Hull, Massachusetts – May 22, 1950
F8F Bearcat
U. S. Navy Photo
On May 22, 1950, Midshipman Frank E. Specht was piloting an F8F-2 Bearcat fighter plane, (Bu. No. 122625), off the coast of Hull when the engine suddenly lost power and he was forced to make an emergency water landing. The plane came down off Point Allerton Beach, and Specht was able to extricate himself before it sank.
The crash-landing was witnessed by two 14-year-old youths Donald McNeil and Raymond Chirillo, who’d been playing baseball near the beach. They ran to an old rowboat lying near shore and put it in the water. The boat lacked oars, so they improvised, and used boards from the seats to act as makeshift paddles.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard had been alerted to the incident. While the youths were 400 yeads off shore still attempting to reach the pilot, a Coast Guard boat arrived and plucked the pilot from the water. Upon seeing this, the youths turned back towards shore, but as they did their boat foundered, and they were forced to swim back to shore.
Their actions were recognized by the Navy, and the following week both youths were picked up at their homes in official vehicles and brought to the Squantum Naval Air Station where they were flown to the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island where Midshipman Specht was based; assigned to VF-34. At Quonset, the boys met with Specht who gave them a tour of the base. Afterwards, the boys met with Admiral Glover for lunch and were presented with the official insignia patch worn by the men of VF-34.
Sources:
Providence Journal, “Quonset Will Fete Two Hull Boys For gallant Attempt To Save Flier”, “May 25, 1950, pg. 1.
