Reading about a bombing up accident at Scampton on 14th March 1943 when a 4,000 Ib Cookie exploded. It was reported that several men (any WAAFs?) were killed, six Lancasters were destroyed and five others were badly wrecked. I was wondering what the worst wartime accident on an airfield was?
The following is from the 381st bomb group war diary - 23rd June 1943 - a bombing up accident where 23 airmen and 1 civilian were killed. Tragedy struck however, on 23 June 1943, when the B-17 42-30024 exploded on the ground while being serviced by the ground crew, and 23 men of the squadron, including an officer and one civilian were killed in the blast. Two other squadron planes were damaged in the explosion, one so badly it had to be scrapped. Those killed were: Mr John Hunwick, a British civilian, working on the base 2nd Lt Paul E. Tull Hanover Ind. T/Sgt Charles E. Wilton Richland Wash. T/Sgt Erwin Bohlander Tlenham S.D. S/Sgt Michael J. Egan New York N.Y. S/Sgt Elwood R. Harris Richmond Va. S/Sgt James J. Lintgen St. Cloud Minn. Sgt Henry Bongiorno Charleroi Pa. Sgt Dennis L. Collins Churchville Va. Sgt Christian Langolf Fort Huron Mich. Sgt Joseph L. Neel Atlanta Ga. Sgt Joseph J. Kristapovich Worcester Mass. Sgt Louis Smulovitz Wilkes Barre Ia. Cpl Roger H. Allen New Haven Conn. Cpl Charles A. Feeley Providence R.I. Cpl Milton Foerstal St Louis Mo. Cpl George Fiamma Corona N.Y. Cpl Melvin R. Jerkins Tampa Fla. Cpl James H. King Pilot Va. Cpl Elmer F. Madden Pawtucket R.I. Cpl James A. Main Burton W. Va. Cpl Guy McDuffee Nashville Tenn. Cpl Joseph Sproha Wharton N. J. Pfc Robert M. Ashcraft Mannington W. Va. The first explosion took place shortly after 11.00 hrs. It was followed, between 30-40 seconds later, by another blast. In addition to those killed, Pfc Glenn W. Burkland suffered a compound leg fracture. He probably owes his life to the quick thinking and heroism of S/Sgt Francis E. Owens, who dragged him from the danger zone between the first and second explosions. Eyewitness accounts from men either in the immediate vicinity of the explosion or at other points on the line when the blast occurred were taken by the Public Relations office, and they are quoted below. S/Sgt Owens had traveled about 25 yards away from the plane after the first explosion when he looked back and saw Pfc Burkland, whose leg had been broken, lying under the wing. Without consideration for himself, he returned at once and dragged Burkland behind a concrete revetment, out of danger, before the second blast went off. Others quoted below came back on the scene (or first came to the scene) after the second explosion. They de-fused bombs in the danger area and carried the fuses out of the way. They fought fires, and they moved one of the two damaged Fortresses out of reach of further injury. Had there been any other injured besides Pfc Burkland, the prompt appearance of Lts Julius Eichenbaum, George Bannon, W/O Joseph Nutt, and Sgts Robert Miller, Walter Balasa and Francis Owens probably would have resulted in saving more lives. Reported by Lt George A. Bannon: "I was about 700 yards away in the bomb dump. When I heard the explosion, I started towards the plane. Joe Nutt and myself carried Lt Tull's body (handed out to us by Sgt Miller) away from the plane. We carried the boy with the broken leg (Burkland) out to Creek's car. Ike (Lt Eichenbaum) and I then ran around trying to put out the fire in the damaged plane. After that they decided they wanted to move the plane. So I took the fuses from the bombs inside. We handed then down to Nutt and an enlisted man as we took them out. I then helped to get people out of the area. When we did all we could, I took off and finished loading up my own plane for the mission." Lt Julius Eichenbaum (Sqd ordnance officer): "About three minutes before the first explosion I went to 024 (The ship in which the explosion took place) to see how my men were doing. I sent three of them down to get some more ammunition for another squadron, the 535th. I then went to the ammunition area, about 150 yards from the plane. The first thing I saw was flame and black smoke and then I heard the blast. I jumped into my jeep and told everybody to clear out of the ammunition area and I started towards the plane. I heard another explosion. I saw an MP and told him to keep everybody away from there. I went to 992 (about 30 ft away from 024). I knew it had fused bombs in it. As I cut across, I gave orders to keep everybody clear of the area. I picked up Joe Nutt and Sgt Miller en route. We rushed over to 992 and we came across Burkland lying about nine feet