1951 C-124 disappearance

At 1:06 am on March 23rd. 1951, a C-124 Globemaster II of the United States Air Force, bound from Maine to the United Kingdom, sent a routine message to oceanic control in Ireland, providing a revised estimated time of arrival. The plane, with 53 people aboard, never reached its destination. The fate of the plane and men has become one of the enduring mysteries of the United States Air Force.
Air Force Hymn performed by The Singing Sergeants, United States Air Force Band, Washington DC.www.music.af.m...
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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #usairforce #USAAF

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I apologize for the audio issues.

[@darknessesdarknesses2492]

No worries, Mr. History Guy.

[@karlfonner7589]

How about doing one on Ishi the Indian from California? there’s an actual I witness account on KZbin from one of the men who found him. He is talking To a school class it is very interesting

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

NO PROBLEMO, HG!

[@davidvogel6359]

very interesting, the audio was inconsistent but was a very minor problem. important information to be reminded of and shows the demobilization after ww2 and the unorganized command responsibilities after the war. probably not much search and rescue capabilities still consistently in organized use. if the audio is the worst thing I encounter during my day, it is a great day!

[@grahamgreene779]

enjoyable nonetheless.

[@karenunkelhaeuser]

My father, Captain Robert K Kampert was on that plane. Thank you for doing this.

[@EralLuckai-gd2mw]

Condolences

[@wynnmatthews1858]

RIP to your father and his comrades

[@jimm5593]

Condolences. We thank your family for his service and sacrifice.

[@samstroup1238]

my greatgrandpa was on the plane

[@rickgreen2182]

Condolences

[@David-nx2vm]

HG, as a retired Air Force officer, I was touched to hear the U.S. Air Force Hymn at the end when you showed the roll of those lost. In fact, I froze for a moment and recalled all the Air Force memorial services I attended and heard the Hymn performed. It was so appropriate.. Thank you.

[@Kenngo1969]

Condolences on all of your losses, and Thank You for Your Service, Sir. Warm Regards and Best Wishes, @Kenngo1969

[@ARGONUAT]

Yes, very well done.

[@jagtestusa2534]

Do a story of Marine colonel Peter Ortiz please sir

[@aj-2savage896]

Just for fun, Walker Air Force Base was previously known as Roswell Army Airfield. Yes, THAT Roswell.

[@sparky6086]

Using Occam's Razor, obviously the C124 contained flying saucers & little green men.

[@Channelscruf]

🙄

[@kurotsuki7427]

​@@sparky6086XD

[@thebigdog2295]

Then only one conclusion can be reached concerning the disappearance of this plane. It was Aliens! 😁

[@djquinn11]

@@sparky6086: That’s using Giorgio’s Razor.

[@NickRatnieks]

South Ruislip- pronounced Rye-slip was a non-flying air station- it closed in the 1970s and was demolished in 1995. One very important aspect to the base was its hospital and in the 1952 Harrow railway disaster where 112 were killed and countless numbers injured, US medical personnel from the base with their excellent facilities and equipment helped massively in this terrible accident helping to save so many of the injured.

[@ericadams3428]

Yes , the brilliant work of the US personnel there (lookup Abbie Sweetwine, the angel of platform 6) inspired the use of paramedics in Britain.

[@TheTiffanyAching]

I had an English aunt who lived in South Ruislip. I first learned there was a culture of aeroplane spotters (or maybe they were spies!) from a visit to a caged-in observation area in the fence surrounding the airfield in 1969.

[@NickRatnieks]

@@TheTiffanyAching I think you must be thinking of RAF Northolt which is nearby as South Ruislip- as I mentioned was a "non-flying air station".

[@davidkermes376]

@@TheTiffanyAching airplane spotting is a popular hobby in the uk. enthusiasts like to record types of planes and their id numbers at airports. every so often you'll read a report of some poor brit getting arrested in another country for "espionage" for plane spotting.

[@flashgordon6670]

Anoraks.

[@thomasbell7033]

As a budding journalist and aviation writer in the Rio Grande Valley, I was fascinated with a bunch of military aircraft from the '50s rusting at the local airport. One was a C-124, and exploring it was like going through a big tin-sided warehouse. To get to the cockpit you had to climb a built-in ladder in the cargo bay.

[@kaptainkaos1202]

It happens. In the early 80’s I was in a US Navy reconnaissance squadron stationed in Guam. One of our aircraft, an EA-3B, was lost with all hands. There was nothing ever found, no debris, no bodies, nothing. I lost 3 good friends that day. Later another EA-3B was lost with only one survivor, another good friend of mine. The aircraft just blew apart and my buddy found himself still strapped into his seat and had to get out of it to deploy his parachute and raft when he hit the water. Sometimes stuff happens.

