26 February 1945 - Crash of a B-24D Liberator, "Beautiful Betsy", in Kroombit Tops Forest near Biloela

CRASH OF A B-24D LIBERATOR
"BEAUTIFUL BETSY"
KROOMBIT TOPS FOREST NEAR BILOELA
ON 26 FEBRUARY 1945

USAAF B-24D-53-CO Liberator, #42-40387, "Beautiful Betsy", of the 528th Bomb Squadron of the 380th Bomb Group went missing on 26 February 1945 with the loss of 8 lives (6 American and 2 British service personnel). The Liberator was on a Fat Cat mission from Fenton to Eagle Farm airfield.

betsy.jpg (38140 bytes)

#42-40387, "Beautiful Betsy" - the World War II American
Liberator bomber photographed in Adelaide in 1945.

The wreckage of "Beautiful Betsy" was not discovered until 49 years later on 2 August 1994, when park ranger, Mark Roe, was checking the results of a controlled burn-off in the Kroombit Tops National Park, about 80kms from Gladstone. Standing on an escarpment, he saw something glinting in the sunlight about 800 metres north of his location. He found the wreckage of "Beautiful Betsy" which had crashed on the side of an unnamed hillside.

bet12.jpg (37929 bytes)

Remains of "Beautiful Betsy" in late 1999
(See some more photos of the wreckage below)

Those killed were:-

1st Lieutenant William Emmett McDaniel - pilot
2nd Lieutenant Eugene A. Kilcheski,
2nd Lieutenant Hilary E. Routt
Lieutenant Raymond L. Owen
Technical Sergeant Raymond L. Tucker
Technical Sergeant Harold J. Lemons.

Flight Lieutenant Thomas John Donald Cook - British Spitfire pilot
Flying Officer Roy Albert Arthur Cannon British Spitfire pilot

The following items were found in the wreckage:-

Dental Prosthesis (bridge)
153 Bone fragments
Personal effects/material evidence
9 Dog tags
2 Bracelets
38 Coins
4 Gold rings
1 Aviator's ring
Flare gun with flare
Aviator badge
Bomber Badge
Whistle
2 Dress Uniform belt buckles
9 Expended .45 cal rounds
2 British buttons
12 American buttons
Razor
Cigarette lighter
3 Eyeglass frames
Pocket watch
1938 Class ring

betsy01.jpg (38073 bytes)

"Beautiful Betsy" of the 380th Bomb Group
dropped wooden paratroop dummies
from its rear hatch in secret trials

The pilot, Lt. Bill McDaniel, volunteered to pilot the plane which had suffered combat fatigue and was only used for short runs. It had been retired from combat for some time. It is believe that it was about to be grounded for good. Bill McDaniel was married to Lorene and had one son whom he never got to see. His widow, Lorene, was still living in 2001.

The following article was in a local paper in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia:-

THE COURIER MAIL
30 August 1994
by Paul Whittaker

BOMBER WRECK FIND RECALLS LOVE TRAGEDY

The discovery of the wreckage of a World War II American bomber In rugged terrain near Rockhampton has brought to light a 49-year-old mystery involving a young British pilot and his Brisbane bride-to-be.

roycan.jpg (21310 bytes)

Flying Officer Roy Cannon, a 23-year-old Spitfire pilot who was a passenger on the doomed flight, was to have married his Aussie sweetheart just four days after he perished In the crash.

Also killed was Cannon's intended best man, RAF Flt-Lt TJ. Cook.

The aircraft, which was believed to have been flying one of Its last missions, had six American and two Royal Air Force crew members.

The US personnel killed were pilot Lt William McDaniel, co-pilot Lt Eugene Kilcheski, engineer Sgt R.L. Tucker, radio operator Sgt H.J. Lemons, navigator Lt H.E. Routt and navigator-bombardier Lt J.W. Owen.

The mangled wreckage of the Liberator; known as "Beautiful Betsy", was uncovered by Parks and Wildlife rangers backburning In dense bushland three weeks ago.

The RAAF is keeping the crash location secret to deter souvenir hunters and allow a specialist US Army recovery team, which has flown In from Hawaii, time to sift through the debris for possible human remains.

