved in a mid air collision over Gillingham, Kent, England. One plane crashed on Corporation Road, killing all crew and 4 civilians. The second one crashed in a orchard at the East Court Farm also in Gillingham. All crew was killed. The plane numbers and crew were:

The crew of the 42-96050 was:
-Witcher Terrell Berger
-Ltd Warren D Rodgers
-Sgt Edward H Monaghan
-Sgt George S Knight
-Sgt Alffred M Zussa
-Cpl Forrest W Pafenberg

The 42-96263 Crew was:
-Lt Claude W Kline Jr
-Lt Emil Ostrowski
-Sgt George S. Rogers
-Sgt Raymond F Sablatura
- S/SgtJoseph Amato
-Sgt James F Bechtler

At aprox 6am the same morning two more B26's collided over Battle Sussex. Only the pilot of one plane, Tommy Potts, survived.

The crew of the 42-107592
-Tommy Potts
-Sgt George J Kyle
-Lt Christian Burger
-Lt Leroy A Dyer
-Sgt James M Long
-Sgt George W Williams

The crew of the 42-96249 killed was:
-Lt Thomas Jenkins
-Walter Winter
-Sgt William C Hoeb
-Sgt Ralph D Parker
-Sgt Boris R. Selinsky
-Sgt Edward F Bailey

There was only one eye witness to these accidents - in Battle. I am in contact with this fella and am in the process of gathering his informaiton. There is very little know about the Gillingham crash.

We are looking for any information - esp Gillingham and information on the men involved in this accident.

I have started posting on line memorials for the men involved. What I know is on these memorials:

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=g...20772&GRid=50331261&

The civilians killed on Corportation road were:

Fanny F Whittingham
Joan Beatrice Ada Taylor Neice of Fanny
Percy Montague Williams
George Thomas William Gandon

We are looking for information regrading them as well - I have found some information on Ancestry.com

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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