[@slypear]

RIP

[@coreydarr8464]

Sometime the some time is the CIA!

[@jamesricker3997]

Sounds like metal fatigue.

[@davidkiracofe644]

I was with the 54th WRS at Anderson AFB when that Whale went missing. If I remember correctly the missing a jet was assigned to VQ 1 and went down with the Sq. Commander on board. Our WC-130’s flew numerous SAR sorties but found no trace.

[@HM2SGT]

Precisely. People have grown so accustomed to things going predictably and things being safe that they never consider that things aren't perfectly safe and the unpredictable happens more often than they think.

[@DKWalser]

My father flew a C-124 into Saigon during the Vietnam War. He was in the Air Force Reserves and these flights were part of his monthly reserve duty. Our parents never told us that our father was flying into a war zone. I first learned about the flights when I found a newspaper account from 1967. At the time the article was written, I was eight-years old. Around that time, the Reserve held an event for the public and I was able to walk through the plane my dad flew. It was huge! I had no idea that the type of plane he flew was unreliable.

[@loyddussaultsr4181]

I worked on C124 aircraft in the late 60s as a flightline aircraft mechanic in the NH ANG. The old girl kept you busy with maintenance but she could still get the job done, although I was happy when we transitioned to the C130

[@davef.2329]

And that was the more mundane, least-stressed version of that engine...

[@6omega2]

62 hull losses for an aircraft that is not generally getting shot at is pretty abysmal as safety records go. In any case, a very strange mystery. Great video, thanks.

[@blueboats7530]

Especially in view of only 448 having been built, so 1-in-7, very poor odds for a non-combatant

[@chrisvandecar4676]

All that really matters is the number of crashes (total loss) per 1,000 hours flown. Then it should be compared to similar aircraft of the same era of design.

[@ray.shoesmith]

Mirage III not much better in RAAF service tbh. Death traps.

[@southpakrules]

Starfighter: Hold my beer

[@neilpatrickhairless]

Not going to lie, look at the damn thing. I'm actually surprised it could gain or maintain altitude lol. Not ole Doug's best and certainly not most attractive work, that's for sure

[@stevenbierlink6695]

Awesome that you honor the memory of those lost at the end. Details like that show a lot about your personality. Thank you!

[@brucemoriarty9964]

I used to live in Maine. My dad helped load that plane. He has now passed away. But what he and other men always thought was one of the onboard heaters caught on fire , because the heaters were made of magnesium. Ring a bell ? Ricky Nelson's DC+3 had the same thing happen. Hair spray caught fire and ignited the magnesium heater. Good job on the history friend. And God Bless those lost souls and their families.🙏🇺🇸

[@None-zc5vg]

'Magnesium heaters' doesn't seem sensible.

[@Iamthestig42069]

@@None-zc5vglightweight. Same logic behind magnesium racecar engines.

[@None-zc5vg]

@@Iamthestig42069 Thanks =👍

[@MichaelDavis-cy4ok]

Could be. Magnesium is notoriously difficult to extinguish once it starts burning. It requires special extinguishers (class D).

[@lancerevell5979]

​@@Iamthestig42069And magnesium aircraft wheels. Brakes get too hot, the wheels catch fire!

[@-jeff-]

Even history covered over by continued secrecy deserves to be remembered.

[@bullettube9863]

The sad fact is that then as now, a large aircraft can disappear over water without a trace. We assume that our military is always knowledgeable about such incidents but the truth is they simply don't know everything and when something like this happens they are at a loss as to the explanation or how to deal with the public.

[@davidcox3076]

Very good point. And at that time there weren't transponders and a network of satellites and radar. It was so much more likely for aircraft and ships to simply disappear.

[@jayreiter268]

You are correct. One incident that comes to mind is a C133 out of Mildenhall in the 1960's. There were 133s going down. It was thought they had electrical problems and could not radio in. The aluminum buss bars were thought to have cracked. They were changed to copper. Before departure the accident aircraft had engine and propeller changes do to vibration. All they found was the nose gear with wheels and tires. Years later I met a pilot at the gate with a 133 sticker on his bag. He told me they later found that improper lubricant was used in the gear box. There were many aircraft lost during the war on Atlantic delivery flights never to be found.