from the plane, behind a piece of concrete curbing. We started to give him first aid. I ordered him moved out immediately, but somebody hollered, `He's got a broken leg. You can't move him'. I knew we had to get him away from there, broken leg or no broken leg, because there might be another explosion. Creek brought a board over and said, `Put him in my car'. At that time somebody suggested looking in the plane for anyone else who might be in there. I, Nutt, Miller and Lt Alexander, pilot of the ship, jumped into the plane. Alexander went up to the nose and I went to the tail. Alexander then came running out to where I was and said: `Tull's dead up the nose, Ike. Let's get him out of here.' Miller lifted Tull from the seat and handed him out to Nutt and Bannon. I checked the plane and there was nobody else there. I then took the extinguisher and went to put out fires burning near 992. I used up three extinguishers but couldn't put the damn thing out. Col. Nazzaro, Col. Fiegel, Lts Bob Withers and Karl Franek came along. I started to de-fuse the bombs. I was handing them Gerry Platz, Sgt Pinter and Joe Nutt. Bannon started to de-fuse some. He was giving them to Franek, Miller, and Balasa, then when we got the fuses out we went to work on the fire again. About that time the Cletrac came around. We hitched 992 to it and Bob Withers got in and we pulled it away." S/Sgt Francis E. Owens: "I was cleaning guns in Lt Ballinger's ship, which was parked right next to 024. I was standing right by the rear entrance when the first explosion happened. All this stuff was flying through the air. Everyone was running. I started running towards the tail, too. Everything was coming that way, so I started beating it away from there in another direction. I got about 25 yards away when I saw this fellow under the wing, right by the bomb bay. He (Burkland) had been helping to load bombs on our ship. He was lying under the wing trying to crawl away. I went over, grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him away and laid him behind a little piece of concrete curbing. We just got there when the second explosion went off. I thought maybe he needed a tourniquet. He wasn't bleeding that bad, though. A little while later some other fellows came along and helped me carry him to the runway where a car was waiting." S/Sgt William E. Pinter: "I was a little beyond 992, just getting out of a jeep to check the material in the ship when the first explosion took place. There wasn't much time between to two explosions. I got on the other side of the jeep when all of the .50 cal. machine gun bullets started going off. Somebody started putting out the fire. They pulled Lt Tull's body out and I helped carry it over to the car. Then I went to the scene of the explosion and helped identify the bodies. I came back to 992 and Lt Eichenbaum, Lt Bannon, W/O Nutt, Sgt Balasa and I helped de-fuse the bombs. There was a lot of commotion. Everyone was walking round the wreckage. Then I went to the rest of the planes and told them to keep on loading, but not to fuse the bombs until they were in the planes. We had been at 024 just a few minutes before it blew up. The fusing of the bombs had been completed, so we sent some of the fellows for ammunition for the guns." T/Sgt Walter Balasa: "I was in the bomb bay of 092. We had just got through putting in the ninth bomb. It was lucky we had the shackles hooked to the rack when the explosion went off. There was a state of confusion. The plane trembled from the blast. We went out of the right side of the plane facing the explosion. There was a big cloud of black smoke. We all started running towards the civilian huts. Two guys passed me like I was standing still. Then the second explosion went off. We waited to see if anything else was going up. W/O Nutt and Sgt Miller went up to the wreck in a jeep and I came up a few minutes later. We started taking the fuses out of the bombs in 992. That's all." Sgt Robert Miller: "I was standing underneath 024 when Mr Nutt came along and sent me down to 992. I was walking down there, just a little past the gasoline dump, when I felt the rush - then heard the explosion. I started back to 024 and then I hit the concrete when the pieces started flying. About 45 seconds later the second bomb went off. I saw Lt Eichenbaum coming down the road in a jeep. Then I saw somebody waving under the wing of 992. Mr Nutt, Sgt Barnes, Lt Eichenbaum and I went back to 992 and found a boy with an injured leg. I asked if there was anybody in the ship yet and he said there was a lieutenant. We found Lt Tull in the