Boerne, TX Coast Guard Plane Crash, Dec 1938

SHIP IN FLAMES; PILOT ALTERS COURSE TO AVOID HITTING TOWN.

San Antonio, Dec. 20. -- (AP) -- A flaming United States coast guard plane that crashed at the southern limits of Boerne, 30 miles northwest of here, brought death to four men late last night.
The dead were identified from papers found among the wreckage of the plane and in the men's clothing as:
Lieut. PERRY S. LYONS, unit commander of the coast guard at El Paso.
AMM1 RUPERT H. GERMAINE, United States coast guard, El Paso.
Cpl. GEORGE C. LATHAM, Army enlisted man, Fort Bliss, El Paso.
Ens. CLAUDE H. TEAGUE, JR., United States naval ensign, El Paso.
The body of TEAGUE was not located until early today, although it was but a few feet from the wreckage.
C. E. Haley of El Paso, also of the coast guard, who was in San Antonio, said he had been instructed to meet a plane piloted by Lieutenant LYONS at Kelly field.
The ship was seen in flames shortly before 10 p.m. as it passed over Boerne. It crashed near the San Antonio-Boerne highway.
Justice of the Peace H. L. Davis, Jr., said he heard the ship zooming over his home, then came the crash. The plane fell in the pasture of M. A. Schumard a block from Davis' home and only a few feet from the heavily-traveled highway.
"Apparently it struck nose down and turned over several times," Davis said. "Parts were scattered for 200 yards and none of the parts left were large enough to identify."
Sheriff Ed Bierschwale, of Kendall county, who reached the scene of the crash a few minutes after Davis, said he believed the pilot headed south after the plane caught fire in order to avoid landing within the town's limits. It was brought down in a fairly open field.
Bodies of the four victims were brought here.
A report from El Paso said the plane left there at 4 p.m. yesterday.
The bodies were charred and torn until none was recognizable. Bits of flesh were strewn over a two-acre area.
Lieutenant LYONS was graduated from the coast guard academy at New London, Conn., in 1929.

The Abilene Reporter News 1938-12-20
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!