[@AviationHorrors]

@bullettube9863. 100%. Based on my own research of this case and experience with the military, I don't think we can read too much into the way the search was conducted...it seems implausible to me that the loss of nuclear weapons, or serious suspicion of conspiracy or sabotage, would have remained secret all these decades later.

[@jhmcglynn]

Dad was stationed at Altus AFB from about 1954 till January 1962. I recall seeing an occasional C-54 departing and noticing how SLOW it flew. Dad was a boom operator on the KC-97 and later the Kc-135.

[@prbudd60]

I have close to 2,000 hours in the C-124C as a pilot 1965-1967

[@quintonmcqueen1382]

Okay.

[@davef.2329]

How many engine shut-downs/failures?

[@prbudd60]

@@davef.2329 Hahaha Every other flight!!! No not really but several. Over all a great airplane.

[@slypear]

Thank you for for your service! Where were you flying in and out of?

[@davef.2329]

So I've always been told. Sixteen and a half foot diameter props!!?!! No wonder it got the name "Old Shaky." How could you ever balance something like that?@@prbudd60

[@Svensk7119]

The Memorial at the end was very well done. Thank you, The History Guy. It was very classy, sir.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

As I mentioned in another comment, I personally worked on Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in the US Navy and then the US Coast Guard. With that experience, it SOMEWHAT AMAZES ME that aircraft like the C-124, and the C-54 and C-47 earlier during the Berlin Airlift, were able to HAUL all the stuff they hauled while being powered by radial {reciprocating} engines. One of the IMPRESSIVE THINGS about the C-130 Hercules in the 1950s was the improved power-to-weight ratio afforded by turboprops {gas turbine engines driving propellers}.

[@richardroddenberry2079]

My brother-in-law, Who a retired USAF officer, flew C-124s in the mid 50s time frame. He and his Wife are in their mid 90s and are metally active. He has told me about thrilling stories like, loosing an engine just after taking off from islands in the Pacific. I am a retired USAF E8 First Sergeant. I will ask him did hear hear about the disapperance of this C-124.

[@duanecrawford9292]

The ending credits with the names and music was very well done.

[@jonwicker3142]

If I am not mistaken the soviets had a similar incident where a plane carrying a bunch of military and government vip's crashed and burned, effectively wiping out a large portion of the most important people in the country. From then on they changed their protocol to never have more than a predetermined number of certain vip's per flight.

[@danielbeck9191]

I think that was the flight which crashed on take-off because it was overloaded with cargo (from shopping trips) which was not loaded properly to balance the plane. The tail was too heavy, and the airplane pitched upward and "took off too early"-----it did not have time to gain enough speed for proper take-off.

[@MorristheMinor]

Britain also had a similar crash in 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre with a Boeing Chinook which was carrying a large number of senior personnel who were expert in the situation in Northern Ireland.@@danielbeck9191

[@StarFyre]

When I worked as an aircraft mechanic (Avionics, Air Law, Comms, Navs, Radar) then added FAA certification for airframe & powerplants... we had 4 Gulfstream exec aircraft fly into Manchester Airport so that if something untoward happened then they wouldn't lose all the high-ranking executives.

[@Rushmore222]

A brigadier general, a colonel, two lieutenant colonels, two majors, and fifteen captains were lost on that flight. It seems like that would leave a gaping hole in the officer corps of that command. If it happened in battle, we'd be reading about it to this day.

[@jeffmullinix7916]

That is no Medical or small arms flight for sure . To have that many officers it was something big . Like a Nuclear bomb or supplies . The Military will not send that many officers on one single aircraft unless something on the top .

[@caseyholland7860]

Excellent story, I loved a good cold war mystery. The memorial too the men was a good touch. More like this please

[@steveb7433]

Love your KZbin videos. This one just sounds like ytou are recording your voice from the back of the room. Great video by the way. Bravo Zulu from New Zealand!

[@tlspud]

My dad was assigned to the 509th three years after this incident. Information is super compartmentalized in these strategic units. The average airman or technician has no idea what's going on, big picture. I feel bad for those guys who probably never knew what was happening or why.

[@OtherSarah2]

my first NCOIC, in the Barksdale Range unit, had been on Globemasters for more than a decade. He told a tale, once, of a pilot ordering a crew chief to get out and fix something -- midflight. Apparently that order didn't get obeyed... but the planes, in the way he told the story, often had issues arise inflight, sometimes serious ones. I know it gave me chills.

[@uncbadguy]

I cross trained from aircraft maintenance to radar operations in 1977. The best part of that was I not only knew what was going on but knew it before anyone else.

