August 2004

US Air Force Pilot returns to meet his local saviour

A United States Air Force Captain who was forced to ditch his B17 Bomber into the sea off Greencastle in 1942 was recently reunited with the girl who saved him and his crew and brought them to safety, when he returned to Greencastle earlier this month.

Over sixty years ago on the night of September 11th 1942, Captain William Curtis Melton USAF lifted off from Gander airport, Newfoundland. His charge was a brand new B17 bomber and his destination was Prestwick in Scotland.

However Captain Melton (known to his pals as Curt) and his crew endured a harrowing flight over the Atlantic and dogged with mechanical failures he was forced to shut down one engine after the other. At around 7 a.m. the third engine caught fire and Curt was forced to ditch the plane in Lough Foyle.

Watching the drama unfold with her mother Nellie, a young Elizabeth Benson took action and rushed to the scene in her 12 foot sailing boat to help the airmen from the stricken plane and fish them to safety. The men were then transferred to a minesweeper, which brought them to the US Air Force base at Fort George.

The captain of the plane returned to Inishowen recently to visit the newly discovered site of the aircraft and Greencastle museum, which houses artifacts from the plane.

Speaking during the visit, the former pilot explained how Elizabeth, helped tow him to safety and away from the wreckage of the plane. "I was in a dinghy by myself. They took my line and they towed me away from the plane. I was the only one of the crew who didn't go in the water."

He said the plane remained afloat for a while because its fuel tanks were empty after a nonstop 12 hour flight. It finally sank to the seabed where it would be discovered in August 2001 by members of the Inishowen Sub-Aqua Club who organised the reunion. The former airman said he was thrilled to meet Elizabeth after all these years and was proud to attend the reception held in their honour.

Although all the eleven members of the crew survived their crash landing into the Foyle six went on to lose their lives in the war and Curt who lives in Georgia, USA is now the only surviving member.

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