tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post7279088079100908494..comments2024-02-04T11:58:56.708-05:00Comments on The Buffalo History Gazette: September 11, 1942 - Tragedy At Curtiss-WrightJerry M Malloyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04653949516092546466noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-54173587923339401622022-04-03T14:30:36.778-04:002022-04-03T14:30:36.778-04:00My mom, (Alice Herdic) was only 19 -20 years old w...My mom, (Alice Herdic) was only 19 -20 years old when she worked at the Curtiss Wright plant. She worked on C46 "riveting wings & body parts". My aunt worked on P40. <br />I went to the Curtiss Wright museum on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes & told the volunteer my mom worked there. He told me about the accident & fire. At the time my mom was still living & he said to ask her about the fire which would confirm what year she worked there. Turns out her cousin (Jim Herdic) was working 2nd shift & was burned in the fire! I would have never known this bit of family history! My mom never talked about it. <br />Unfortunately,She also started smoking cigarettes there when all the women took a break they passed them around! <br />Thank you for all the great info. Lois Nicholson Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-3666671894946534832021-08-26T22:52:00.018-04:002021-08-26T22:52:00.018-04:00Is this the only mark left by Curtiss Wright in Bu...Is this the only mark left by Curtiss Wright in Buffalo? <br /><br />Why not many mention that P-40 were made in Buffalo NY by Curtiss Wright when talking about flying tigers? like a P-40N displayed in Museum of Aviation in Robins AFB, GA, nothing saying about P-40 were made in Buffalo NY by Curtiss Wright?<br /><br />Any P-40 or C-46 left in Buffalo area?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-17972591852447462092020-08-31T20:55:12.925-04:002020-08-31T20:55:12.925-04:00My mother worked in the plant after my father left...My mother worked in the plant after my father left for Guadalcanal. The day before it happened she asked her supervisor to change her shift because here was a man she worked with who was giving her too much unwanted attention and she was uncomfortable working with him. The plane crashed at her exact work station and during her old shift. It was truly miraculous and I am the youngest of five and a Navy Aircrew Man from '77-81 tracking Russian submarines during the Cold War. My father made it back and he had great war stories. God bless America and he has watched over our family as my mother loved Jesus. Thank you. Paul M.Paul M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05136382757408080690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-8716192774847557272020-08-30T17:50:14.259-04:002020-08-30T17:50:14.259-04:00My dad was a teenage boy and witnessed the pilot e...My dad was a teenage boy and witnessed the pilot exiting the plane and descending by parachute. He and his brother were standing behind a building on Millicent Ave. They could see the flames coming from the plane. My father is still alive and 90 years old. As he was telling me this story I came upon this site and wanted to leave his story. He will be 91 on September 17th, 2020. This incident led to his brother becoming a paratrooper. Later, my father did too. My dad is Harry Bosworth and his brother was George. There has been an article written about George Bosworth telling of this story when he retired from paratrooping. The article was written by Bob Dorang on September 13th 1955, Bat-wing is retiring at 27, is the name of the article. It says Henry Bosworth but it should be George. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03005507222417603645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-91089803831250113662019-10-06T18:55:55.900-04:002019-10-06T18:55:55.900-04:00I was recently back in Buffalo to visit my mother ...I was recently back in Buffalo to visit my mother on her 101st birthday and saw the mural of the Curtis plant on the wall near gate 26. My father, J. Stanley Nixon was head photographer at the Curtis plant during the war and that picture at the airport would have been one of his. He was at the plant the day the crash occurred and fairly close to the accident scene. My mother only knew the news of the crash but I don't know how long it was before she heard from my Dad that he was alright. He would have taken the pictures of the crash scene but those were apparently classified and never released. My Dad passed away in 1980 after owning Nixon's Camera Shop in Kenmore from after the war until 1963. He is survived by his wife, Lois, and 3 sons, James and Doug of Kenmore and myself, Bill, now living in Atlanta. It was a great and moving surprise to see some of his work on the wall at Gate 26. William R. Nixonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-8909471149693330502019-06-19T00:23:02.605-04:002019-06-19T00:23:02.605-04:00I lived in Buffalo NY from 1981 to 1995 and I used...I lived in Buffalo NY from 1981 to 1995 and I used BUF airport many times. It wasn't until I returned this May 2019 and was trying to find a way to describe to my sister where I parked the car that she would pick up later. In looking for something notable I found the memorial to