[@AviationHorrors]

​@@OtherSarah2 the C-124 actually had a crawl space that allowed the crew to crawl through the wings to access parts of the engines during flight. Maybe that's what the crew chief was being ordered to do?

[@J.C...]

​​@@OtherSarah2WOOO! BARKSDALE HEARD! 👊👍 I live a couple of miles from BAFB and have for pretty much all my life. You know Barksdale had their own C124 Globemaster event a few years later, in 1959 when one crashed on takeoff with atomic weapons on board. They apparently buried the wreckage and sharpanel and kept it secret for the next 50 years.

[@OtherSarah2]

@@J.C... it's different now, no?

[@johannesbluemink4581]

Such an enduring mystery. I have watched the episode 3 or 4 times, but every time, it becomes even more mysterious.

[@Ammo08]

I remember C-124s (Old Shaky) coming over our school in Memphis coming from the Memphis airport. . The Tennessee Air Guard wing, that I eventually joined, lost a C-124 in 1972. That plane had a long career...The C-124 had a bit part in the old comedy, "Weekend Warriors"...

[@whipandride4781]

One of my college professors and good friend was a pilot on the globe master II during the late 1950s. I got to hear some really neat stories about the old aircraft, about how woefully underpowered it was and the cockpit being 3 stories high off the ground. Rest in peace John C Merrill, TCU RAMA

[@almartin4]

My dad was career AF too. He retired after 26 years of active duty in 1972. (as CMSG) His duty assignments with AFRTS were: 1949-50 Roswell AFB ( I was born in Boston) 1951-54 Loring AFB {kindergarten), (Lived in Presque Isle) 1955-1957 Ramey AFB (1st to 3rd grade) 1958-1961 Offutt AFB (4th to 6th) 1962-1965 Loring AFB (7th to 9th) Kennedy Assassination 1965 -1966 Clark AFB (10th plus) 1967-1968/69 Andrews AFB (11th to 12th) One of the assignments was to Ramey AFB (Puerto Rico) 1956/ 57/ 58, a Strategic Air Command (SAC). At that time he worked as a TV engineer with the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). There were times when B-52s from Loring AFB (Maine) deployed to Ramey AFB on various missions and had some spare time. I think this was before Chrome Dome was actually in full operation. There were also times when B-36s and C-124s rotated through the base. We did have one bad accident that I recall from that time. Our house looked out over the start of the runway and hanger area. One of the B-52s moved to its position at the start of the runway and began to accelerate. We could hear it reach take-of speed and then lift off, followed by a large explosion. The crash happened right over an empty playground and melted the steel swing sets and slides. The crew were all lost and remain in our memories. Regards

[@DuckReach432]

Something is wrong with the audio. Like we're hearing it from a microphone too far from the speaker.

[@JeromeRoberts]

Seconded, Audio is funky like it was recorded with the totally wrong mic..

[@joemungus6063]

Sounds fine to me

[@Batters56]

We’re missing the main mic from 0:46

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@joemungus6063 Yeah, if you turn up your volume.

[@memunns]

RIP

[@deguello66]

509th Special Weapons Bomber Group was the FIRST bomb unit assigned as a nuclear force. That's why they were in the middle of New Mexico where the nuclear bombs were. This story has many of the earmarks of a Soviet assassination. The flares deployed might well have been from a Soviet submarine looking for whatever it could find after such a hit.

[@mongolike513]

And Putin ate your homework! Grow up sport.

[@MicMc539]

@@mongolike513 Same bloke reckons the Moon Landings were faked and Elvis is definitely alive!

[@timmoye5706]

Their service is much appreciated. my condolences to the family. I hope they can learn the truth they deserve.

[@Paladin1873]

The Soviet intercept theory strikes me as being preposterous for a host of reasons, not the least of which is the impossibility of arranging a controlled crash in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the night. An accident is a much more plausible theory. During this same time period my Dad was aboard a C-124 in Alaska. He was a young Air Force B-29 engine mechanic heading home on leave when one of the massive Pratt & Whitney R4360 radial engines caught fire. Dad quickly donned his parachute in anticipation of a bailout over the rugged terrain, but an old master sergeant told him to settle down and let the crew handle it. Sure enough, the pilot was able to smother the flames and they continued on to their destination using the power of the remaining three engines. Dad was always wary of Globemasters after than (not that the B-29 was any safer or reliable). Whatever the cause of their demise, may God grant them eternal peace.

[@davidvogel6359]

smart guy, be ready just incase.

[@kirtliedahl]

I agree having the sun lined up ahead of time would not be possible (or at least plausible) but if one happened to be near the crash…? It would have been a patrol area for them…? Just playing Devil’s Advocate.