RAAF Group-Capt Phil Morrall said an initial investigation by Rockhampton army personnel had found no discernible evidence of any remains.

The twisted fuselage, which includes a shorn-off tall section, has been confirmed as a United States Army Air Force B-24D Liberator which disappeared in stormy weather on a flight from Darwin to Brisbane on February 26,1945.

Bob Alford, the official Australian historian of the 380th bombardment group, said Cannon was engaged to be married to an Australian girl named Daphne Studdards.

"The plane was on what the Americans called a Fat Cat run - It was simply transporting men and supplies as part of a regular flight," Mr Alford said.

Brisbane man Mr Ken Studdards said yesterday he did not know where his cousin Daphne was.

War historian Professor Alan Powell, speaking from Darwin, said he had tried to contact Daphne Studdards several years ago but had been told she had "closed that chapter In her life and didn't wish to discuss It".

Mr Alford said the discovery of the Liberator had closed the final chapter on the Northern Territory's last wartime air crash mystery. He said there had been at least four fruitless expeditions to try to locate the Betsy.

Mr Alford said he hoped to present the identification plate from Betsy at a reunion in Denver, Colorado, next month.

Subject:     Beautiful Betsy MIA 2/26/45
Date:             Fri, 11 May 2001 06:14:54 -0500
From:            "Sandra Burns" <burnssandra@msn.com>

Do you know Colin Tigwell. If so, how to get in touch with him.

We are the family of Lt. Wm. E. McDaniel, pilot of "Beautiful Betsy". His original plane, "Sleepy Time Gal", was due to go back out into combat a few days after "Beautiful Betsy" went missing.

Uncle Bill volunteered to pilot the plane which had suffered combat fatigue and only used for short runs. It had to be retired from combat for some time. It is my understanding that it was soon to be grounded for good.

Thanks,

Sandy Burns

"THE STORY THAT WON'T DIE"

Lt. William "Bill" Emmett McDaniel

I will tell you a different side of the story about a family that didn't know where one of their own was for all those years. It was so painful at times. Anytime we thought about it. When " Mama Mae" (Uncle Bill's mother) was alive, she kept him alive for us with pictures on wall, etc. I am looking at picture of Uncle Bill now where it has been since " Mama Mae" died. The picture used to be on " Mama Mae's" wall. There is an American flag. Picture of B-24. I look at it everyday. Not in a sick way but in remembrance. We are a small family and don't turn loose of anyone in our family even in death. My only Uncle would have been a real blessing to me as I grew up and faced happy and sad times in my life. He was very compassionate and loving. I have definitely missed the opportunities of his real life presence.

Sandra Burns

Lt. William Emmett McDaniel pilot of "Beautiful Betsy"	Lt. McDaniel's crew for "Sleepy Time Gal"
Bill McDaniel with his niece Sandra, his favourite "little person"	Casket on caisson at Ft. Myers right beside Arlington National Cemetery
A B-24 Liberator (Not Bill McDaniel's)	Bill McDaniel

Colin Tigwell, a RAAF historian, had been in touch with Sandra Burns and assisted her with information over a number of years in connection with her uncle Lt. Bill McDaniel, the pilot of "Beautiful Betsy"..

Unfortunately Sandra has now lost contact with Colin Tigwell. Sandra has an audio tape that Colin had sent her several years before "Betsy" was found telling of search efforts and speculation of what may have happened to the aircraft.

Colin also contacted Sandra when "Beautiful Betsy" was located. When Sandra called Washington DC, she could tell that they were not pleased that she had been told of the findings. The funeral didn't happen for about a year. Some families did not know about the plane being found until just a few short weeks before the funeral. Sandra will always be grateful to Colin Tigwell for his concern and for contacting her family when he did.

Sandra was little when her Uncle, Bill McDaniel, went missing but he was always kept alive for their family by his mother, "Mama Mae". This is the nickname that his son gave to Sandra's grandmother. The family still use that name. Of course, "Mama Mae" is deceased now.

Sandra is still trying to contact other families of those killed in the crash.

William E. Mc Daniel

First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces

0-696476