Near Vogar in Sveitarfélagið Vogar, Vesturland, Iceland — North Atlantic and Artic Oceans (a Nordic Island)
Fallen But Not Forgotten
USAF, 8th Air Force, 93rd Bombardment Group, 330th Bombardment Squadron
Photographed By Oddgeir Karlsson, May 3, 2018
1. Fallen But Not Forgotten Marker
Crewmembers:
Captain Robert H. “Shine” Shannon - Pilot,
Captain John H. Lentz - Copilot,
Captain James E. Gott – Navigator,
1st. Lt. Robert T. Jacobson – Bombardier,
Sgt. Kenneth A. Jeffers - Radio Operator,
Sgt. Joseph L. Craighead – Gunner,
Sgt. George A. Eisel – Tail Gunner,
Sgt. George D. Farley – Gunner,
Sgt. Paul H. McQueen – Gunner,
Sgt. Grant G. Rondeau – Engineer/Gunner,
Lt. General Frank Maxwell
this page online
Commander of the European Theater of Operations,
Captain Robert H. Shannon - Pilot,
Lt. General Frank M. Andrews - Copilot,
Captain James E. Gott - Navigator,
Sgt. Kenneth A. Jeffers - Radio Operator,
Sgt Lloyd C. Weir - Crew Chief,
Sgt. Paul H. McQueen – Gunner,
Passengers:
Adna W. Leonard - Methodist Bishop and Chairman of the Corps of Chaplains,
Brig. Gen. Charles H. Barth - Andrews Chief of Staff,
Col. Morrow Krum - Andrews Aide,
Col. Frank L Miller - U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains,
Lt. Col. Fred A. Chapman - Andrews Aide,
Maj. Theodore Totman - Andrews Secretary,
Maj. Robert H. Humphrey – U.S. Army Chaplain,
Capt. Joseph T. Johnson - Andrews Aide
Surviving Crewmember:
Sgt George A. Eisel – Tail Gunner
Erected 2018 by Mr. Jim Lux.
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is May 3, 1943.
Location. 63° 57.754′ N, 22° 25.246′ W. Marker is near Vogar, Western Region (Vesturland), in Sveitarfélagið Vogar. Memorial is at the intersection of National Highway 43 and Reykjanesbraut (National Highway 41), on the left when traveling south on National Highway 43. The monument is now at the intersection of highway 41 and Highway
2. Dedication Ceremony, May 3, 2018. The monument has since been moved.
More about this marker. In 2010, Jim Lux, a cold war Air Force veteran and retired IBM manager in Austin, Texas, was asked by Robert T. “Jake” Jacobson, 92 year-old World War II bombardier, to do some research about the 93rd Bombardment Group. It included a plane known as Hot Stuff, which, according to Jacobson, was the first WW II bomber in the 8th Air Force to fly 25 successful combat missions, a distinction that had been famously and erroneously given to the Memphis Belle.
Lux's research into Air Force records proved that Jacobson's claim was true. In 2012, Lux, who served in the Air Force from 1957 through 1962 went to Iceland and set out to find the mountain site where Hot Stuff went down many years ago.
Working with Icelandic brothers Thorsteinn and Ólafur Marteinsson, Lux located pieces of the wreckage. Lux returned home, inspired to raise money for a monument. Four golf tournaments and many other fundraising efforts later — including displaying Hot Stuff wreckage brought from the Iceland mountain — Lux had eclipsed the $100,000 goal he set for the project.
On May 3, the 75th anniversary of the crash, Lux and others gathered in Grindavik to dedicate the black granite monument designed by Lux and with the stainless steel model of the
Photographed By Doddi Marteinsson, May 3, 2020
3. Fallen But Not Forgotten Marker
May 3, 2020 is the 77th anniversary of the crash of Hot Stuff in Iceland.
“U.S., Iceland remember WWII heroes with monument dedication,” said a recent headline on the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa website.
“Their sacrifice and commitment to a cause far greater than themselves represents the proud heritage and tradition of honor that is the core identity of today’s U.S. Air Force,” Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, 3rd Air Force commander, said at the ceremony.
Regarding Fallen But Not Forgotten. Hot Stuff, the first U.S. plane in the 8th Air Force to fly more than 25 successful missions in World War II, crashed at Mt. Fagradalsfjall, near Grindavik, Iceland, on May 3, 1943, killing Lt General Frank Andrews and 13 others on board. There was one survivor. Hot Stuff had flown 31 missions and was scheduled to head back home to help sell war bonds.The Memphis Belle eventually returned home, did the war bond tour and became famous.
Hot Stuff's flight plan for the trip home changed en route when Lieutenant General Andrews boarded in England with members of his staff. In 1943 General Andrews was in overall command of the U.S. European Theater of Operations. From his headquarters in London, he directed both the American air campaign against Germany and the planning for the ground forces' invasion
Photographed By U.S. Army Air Force, circa 1943
4. Hot Stuff Crew
According to Gen. Ira Eaker, then-commander of the 8th Air Force, Andrews had been selected to command the Allied Forces for the invasion of Europe, a post subsequently given to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
As Commanding General of all U.S. Forces in the European Theater of Operations, General Andrews was known to be a strong advocate of air power in support of ground combat operations. He had also defied the British on some significant issues, overcoming the RAF insistence on night bombing rather than daytime bombing. He was a force for the Brits, as well as the Germans, to reckon with.
Following General Andrews's death, responsibility for planning and executing the invasion of Europe fell to General Eisenhower - who, as other sources document, subsequently denied advance air strikes against D-Day invasion sites, and later deferred to British sensibility in conducting a “broad front” ground war on the continent - suppressing the potential for decisive rapid advances by US forces under Patton and others, and committing scarce resources to ineffective British operations, like Market-Garden, planned by British Field Marshall Montgomery.