[@Paladin1873]

@@davidvogel6359 Always.

[@Paladin1873]

@@kirtliedahl It would still be a million to one shot.

[@kirtliedahl]

I see Siri is as helpful as ever, good heavens. 🤦

[@mwb3984]

Barksdale Air Force Base is and always has been located at Bossier City, Louisiana, in Bossier Parish, on the east side of the Red River. It is not in Shreveport.

[@petuniasevan]

Correct. I have an intimate knowledge of its flightline (ask me why 😜).

[@gort8203]

I don't often cut videos slack for errors, but is this really an error or just an approximation? It's common to describe locations of things like military bases to civilians by reference to the closest large city. Nobody outside Louisiana has ever heard of Bossier City, but they have heard of Shreveport, so this helps them visualize the location. Most people think Andrews AFB is in DC when Camp Springs is actually further from DC than Barksdale is from Shreveport.

[@danielbeck9191]

And FYI, it is pronounced "BO-zher" as in Bossier City and Bossier Parish.

[@jme36053]

Well, being from Hog Nut (Haughton) I can relate.

[@raoulduke6464]

Same difference lol

[@robertwalton7307]

this plane had a collapsable fire pole at the flight deck. One day the pin was pulled to test the two-section escape pole. With no warning, it struck and instantly killed a young airman working below in the head.Poles were then removed from all planes.

[@DeereX748]

As usual, an excellent story. I'd like to point out one slight visual error; at 1:02 into the video, there is an image of a C-123 Provider, a much smaller twin-engine cargo plane that did not enter USAF service until 1956.

[@ande100]

Please fix the audio asap.😢

[@jojo0420]

This. Hard to listen to the voiced over parts.

[@EddyGurge]

it does sound like it was recorded inside a bathroom

[@jbrhel]

Thanks THG. I've never heard of a C-124 and I'm familiar with a LOT of aircraft. Outstanding presentation as always. Another one saved to playlist.

[@jliller]

Dead people don't shoot flares, but what someone thought was a flare may not have been one.

[@johnjephcote7636]

That reminded me of a thrilling tale from my childhood. On Christmas Eve/Wigilia, 1951, the Liberty freighter 'Flying Enterprise' bound from Hamburg to the States ran into exceptional seas in the English Channel. The captain (Carlsson) heroically refused to be taken off when cracks in the hull appeared. Despite the equally heroic attempted tow by the tug 'Turmoil', the general cargo shifted and she sank only 43 miles off Falmouth. It has been suggested that the brave captain had another reason for remaining, as she was carrying, amongst her general cargo, zirconium, possibly intended for the USS Nautilus. A US destroyer had also been nearby while she was braving the early part of the storm. A dive, this century, found, a man-made hole just where the zirconium would have been placed, but no trace of that part of the cargo remains. Other dives have confirmed that the 'Enterprise' did, indeed founder through structural weakness and shifting, poorly-stacked cargo.

[@northerncaptain855]

Regarding Capt. Carlsson remaining with the “Flying Enterprise” until she finally sunk during the tow. It must be taken in the context of rules of Marine Salvage, by staying on board and doing everything possible to save the vessel and cargo,that he was doing his best for his vessels owners which is one of the responsibilities of a ships Master. He’d already done what was possible for his crew by getting them off, which is incredibly difficult.

[@Quenstar]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmqcq4GCnZp4Zrc

[@None-zc5vg]

@@northerncaptain855 The Captain Carlson story appeared weekly on the cinema newsreels of the day that I watched

[@Tauridballistics]

Great video. If you ever get a chance would be cool to see a video on the C-124 crash at Larson AFB in 1952. At the time it was the deadliest aviation disaster.

[@TheWalterKurtz]

In the military, whenever there is an incident, there is a coverup.

[@nomdeguerre7265]

There's usually a cover-up even when there's absolutely nothing to cover up. Everybody's focused on 'CYA' all the time.

[@TheWalterKurtz]

@@nomdeguerre7265 ; No she-hite.

[@reelreeler8778]

Well, the wasp-major engines used on that aircraft were know to be problematic, so that could have been a factor. I don't buy the Russian sub theory, that's a bit far fetched for me. But as usual the government doesn't help with its explanation.....kind of like TWA 800

[@lynnwood7205]

RIP. Prayers for them, their families, their friends

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@tobingallawa3322]

The ocean is a big, unforgiving place. Not an attractive plane

[@ThomasLauersdorf]

Little plane, deep big ocean, go figure.

