Gerald served as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He had recently been approved & appointed as a P~47 Pilot.
He resided in Frederick County, Maryland prior to the war.
Gerald died in the "Line Of Duty" on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652, on which he was a passenger, when it crashed in Nebraska during the war.
The C-47A was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard side.
It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
Service # O-774183
Son of Albert J.H. Keller (1889–1948) & Carrie Virginia Moser Keller (1889–1973).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652 :
Flight Crew :
Bohle, Robert K. ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, IL
Hutslar, Orson H. ~ Sgt, Engineer, OH
Meadows, Stanley J. ~ Capt, Pilot, IA
Passengers :
Hemphill, Lloyd C. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, MO
Jolley, Clayton R. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Jolley, Leonard C. ~ ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Roberts, Leslie B. ~ Capt, Flight Surgeon, NY
Recently commissioned P-47 pilots: :
Acree, William F. ~ 2nd Lt, OK
Albert, John F. ~ F/O, IL
Armstrong, William C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Arnett, Millard F., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, WV
Blakeslee, Herbert A. ~ 2nd Lt, NE
Boeckmann, George E. ~ 2nd Lt, NC
Brown, Jack L. ~ 2nd Lt, OR
Brown, Richard E. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Burke, James C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, MA
Clarkson, Donald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Johnson, Arthur L. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Keller, Gerald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MD
Lytle, Jack E. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Nesbitt, Robert E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
O'Malley, Bernard W. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
Paladino, Anthony J. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Patterson, Bruce S. ~ 2nd Lt, OH
Pope, Lelan A. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Porter, Charles V. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Roberts, Pat N., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Sehorn, Lavon ~ 2nd Lt, OR
( Bio, Crew Report & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Below Report supplied by Tim Cook)
At 20:25 hours on the evening of August 3, 1944, C-47A Skytrain #42-23652 encountered a small but intense electrical storm during a personnel ferrying flight between Bruning, Nebraska and Pierre, South Dakota.
The transport was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard. It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
All twenty eight Army Air Forces personnel aboard were killed. The three-man crew: the pilot, co-pilot and crew chief; a flight surgeon and 24 rated P-47 pilots, headed to Pierre for advanced training, perished.
The crash was likely the deadliest single military airplane loss in the United States to occur during World War II.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He resided in Frederick County, Maryland prior to the war.
Gerald died in the "Line Of Duty" on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652, on which he was a passenger, when it crashed in Nebraska during the war.
The C-47A was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard side.
It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
Service # O-774183
Son of Albert J.H. Keller (1889–1948) & Carrie Virginia Moser Keller (1889–1973).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652 :
Flight Crew :
Bohle, Robert K. ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, IL
Hutslar, Orson H. ~ Sgt, Engineer, OH
Meadows, Stanley J. ~ Capt, Pilot, IA
Passengers :
Hemphill, Lloyd C. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, MO
Jolley, Clayton R. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Jolley, Leonard C. ~ ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Roberts, Leslie B. ~ Capt, Flight Surgeon, NY
Recently commissioned P-47 pilots: :
Acree, William F. ~ 2nd Lt, OK
Albert, John F. ~ F/O, IL
Armstrong, William C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Arnett, Millard F., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, WV
Blakeslee, Herbert A. ~ 2nd Lt, NE
Boeckmann, George E. ~ 2nd Lt, NC
Brown, Jack L. ~ 2nd Lt, OR
Brown, Richard E. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Burke, James C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, MA
Clarkson, Donald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Johnson, Arthur L. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Keller, Gerald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MD
Lytle, Jack E. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Nesbitt, Robert E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
O'Malley, Bernard W. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
Paladino, Anthony J. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Patterson, Bruce S. ~ 2nd Lt, OH
Pope, Lelan A. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Porter, Charles V. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Roberts, Pat N., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Sehorn, Lavon ~ 2nd Lt, OR
( Bio, Crew Report & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Below Report supplied by Tim Cook)
At 20:25 hours on the evening of August 3, 1944, C-47A Skytrain #42-23652 encountered a small but intense electrical storm during a personnel ferrying flight between Bruning, Nebraska and Pierre, South Dakota.
The transport was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard. It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
All twenty eight Army Air Forces personnel aboard were killed. The three-man crew: the pilot, co-pilot and crew chief; a flight surgeon and 24 rated P-47 pilots, headed to Pierre for advanced training, perished.
The crash was likely the deadliest single military airplane loss in the United States to occur during World War II.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Gerald served as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He had recently been approved & appointed as a P~47 Pilot.
He resided in Frederick County, Maryland prior to the war.
Gerald died in the "Line Of Duty" on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652, on which he was a passenger, when it crashed in Nebraska during the war.
