CIVILIAN WAR DEAD, FRECKLETON DISASTER
❤ ❤ ❤❤
A special Thank You to Armantia for the transfer of Jennie's page!
Jennie (or Jenny) Hall was a young teacher who died in the Freckleton Disaster. The Freckleton Disaster occurred when a sudden storm came up and an airplane being tested was struck by lightning. It crashed into Holy Trinity School, killing 38 children and two teachers. Civilians and soldiers in a nearby snack bar and the 3 U.S. crewmen on the plane were also killed.
Storms came up suddenly on the day of the crash, and two B-24s already in air were recalled, with weather warnings; however, by the time the order to return to ground had been issued, winds had reached 60 mph, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool and other areas, and water spouts were appearing in the Ribble Estuary.
1st Lieutenant John Bloemendal, the pilot of the second aircraft - the "Classy Chassis II" - reported that he was aborting landing at the last moment, and would circle round again. Within minutes, the aircraft struck Freckleton, east of the airfield.
It was determined that the aircraft's wings were nearly vertical when it hit a treetop and them impacted with the corner of a building; one of the wings was immediately sheared away and continued along the ground, and through hedges. The 25 ton bomber's fuselage demolished three homes and the Sad Sack Snack Bar before crossing the road and bursting into flames. The fuselage then struck the infants' wing of Freckleton Holy Trinity School, its' fuel igniting a sea of flames.
The official decision regarding the crash was listed as unknown, but it was questioned whether the American pilot may have been unprepared for the sudden weather changes in English rain - a 'shower' can go quickly to thunderstorms, and worse.
UPDATE, MARCH 29 2014: I have been mistakenly not thanking Geoffrey Gillon for his assistance in fact checking; he has helped in correcting many of the pages associated with the Freckleton Disaster, and it was a wrench in the works (in other words, I was probably missing the obvious) that kept him faceless. He has, for instance verified that Jennie was indeed 20 years old at the time of her death (see record transcription):
Births Dec 1923 Hall Jennie Rigby Fylde 8e 826
He also notes: "You may change her date of death to 24th August- she was not killed instantly- she died in the Royal Infirmary [hospital] the day after the plane crash. She lived at 63 Freckleton Road and was the daughter of Robert Hall [Motor Driver] and Ellen Hall, nee Rigby."
I greatly appreciate Mr. Gillon's hard work... Thank You again, Geoffrey. =)
Victims of this disaster are also listed on the Roll of Honour for Civilian War dead in Westminster Abbey.
Jennie had just begun working at Holy Trinity School; August 23rd was her second day of employment at the school she herself had attended, as a child. She is buried in a mass grave along with many of the children.
❤ ❤ ❤❤
A special Thank You to Armantia for the transfer of Jennie's page!
Jennie (or Jenny) Hall was a young teacher who died in the Freckleton Disaster. The Freckleton Disaster occurred when a sudden storm came up and an airplane being tested was struck by lightning. It crashed into Holy Trinity School, killing 38 children and two teachers. Civilians and soldiers in a nearby snack bar and the 3 U.S. crewmen on the plane were also killed.
Storms came up suddenly on the day of the crash, and two B-24s already in air were recalled, with weather warnings; however, by the time the order to return to ground had been issued, winds had reached 60 mph, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool and other areas, and water spouts were appearing in the Ribble Estuary.
1st Lieutenant John Bloemendal, the pilot of the second aircraft - the "Classy Chassis II" - reported that he was aborting landing at the last moment, and would circle round again. Within minutes, the aircraft struck Freckleton, east of the airfield.
It was determined that the aircraft's wings were nearly vertical when it hit a treetop and them impacted with the corner of a building; one of the wings was immediately sheared away and continued along the ground, and through hedges. The 25 ton bomber's fuselage demolished three homes and the Sad Sack Snack Bar before crossing the road and bursting into flames. The fuselage then struck the infants' wing of Freckleton Holy Trinity School, its' fuel igniting a sea of flames.
The official decision regarding the crash was listed as unknown, but it was questioned whether the American pilot may have been unprepared for the sudden weather changes in English rain - a 'shower' can go quickly to thunderstorms, and worse.
UPDATE, MARCH 29 2014: I have been mistakenly not thanking Geoffrey Gillon for his assistance in fact checking; he has helped in correcting many of the pages associated with the Freckleton Disaster, and it was a wrench in the works (in other words, I was probably missing the obvious) that kept him faceless. He has, for instance verified that Jennie was indeed 20 years old at the time of her death (see record transcription):
Births Dec 1923 Hall Jennie Rigby Fylde 8e 826
He also notes: "You may change her date of death to 24th August- she was not killed instantly- she died in the Royal Infirmary [hospital] the day after the plane crash. She lived at 63 Freckleton Road and was the daughter of Robert Hall [Motor Driver] and Ellen Hall, nee Rigby."
I greatly appreciate Mr. Gillon's hard work... Thank You again, Geoffrey. =)
Victims of this disaster are also listed on the Roll of Honour for Civilian War dead in Westminster Abbey.
Jennie had just begun working at Holy Trinity School; August 23rd was her second day of employment at the school she herself had attended, as a child. She is buried in a mass grave along with many of the children.