[@rickhobson3211]

Another interesting episode! Glad I found THG on KZbin. I have to wonder what else they might have had on board... wonder if this was a "broken arrow." Re: the video, I do notice that in some of the segments, the audio sounds different. It has that "talking through a plastic tube" quality some different mics can have... ?

[@JG-mp5nb]

The video at 18:09 candidly demonstrates the oil and fuel throwing characteristic of this Wasp iteration. 14000 rivets flying in formation.

[@aprylrittenhouse4562]

Also I lost a dear friend a marine pfc in a chopper in the artic circle in 1984.. FOR THOSE IN PERIL ON THE SEA❤

[@markpaul-ym5wg]

SPLENDID VIDEO HISTORY GUY.

[@glorybound7599]

As a child I remember going to Birmingham Airport many time to just watch airplanes takeoff and land. I recall several of these airplanes parked on the ramp by hangers of Hayes International that provided maintenance services. Large silver aircraft with radial engines were a, soon to be relic that I was to watch slowly disappear from the ramp as the years past and I grew up.

[@cavscout6b]

BG Cullen had an extensive background of mapping and reconnaissance. In 1944, he was temporarily assigned to the U.S. Mission to Moscow, set-up and operated reconnaissance missions from Ukraine. He was involved with many classified operations during and after WW2. Ironically, he was relieved of command of First Mapping Group at AAF HQ in DC after surviving a 1943 air crash. He suffered a broken back, spent seven months in a cast, followed by a brace, then off to command 7th Photo Group for the 8th AF in November.

[@memunns]

Audio

[@alantoon5708]

Old Shakey was its' nickname. Our local ANG flew them for several years..

[@gordonfarrell6732]

Nice documentary, during the late 50s or early 60s a globe master over eastern quebec or Labrador caught fire and everyone bailed out , after the fire extinguished itself it bellylanded in the tundra . My father was on a flight north with the minister of transport when a call came over the radio by a pilot that discovered the plane .I have never been able to find any information on this incident

[@chrisdraughn5941]

The crew of a transport would not have bailed out, even back in the 1950s they would not have done that.

[@jgrenwod]

@@chrisdraughn5941 Interesting. Why not?

[@cavscout6b]

If it did happen, it wasn't a Globemaster II. Of the 18 Globemaster crashes, only 2 were in Canada. One crash-landed in NW Territories (1957) and totaled the aircraft. One was lost after departing Stephensville, Labrador in 1960, but it crashed into a hillside and there were no survivors.

[@chrisdraughn5941]

@@jgrenwod Because transport aircrew aren’t issued parachutes.

[@jgrenwod]

@@chrisdraughn5941 That’s odd. I was a C-130 air crewman and part if my preflight inspection was to check the 10 parachutes that were part of the required equipment on the plane. All of us were required, annually to show we could don a parachute after putting on an orange neoprene survival suit.

[@anthonyburke5656]

I lost a friend on a C 124, the problem with the aircraft was that it had the glide ratio of a house-brick and without two engines became impossible to fly. This meant if there was a catastrophic engine failure that took out the adjacent engine, the aircraft would auger-in immediately.

[@mattgeorge90]

Another awesome episode. Thank you for sharing!

[@davidrudd9846]

Its a wonder the ufo folks have not latched onto this story because you know Roswell

[@sparky6086]

Using Occam's Razor, obviously the C124 contained flying saucers & little green men.

[@davef.2329]

Don't give them any ideas...

[@caseyholland7860]

I find it more amusing that technical personnel from the 509th were on board. Possibly some of the same individuals who participated in the very real incidents ( maybe a ufo, more likely highly classified tech) in 1947

[@masterskrain2630]

Sounds like the inspiration for Clive Cussler's novel "Vixen 03".

[@ObservingtheObvious]

It does!!! I was thinking that also. Couldn’t remember the title as I read it years ago. Thanks.

[@lister710]

The hymn at the end hits me right in the heart. Thought are with the crew’s family. Having lost a loved one in a C-130 crash I can tell you that there is honesty issues were the USAF was involved. With the incident (my loved one was in) the AF told families one thing. Later the Senate Intelligence investigations showed a completely different story. We were told the crash sight was in deep water that was un accessible. The reality was the crash was sitting in shallow water and interfering with local boat traffic. They claimed that all 14 crew members remains had been recover though not all identified. When in reality only 4 of the 14 we’re ever recovered. The AF did there own investigation of the incident and did not get a second opinion done by another branch or agency. The likelihood that some of the crew made it off the plane still haunts my family. It leave me cold to think they might have even been captured and later died in enemy hands. It is a truly haunting feeling to not get answers. You are not forgotten.

