By Philip R. Devlin
(February 18, 2025) — In the past twenty days, there have been eight aviation accidents involving domestic flights originating in the United States, killing 85 people. Given recent statistics regarding the safety of flying, these numbers are shocking, as, according to the NTSB, up until January 1 of this year, there had been only 62 fatalities since 2010. This statistic compares very favorably with domestic fatal auto crashes on public roads; for example, in 2023, the NHTSA reported 40,990 auto deaths in the U.S. or about 788 deaths per week. That’s approximately 112 auto deaths per day.
Aviation accidents, however, were far more frequent within the United States during World War II. Consider these startling statistics involving the air base at Bradley Field while it was operational for 38 months during World War II. Accident report records indicate that there were at least 220 total aircraft accidents involving aircraft and airmen assigned to Bradley Field. A total of 147 of these accidents occurred in parts of Windsor Locks, Suffield, East Granby, or at Bradley Field itself. Some of these were relatively mild, while others proved fatal. Including Lt. Eugene Bradley’s fatal crash on August 21, 1941, there were at least 12 fatal crashes that took the lives of 22 young airmen in the immediate vicinity of Bradley Field.
Let’s examine one day of military accidents in the United States during World War II – February 11, 1942. I chose that day because it coincides with the worst fatal crash at Bradley Field during the war.
On that day, a Lockheed A-29, similar to the one shown in the photo above, attached to the 1st Mapping Squadron at Bradley crashed on the East Granby side of the airport. The crash killed six young American aviators who had been on a routine flight between Bradley and Tarriffville. The dead crew included Sgt. Thomas F. Quinn of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Sgt. John T. Howey of New York City, Sgt. Gordon G. Johnson of Renovo, Pennsylvania, Staff Sgt. Michael Kaufmann of Windsor Locks, Lt. Walter C. Boyle of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and the pilot, Lt. Melvin W. Schoephoester, also from Wisconsin. Lt. Schoephoester was the oldest of the group at 30 years of age.
His remains were not found immediately. His body was ultimately interred at Arlington National Cemetery (photo above). Additionally, a road that is adjacent to Bradley in East Granby bears his name today.
According to the Aviation Archaeological Investigation and Research site, there were 24 other military accidents in the United States in nine different states on February 11, 1942, besides the fatal crash at Bradley; at least six of those accidents also resulted in more than a dozen fatalities. Additionally, a takeoff accident at March Field in Riverside, California, that day also involved an A-29.
An examination of the deadliest military aviation accident at Bradley Field on February 11, 1942, can lead us to understand that flying military aircraft within the borders of the United States during World War II – even with no one shooting at you – was indeed a risky business. The full accounting of these accidents and their death tolls is an ongoing, fluid process. By no means is the final tally yet known.
In closing, consider the words of Windsor Locks native, George Clee, the last surviving Windsor Locks veteran of World War II. George was working in a tobacco field near the air base on the day that Lt. Bradley crashed: “In August we were working there and the Windsor Locks Airbase had P-40 fighters stationed there, and we heard a noise and Lt. Bradley was dogfighting and crashed. This was just the beginning of a number of planes that hit the ground.”
Young tobacco worker George Clee from Windsor Locks accurately described the harsh reality of frequent domestic military crashes during World War II. There were more than 15,500 American aviators killed in accidents in the United States during World War II. That figure works out to about 3,622 deaths per year or about ten per day! That’s an absolutely an amazing statistic which stands in sharp contrast to the safety of flying these days.
Photos provided by Philip Devlin:
Grave marker from findagrave.com
A-29 from Wikipedia
