5 miles east of Howe Brook, Maine – May 24, 1942

     On Sunday, May 24, 1942, a U.S. Army C-40D aircraft, (Ser. No. 42-22249) crashed  5 miles east of Howe Brook, Maine while on a transport mission from Bolling Field in Washington, D.C., to Montreal, Canada, to Presque Isle, Maine.   The plane dove in at a steep angle, (Estimated by investigators to be 75 degrees.) with such force that debris was thrown up to 1,000 feet ahead of the impact. 

     Due to the total destruction of the aircraft, investigators were unable to determine the cause of the accident, but noted that weather “was undoubtedly a strong causal factor”.  

     All aboard the aircraft were killed instantly.  They were identified as:

     (Pilot) 1st Lt. Clarence A. Wright  He’s buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3059564/clarence-allen-wright

     (Flight Engineer) S/Sgt. Frederick J. Taylor  (10th Ferrying Command.)  He’s buried in  Chester Rural Cemetery, Chester, Penn. 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/88208245/frederick-j-taylor

     Lt. Col. Louis H. Gimbel  He’s buried in Arlington National Cemetery.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22787359/louis-stanley-gimbel

     Capt. John D. Franciscus  He’s buried in Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum in St. Louis, Mo.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49551001/john-dennis-franciscus

     Capt. Gilbert M. Herbach  He was from New York.   https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143469628/gilbert-m-herbach

     2nd Lt. Earl R. Wilkenson.  He’s buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, Batavia, New York. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75139854/earl-r-wilkinson

     Sources:

     U. S. Army Air Corps Technical Report Of Aircraft Accident #42-5-24-13

     www.findagrave.com

     Evening Star, (Wash. D.C.), “Arlington Pilot, Five Others Die In Army Plane Crash In Maine”, May 25, 1942, page A-2