[@gerardleahy6946]

hello from Galway in western Ireland. The canister to which you refer was washed up at a place called Carna, Co. Galway in the extreme west coast of Ireland. The place is about 55 miles west of Galway City and about 180 miles west of Dublin. The canister was handed to the Irish police who supposedly handed it over to the US Embassy and nothing more was heard of it. The note is strange as it was supposedly written by a passenger and how would he know the aircrafts position? If it radioed in 100 mls west of Ireland and all was supposedly going well, it would cast some doubt on the accuracy of the note. My understanding is that the plane was not scheduled to land at Shannon, which was an important refueling stop for civil trans Atlantic flights and Shanwick control controls much of the north Atlantic to this day. If all was well 100 mls off Ireland, it is surprising that it didnt try to reach Shannon if a fire had broken out. A massive search was based at Shannon and involved the USAF and RAF. I am not surprised that more wreckage was not found. About 7 years later a KLM Super Constellation crashed into the Atlantic about 65 mls west of Co. Galway. Little wreckage was found and very little, if any, was washed ashore. I suspect the USAF knows a lot more than published and the Russians probably have serious knowledge of what happened. My belief is that a lot of stuff from the Cold War is still classified and the current proxy war between Russia and NATO will mean any information flows from Russia will be cut off. I feel very sorry for the families of all involved. Closure in such matters is very important. Very interesting video.

[@Ellistrami]

Awesome! The article you are referencing in the Pampa News was written by me. I am still in contact with Walter peterson’s daughter, Marilyn and I still have access to all the the documents I referenced if you are interested in ever following this story up. Thanks for sharing!!

[@Mikell-h2c]

Wow 1.27 million you’ve come a long way!❤

[@HM2SGT]

*I thought this was going to be about the C124 that crashed into Mount Gannett Alaska Nov. 22, 1952. Another fascinating story!*

[@robertbrown9927]

Why were there two Bombadiers on the manifest of the C-124? Barksdale AFB was a SAC Base and kept nuclear weapons there. Very strange story, very strange time. My dad worked for Allen Dulles at Langley. I often asked him questions when I was old enough to understand the world around me. He would often reply, "I don't recall anything about that." My dad died in 2016 and he, like many of the Intelligence community, took secrets to their graves. Perhaps the details of the 1951 C-124 disappearance over the North Atlantic was one of those secrets.

[@michaelgalea5148]

Thank You for the video. I always learn so much you.

[@belialofeden]

The audio is from 1951

[@slypear]

Mean - but so true - lol

[@billdurham8477]

509th they dropped the atom bombs on Japan. Finished it's career at Pease AFB flying F111B, still nuclear armed. Life in the North Atlantic in the water in winter was measured in minutes.

[@michaelplanchunas3693]

A possible bomb reminds me of United Airlines flight 23, victim of a bomb. On the night of 9/30/33, over Chesterton Indiana, the plane exploded and killed all aboard, 3 crew and 4 passengers. It remains today an unsolved crime. The FBI was unable to develop a suspect or even a motive. This event needs to be remembered as the first documented bombing of a passenger airliner.

[@jliller]

Very strange.

[@RandyWilliams-mo3ov]

Hey Lance, better check your microphone batteries. Audio was a bit muddy on this one, but what’s important is your content as always is great!

[@jliller]

If this was a Broken Arrow incident I can see it being kept secret at the time, but why still keep that secret over 70 years later, when the US has admitted to many other such incidents?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

That is a good question.

[@kyleboatright7403]

Occam's razor. Like a ton of other piston powered aircraft, the C-124 went down due to a mechanical failure - engine, prop, heater, cargo fire, whatever. Not much hope of surviving for long in the North Atlantic in March, especially if you didn't get into a raft immediately. And even if you did find a raft quickly, there was always the chance that your raft was never noticed during the search. Big ocean, little raft...

[@johneverson2433]

Reading the names and ranks of the men who perished I was surprised by the number of officers far exceeded the number of enlisted men

[@WyomingTraveler]

I appreciate your tribute at the end of the video to the men who perished on that flight

[@davekisor1486]

In the 1960s, a number of C-124s dumped into the Pacific. It seemed engine bushings wore out too soon. The Army called it the Crashmaster.

[@billbright1755]

There’s a snippet of a movie where John Wayne is a retired oil equipment and well blowout specialist. He arrives via a C-124 Globe Master at an oilfield airstrip with emergency well head equipments. Interesting view of aircraft and clamshell doors operating.