bombardier's compartment. I moved a lot of ammunition boxes and equipment that was blocking the hatchway. I passed Lt Tull down to Mr Nutt, then I went through to see if there was anyone else in the plane. Pvt Scott and I moved seven bombs that were in front of the ship to the side. About that time Lt Platz and some other bombardier de-fused the bombs we had moved and then went at the ones in the bomb bay. Mr Nutt, Sgt Balasa and I carried the fuses to the side. We got a few men to turn the plane round and pull it away." W/O Joseph Nutt: " I was standing by the fuselage of 992 talking to Lt Alexander. We were evidently blown under the plane by the blast, because, although we had been standing on the right side before, we picked ourselves up on the left side after the explosion. I was under the impression that somebody helped me get up, but I don't remember that completely. Stuff was falling all around me. I was afraid an engine was going to fall on me. I started to get the hell out of there. The whole crowd was running. I ran into Lt Eichebaum somewhere. He was in a jeep and wanted to know if I was hurt. I shook myself and found nothing broken. He said `Let's move that plane (992) before it blows up.' I hopped on the jeep along with the others and we went up to 992. I heard somebody say: `There is somebody inside.' Some fellow crawled in the ship. I didn't know who it was but I heard somebody say: `He's dead. He's dead.' I recognized Sgt Miller and I told him to hand the dead man out to me. He did it. Lt Bannon and I carried the dead man across the runway. I could see for myself he was dead then. Part of his head was blown off. I went back into the ship and Lt Bannon and Lt Eichenbaum were up in the bomb bay pulling out the fuses. He handed some down to me. I almost dropped one because my hands were slick with blood. We carried the fuses out of the danger area. After that we turned the plane around so that the Cletrac could get a hold and tow it off. That's about all." Lt Gerald M. Platz (ordnance officer): "I picked up Joe Nutt in our jeep and dropped him off at 024. I drove around the ramp to see how things were going (We were getting ready for a mission later in the day). Then I went into my office and had just started to talk to Lt Ruby about getting an intervalometer when the first blast went off. We looked out the window and saw a big cloud of smoke. I was hoping it was the bomb dump because there weren't so many men out there. I imagine it took about ten seconds to realize what had happened and to get into the jeep with T/Sgt Reiser. I was about 20 ft behind Col Nazzaro's jeep and arrived at the scene simultaneously with the Colonel. The RAF fire truck was there fighting fires. Lt Kohler (Station Medical Officer) was also there. They were putting one man in an ambulance. Next thing, we started getting ready to move 992. I took some fuses out of the bombs lying in front of the plane. Then we started trying to put out a fire around some ammunition boxes lying between 024 and 992. After the bombs were de-fused and the fires were put out we cleared off the part of the taxi strip necessary to move 992. When the plane had been moved, I got Lt Kohler and told him to take W/O Nutt to the hospital despite the fact that Nutt didn't want to go. I made sure the area was clear, for there were still bombs in the fire path. I gave the MP's a direct order to not allow anyone in the area, not even the photographers. We had a lot of work to do so we had to go back and do it." The first reaction of the men who were in the area of the explosion was that either the base was being attacked by enemy bombers or that a gas or oil truck had blown up. The explosions were heard for miles around and the towering column of black smoke could be seen from all neighboring villages.
The following is from the 381st bomb group war diary - 23rd June 1943 - a bombing up accident where 23 airmen and 1 civilian were killed. Thank you for response.
From memory . . . In "Only Owls and Bloody Fools Fly at Night" by Gp Capt Tom Sawyer - he mentions an explosion in the Bomb Dump at RAF Snaith nr Goole that killed (I think) 17 airmen An explosion occurred at RAF East Kirkby during WWII, destroying several Lancasters and a Hangar - not sure if there were fatalities ? Another serious incident occurred at the USAAF base at Metfield in East Anglia again no idea if fatalities were suffered All the incidents above I've read about - the books are at my work location and thanks to a broken down car I'm at my home address - I will be able to confirm info on all three by the weekend Tony
