A-20G 43-10224 640BS 409BG 9th Airforce Help please

[gunpowder]

Im not sure if anyone will be able to help , but im looking for any info on the above Havoc.   It took off from Little Walden and collided with another plane. The Havoc crashed in a field where a Lady Named Elizabeth Anne Everitt tried to save the crew. Taken from the IWM archive

 

Chelmsford Chronicle Friday 2/6/1944 reported: 'U.S. Airmen Honour Widow WHO GAVE LIFE TO SAVE CREW MOST of the 500 villagers of Ashdon, near Saffron Walden, attended the funeral on Wednesday of a brave woman-of the village who gave her life trying to save the crew of a blazing aircraft which, after colliding with another airplane, crashed in meadow in the She was Mrs. Elizabeth Everitt, of Puddlewharf Farm, Ashdon, 38-year-old widow of a farmer who died last October.

She was milking cows at the time of the crash. Her four-year-old son Anthony was with her. Mrs. Everitt, a trained nurse, and her neighbour, Mrs. Mary Baldwin, 28, the widow of an R.A.F. pilot, ran over to the blazing wreckage. An airman staggered out. He was badly burned. " There are other chaps in the cockpit." he said. SENT FOR DOCTOR Mrs. Baldwin helped to get off his parachute while Mrs. Everitt, after giving orders to telephone for the doctor and get some bandages, prepared to dash into the cockpit, now enveloped in flames. An American staff-sergeant who had cycled up tried to dissuade her. Cannon bullets were flying about. But Mrs. Everitt went in. She was getting a man out when a terrific explosion occurred. Mrs. Everitt was killed. So were the airman and the staff-sergeant. Mrs. Baldwin said this of her brave neighbour afterwards: " How she reached the fuselage in that terrific heat I cannot imagine. And she dragged an airman out. She was a woman in a million.'' Little Anthony Everitt, now motherless as well fatherless, is being cared for by his uncle, Mr. George Everitt, who lives on a farm close by. AIRMEN'S SALUTE The Parish Church at Ashdon was filled for the funeral service, and many women sympathisers were in tears. During the service a formation of American aircraft circled over the cemetery, and as the coffin was lowered into the grave airplanes dipped in a final salute. Thirty members of the U.S.A.A.F. were among the mourners, who also included the Mayor of Saffron Walden (Cr. S. S. Wilson). The Rector, the Rev. T. P. Clark, officiated. Among the numerous wreaths was one inscribed: "In honour of very brave Englishwoman, from the Mayor and people of Saffron Walden " The Colonel Commanding the U.S bomber group to which the crashed airplane belonged, in a message to her family, spoke of Mrs. Everitt's "noble and courageous effort," and added: " Her action symbolises and strengthens the tie of unity and faith which binds English and Americans so closely as they fight together for the protection and preservation of our common faith and ideals." MEMORIAL WARD The Mayor of Saffron Walden informed The Essex Chronicle yesterday that he has opened an "Elizabeth Everitt Fund," by which he hopes to raise at least £2,000 for Saffron Walden General Hospital in memory of Mrs. Everitt. Many Americans have promised to subscribe, Mrs. Everitt was much interested in the hospital, and her husband died there last October'.

 

 

Now i know enough about the story , but only just discovered it was a Havoc. Im currently building the HK models kit and would love to build this aircraft. Other than knowing it would have had a W5 on it i dont really know anything else.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

 

[uncarina]

According to this: http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a20_17.html

 

43-10224 was a Block 35 A-20G. This mean you will have to modify/replace the exhaust system:

 

It can be done, and the last three photos show my modifications. Note the left and right cowl configurations are asymmetrical.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[andyf117]

Can't help with the aircraft, but this site has some more detail of the incident, including a photo of the lady herself, who posthumously received a gallantry award: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58226957/elizabeth-ann-everitt

[gunpowder]

Found out the mustang was 

 P-51B #42-106907 of the 503rd FS, 339th FG, piloted by 2nd Lt. Robert L. Dickens

[Havoc]

On 1/20/2024 at 9:39 AM, gunpowder said:

Im not sure if anyone will be able to help , but im looking for any info on the above Havoc.   It took off from Little Walden and collided with another plane. The Havoc crashed in a field where a Lady Named Elizabeth Anne Everitt tried to save the crew. Taken from the IWM archive

 

Chelmsford Chronicle Friday 2/6/1944 reported: 'U.S. Airmen Honour Widow WHO GAVE LIFE TO SAVE CREW MOST of the 500 villagers of Ashdon, near Saffron Walden, attended the funeral on Wednesday of a brave woman-of the village who gave her life trying to save the crew of a blazing aircraft which, after colliding with another airplane, crashed in meadow in the She was Mrs. Elizabeth Everitt, of Puddlewharf Farm, Ashdon, 38-year-old widow of a farmer who died last October.

