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Chase County Kansas Historical Sketches
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BOMBER CRASH
AT JACK GLANVILLE HOME
July 19, 1944
Just before noon on July 19, 1944, the Jack
Glanville home southeast of Cottonwood Falls, and
the farm buildings were destroyed by fire from the
crash of a 4-motored bomber, and from the resulting
explosion of a butane tank used in the modern
equipped home. The bomber was on a secret mission
from Memphis, Tennessee. Five Army Airmen were
killed and a Sergeant was severely injured as he
crawled from the burning wreckage. They were from
the 59th Ferry Squadron, 4th Ferry Group, of` Memphis.
The plane struck the house, barn, and sheds
and brought up against the silo. Mrs. Glanville
who was cooking dinner, rushed from the house and
was struck by part of a falling wing. Mr. Glanville
and their three sons were assisting county road
men, Charles Gurney and O.W. "Doc" Parks, in
construction of a road to the Glanville place. Seeing it all, they rushed to the scene. Mr. Gurney
reached Mrs. Glanville first and stayed with her
while Glanville and Parks and the oldest son risked
their lives in the exploding ammunition and flares
to drive a tractor, truck, and car to safety. Nothing
inside the house could be saved.
Immediately authorities notified the Herington
Air Base and a three place plane with three officers
arrived about 1:00 p.m. After a brief inspection,
the Lieutenant Colonel in charge ordered the plane
on a mission, and, in taking off, it failed to rise
above a fence, crashing and burning - the second
plane to crash and burn there in the space of a few
hours. Soon a Red Cross Ambulance arrived and the
Medical officers took care of the injured. The Military took over and local people were turned back
from the scene. By 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday most of
the wreckage had been cleared away, much of the
Army Personnel had returned to their base, but
guards were still on duty Tuesday night.
Mrs. Glanville was hospitatized for a short
time, as was the one survivor of the bomber; the
two injured in the second accident were treated
locally.
Monday night, Cottonwood Falls was bristling
with soldiers with guns strapped to their sides and
jeeps, coming and going through Main Street, and
officers in cars on missions known only to the
Army.
This was an awful tragedy - almost equal to
the crash that killed Knute Rockne and seven others
a few miles southwest of there in 1931. The loss to
the Glanville's was great, for insurance cannot take
care of everything; but the shock to the Glanville's
was awful - something that will stand out always
in their memories.
The above prepared from article in the CHASE
COUNTY LEADER, July 21, 1944. Issued by Mr.
and Mrs. Floyd Dexter (Lillian Glanville Dexter)
and Evangeline Glanville.
Chase County Centennial, 1872 - 1972
by Lorna Marvin
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