The Night the Bomber Crashed

The Night the Bomber Crashed. . , January 14, 1942: the reality of World War II was brought home to New Hampshire when a U.S. Army Air Corps B-18A bomber strayed off course and crashed in the White Mountains, killing two crewmembers and severely injuring the other five. , The Crash , Heading back to base in Chicopee Falls, MA, from an antisubmarine patrol, the bomber crew ran into blizzard conditions. Gale force winds, blinding snow, and freezing temperatures iced up windows, disabled instruments, and affected air spend and altitude. Lights glimpsed through a brief opening in the clouds thought to be Providence, RI, were actually, Concord, NH! The next thing the crew saw were evergreen trees, and the plane slammed into the snow-covered slope of Mount Waternomee. , The Memorial , Despite treacherous winter conditions, the efforts of the community saved the lives of the five crewmen who survived the crash. Thanks to the Woodrow Kantner Foundation, the site is now a memorial and is a protected heritage site on the White Mountain National Forest. Please treat it with the respect it deserves: removing artifacts or disturbing the site is prohibited. , For more information and exhibits, visit the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society on Church Street in Lincoln. , The Rescue , At 7:45 PM, North Woodstock residents heard a plane flying dangerously low, then three explosions rocked the night. Did it crash or was it dropping bombs? A search party from Lincoln and Woodstock struggled up the mountain through thigh-deep snow in -25F temperatures, not knowing what they would find. , A mile from the crash site, they were astonished to see three injured airmen staggering towards them. Closer to the wreckage were two more, alive but critically injured. Two others were dead. Soon after, a larger team arrived with local volunteers, medical and White Mountain National Forest personnel, and 30 lumbermen from a nearby camp to clear the way for rescue toboggans. At 2 AM, the first three airmen reached the safety of the highway. Twelve grueling hours later, exhausted rescuers delivered the other two into waiting ambulances. , 1st Lt. Anthony Benvenuto, Pilot , Brooklyn. NY , Lacerations on head/facial abrasions; spinal injuries , 2nd Lt. Woodrow A. Kantner, Co-pilot , Crawford, NJ , Fractured left forearm/wrist and broken right ankle; lacerations on head/facial abrasions , 2nd Lt. Fletcher M. Craig, Navigator , Gridley, CA , Lacerations above right eye, face, and on right leg , PFC Richard G. Chubb, Mechanic , North Billerica, MA , Laceration on legs and right side of face; broken jaw , PFC Robert P. Picard, Gunner , Springfield, MA , Fractured spine/hip; fractured arm; internal and head injuries; multiple hemorrhages , PVT Raymond F. Lawrence, Gunner , Worcester, MA , Deceased; body found in rear section of bomber , PVT Noah W. Phillips, Bombardier , Fayetteville. AR , Deceased; body found in rear section of bomber . , Long-term protection of this site is the goal of a partnership between the US Forest Service, the Kantner Foundation, and the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society.