She was milking cows at the time of the crash. Her four-year-old son Anthony was with her. Mrs. Everitt, a trained nurse, and her neighbour, Mrs. Mary Baldwin, 28, the widow of an R.A.F. pilot, ran over to the blazing wreckage. An airman staggered out. He was badly burned. " There are other chaps in the cockpit." he said. SENT FOR DOCTOR Mrs. Baldwin helped to get off his parachute while Mrs. Everitt, after giving orders to telephone for the doctor and get some bandages, prepared to dash into the cockpit, now enveloped in flames. An American staff-sergeant who had cycled up tried to dissuade her. Cannon bullets were flying about. But Mrs. Everitt went in. She was getting a man out when a terrific explosion occurred. Mrs. Everitt was killed. So were the airman and the staff-sergeant. Mrs. Baldwin said this of her brave neighbour afterwards: " How she reached the fuselage in that terrific heat I cannot imagine. And she dragged an airman out. She was a woman in a million.'' Little Anthony Everitt, now motherless as well fatherless, is being cared for by his uncle, Mr. George Everitt, who lives on a farm close by. AIRMEN'S SALUTE The Parish Church at Ashdon was filled for the funeral service, and many women sympathisers were in tears. During the service a formation of American aircraft circled over the cemetery, and as the coffin was lowered into the grave airplanes dipped in a final salute. Thirty members of the U.S.A.A.F. were among the mourners, who also included the Mayor of Saffron Walden (Cr. S. S. Wilson). The Rector, the Rev. T. P. Clark, officiated. Among the numerous wreaths was one inscribed: "In honour of very brave Englishwoman, from the Mayor and people of Saffron Walden " The Colonel Commanding the U.S bomber group to which the crashed airplane belonged, in a message to her family, spoke of Mrs. Everitt's "noble and courageous effort," and added: " Her action symbolises and strengthens the tie of unity and faith which binds English and Americans so closely as they fight together for the protection and preservation of our common faith and ideals." MEMORIAL WARD The Mayor of Saffron Walden informed The Essex Chronicle yesterday that he has opened an "Elizabeth Everitt Fund," by which he hopes to raise at least £2,000 for Saffron Walden General Hospital in memory of Mrs. Everitt. Many Americans have promised to subscribe, Mrs. Everitt was much interested in the hospital, and her husband died there last October'.

 

 

Now i know enough about the story , but only just discovered it was a Havoc. Im currently building the HK models kit and would love to build this aircraft. Other than knowing it would have had a W5 on it i dont really know anything else.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Some info for you: 

AIRCRAFT markings were : W5*Q

Crew were : pilot - lt William Watson

George Helland

Albert Webb

All interred at Madingley American Cemetary

Crash was NOT a collision for this aircraft. Returning from Caumont on 30/07/44 around 10:30 am, cloud base 400 feet, landed but forced to go around due to close proximity of aircraft on runway. Took off again, entered circuit, dropped flaps and gear and entered base leg prior to approach. A squadron of aircraft, thought to be from Gosfield, emerged from the cloud causing Watson to attempt avoiding action. This caused plane to enter a spin impacting the ground in a field just opposite and south of the village pub. ( around 500 yards from the pond). All crew killed on impact and subsequent fire. Watson exonerated in crash report from Alabama Research Institute.

 

Due to an issue with myself being conned into donating artefacts recovered from the site to a “museum” I wish to remain anonymous. Lot’s of bad feeling on my part about this and NOTHING I can do. 
Sincerely sorry.

 

 

Edited March 11 by Havoc
As a newbie I added info in the wrong place…. Re-entered in a seperate post below!

[Havoc]

Some info for you: 

AIRCRAFT markings were : W5*Q

Crew were : pilot - lt William Watson

George Helland

Albert Webb

All interred at Madingley American Cemetary

Crash was NOT a collision for this aircraft. Returning from Caumont on 30/07/44 around 10:30 am, cloud base 400 feet, landed but forced to go around due to close proximity of aircraft on runway. Took off again, entered circuit, dropped flaps and gear and entered base leg prior to approach. A squadron of aircraft, thought to be from Gosfield, emerged from the cloud causing Watson to attempt avoiding action. This caused plane to enter a spin impacting the ground in a field just opposite and south of the village pub. ( around 500 yards from the pond). All crew killed on impact and subsequent fire. Watson exonerated in crash report from Alabama Research Institute.

 

Due to an issue with myself being conned into donating artefacts recovered from the site to a “museum” I wish to remain anonymous. Lot’s of bad feeling on my part about this and NOTHING I can do. 
Sincerely sorry.