While I am searching through the digital copies of the historical newspapers looking for news articles relating to family members, other articles will sometimes catch my attention. This was the case of one from the December 29, 1944 edition of the Suffolk County News. So, for Veterans Day I thought I would share some local military history.
On December 27, 1944 a squadron flying a B-24 Army Liberator Bomber left Westover Field, Massachusetts for a training mission. Unfortunately, they were met with a snow storm that was covering Mattituck, Long Island and were unable to successfully navigate a landing either at their target at the Suffolk County Army Air Field, known now as the 106th Air Rescue Wing in Westhampton Beach, or make an emergency landing on a field. Instead, at 6:20pm, they slammed into the farm fields of J. Dwight Reeves on the south side of North Country Road, West Mattituck. North Country Road is now called Sound Avenue. It was also reported as being on the fields of John Kujawski in Northville, NY.
Eleven men lost their lives that night. It was said at the time to be the most tragic air accident over Long Island. The farm fields were described as looking like a battle field with plane debris and body parts strewn over a two acre area.
The men were young, their ages ranging from 18-36. They were also four to eight months away from seeing the end of World War ll, first with Germany in May 1945 and then on the Pacific Front in August of 1945.
The aircraft was piloted by Flight Officer Victor Belotti, 21 from Somerville, MA, his co-pilot was Flight Officer William D. Sanders, 23, from Troupe, TX. Flight officer, Clifford J. McElwee, Gary, Ind. was the navigator. Their Gunnery Instructor was Staff Sergeant Nicholas M Carusone, 26, Providence, RI, There were four gunners; Corporal Vito D. Ferraro, 18, Rochester, NY, Corporal Joseph H. Martorana, 24, South Norwalk, Connecticut, Roger Westervelt, 19, Buda, Illinois and Corporal John H. Benner, 36, Lewiston, PA. Corporal Benner is the only one I found, so far, that had a child, a little girl named Donna. She was ten when her father died, she later grew up to be a fourth grade teacher and had three children. George H Reis, 19, South Dartmouth, MA, was the radioman, their engineer was Lawrence L. Tench from West Wyoming, PA. The bombardier was Lewis P. Pernala, 22, from Duluth, Minnesota.
One thing that has not changed from 1944, the first ones on the tragic scene were the unpaid heroes of our area, the Mattituck, Riverhead and Southold volunteer firefighters. They were joined by state troopers in the area and finally Lieutenant Colonel George Logan, who was the commanding officer at the Suffolk County Army Air Force Base who took over command of the scene.
It must have been a life changing experience, a few days after Christmas, in a snowstorm in the bitter cold facing down the daunting task of trying to recover as much as possible before it was buried under more snow. I don’t know if any of the first responders were also Veterans, but it could not have been an easy call for them emotionally and physically.
I found cemetery locations for nine of men. The other two may exists just not be online yet. I do not know of any memorial in Northville for these men. In my lifetime, we have seen TWA Flight 800 and September 11, but this one, the first worst, from 1944, I had never heard of, and that seems a shame. If we are going to discuss the worst air tragedies on Long Island, then the first worst should be part of the conversation. Eleven of our young servicemen training to defend our nation died in an accident. Their lives a blip on the radar, then like the snow come spring, gone. Who knows what they would have accomplished or become as part of the greatest generation. Their willingness to serve their county during World War ll, speaks volumes of their character.
I know Veterans Day is supposed to be about the living, while Memorial Day is about those that did not make it home, but I say let’s remember them all, always.
On December 27, 1944 a squadron flying a B-24 Army Liberator Bomber left Westover Field, Massachusetts for a training mission. Unfortunately, they were met with a snow storm that was covering Mattituck, Long Island and were unable to successfully navigate a landing either at their target at the Suffolk County Army Air Field, known now as the 106th Air Rescue Wing in Westhampton Beach, or make an emergency landing on a field. Instead, at 6:20pm, they slammed into the farm fields of J. Dwight Reeves on the south side of North Country Road, West Mattituck. North Country Road is now called Sound Avenue. It was also reported as being on the fields of John Kujawski in Northville, NY.
Eleven men lost their lives that night. It was said at the time to be the most tragic air accident over Long Island. The farm fields were described as looking like a battle field with plane debris and body parts strewn over a two acre area.
The men were young, their ages ranging from 18-36. They were also four to eight months away from seeing the end of World War ll, first with Germany in May 1945 and then on the Pacific Front in August of 1945.
The aircraft was piloted by Flight Officer Victor Belotti, 21 from Somerville, MA, his co-pilot was Flight Officer William D. Sanders, 23, from Troupe, TX. Flight officer, Clifford J. McElwee, Gary, Ind. was the navigator. Their Gunnery Instructor was Staff Sergeant Nicholas M Carusone, 26, Providence, RI, There were four gunners; Corporal Vito D. Ferraro, 18, Rochester, NY, Corporal Joseph H. Martorana, 24, South Norwalk, Connecticut, Roger Westervelt, 19, Buda, Illinois and Corporal John H. Benner, 36, Lewiston, PA. Corporal Benner is the only one I found, so far, that had a child, a little girl named Donna. She was ten when her father died, she later grew up to be a fourth grade teacher and had three children. George H Reis, 19, South Dartmouth, MA, was the radioman, their engineer was Lawrence L. Tench from West Wyoming, PA. The bombardier was Lewis P. Pernala, 22, from Duluth, Minnesota.
One thing that has not changed from 1944, the first ones on the tragic scene were the unpaid heroes of our area, the Mattituck, Riverhead and Southold volunteer firefighters. They were joined by state troopers in the area and finally Lieutenant Colonel George Logan, who was the commanding officer at the Suffolk County Army Air Force Base who took over command of the scene.
It must have been a life changing experience, a few days after Christmas, in a snowstorm in the bitter cold facing down the daunting task of trying to recover as much as possible before it was buried under more snow. I don’t know if any of the first responders were also Veterans, but it could not have been an easy call for them emotionally and physically.
I found cemetery locations for nine of men. The other two may exists just not be online yet. I do not know of any memorial in Northville for these men. In my lifetime, we have seen TWA Flight 800 and September 11, but this one, the first worst, from 1944, I had never heard of, and that seems a shame. If we are going to discuss the worst air tragedies on Long Island, then the first worst should be part of the conversation. Eleven of our young servicemen training to defend our nation died in an accident. Their lives a blip on the radar, then like the snow come spring, gone. Who knows what they would have accomplished or become as part of the greatest generation. Their willingness to serve their county during World War ll, speaks volumes of their character.
I know Veterans Day is supposed to be about the living, while Memorial Day is about those that did not make it home, but I say let’s remember them all, always.
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