'Meltin Pot' draws large crowd to Greencastle
Derry Journal 10th March 2009

Saturday, 7th March, saw the official launch of a new book by Derry author Jack Skoltock. A large crowd gathered at Greencastle Maritime Museum to meet the author and some of the principal players of the book 'The Melting Pot'.

This non fiction manuscript recounts the tale of a US Air Force B17 bomber in September 1942. On that morning, eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Benson and her mother were sailing their little boat on the Lough. Observing the crash landing, the duo rushed to the scene of the stricken plane and helped the crew to safety, until a Royal Navy ship arrived to take them to Derry.

Fast forward fifty-nine years to 2001. Local divers from Inishowen Sub Aqua club led by Seamus Carey, began searching for this plane. After many fruitless dives the wreckage was eventually discovered on 3rd August.

Just like the book, the plane got its name 'The Melting Pot' from a play on Captain Curt Melton's name, and from the fact that the crew were an ethnic mix of many nationalities. Investigations were later to unearth the heroic role Elizabeth Benson had played, and the fact that two of the crew were still living. In 2004 Inishowen Sub Aqua Club held a reception at Greencastle Maritime Museum, reuniting William Curtis Melton and Elizabeth Benson (now Ferguson).

Sadly, on June 13th 2008 The Meltin Pot's last surviving crew member, Curt Melton, passed away. Having met the man, his absence from Saturday's launch could have made it somewhat melancholy. Any chance of this was quickly dismissed by the levity of those present. Ms Elizabeth Benson Ferguson addressed the audience, as did author Jack Skoltock who read an excerpt from the book before signing numerous copies. Sales of the book were described as brisk, with the museum almost selling its entire stock.

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