CIVILIAN WAR DEAD, FRECKLETON DISASTER
❤ ❤ ❤❤
A special Thank You to Armantia for the transfer of Jennie's page!
Jennie (or Jenny) Hall was a young teacher who died in the Freckleton Disaster. The Freckleton Disaster occurred when a sudden storm came up and an airplane being tested was struck by lightning. It crashed into Holy Trinity School, killing 38 children and two teachers. Civilians and soldiers in a nearby snack bar and the 3 U.S. crewmen on the plane were also killed.
Storms came up suddenly on the day of the crash, and two B-24s already in air were recalled, with weather warnings; however, by the time the order to return to ground had been issued, winds had reached 60 mph, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool and other areas, and water spouts were appearing in the Ribble Estuary.
1st Lieutenant John Bloemendal, the pilot of the second aircraft - the "Classy Chassis II" - reported that he was aborting landing at the last moment, and would circle round again. Within minutes, the aircraft struck Freckleton, east of the airfield.
It was determined that the aircraft's wings were nearly vertical when it hit a treetop and them impacted with the corner of a building; one of the wings was immediately sheared away and continued along the ground, and through hedges. The 25 ton bomber's fuselage demolished three homes and the Sad Sack Snack Bar before crossing the road and bursting into flames. The fuselage then struck the infants' wing of Freckleton Holy Trinity School, its' fuel igniting a sea of flames.
The official decision regarding the crash was listed as unknown, but it was questioned whether the American pilot may have been unprepared for the sudden weather changes in English rain - a 'shower' can go quickly to thunderstorms, and worse.
UPDATE, MARCH 29 2014: I have been mistakenly not thanking Geoffrey Gillon for his assistance in fact checking; he has helped in correcting many of the pages associated with the Freckleton Disaster, and it was a wrench in the works (in other words, I was probably missing the obvious) that kept him faceless. He has, for instance verified that Jennie was indeed 20 years old at the time of her death (see record transcription):
Births Dec 1923 Hall Jennie Rigby Fylde 8e 826
He also notes: "You may change her date of death to 24th August- she was not killed instantly- she died in the Royal Infirmary [hospital] the day after the plane crash. She lived at 63 Freckleton Road and was the daughter of Robert Hall [Motor Driver] and Ellen Hall, nee Rigby."
I greatly appreciate Mr. Gillon's hard work... Thank You again, Geoffrey. =)
Victims of this disaster are also listed on the Roll of Honour for Civilian War dead in Westminster Abbey.
Jennie had just begun working at Holy Trinity School; August 23rd was her second day of employment at the school she herself had attended, as a child. She is buried in a mass grave along with many of the children.
❤ ❤ ❤❤
A special Thank You to Armantia for the transfer of Jennie's page!
Jennie (or Jenny) Hall was a young teacher who died in the Freckleton Disaster. The Freckleton Disaster occurred when a sudden storm came up and an airplane being tested was struck by lightning. It crashed into Holy Trinity School, killing 38 children and two teachers. Civilians and soldiers in a nearby snack bar and the 3 U.S. crewmen on the plane were also killed.
Storms came up suddenly on the day of the crash, and two B-24s already in air were recalled, with weather warnings; however, by the time the order to return to ground had been issued, winds had reached 60 mph, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool and other areas, and water spouts were appearing in the Ribble Estuary.
1st Lieutenant John Bloemendal, the pilot of the second aircraft - the "Classy Chassis II" - reported that he was aborting landing at the last moment, and would circle round again. Within minutes, the aircraft struck Freckleton, east of the airfield.
It was determined that the aircraft's wings were nearly vertical when it hit a treetop and them impacted with the corner of a building; one of the wings was immediately sheared away and continued along the ground, and through hedges. The 25 ton bomber's fuselage demolished three homes and the Sad Sack Snack Bar before crossing the road and bursting into flames. The fuselage then struck the infants' wing of Freckleton Holy Trinity School, its' fuel igniting a sea of flames.
The official decision regarding the crash was listed as unknown, but it was questioned whether the American pilot may have been unprepared for the sudden weather changes in English rain - a 'shower' can go quickly to thunderstorms, and worse.
UPDATE, MARCH 29 2014: I have been mistakenly not thanking Geoffrey Gillon for his assistance in fact checking; he has helped in correcting many of the pages associated with the Freckleton Disaster, and it was a wrench in the works (in other words, I was probably missing the obvious) that kept him faceless. He has, for instance verified that Jennie was indeed 20 years old at the time of her death (see record transcription):
Births Dec 1923 Hall Jennie Rigby Fylde 8e 826
He also notes: "You may change her date of death to 24th August- she was not killed instantly- she died in the Royal Infirmary [hospital] the day after the plane crash. She lived at 63 Freckleton Road and was the daughter of Robert Hall [Motor Driver] and Ellen Hall, nee Rigby."
I greatly appreciate Mr. Gillon's hard work... Thank You again, Geoffrey. =)
Victims of this disaster are also listed on the Roll of Honour for Civilian War dead in Westminster Abbey.
Jennie had just begun working at Holy Trinity School; August 23rd was her second day of employment at the school she herself had attended, as a child. She is buried in a mass grave along with many of the children.
