Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-38856 of the 534th Bombardment Squadron, 381th Bombardment Group, Flew into the southern side of North Barrule on the 23rd April 1945.

 

The aircraft was on a ferry flight from Ridgewell in Esssex to Nutts Corner in Northern Ireland with a normal ferry crew and a large number of passengers.  These passengers were additional aircrew and ground crew travelling to Northern Ireland for a short period of leave.  The aircraft was on course flying in low cloud when it crossed the coast of the Isle of Man.  Shortly after the aircraft passed over Glen Mona and Corrany before flying into the steep southern slope of North Barrule about 200ft short of the summit of the hill.  The aircraft disintegrated with most of the airframe being consumed by fire.  The crash killed all 31 crew and passengers on the aircraft.

This was the second accident on the island involving a B-17 in less than 10 days, the previous accident also detailed on this site.

Crew / Passengers

Rank - if applicable

Position e.g. Pilot

Status

Charles Earl Ackerman Jr

 Captain

Pilot

Killed
Edwin Augustus Hutcheson Jr Flight Officer Co-pilot Killed
Martin Matyas 1st Lieutenant Navigator Killed
John Philip Fedak 1st Lieutenant Bombardier Killed
Wayne Wendell Hart 1st Lieutenant Air Observer Killed
David Howard Lindon Technical Sergeant Flight Engineer Killed
Wesley Malcolm Hagen Technical Sergeant Radio Operator Killed
Earl Graham Ammerman Corporal Passenger Killed
Edward Gene Bailey Corporal Passenger Killed
Andrew Robertson Barbour Private Passenger Killed
Thomas Peter Flaherty Corporal Passenger Killed
William Everett Geist Technical Sergeant Passenger Killed
Edward Gelman Master Sergeant Passenger Killed
Ralph Laverne Gibbs Staff Sergeant Passenger Killed
Joseph Lee Grey Technical Sergeant Passenger Killed
Herbert Clarence Gupton Jr Corporal Passenger Killed
Irvin Russell Hargraves Sergeant Passenger Killed
James Maxon Hinkle 1st Lieutenant Passenger Killed
Michael Joseph Kakos Jr Sergeant Passenger Killed
Wayne Kenneth Manes Staff Sergeant Passenger Killed
Jose Maximinio Martinez Sergeant Passenger Killed
Alfred Mares Mata Staff Sergeant Passenger (Air Gunner) Killed
Leslie Howe Maxwell Corporal Passenger Killed
Walter Alexander McCullough T/5 Passenger Killed
Lawrence Edward McGehey 1st Lieutenant Passenger Killed
Andrew Piter Jr T/4 Passenger Killed
Angelo Quagliariello Private First Class Passenger Killed
Merle Morran Ramsowr Corporal Passenger Killed
Joseph William Sullivan Technical Sergeant Passenger Killed
Harry Super Corporal Passenger Killed
Edwin Charles Ullman Sergeant Passenger Killed

 

Above is a view of part of the crash site where a memorial was erected to the 31 servicemen who lost their lives in this one accident on North Barrule.

A close up of the plaque at the crash site of 43-38856.

Not far from the memorial is this pit containing numerous fragments from the aircraft.

 

Of the 31 crew and passengers on the aircraft when it crash 8 were subsequently buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery. Below are photographs of their graves.

Captain Charles E. Ackerman, Pilot.

 

Technical Sergeant Wesley M. Hagen, Radio Operator.

 

Private Andrew R. Barbour, Passenger.

 

Master Sergeant Edward Z. Gelman, Passenger.

 

Private First Class Angelo Quagliariello, Passenger.

 

Corporal Merle L. Ramsowr, Passenger.

 

Corporal Harry Super, Passenger.

 

Sergeant Edwin C. Ullmann, Passenger.

 

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