this event. I had never heard of this news story. ** Thank you** for providing the background. What a horrific but mostly unknown incident. Dawn Littletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15648367845792058797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-20967187436730826782018-12-12T11:53:32.642-05:002018-12-12T11:53:32.642-05:00Scott Lash from buffalo. My grandmother, Bernadine...Scott Lash from buffalo. My grandmother, Bernadine Kirchmeyer, always told the story that she was the phone operator on that day and was paging the maintenance man in the building and got no reply after the plane had crashed. I had to look this up today because I'm at the curtiss wright plant in Idaho falls and I told the story and I'm very thankful for this article they did not know the history of curtiss-wright in Buffalo. thank you very much for the article and I would love to know more about this day in our history!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15680293773180108246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-13354339478250197612017-10-19T01:48:58.070-04:002017-10-19T01:48:58.070-04:00My late mother, June Brooker (née Bergan), worked ...My late mother, June Brooker (née Bergan), worked at the Curtiss-Wright plant as a detail draftsman at the time, before she married my father. She was waiting for her sister's husband, Norman Wahl, who also worked at the plant, to give her a ride home when the crash happened. The story as she told it spared no gory details; she described melted blobs of adipose tissue (fat) that had fallen on the floor as the burned bodies were carried away. <br /><br />Fifty-nine years later, in retirement in Falls Church, VA, she heard a sound on the morning of September 11, 2001, after the twin towers had been struck. "Another building has been hit," she said. The Pentagon is about eight miles from where she lived. When she told me later that the Curtiss-Wright crash had also happened on September 11, I must admit I was skeptical, until I looked it up. <br /><br />My mom, with her razor-sharp memory, died on August 9, 2011.verybendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09195596294255791569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-6100835693834370112016-04-29T13:54:30.614-04:002016-04-29T13:54:30.614-04:00My grandfather was a line supervisor at the time, ...My grandfather was a line supervisor at the time, but passed away from mesothelioma in February of 1944. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of his name somewhere.Alan Vervaekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774821550471909456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-48940986088386691562015-01-06T13:06:08.997-05:002015-01-06T13:06:08.997-05:00I read the Courier article and can only say shame ...I read the Courier article and can only say shame on the government for not telling the whole story. One eyewitness said that the plane was coming out of the southwest, which was exactly where Plant 1 was located - Kenmore Ave Tonawanda. The planes were made at Plant 1 and were literally flown out of the parking lot to Plant 2 (at the airport) for final inspection. So #1) The US Gov't had no problem flying thousands of potentially defective P-40's routinely over the Buffalo population and #2) Given #1, the P40 that crashed was one of those "uninspected, potentially defective" planes. The lawsuits nowadays would be enormous and it would have been Curtiss Wright that would've gone down in flames. The public outrage at flying aircraft of questionable quality over the general population would have been the firestorm, had they been made aware. The Courier also did not elaborate on where the plane came from - Wonder why? Can you imagine such a thing today? Workers didn't even wear gloves, safety glasses, ear protection or any visible safety guards in those pictures. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-5420808383279281112014-12-27T10:25:32.533-05:002014-12-27T10:25:32.533-05:00I witnessed the plane going down from my backyard ...I witnessed the plane going down from my backyard on Wyoming Ave. I saw the pilot bail out and ran into our house to alert my family. I was five at the time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-21075895646215022182014-11-26T16:58:31.653-05:002014-11-26T16:58:31.653-05:00No, the memories are not pleasant with this incide...No, the memories are not pleasant with this incident but it was something my mother talked about now and again over the years and not finding anything on the internet about it, decided to bring these peoples names to light. They should not be forgotten. My mother was working on the P-40's that day and watched them carrying the dead and injured out on stretchers. She was close enough to feel the heat of the explosion but was not injured. She is still with us today at 93 also. Bless them both. <br />I'm not familiar with the pin you mentioned. My mother has the brass medal, depicted in the text above, but I have not seen the one as you described. Thank you for sharing your story.Jerry M Malloyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04653949516092546466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-24322966400120245322014-11-20T15:55:38.761-05:002014-11-20T15:55:38.761-05:00Stumbled