Warbird Information Exchange

Hello,
someone sent me below message, which refers to my webpage
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/search116.htm
The photo on that page refers to a B-36 crash 1950 in B.C.
Comments by a Sean O'Brien there seems to refer to a 1953 B-36 crashsite at Random Island
The person who sent me this message is particularly interested in visiting the Goose Bay crashsite and is looking for its exact location, access and if any remains may survive:

quote
My father Col. George T. Chadwell was one of the survivors of the B-36 crash in 1953 near Goosebay, Labrador which you refer to as occurring on Feb 12 of that year. My father had assumed command of the 7th Bomb Wing just weeks before on 3 Jan. 1953 and was the Wing Commander until June 4 1954.

I was only 5 1/2 yrs. old at the time (I actually do remember the days surrounding the crash) & my Dad died on active duty when I was in my teens, so I never discussed the crash w/him more than briefly. It just became a story I passed on to my children about the grandfather they never knew and that it was the reason we always flew separately as a family.

My mother died 5 yrs. ago and yesterday I finally opened the old trunk marked George Chadwell, Army A C. I found over a dozen 8x10 photos marked Restricted, Security Information. My husband, retired now after 28 years in AF, confirmed the wreckage photos are of a B-36 & are most certainly from the accident investigation. I was really excited to see them.

I've just started going online last night. The 7th Bomb Wing site confirms my father's information I mentioned above. The photos I have clearly show, as you mention, that the plane was in 2 pieces. It was eerie seeing your site's ariel view with the years of new trees compared to the ariel view of the crash in 1953. After viewing all the close up photos, it is hard to imagine how anyone survived the impact.

I hope this email reaches someone who can explain further how people get to these crash sites. It had never occurred to me that these planes still were at their crash scenes.

Thank you,
Tina
unquote

ooops,
guess you've figured out the year in the header (1943) was meant to be 1953...
Ruud 'Rudi' Leeuw