Also see . . .
1. Hot Stuff (aircraft) (Wikipedia). (Submitted on July 11, 2018.)
2. A volcano near the crash site in Iceland may be named "Hot Stuff".
Photographed By U.S. Army Air Force, May 1943
5. Hot Stuff Crash Site, Mt. Fagradalsfjall, Iceland
"The eruption is not far from where Hot Stuff killed fourteen people. It has been suggested that the volcano be named Hot Stuff, in honor of the crew and passengers of a U.S. military plane that crashed on Mount Fagradal during World War II. Among those killed was the top US general in Europe."(Submitted on March 30, 2021, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas.)
3. In Memory of Hot Stuff and General Andrews. A commemorative web site with photographs of the HOT STUFF monument created and maintained by an Icelandic tour agency: HIT ICELAND (Submitted on July 8, 2021.)
4. World War II Crash Sites in Iceland. A web site documenting the work of Icelandic brothers Ólafur and Þorsteinn Marteinsson in creating an interactive map of all WWII and post war military aircraft crash sites in Iceland with links to other sites of interest.
"Our hope is to see the crash sites preserved in some way, somewhat like the plaque unveiled in memory of the accident on Mt. Thorsteinn and Kasper Andersen MiklafellFagradalsfjall. This is a part Iceland´s history and should be remembered."(Submitted on July 9, 2021, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas.)
5. Hot Stuff / General Andrews Monument Warbird News Article
circa 1943
6. Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews
At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, Lieut. Gen. Andrews was appointed commander of all United States forces in the European Theater of Operations, replacing Dwight D. Eisenhower. In his memoirs, Gen. Henry H. Arnold, commander of the Army Air Forces in World War II, expressed the belief that Andrews would have been given the command of the Allied invasion of Europe — the position that eventually went to Eisenhower.
Excerpt: According to a recent press release, “Andrews, an advocate for a separate United States Air Force, is considered to be one of its founding fathers. He was selected above many who outranked him to organize and command the General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ Air Force), the first centralized command of what would eventual become the U.S. Army Air Force. Today’s United States Air Force is a testament to his organization and leadership skills. Gen. Andrews was the only general to command three Theaters of Operations during World War II, including the Caribbean Defense Command, U.S. Army in the Middle East Command and European Theater of Operations Command.”(Submitted on July 7, 2023, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas.)
6. A Story of Triumph and Tragedy (YouTube, Jim Lux, 18 min.). "The B-24 Liberator Hot Stuff, the first heavy bomber in the 8th Air Force to complete 25 missions in Europe in World War II crashed on the way back to the United States to tour the country and help sell war bonds on May 3, 1943. Onboard was Lt. Gen. Frank M. Andrews European Theater of Operations Commander and his staff and three chaplains. All onboard with killed except the tail gunner."
U.S. Air Force photograph via Wikipedia Commons, circa 1940
7. A Consolidated B-24 Liberator Heavy Bomber
This photo is not a photo of Hot Stuff. It is a different B-24, a B-24D with a length of 64 feet 8 inches and a wingspan of 110 feet. Photo archive description reads, “A Consolidated B-24 Liberator from Maxwell Field, Alabama, four engine pilot school, glistens in the sun as it makes a turn at high altitude in the clouds.”
Additional commentary.
1. HOT STUFF Monument relocated, rededicated
On May 3, 2018, the 75th anniversary of the HOT STUFF tragedy, the memorial was initially installed at a site beside a major highway with limited parking and uncontrolled access. Although the site had been selected and approved by the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic government later determined that the popularity of the site as a tourist destination created unsafe traffic conditions on the highway. Barriers were installed to prevent unsafe access and it was decided to relocate the monument to a more suitable site with safe access and adequate parking.
On May 3, 2023, the 80th anniversary of the fatal crash, a reinstallation and rededication ceremony was held at a new monument site approved by the landowner, the City of Volgar, and the Icelandic government. The site retains a view of the HOT STUFF crash site and provides safe access, suitable parking, and a greatly improved pathway from the parking area to the monument. The new site is at the North side of Highway 41 at the intersection with Highway 43 – about 20 Km South of Reykjavik and 10 Km North of Keflavik Airport. Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor
Photographed By Page Publishing, Inc.
8. Before The Belle
Based on official Air Force records and interviews the award winning 2016 book “Before the Belle” by Cassius Mullen and Betty Byron tells the story of Hot Stuff and her crew as they trained, deployed, flew combat missions, and met their tragic fate during WWII.
Click for more information.
This website may earn income if you use this link to make a purchase.
Click for more information.
This website may earn income if you use this link to make a purchase.
— Submitted July 8, 2023, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas.
Photographed By Frederick Bothwell, June 29, 2021
9. American war memorial marker in Reykjavik (Fossvogur) War Graves Cemetery
Hot Stuff crash victims were initially buried in the Reykjavik War Graves cemetery. After the war their remains were returned to the United States for reburial. The marker is inscribed:
"To all Americans who served in Iceland during World War II. They gave their today for our tomorrow. Dedicated by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. October 8, 2003 Captain Georges M Morrison CC"
Credits. This page was last revised on August 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 24, 2018, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,165 times since then and 82 times this year. Last updated on July 8, 2023, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2018, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas. 3. submitted on May 3, 2020, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas. 4, 5. submitted on June 28, 2018, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas. 6. submitted on June 29, 2018. 7. submitted on May 4, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 8. submitted on July 12, 2018, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas. 9. submitted on July 5, 2021, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
