If anyone is into the old school radio plays (Orsen Wells - War Of The Worlds style) from the 1930's - 1950's, you'll like this. I was emailed the below link today. This website has put the old radio shows on the internet. The second link (#151) is a specific one that is a play about the crash of a USAAF B-17 on the ice cap in Greenland. If you're familiar with CG LT John Pritchard and RM1 Ben Bottoms, you'll know what this is about. The play is a little off on some dates and chain of events but it is fascinating none the less. It is 25 minutes long. All the characters are actual people who were on the B-17 when it crashed. The one character they did not mention was RM1 Ben Bottoms. I don't know who played Pritchard.

[...http://otr.net/?p=cavl....]

[.....http://otr.net/r/cavl/151.ram....]

To set the mood....here a pic of Pritchard and Bottoms taxing out and another one of Pritchard and Bottoms and an unidentified Coastie pulling PVT Tucciarone out of the Duck after they got back to the Northland on Nov 28th, 1942.

BTW....I got the above links from PVT Tucciarone's son today (actually his wife sent it to me, he was at work). You'll hear the PVT Tucciarone character in the play.





This is a map showing where the crashes and rescue took place in Greenland.



In this pic, the B-17 crashed to the left on that ice pack, LT Pritchard, RM1 Ben Bottoms and CPL Howarth (B-17 survivor) crashed on the right side of the pic.



This is the Navy PBY that landed wheels up on the ice cap to drop off a dog sled team and rescuers. COL Bernt Balchen took the pic (Google him, he is famous).



This B-17 is from the Lost Squadron. They crashed about 25-30 miles to the NE....a few months before the Pritchard and the other B-17 crashed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TVCJohn,

Thanks for posting John. Great shots.

Dick

A WW2 announcement concerning the rescue.

quote:

Originally posted by Mastersmate:
A WW2 announcement concerning the rescue.

What that caption does not mention is Bottoms also was awarded the DFC. Another tidbit of CG history.....Bottoms was in another plane crash in 1939. Today, I just got several pictures of Pritchard and Bottoms' mother's at the building dedications at ATC Mobile in 1971.

A couple weeks ago I took some pics of the interior and exterior of a restored B-17 (also a B-24, and exterior only pics of a B-25 and an R4D). I don't have the time, patience, or inclination to post them online but if anyone is interested and has broadband I can email them.

If you want them sent an email to me at work, raymond.lucas@dhs.gov
Limited time offer, til the end of March. I'll be on leave for Bike Week so I won't send them until about 3/11

Hi John,

Did you ever get up to Greenland last summer? If so, were you able to locate Pritchard's plane?

From some of the info you sent me last year, it looks like my dad was around the SW pennsula..Ivigtut& Kungnat Bay...right around this time. West Greenland. Not near this.

Thanks for the post.

quote:

Originally posted by CVA66er:
Hi John,

Did you ever get up to Greenland last summer? If so, were you able to locate Pritchard's plane?

From some of the info you sent me last year, it looks like my dad was around the SW pennsula..Ivigtut& Kungnat Bay...right around this time. West Greenland. Not near this.

Thanks for the post.

Hey Jim,

Yes, we made it to Greenland. We flew over the scene in August but didn't see it. We have employed some modern technologies. However.....I don't want to get into too much on a public forum but we are "cautiously optimistic". Below is the C-130J we took up to Iceland/Greenland last year. This is in Reykavik. Our PA1 took this photo.

John

John,

That's terrific. It must have been quite an experience for you, trying to recapture history. I'm a little envious.

Continued good luck with the project.

quote:

Originally posted by CVA66er:
John,

That's terrific. It must have been quite an experience for you, trying to recapture history. I'm a little envious.

Continued good luck with the project.

Thanks. Not only are we reliving it, if we succeed we might be making it. We've located alot of exciting history so far. I was at the Library of Congress today researching the collection of COL Bernt Balchen. He is a very famous Arctic/Antarctic aviator, navigator and explorer. He was the lead rescuer for the crashed B-17 and drew the sketches showing where our Duck was at.

