Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island – February 23, 1944
P-47 Thunderbolt – U.S. Air Force Photo
On February 23, 1944, a flight of four army P-47 fighter aircraft took off from Hillsgrove Army Air Field in Warwick, R. I., for an aerial gunnery flight. One of the aircraft, (Ser. No. 43-25421), was piloted by 2nd Lt. Billy H. Stormont, of Eugene, Oregon.
Weather conditions had begun to deteriorate, and shortly after take off the flight was ordered back to Hillsgrove. A low cloud system had moved in, with a 100 foot ceiling, extending up to 1,500 feet. As the flight let down through the scud the planes became separated. It was while letting down through the clouds that Lt. Stormont’s aircraft crashed in Narragansett Bay off Coddington Point in Middletown.
Lt. Stormont was assigned to the 442nd Fighter Squadron.
To see a photo of Lt. Stormont click here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225177451/billy-h-stormont
Sources:
Roseburg News Review, (Ore.), “Army Plane Piloted By Eugenean Is Missing”, February 25, 1944, page 1.
Book: “Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents In The United States, 1941-1945”, By Anthony J. Mireles, C. 2006.
www.findagrave.com.
