FOURTEEN NAVY MEN KILLED IN CRASH OF PLANE.

ONE SAVES LIFE WITH PARACHUTE JUMP.

Miami, Fla. -- (AP) -- Fourteen navy men died today in the crash of a big, four-engined Privateer which, with one engine afire, was being guided to cleared runways by radio. One man escaped by leaping with his parachute.
The man who jumped was W. J. DeROCHE, aviation ordnanceman, 28, Somerville, Mass., who attempted to rescue his comrades but was driven away by flames and exploding ammunition.
Naval authorities gave this description of the tragedy:
The big plane with 15 men aboard took off from the naval air station on a regular training flight and as it gained the air observers in the control tower saw that its No. 3 engine was afire.
"Your engine is afire," the pilot was told by radio.
"You will land immediately on any runway. All runways are being cleared for you."
Every plane in the vicinity was ordered out of the way of the distressed craft as the pilot acknowledged the message and began to turn back toward the field.
"The aircraft circled and made a normal, three-engine approach. At about 500 feet with smoke getting into the cabin, one man was observed to parachute to safety. No one else left the plane," the navy reported.

Partial List of Casualties:
CHESTER ELMER VOLK, JR., Cincinnati, Ohio.
JAMES D. ROBINSON, Willisburg, Ky.
EDWARD WAYNE CHAPMAN, Lafayette, Tenn.
RICHARD EMIL SCHLENKER, Milwaukee.
ALBERT A. CASSIOL, Buffalo, N.Y.

The Brownsville Herald Texas 1945-09-12
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!