We located Bottom's DFC and flag presented to his mother. I have recent pics of it. I also located CPL Howarths Legion of Merit this past week. I'm waiting on the pics to come in for that. We have Fletcher Brown #1's Navy Cross and Fletcher Brown #2's ribboon bar that has his Belguim Knighthood Medal on it.

MC, BZ to you and all involved in reclaiming this bit of Coast Guard history and bringing it to light.
Hopefully, the small plaques at ATC going into the galley can be updated/expanded.

quote:

Originally posted by jadeel:
MC, BZ to you and all involved in reclaiming this bit of Coast Guard history and bringing it to light.
Hopefully, the small plaques at ATC going into the galley can be updated/expanded.

JD,

If I get a chance, I'll post up some pics I got this week of the ATC Mobile dedication ceremony in 1971. One of them shows Mother Pritchard and Mother Bottom's unveiling the bronze plaques. Great history from a few years back. I got them from Pete Tucciarone. His dad, PVT Alex Tucciarone was there. He is one of the two B-17 aircrewman Pritchard and Bottoms flew off the ice cap and back to the CGC Northland. As you likely know, Pritchard, Bottoms and their B-17 pax Howarth crashed the next day.

We have uncovered a lot of great stories.....

The COL Balchen I mentioned above....he flew over the North and South Pole, was a pilot with ADM Byrd, help Amelia Earhart on her Atlantic crossing. Here's a good one.....in 1939, he met with Field Marshall Hermann Goehring in a motel room in Berlin. After he meeting was over, he quickly left Germany. He returned to his native Norway and warned them of the impending spread of German hostilities in Europe. He passed it on to the US govt too. No one heeded his warnings and the rest is history. In 1944 or 45 he was part of some covert ops in Sweden. He smuggled out a German V2 rocket before the Germans even launched the first one against England. He was in the Olympics, fought in WWI against the Russians. There's a whole bunch of littles stories on this guy. I have spoken to his son and wife #2 (of 3). Last night I got emailed a painting he did of the 1942 B-17 and Duck crash site area.

The Fletcher Browns (#1, #2 and #3) are a great CG history lesson. Their stories go back to the Civil War era and end in the 1980's. FB #3 was kind enough to let me come out to his place in Montana last year and collect a treasure trove of CG historical items. I think you and I might have flown with him back in the 1980's at ATC.

I'll try to post a few good pics when I get a chance....

quote:

However.....I don't want to get into too much on a public forum but we are "cautiously optimistic".

Now I know why there was no answer to my question, last summer, when you first posted the C-130 pic.

Good Luck. The remains should be returned if found.

Good history MC.

Jack

quote:

Originally posted by cgrdcs:

quote:

However.....I don't want to get into too much on a public forum but we are "cautiously optimistic".

Now I know why there was no answer to my question, last summer, when you first posted the C-130 pic.

Good Luck. The remains should be returned if found.

Good history MC.

Jack

Jack,

Sorry if I didn't answer your question. We found out a while back at least one other party was interested in salvaging the plane. We are taking appropriate steps. The CG still owns the aircraft.....it is a war grave. Send me an email at work if you want to know anything specific. john.h.long@uscg.mil

In the age of the internet....I know people can do Googles and locate these forums. There's no sense doing all the hard work for someone else.

John

MC

No need to be sorry. I can understand. How can I help????????
"WE" brought Jack R home, "WE" need to bring these Coast Guard HEROS home too.

Just tell this old black shoe, how I can help you and the team?

Jack.

quote:

Originally posted by cgrdcs:
MC

No need to be sorry. I can understand. How can I help????????
"WE" brought Jack R home, "WE" need to bring these Coast Guard HEROS home too.

Just tell this old black shoe, how I can help you and the team?

Jack.

Send me an email. longgone79@hotmail.com