"The hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen."
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Flight Sergeant
Killed in The Freckleton Disaster
UPDATE, 6th, August 2013 - I have just heard from a relative of Mr. Kinney's, Barbara, who wanted to make certain that the following additional information was added to his page: Gordon is buried in the Tipton Memorial
Cemetery, Tipton, Oklahoma and that he was never married, nor did he leave any children. Thank You, Barbara, for this information!
Sergeant Gordon W. Kinney was Flight Engineer aboard the "Classy Chassis II", a U.S. B-24 Liberator in England for training purposes, when it crashed on 23, August 1944, in severe thunderstorms. The aircraft crashed into the center of the small village of Freckleton, destroying three homes, a cafe for military members, and the majority of the Freckleton Holy Trinity School; in all, 61 individuals were killed, 38 of these deaths being children and toddlers.
What was to become known as the Freckleton Disaster began when the two U.S. bombers already in air were called back to ground, due to weather warnings. However, by the time that the orders to return to ground had been issued, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool, winds had reached 60 mph and water spouts were being reported in the Ribble Estuary.
The pilot of the Classy Chassis II, 1st Lieutenant Robert A. Bloemendal, advised control that he was unhappy with landing prospects and that he would be 'coming round again'. Within minutes, the aircraft crashed.
There have always been conflicting reports that the craft was struck by lightning; this seems to have never been verified or completely denied. What is known is that Lieutenant Bloemendal, Sergeant Kinney and co-pilot Sergeant Jimmie Parr, were killed immediately when the aircraft - its' wings appearing to be almost vertical in air, according to witnesses - scrubbed the treetops, clipped the edge of a building and then lost one of its' wings, which rocketed along the ground and into foliage.
The 25 ton aircraft's fuselage then tore through three homes and the "Sad Sack" Cafe, causing many of the ground casualties; the fuselage continued across the road and into the Holy Trinity School, its' fuel erupting a sea of flames as it engulfed what was known as the Infants' Wing.
The crew of the Classy Chassis II have remained surprisingly elusive, considering how deeply Freckleton remains affected by the tragedy to this day; I have tried and tried to track down information on the three gentlemen, and have finally decided to put my own pages up on this site, using public domain information and photographs. These men were as much victims as the other 58 individuals who died that day, and they should be remembered - should anyone know anything whatsoever about Sergeant Kinney or his fellow military members, I would greatly, greatly appreciate being contacted!
Victims of this tragedy are listed on the Freckleton Disaster web page, as well as additional photos and information being available there...I do not have solid information on Sergeant Kinney's final resting place, or if he is considered to have been part of the mass burial for the Freckleton Disaster - the reason that I am confused about this is that I have been told that a couple of the U.S. soldiers to die when the Sad Sack Cafe was demolished were, in fact, eventually identified and their remains returned to the United States.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They may or may not sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead." ~Robert G. Ingersoll
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Flight Sergeant
Killed in The Freckleton Disaster
UPDATE, 6th, August 2013 - I have just heard from a relative of Mr. Kinney's, Barbara, who wanted to make certain that the following additional information was added to his page: Gordon is buried in the Tipton Memorial
Cemetery, Tipton, Oklahoma and that he was never married, nor did he leave any children. Thank You, Barbara, for this information!
Sergeant Gordon W. Kinney was Flight Engineer aboard the "Classy Chassis II", a U.S. B-24 Liberator in England for training purposes, when it crashed on 23, August 1944, in severe thunderstorms. The aircraft crashed into the center of the small village of Freckleton, destroying three homes, a cafe for military members, and the majority of the Freckleton Holy Trinity School; in all, 61 individuals were killed, 38 of these deaths being children and toddlers.
What was to become known as the Freckleton Disaster began when the two U.S. bombers already in air were called back to ground, due to weather warnings. However, by the time that the orders to return to ground had been issued, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool, winds had reached 60 mph and water spouts were being reported in the Ribble Estuary.
The pilot of the Classy Chassis II, 1st Lieutenant Robert A. Bloemendal, advised control that he was unhappy with landing prospects and that he would be 'coming round again'. Within minutes, the aircraft crashed.
There have always been conflicting reports that the craft was struck by lightning; this seems to have never been verified or completely denied. What is known is that Lieutenant Bloemendal, Sergeant Kinney and co-pilot Sergeant Jimmie Parr, were killed immediately when the aircraft - its' wings appearing to be almost vertical in air, according to witnesses - scrubbed the treetops, clipped the edge of a building and then lost one of its' wings, which rocketed along the ground and into foliage.
The 25 ton aircraft's fuselage then tore through three homes and the "Sad Sack" Cafe, causing many of the ground casualties; the fuselage continued across the road and into the Holy Trinity School, its' fuel erupting a sea of flames as it engulfed what was known as the Infants' Wing.
The crew of the Classy Chassis II have remained surprisingly elusive, considering how deeply Freckleton remains affected by the tragedy to this day; I have tried and tried to track down information on the three gentlemen, and have finally decided to put my own pages up on this site, using public domain information and photographs. These men were as much victims as the other 58 individuals who died that day, and they should be remembered - should anyone know anything whatsoever about Sergeant Kinney or his fellow military members, I would greatly, greatly appreciate being contacted!
Victims of this tragedy are listed on the Freckleton Disaster web page, as well as additional photos and information being available there...I do not have solid information on Sergeant Kinney's final resting place, or if he is considered to have been part of the mass burial for the Freckleton Disaster - the reason that I am confused about this is that I have been told that a couple of the U.S. soldiers to die when the Sad Sack Cafe was demolished were, in fact, eventually identified and their remains returned to the United States.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They may or may not sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead." ~Robert G. Ingersoll
"The hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen."