across your site while researching a pin ...Stumbled across your site while researching a pin my father had in his tool box for many years. He and my mother (Art and Elsie Clark) worked at the Curtiss Wright Plant in Buffalo. He was a machinist, mom was a bookkeeper. Dad had left for the Navy before the accident occurred. Mom was at work, stranded and in shock after the accident. When I showed this site to her she immediately teared up and just murmured "sad memories". The fellow she rode to work with, Paul Chase, was killed and she recalls seeing people engulfed in flames running out of the paint shop. She has no recollection of how she got home after that horrible night. The pin by the way is a shield about 3/4" x 3/4", brass, with wings, containing blue enameled circle with Curtiss Wright, and "Production Award at the bottom. My dad passed away in 1978. Mom is still with us at 95! Many thanks to you Jerry for preserving this event in this way. Dave Clark Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-29236785800953453462013-12-28T13:01:06.942-05:002013-12-28T13:01:06.942-05:00Excellent post Jerry! Thank You, Steve Excellent post Jerry! Thank You, Steve Steven Dawsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-59845146803649776772013-11-08T09:31:53.018-05:002013-11-08T09:31:53.018-05:00Thanks for finally talking about > "Septem...Thanks for finally talking about > "September 11, 1942 - Tragedy At Curtiss-Wright" < Liked it!<br /><br />My website ... <a href="http://flavors.me/fulresicovmainment" rel="nofollow">Ted <br />Clemence</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-49688775309061966442013-11-01T17:06:36.589-04:002013-11-01T17:06:36.589-04:00Jerry your blog post is awesome! I linked to it fr...Jerry your blog post is awesome! I linked to it from my blog post on my website as I write WWII romance, and I had a great uncle who worked at the factory (and survived because he was late to work that day). Thanks for keeping history alive.<br />Peace,<br />Geri Krotow<br />www.gerikrotow.comGeri Krotowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17262327854415700810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-42942621145964854952013-10-15T12:09:11.191-04:002013-10-15T12:09:11.191-04:00My mother spoke of this crash/tragedy which occure...My mother spoke of this crash/tragedy which occured when she was a nursing student at Meyer Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. The students were pulled out of classes/off of clinicals on nursing units to assist with triaging the casualties and providing emergency care. I decided to google the event and found this blog.<br />Never knew the details of the crash but now I do.<br />Thanks for fleshing out the specifics. Arlone Cofield UB SON '72noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-31211496214326713762013-06-09T12:46:20.331-04:002013-06-09T12:46:20.331-04:00Does anyone know if they have a company photo or e...Does anyone know if they have a company photo or employee roster? My dad worked there and I am trying to do research for a family tree which includes work history. I think he worked there in the 40's. His name was Ralph Bennett and lived in Cheektowaga. He passed away in 1969. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I have been to the museum in Niagara Falls, but not very much info on employees. Thanks<br><br>Ralph Bennett(son)<br>ralphbennett49@yahoo.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-45231790222259284332013-03-24T14:25:02.190-04:002013-03-24T14:25:02.190-04:00This story was sent to the BHG via email from Mart...This story was sent to the BHG via email from Martha Baptista who was working the night of the accident:<br><br>It was my last night of work before returning to college. I worked in the credit office handling vacations, sick days, etc. on an addressograph machine. I was the only second shift worker in that office. The night In question my boss and his secretary stayed overtime on a special project. All of a sudden there was a huge bang and my boss ran to the door with his secretary and me following. We all went out the exit nearby and my boss yelled to me to run in and call an ambulance. I had not seen why it was needed but of course did as i was told.<br><br>After calling I went outside again and looked up in the sky like others were and there was the pilot of a P40 sailing slowly down in his parachute with fire completely surrounding his body. (I heard later that he was in the hospital for months until his death).<br><br>Shortly thereafter one of the guards came out of the building crying and yelling to us that the motor of the test plane had landed in the paint factory which was next to our office. That was the big bang that we had heard. Soon there were stretchers exiting with totally charred bodies on them. I think we counted 15 of them. The injured were taken out of another door of the building. We later heard there were 63 of the injured . It was the worst accident in the history of Curtiss Wright.