Mount Waternomee WW2 Bomber Crash Memorial

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WW2 Memorial

Pretty great article, makes me want to go there to see the wreckage. The fact that they were carrying a 300 lb. bomb that didn't go off is amazing.
 
Aesop74 said:
The fact that they were carrying a 300 lb. bomb that didn't go off is amazing.
Bombs are designed to be as safe as possible (ie they are designed to minimize the chance that they will go off unless they are deliberately armed).

Doug
 
I went to the site last fall. Its a nice easy hike. You head south from 112 on 118. Watch for the gated Walker Rd. on your right. You hike out about a mile and a half to a clearing. There was a rock cairn on the west side of the clearing. Path starts here and goes up north side of Walker Brook then about one third of the way up the brook it crosses to the south side. The path keeps climbing after the brook pretty much due west to about 3000ft. The engines, running gear and some fuselage are fairly close together and climbing just a hundred yards or so southwest you come to a large wing section. Nice plaque and a flag hanging there when I went up. Have heard to be careful there lest there be unexploded armaments but certainly an interesting and worthwhile hike.
 
Bomber

There is actually a book, very short, about this crash. I have it, got it at Steve Smith's. I don't think there is any legitimate concern about unexloded armaments out there. Amazing to me that some survived the crash.

The subject is of interest to me as my father survived a B-24 crash over Uxbridge, Ma. First and last time he ever jumped from a plane. His life was saved by a parachute so he was a member of the exclusive "Caterpillar Club". In those days the chutes were made of silk.

KDT
 
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I've heard of the book, "The night the bomber crashed" but have not read it. I believe its feasible that a grenade could have survived the crash but probably not the elements since then. Also it probably goes with out saying that this is a historic and protected site where items are not to be removed. The path up was clearly visible and it seemed frequently visited.
 
Thanks for the linky. I knew of it crash, but had never actually taken the moment to figure out where it is. I dare say that I'll have to put it on my agenda for the next time we are over that way. I'm a sucker for war/historical relics such as these.
 
Waternomee

Been up there once a couple of years ago. One report states that a WWII EOD tem went up later and blew the Unexploded Ordnance. In fact you can see one of the bomb craters right beside the spot where the front part of the fuselage burned in the crash. It's also interesting that the A/C came in right on top of an old logging haul road that traverses the mountainside. I suppose I should ask if anyone on here ever tried to access the crash site from the Ridge Trail/Merrill Loop. Be interesting to get a good GPS reading and then plot it on the USGS topo map to see how far from the Ridge trail it is. I Find it heartbreaking to see the grafitti and evidence that the site has been stripped for souveniers. People died there.
 
Agreed Hillwalker! The engines had been stripped down quite a bit, probably years ago. I remember the path up was a well trod herd path with moose sign all over. Looked like they had used it more than people. Also the skid road you mention lay right under the top part of the site and ran down south by southeast away from it. I was tempted to take that route out and see where it came to on route 118. Didn't know how my luck would go hitchhiking back to my jeep so I came out the way I went in. When I was in grade school I had logged with my dad off 118 but it was at the Warren end.

As an aside to this, I am trying to research where the Cessena is in Oakes Gulf to climb up or down to it. Commercial plane but same model as my uncle's 1953 so it has my interest. Not near as interesting as a bomber many people climbed to on a stormy January night and built fires to warm our servicemen!
 
The skid road is actually part of a snowmobile trail. It does come out on 118, not that difficult to find. I've never tried approaching from that side.

A friend did bushwack from the site to the Asquam Ridge trail, and he reported that it was an ugly wack.
 
Dave Bear said:
I've heard of the book, "The night the bomber crashed" but have not read it.


The above title is a pamphlet (22 pp) excerpted from Floyd Ramsey's book, "Shrouded Memories." I believe that Steve Smith still has some copies in his shop, as well as Ramsey's booklet about the Willey slide disaster.
 
Dc3

If you like to explore or just stare at old crash sites like I tend to do. The DC3/C47 up on Mt Success is pretty interesting. It came down and pancaked in, so that much of the fuselage is whole and the wings are just lying there and you have to walk across one to access the inside of the fuselage. Inside there is an Ammo Can with a register and a written history of the crash. It is very easy to find since there is a really well defined herd path from the AT near the top of Success. It's located on the Eastern side of the mountain and lies right on top of the AT Corridor Boundary. In fact one of the wings has a yellow boundary blaze painted on it.

I recently worked with the Forester who found the crashed Learjet up near Smart's Mtn. He had quite a chilling story about seeing the remains inside. That A/C has been fully removed by helicopter. The FAA crash investigator that he took into the site told him that the evidence indicated that the A/C came in at full power and very fast. Consequently, the crash footprint was very small.
 
Got this email from the daughter of one of the crash survivors. She is looking for pictures or more info. Please post them here in this thread if you have them.

Thanks

Darren

I am the daughter of Richard Chubb, a survivor of the bomber crash. I am so happy to read that people keep these memories alive. My Dad was an awesome man, and I only wish that more people had known him. I was surprised to read about the most recent dedication on June 28, 2008, as no member of my family was aware of the event. Can you fill me in a bit? Where is Kinsman Notch? Is there a new plaque? Do you have an image of it?

My personal memories of my father are so strong and alive everyday. It is important that I know others' memories of him as well; He was an awesome man.

Sincerely,

Gayle Chubb Hollister
 
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