Ensign John Daniel Cassidy | New England Aviation History

Off Nantucket, MA – December 10, 1944

July 12, 2017

Off Nantucket, MA – December 10, 1944

Hellcat Fighters
U.S. Navy Photo

On the night of December 10, 1944, a flight of eleven F6F Hellcats were engaged in practicing night breakups and rendezvous off Nantucket Island. Lieutenant John Ignatius Drew, piloting (Bu. No. 58164), was leading a division of four planes in which Ensign John Daniel Cassidy, piloting (Bu. No. 58277), was the second section wingman. After the final rendezvous, Lieutenant Drew and Ensign Cassidy didn’t join up with the rest of the flight. Due to the darkness their absence wasn’t noticed and the other nine aircraft began returning to Nantucket Naval Air Station. Meanwhile, Drew and Cassidy had joined up together, but didn’t see the other aircraft. Ensign Cassidy radioed the flight leader asking for their position and was told that the aircraft were nearing the navy base. This was the last communication from Ensign Cassidy. Both Cassidy and Drew subsequently disappeared and were presumed to have crashed in the ocean.

As to the cause of the disappearance, it was stated in the navy accident report, “”Since the night was clear and the pilots were familiar with the area the likelihood of their having become lost is small. Therefore it is assumed that the pilots may have been victims of vertigo or collision.”

Both men were assigned to VF-88

Source: U. S. Navy Accident Report dated December 10, 1944.

Off Nantucket – December 10, 1944

April 27, 2016

Off Nantucket – December 10, 1944

U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy photo

On the night of December 10, 1944, a flight of eleven U.S. Navy planes were engaged in practicing night carrier breakups and rendezvous near Nantucket Island. One of those aircraft, was an F6F-5 Hellcat, (#58277),piloted by Ensign John Daniel Cassidy, 20, of Fighter Squadron 88, (VF-88). Ensign Cassidy was second section wingman in Lt. John Ignatius Drew’s squadron. Lt. Drew was also piloting an F6F-5, (#58164).

At some point Cassidy and Drew became separated from the group, but their absence wasn’t noted until Cassidy called the flight leader asking for their position. The position was given, and no further communications from Cassidy or Drew were received. Neither of the two pilot’s or their aircraft were ever seen again.

The night was very dark, but clear, with scattered clouds at 2,000 feet. The pilots were familiar with the area, and investigators determined that the likelihood of them becoming lost was small, and theorized that they may have been involved in a mid-air collision of suffered the effects of vertigo and crashed into the sea.

A memorial marker to Ensign Cassidy was erected in Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia. It states he was “lost at sea”.

Sources:

U.S. Navy Crash Briefs for each aircraft/pilot dated December 10, 1944