When Exploding Flying Fortress Awoke Auckland

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 302, 21 December 1945, Page 4

When Exploding Flying Fortress Awoke Auckland

TTUNDREDS of motorists who sweep along the ribbon of concrete highway past the Waikumete Cemetery in the direction of Henderson have noticed the Stars and Stripes waving at the head of a tall pole. Beneath the flag, amid the restful surroundings of evergreens and ornamental trees, lie the victims of one of the worst Auckland air crashes of the war.

No sensational event of the war years was associated with greater official secrecy, and yet, because of loose talk, and because the noise of the explosion following the crash woke up half Auckland, the majority of the public had a surprisingly accurate version of what took place.

There were, of . course, garbled accounts and exaggerations, inevitable under any censorship ban. But in ihis case there was sound justification for the complete security blackout, for the machine which crashed was the first Flying Fortress ever to reach New Zealand, and the need for withholding such information from the Japs was obvious.

So from that day—June 9, 1942— to this no details of the tragedy have been published by any New Zealand newspaper.

Originally the 817 came from Hawaii, and later was based on New Caledonia coming down to Auckland on a secret mission. It was because the bomber was on such a mission, and not on an operational flight, that the names of those aboard were not taken before - she set out from Whenuapai into the darkness of the night. It was also because of this that relatives of the dead men had the greatest difficulty in gathering information later.

Published for the first time, the names of the 11 victims are: Colonel R. E. Cobb, Captain J. Bruce, Captain J. Gilbert, Lieutenant E. H. Hoffman, Lieutenant E. W. Hurst, TechnicalSergeant C. P. Brunson, Sergeant J. F. Lopez, Sergeant H. Cohn, Corporal J. Herriotts, Corporal J. R. Clanton. and Private C. L. Childers. All were members of the United States Army Air Corps, with the exception of Captain Gilbert, of the Free French Navy, and Lieutenant Hurst, of the United States Navy. Under sealed orders the aircraft took off about 12.30 a.m. in a southwesterly direction, facing the wind, and, so far as is known, failed to gain sufficient height and struck a low hill at the extreme end of the runway. It immediately burst into flames, and a minute or so later there was a terrific explosion when the fire reached the heavy bombload. Air rescue units were quickly on the scene but could only watch the flaming wreckage. So great was the force of the blast that a neighbouring house was knocked out of shape and a piano was flung from one end of a room to another. A second nearby house was also structurally damaged and the occupants narrowly escaped injury. Pieces of the aircraft were found miles away, including engine parts, and the shattering roar of the explosion startled thousands of Aucklanders. A simple funeral service took place on June 12, unattended, of course, by any publicity, though a large section of the public was able to link it up with the stories, then rife, of the crash. The late Right Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister for Co-ordination of Defence, attended on behalf of the Government, and there was a representative muster of leading American and New Zealand Service chiefs and personnel. The officiating ministers were the Rev. E. E. Bamford (Anglican), Rev. Father Kevin, 0.F.M., and Rev. W. Walker (Methodist). The remains of the victims were interred in the Waikumete Cemetery and later removed to their present restingplace in the American section. Aucklanders' Interest For months desperate efforts to secure full details of the tragedy were made by relatives of the deceased in America, and they were eventually able to do so through the interest and co-operation of Aucklanders, and with the approval of the military authorities. In particular, one Orakei couple, who desire to remain anonymous, at the request of mutual friends in America sent all available details together with photographs to Mrs. H. Hoffman, of Cincinnati, mother of Lieutenant Hoffman, navigator of the ill-fated plane. This lady obtained the addresses of the bereaved relatives from the War Department, Washington, and forwarded copies of photographs and letters of interest from Auckland. Every scrap of information she could garner was circulated from time to time, and in only three cases were her letters unanswered or unclaimed. Through the efforts of Mrs. Hoffman and her Auckland correspondents the mourners derived much comfort. " - In fact, Mrs. Hoffman herself was rewarded by receiving advice, purely by chance, how her son Edward spent his last day in Auckland. It came about this way: She had sent a photograph of the boy to her Auckland friend which was immediately recognised by Mr. Geoffrey Webster, chief reporter of the Auckland Star, who met him the night before the crash at the United States naval headquarters at Jean Batten Place in company with Lieutenant-Com-mander Gene Markey. U.S.N.R., chief censor, and Mr. Francis McCarthy, war correspondent for the United Press of America. Mr. Webster was able to supply a faithful description to Mrs. Hoffman of her son's doings and friends and associates in the last hours before his tragic and untimely death. Letters received periodically from Mrs. Hoffman show how deeply appreciated is the action of the New Zealanders in forwarding information and in visiting the plots at Waikumete and caring for the graves.