Patrick County In World War Two
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THE CRASH ON BULL MOUNTAIN
Looking north towards Bull Mountain, the crash site marked in
the center by the small dot. It was from this view that young
Clarence Hall saw the fire on Bull Mountain the night of the crash.
The Crash...
The plane crashed into Bull Mountain around 10 p.m. on March 15, 1944, exploding on impact sending parts all over the ridge and down the opposite side of the mountain from the initial impact. Most of the crew died on impact or from the intense fire that the large amount of fuel caused. Bodies were burned beyond recognition along with large amounts of magnesium, aluminum. A forest fire erupted that took well into the next day to control. One of the crew's watches was found stopped a few seconds after 10 p. m.
The first local men to reach site of the plane crash were Roy Pilson and Arnold Wright. It took the pair about an hour to make it up the mountain near the then and present day fire tower. Unbelievably, a man named Ross was in the fire tower had not seen or heard the crash on the mountain and would not accompany the pair to the site. The two men found a hole in the circle of fire and entered the crash zone. After determining no one was alive and fearing possible unexploded bombs, the two left when other arrived at the scene.
Moir Clark led a rescue team including Elmer Smith, Grady Creasy, Guy Haley and others up Bull Mountain to the crash site. The area of the crash still shows scars of the impact of the engines and places nearby that the temperature grew so intense and melted the aluminum of the plane that grass will not grow.
The military came early the next day, March 16, 1944, and took control of the scene. The bodies of the crew were taken to Mays Funeral Home and shipped to their respective families. Five of the families visited the crash site over the years.
In the aftermath of the crash the engines were blown up with dynamite to safeguard them from theft. The only piece of any size from the plane is a gun turret at the bottom of a ravine west of the impact area. The holes made by the engines are still visible at the crash site. Today the crash site is on private land belonging to local Veterinarian Dr. Lock Boyce.
Below are photos from the aftermath when members of the families visited the site of the crash.
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Copyright 2006 Tom Perry. No material to be used without permission. Contact Information: P. O. Box 50 Ararat VA 24053