<br><br>There was a guard post outside our office each night and guards were rotated every two hours so I had met many of them. They had planned a farewell for me during our mealtime in the cafeteria. Of course that was cancelled and when I went for a bite to eat much later in the evening many of the guards were there. They were sitting with heads down on their arms on the table, many of them sobbing and all of them grieving. It was such a terrible night. One of my favorite guards ( the one who planned my party) was obviously in shock and was crying "my God, my God, my God" over and over again. I sat down next to him but he didn't even know who I was. All in all my last night was a disaster never to be forgotten. Martha BaptistaJerry M Malloyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04653949516092546466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-1734573401810611852013-01-21T10:37:29.580-05:002013-01-21T10:37:29.580-05:00Over thirty years! Very impressive, for he was the...Over thirty years! Very impressive, for he was there almost from the airport's birth in 1926. Then through some of some of the greatest times in aviation and Buffalo Airport's history. Congratulations to him! <br>Jerry M Malloyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04653949516092546466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-86510464614769458222013-01-19T00:18:48.059-05:002013-01-19T00:18:48.059-05:00My grandfather was Nat Duffy; he was manager at th...My grandfather was Nat Duffy; he was manager at the Buffalo Airport from 1927 to 1960. He was there at the time of this terrible accident and for so many big moments in Buffalo's aviation history. Such a special timeTerry Duffynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-28270006431565044022012-12-27T00:40:56.926-05:002012-12-27T00:40:56.926-05:00A few interesting things: My Grandfather Frank Lab...A few interesting things: My Grandfather Frank Laber, one of the injured, was a painter and in the paint shop at the time of the crash. He was severly burned and carried the scars the rest of his life. He also developed cronic asthma from breathing the flames. He was a German immigrant from Vienna, Austria, and because of security reasons was not allowed to do any work on the aircraft. He was limited to painting buildings etc. As most survivors of horrific events he was very reluctant to talk about it. I only remembering him tell about how the flash burned his eyes and how hard it was to see when he looked directly ahead. It was like his retina was burned and he had to look up, down or side to side to see. He was blind if he looked streight ahead. Thank you so much for this webb site.Jim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08044185153511801924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-90272273419763007272012-12-25T11:45:00.190-05:002012-12-25T11:45:00.190-05:00Now, I became interested in this event when reseac...Now, I became interested in this event when reseaching plane crashes in the WNY/Buffalo region.<br>My father-in-law James E. Herrscher, 4 1/2 at the time of the crash claims to have seen the pilot after he exited the plane. Jim Herrscher was looking east towards the airport while sitting on his porch on Fisher Street and Genesee Street. He was aware of the results because his father, Elmer was working second shift at the Curtiss-Wright plant at that time. His father was unharmed.<br>I curious to know exactly where the pilot landed. Walden Avenue and Union Road is a large area and I'm trying to pinpoint that spot.Paul Friedrichnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-3421205317812290612012-12-23T22:21:51.074-05:002012-12-23T22:21:51.074-05:00Hello All,I am the nephew of Andrew J Fiorella, he...Hello All,<br><br>I am the nephew of Andrew J Fiorella, he was the winner of a medal for heroism in rescuing fellow workers when that flaming plane crashed through the roof of the Curtis Wright Plant on September 11th 1942. I want to give everyone the full story of what happened. I will quote the story from his death notice in the Buffalo News Newspaper from July 25th 1947. <br><br>Mr Fiorella was foreman of the paint shop and had left the building a moment before the plane crashed. Heedless of personal safety, he dashed inside and carried out the injured. <br><br>The plane then exploded; he was severely burned and was rushed to the hospital with the other injured. <br><br>He was awarded the citizenship medal, the highest award of the veterans of foreign wars old 74th post. He was also a past commander of the post and had been a member for 20 years. <br><br>He died on July 25th 1947, six years after the plane crash. He was survived by his wife Jenny, two sons, Jesse and Sal, A sister, Rose Magervo, and five brothers, Frank, Salvatore, Joseph, Anthony, and Nicholas Fiorella. <br><br>-Salvatore Fiorella, his nephew. Buffalo NY.<br><br>Here is my number if you would like to get in contact with me.<br>716 837 1599<br>Sam Fiorellanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9035576220169986933.post-32283698100012479332012-03-26T11:11:05.410-04:002012-03-26T11:11:05.410-04:00Currently, the NFTA website says that parking in t...Currently, the NFTA website says that parking in this area is free for 2 hours or less. Another website that would be useful is Erie Counties Aerial photo's from 1951. This link below is very useful when compared to the ACME Mapper photo above.<br><br>http://www.erie.gov/aerials/1951/photos/51_3H65.jpg<br><br>DanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com