ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 219546
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| Date: | Wednesday 3 June 1942 |
| Time: | 10:30 |
| Type: | Martin PBM-1 Mariner |
| Owner/operator: | VP-74 US Navy |
| Registration: | 1250 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Aircraft missing |
| Location: | Approximately 37° 31’ N 67° W -
 Atlantic Ocean
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | NAS Bermuda |
At 0650 hrs on 3 June 1942, the PBM-1 Mariner Buno 1250 of VP-74 (code 74-P-6) took off from NAS Bermuda on a mission to locate 2 lifeboats containing survivorsfrom the British steamer Westmoreland sunk by U-566 on 1 June 1942 by 35° 55’N, 63° 35’W. Two crew and a gunner were killed during the attack but they were 65 survivors in two boats. These had been located the day before by Mariners of VP-74, at 1100 hrs by 35°38’ N 64°11’ W, and at 1800 hrs by 36°35’ N 65°26’ W.
The orders of Ens John H. Cushman, the pilot of 74-P-6, and his crew were as follows: "Search for and stay with survivors of Westmoreland until relieved or until they are picked up by Gannet and Sumar. (...) Boats have red sails, are on course 310° reported making 8-10 knots. Attempt to turn them back toward Gannet. [The small aircraft tender USS Gannet and the British armed yatch Sumar had left Bermuda for scene in the evening of the 2nd]. Return to base when relieved but not later than 1900 P. If radio fails return to base.
Communications with 74-P-6 ceased at 1030 hrs Bermuda time. The plane did not return. In the opinion of the squadron commander it crashed shortly after the loss of contact at approximately 37° 31’ N 67° W. Other searching planes encountered bad weather and the concensus of opinion of their pilots was that this plane was caught in a violent downdraft probably while circling at low altitude, and hooked a wing. Enemy gunfire, would surely have given the radioman time to transmit a message, as would any other type of deferred forced-landing. All personnel aboard who did not perish immediately in the crash certainly did so shortly there after, since it would be impossible for personnel to remain in a rubber boat in those rough seas for more than a few minutes.
On the following days the USS Gannett and planes from VP-74 and VP-52 searched 33,000 square miles without finding any trace of the above aircraft. The weather conditions in the area were bad and the search had to be discontinued.
Crew (all lost):
Ens John Herbert Cushman (pilot), of Norfolk, Virginia
Ens Wilson Beaumont Trapp, of Mount Carmel, Conn.
Ens Alton Wood Davis, of North West Port, Mass.
MACH Anthony Javonovich, of Brazie, Iowa
AMM1c Harvey Peterson, of Ocean View, Va.
EM1c Edward William Leidy, of Philadelphia, Pa.
AMM2c George William Eddy, Jr, of Princenton, West Virginia
ARM2c David Griffith Stone, of Mexia, Texas
ARM3c Hugh Milton Grantham, of Hopeville, Ga.
AOM3c Thomas Edward McMillan, of Pensacola, Fla.
AMM3c William F. Marshall, of Helvetia, Pa.
AMM3c Richard Lyle Amburn, of Parkersburg, West Virginia
AMM3c Walter Louis Kuhlman, of Cincinnatti, Ohio
Sources:
VP-74 War History (http://www.fold3.com/image/302062144/)
VP-74 War Diary, June 1942 (http://www.fold3.com/image/267924749/)
http://www.vpnavy.com/vp74_mishap.html
https://www.naval-history.net/WW2UScasaaDB-USNbyNAMEA.htm
http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/secondseries1.html
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/1730.html
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/1750.html
http://www.abmc.gov/search-abmc-burials-and-memorializations
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=37.509726&lon=-67.016602&z=5&m=b
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Dec-2018 23:27 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 13-Mar-2020 18:54 | DB | Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator] |
| 03-Jun-2020 10:04 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Dec-2020 21:04 | Reno Raines | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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