The C-47A was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard side.
It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
Service # O-774183
Son of Albert J.H. Keller (1889–1948) & Carrie Virginia Moser Keller (1889–1973).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652 :
Flight Crew :
Bohle, Robert K. ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, IL
Hutslar, Orson H. ~ Sgt, Engineer, OH
Meadows, Stanley J. ~ Capt, Pilot, IA
Passengers :
Hemphill, Lloyd C. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, MO
Jolley, Clayton R. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Jolley, Leonard C. ~ ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Roberts, Leslie B. ~ Capt, Flight Surgeon, NY
Recently commissioned P-47 pilots: :
Acree, William F. ~ 2nd Lt, OK
Albert, John F. ~ F/O, IL
Armstrong, William C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Arnett, Millard F., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, WV
Blakeslee, Herbert A. ~ 2nd Lt, NE
Boeckmann, George E. ~ 2nd Lt, NC
Brown, Jack L. ~ 2nd Lt, OR
Brown, Richard E. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Burke, James C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, MA
Clarkson, Donald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Johnson, Arthur L. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Keller, Gerald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MD
Lytle, Jack E. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Nesbitt, Robert E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
O'Malley, Bernard W. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
Paladino, Anthony J. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Patterson, Bruce S. ~ 2nd Lt, OH
Pope, Lelan A. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Porter, Charles V. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Roberts, Pat N., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Sehorn, Lavon ~ 2nd Lt, OR
( Bio, Crew Report & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Below Report supplied by Tim Cook)
At 20:25 hours on the evening of August 3, 1944, C-47A Skytrain #42-23652 encountered a small but intense electrical storm during a personnel ferrying flight between Bruning, Nebraska and Pierre, South Dakota.
The transport was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard. It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
All twenty eight Army Air Forces personnel aboard were killed. The three-man crew: the pilot, co-pilot and crew chief; a flight surgeon and 24 rated P-47 pilots, headed to Pierre for advanced training, perished.
The crash was likely the deadliest single military airplane loss in the United States to occur during World War II.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He resided in Frederick County, Maryland prior to the war.
Gerald died in the "Line Of Duty" on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652, on which he was a passenger, when it crashed in Nebraska during the war.
The C-47A was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard side.
It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
Service # O-774183
Son of Albert J.H. Keller (1889–1948) & Carrie Virginia Moser Keller (1889–1973).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on C-47A Skytrain ~ #42-23652 :
Flight Crew :
Bohle, Robert K. ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, IL
Hutslar, Orson H. ~ Sgt, Engineer, OH
Meadows, Stanley J. ~ Capt, Pilot, IA
Passengers :
Hemphill, Lloyd C. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, MO
Jolley, Clayton R. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Jolley, Leonard C. ~ ~ 1st Lt, Pilot Instructor, CA ~ ( Twins )
Roberts, Leslie B. ~ Capt, Flight Surgeon, NY
Recently commissioned P-47 pilots: :
Acree, William F. ~ 2nd Lt, OK
Albert, John F. ~ F/O, IL
Armstrong, William C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Arnett, Millard F., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, WV
Blakeslee, Herbert A. ~ 2nd Lt, NE
Boeckmann, George E. ~ 2nd Lt, NC
Brown, Jack L. ~ 2nd Lt, OR
Brown, Richard E. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Burke, James C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, MA
Clarkson, Donald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MO
Johnson, Arthur L. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Keller, Gerald C. ~ 2nd Lt, MD
Lytle, Jack E. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Nesbitt, Robert E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
O'Malley, Bernard W. ~ 2nd Lt, AR
Paladino, Anthony J. ~ 2nd Lt, CA
Patterson, Bruce S. ~ 2nd Lt, OH
Pope, Lelan A. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Porter, Charles V. ~ 2nd Lt, TX
Roberts, Pat N., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, IL
Sehorn, Lavon ~ 2nd Lt, OR
( Bio, Crew Report & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Below Report supplied by Tim Cook)
At 20:25 hours on the evening of August 3, 1944, C-47A Skytrain #42-23652 encountered a small but intense electrical storm during a personnel ferrying flight between Bruning, Nebraska and Pierre, South Dakota.
The transport was struck by lightning, knocking off a motor and a wingtip from the aircraft's starboard. It crashed, seven miles southwest of Naper, near the Niobrara River in rural Boyd County, Nebraska.
All twenty eight Army Air Forces personnel aboard were killed. The three-man crew: the pilot, co-pilot and crew chief; a flight surgeon and 24 rated P-47 pilots, headed to Pierre for advanced training, perished.
The crash was likely the deadliest single military airplane loss in the United States to occur during World War II.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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