Relatives Invited to 75th Anniversary of Tragic Hartland Wartime Plane Crash (U.S. Plane)

North Devon Gazette ^ | 25 January 2018

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Any relatives of US airman Elliott Stone, who had relatives in North Devon and whose plane crashed in 1943 at Hartland, are welcome to attend a 75th anniversary memorial on Saturday, January 27. Any relatives of US airman Elliott Stone, who had relatives in North Devon and whose plane crashed in 1943 at Hartland, are welcome to attend a 75th anniversary memorial on Saturday, January 27. Any North Devon relatives of an American airman whose father came from Holsworthy, are welcome to attend a poignant memorial near Hartland on Saturday, January 27. Share article from on facebook Tweet article from Share article from on Google Pluspost article from on reddit email article from

A Liberator anti-submarine bomber like the one that crashed at Hartland 75 years ago. A Liberator anti-submarine bomber like the one that crashed at Hartland 75 years ago.

Any relatives an American airman who died when his plane crashed at Hartland are invited to attend the 75th anniversary memorial this Saturday.

Consolidated Liberator, 41-24019 of the USAAF came down near Hartland Point on January 22, 1943, killing all 10 Americans on board.

The aircraft had been part of The 2nd Anti-Submarine Squadron and was on a routine eight-hour daylight patrol from its base at St Eval in Cornwall but hit poor visibility on the North Devon coast.

One, Elliott Stone, had a father who was born in Holsworthy and emigrated to the US in 1909 and it is hoped some of his family may still be in the North Devon area and would like to attend the memorial event.

Second lieutenants Robert Sheddon and Elliott Stone, whose father came from Holsworthy three decades earlier.

Second lieutenants Robert Sheddon and Elliott Stone, whose father came from Holsworthy three decades earlier.

Robert Palmer, Graham Moore and Stephen Heal of www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk have organised a memorial near the crash site this Saturday, meeting at East Titchberry Farm National Trust car park.

Last year the group also marked the 75th anniversary of a wartime plane crash which killed five airmen - and were joined by several relatives including the daughter of one who had never seen her father’s grave.

The report of the crash produced by Robert says as Liberator, 41-24019 was returning to its base, the weather over Cornwall deteriorated, with low cloud and dense sea-fog along the North Cornwall and North Devon coastline.

Repeated requests were made of the Duty Controller of No 19 Group, Coastal Command based in Plymouth, as the crew tried to locate RAF St Eval – unfortunately they were apparently made on the wrong radio channel and it took a little while for the controller to realise what was happening.

Technical sergeants Frank Kozjak and George Shaheen were also among the 10 killed when Liberator crashed into cliffs at Hartland in 1943. Technical sergeants Frank Kozjak and George Shaheen were also among the 10 killed when Liberator crashed into cliffs at Hartland in 1943. The Liberator flew into cliffs about two miles east of Hartland Point, in North Devon; about 40 miles away from its base near Newquay.

The aircraft struck the cliffs about 50 feet below the top of the cliff-face, at about 4.50pm. All the air crew died instantly, and the aircraft was destroyed.

All the dead were recovered, and laid to rest together at the Brookwood Military Cemetery, near Woking in Surrey.

It appears that the families were led to believe that their next of kin had died in operations over Germany, as this statement appeared in local papers announcing the deaths of the air men.

The crash site at Hartland. Picture: Graham Moore The crash site at Hartland. Picture: Graham Moore In 1948 seven of the aircrew were returned to the USA and the remaining three reburied in the Cambridge American Cemetery.

Robert writes in his report: ‘As the official report states, there was not one factor that led to the crash of Liberator 41-24019 on that Friday afternoon, it was a coincidence of several individual factors that conspired against those 10 men on that fateful day. The least we can do is to remember their lives, and pay tribute to their commitment in volunteering to fly in wartime, with all the attendant risks that brings’.

Any living relatives of Elliott Stone, or anyone who wishes to go along, is asked to email Graham on graham.moore62@btinternet.com

In memoriam: Second Lieutenant George Oscar Broussard, Second Lieutenant Elliott Ernest Stone, Second Lieutenant Robert Lucian Shedden, Second Lieutenant Leonard L Dechant, Staff Sergeant Louis A Nagy, Technical Sergeant George Malham Shaheen, Technical Sergeant Frank Kozjak Jr, Technical Sergeant Harold Kaplan, Technical Sergeant Bernard F Hickman and Technical Sergeant Grant L. Craig.

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[buffyt]

I have a photo like that of my uncle Richard H Thoos. Shot down, MIA/KIA, Feb 28, 1944 over France, B17. These were such brave heroes~! What a beautiful photo of these heroes~ God bless them and keep our memories strong~ When they were young they saved the Free World. I cannot imagine their bravery and fortitude and dedication and determination.