Presque Isle, Maine – September 7, 1944
On the morning of September 7, 1944, a U. S. Army Douglas C-54A, (Ser. No. 42-72211), crashed shortly after take off from the Presque Isle Army Air Base. The plane made a normal take off and was seen to rise 1,000 feet into the air before turning to the left. As it did so, it suddenly fell to the ground and exploded on impact. The aircraft came down about a mile from the air field on the property of Walter Carmichael, a Presque Isle potato farmer.
All three crewmen aboard perished. They were identified as:
Pilot: Major George H. Shafer, (37-38). He’s buried in Sunset Memorial Park, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Co-pilot: Captain Knute Nordahl
Engineer: Master Sergeant Thomas W. Marshall, (23). He’s buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery in McKinney, Texas.
The purpose of the flight was for training.
Sources:
The Nashua Telegraph, “Several Believed Dead As Plane crashes In Maine”, September 7, 1944, page 10.
www.findagrave.com
Aviation Safety Network