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Flight Sergeant
Killed in The Freckleton Disaster
UPDATE, 6th, August 2013 - I have just heard from a relative of Mr. Kinney's, Barbara, who wanted to make certain that the following additional information was added to his page: Gordon is buried in the Tipton Memorial
Cemetery, Tipton, Oklahoma and that he was never married, nor did he leave any children. Thank You, Barbara, for this information!
Sergeant Gordon W. Kinney was Flight Engineer aboard the "Classy Chassis II", a U.S. B-24 Liberator in England for training purposes, when it crashed on 23, August 1944, in severe thunderstorms. The aircraft crashed into the center of the small village of Freckleton, destroying three homes, a cafe for military members, and the majority of the Freckleton Holy Trinity School; in all, 61 individuals were killed, 38 of these deaths being children and toddlers.
What was to become known as the Freckleton Disaster began when the two U.S. bombers already in air were called back to ground, due to weather warnings. However, by the time that the orders to return to ground had been issued, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool, winds had reached 60 mph and water spouts were being reported in the Ribble Estuary.
The pilot of the Classy Chassis II, 1st Lieutenant Robert A. Bloemendal, advised control that he was unhappy with landing prospects and that he would be 'coming round again'. Within minutes, the aircraft crashed.
There have always been conflicting reports that the craft was struck by lightning; this seems to have never been verified or completely denied. What is known is that Lieutenant Bloemendal, Sergeant Kinney and co-pilot Sergeant Jimmie Parr, were killed immediately when the aircraft - its' wings appearing to be almost vertical in air, according to witnesses - scrubbed the treetops, clipped the edge of a building and then lost one of its' wings, which rocketed along the ground and into foliage.
The 25 ton aircraft's fuselage then tore through three homes and the "Sad Sack" Cafe, causing many of the ground casualties; the fuselage continued across the road and into the Holy Trinity School, its' fuel erupting a sea of flames as it engulfed what was known as the Infants' Wing.
The crew of the Classy Chassis II have remained surprisingly elusive, considering how deeply Freckleton remains affected by the tragedy to this day; I have tried and tried to track down information on the three gentlemen, and have finally decided to put my own pages up on this site, using public domain information and photographs. These men were as much victims as the other 58 individuals who died that day, and they should be remembered - should anyone know anything whatsoever about Sergeant Kinney or his fellow military members, I would greatly, greatly appreciate being contacted!
Victims of this tragedy are listed on the Freckleton Disaster web page, as well as additional photos and information being available there...I do not have solid information on Sergeant Kinney's final resting place, or if he is considered to have been part of the mass burial for the Freckleton Disaster - the reason that I am confused about this is that I have been told that a couple of the U.S. soldiers to die when the Sad Sack Cafe was demolished were, in fact, eventually identified and their remains returned to the United States.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They may or may not sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead." ~Robert G. Ingersoll
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Flight Sergeant
Killed in The Freckleton Disaster
UPDATE, 6th, August 2013 - I have just heard from a relative of Mr. Kinney's, Barbara, who wanted to make certain that the following additional information was added to his page: Gordon is buried in the Tipton Memorial
Cemetery, Tipton, Oklahoma and that he was never married, nor did he leave any children. Thank You, Barbara, for this information!
Sergeant Gordon W. Kinney was Flight Engineer aboard the "Classy Chassis II", a U.S. B-24 Liberator in England for training purposes, when it crashed on 23, August 1944, in severe thunderstorms. The aircraft crashed into the center of the small village of Freckleton, destroying three homes, a cafe for military members, and the majority of the Freckleton Holy Trinity School; in all, 61 individuals were killed, 38 of these deaths being children and toddlers.
What was to become known as the Freckleton Disaster began when the two U.S. bombers already in air were called back to ground, due to weather warnings. However, by the time that the orders to return to ground had been issued, flash flooding was being reported in Blackpool, winds had reached 60 mph and water spouts were being reported in the Ribble Estuary.
The pilot of the Classy Chassis II, 1st Lieutenant Robert A. Bloemendal, advised control that he was unhappy with landing prospects and that he would be 'coming round again'. Within minutes, the aircraft crashed.
There have always been conflicting reports that the craft was struck by lightning; this seems to have never been verified or completely denied. What is known is that Lieutenant Bloemendal, Sergeant Kinney and co-pilot Sergeant Jimmie Parr, were killed immediately when the aircraft - its' wings appearing to be almost vertical in air, according to witnesses - scrubbed the treetops, clipped the edge of a building and then lost one of its' wings, which rocketed along the ground and into foliage.
The 25 ton aircraft's fuselage then tore through three homes and the "Sad Sack" Cafe, causing many of the ground casualties; the fuselage continued across the road and into the Holy Trinity School, its' fuel erupting a sea of flames as it engulfed what was known as the Infants' Wing.
The crew of the Classy Chassis II have remained surprisingly elusive, considering how deeply Freckleton remains affected by the tragedy to this day; I have tried and tried to track down information on the three gentlemen, and have finally decided to put my own pages up on this site, using public domain information and photographs. These men were as much victims as the other 58 individuals who died that day, and they should be remembered - should anyone know anything whatsoever about Sergeant Kinney or his fellow military members, I would greatly, greatly appreciate being contacted!
Victims of this tragedy are listed on the Freckleton Disaster web page, as well as additional photos and information being available there...I do not have solid information on Sergeant Kinney's final resting place, or if he is considered to have been part of the mass burial for the Freckleton Disaster - the reason that I am confused about this is that I have been told that a couple of the U.S. soldiers to die when the Sad Sack Cafe was demolished were, in fact, eventually identified and their remains returned to the United States.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They may or may not sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead." ~Robert G. Ingersoll