[@RetiredSailor60]

Students take your 💺 Lets prepare for today's history lecture. Pay attention, there may be a pop quiz. 😂

[@powerlunch7794]

What happened to the 1951 missing C-124 "distress notes" and where were they found?

[@jennifergriffiths3941]

The inexplicable & tragic loss of 53 Souls …😢

[@BasicDrumming]

I appreciate you, thank you for making content.

[@MarcoS-yp9qf]

There's a file in Washington that details exactly what happened. You are just not in the 'Big Club'.

[@winstonsmith478]

Please re-record the audio when a mike fails. I expect that from this channel.

[@J.C...]

In 1959, a Globemaster crashed here IN SHREVEPORT, LA after takeoff with atomic weapons on board. They had the area protected by men with automatic rifles and ended up burying the wreckage where it landed. They kept it a secret for over 50 years after that. You can read all about it. Happened in Louisiana in 1959.

[@J.C...]

My first friend ever used to live in Guam and the Azores in the 1980s, when his step-dad fixed KC10's. They eventually got transferred here, to the base next to Shreveport LA that this Globemaster stopped at, called Barksdale AFB, and he lived behind me. He's gone now. Passed away some years ago from a brain bleed from MMA. I hadn't seen him in a long time at that point. A decade or more.

[@joebarnhart2560]

Have 3500 hrs in C124 as navigator. Did move nuclear weapons to places not in the US.

[@ltdees2362]

💖 God bless you brother !! I had close to your hours in a C-130...4 deployments out of Charleston to Vietnam, near 3 years worth...I could write a book 😎

[@yoinkhaha]

With respect, those high value crew members knew what they were signing up for when they shook that clammy alien hand.

[@cpnscarlet]

Great vid and history. More airmen were shot down and taken to Soviet Russia than we could ever know - mostly from recon missions, but this possibility for the C-124 must be considered.

[@brt-jn7kg]

So many American pows were abandoned to Russia and the Soviet Union and China that it is a black mark upon every president since the Russian revolution!!!

[@kidarthur8512]

audio is messed up

[@garyolivier792]

This would make an interesting movie. Thanks for posting these!!

[@anthonygeisler4961]

Everyone complaining about the audio. Calm your tits. Mistakes happen. Its not as simple as going back and re recording it. Lol

[@HM2SGT]

ikr? What a bunch of whiny, demanding, hyper critical perfectionists I'm an able to forgive the smallest, infrequent error. You can tell the folks that didn't grow up with a.m. radio and LPs!

[@Orangefan77]

It's exactly that simple.

[@nozdormu89]

Something is off with the audio

[@tomh6183]

Another intriguing story to tell would be the Kinross Incident on Nov 23rd 1953 over Lake Superior.

[@miltmarhoffer729]

Agreed. Lance, the audio is WAY down

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

🙇🏽‍♂️ normally I could form some sort of comment. But, I don't know what to make of this story? I doubt there's random Russian submarines shooting down cargo planes in 1951? Aircraft having just random explosions? There have been some. 62 crashes is kind of a lot for transport aircraft. The lack of any sort of Mayday or SOS does lead to the conclusion something catastrophic occurred.

[@AviationHorrors]

History Guy, thanks for a balanced treatment of this incident. While the disappearance seems mysterious due to the presence of the Brigadier General and the association with the nuclear unit, the reality is that accidents and even disappearances over the oceans were much more common in the pre-GPS/SATCOM days, particularly given the comparative unreliability of piston engines, greater susceptibility to weather when flying at lower altitudes, etc. Even *if* the reports of the crew evacuating the C-124 and boarding life boats are accurate (and I appreciate that you did additional research and didn't accept this claim at face value), it's entirely plausible that they could have gotten swamped etc. prior to rescue arriving...without need Soviets as an explanation.

[@josephliptak]

It's people like them who died by taking risks whether knowingly or unknowingly that helped make us into the great country we are.

[@a.mathis9454]

1:46 not a C-124(wings mounted low on the fuselage), has high mounted wings like a C-130(entered service in 1956 and still being used(C-130J)).

[@davidvogel6359]

1:02 is a C-123. yes, at 1:46 is an early model C-130.

[@HM2SGT]

The aft fuselage with the acute angle up to the tail enpenege is a dead giveaway

[@Ammo08]

My best guess is that they were carrying atomic bomb components and something went wrong...The so called "demon core" (the pit of an atomic bomb) had already killed two people. The possibility that one or more crewmen took the plane to the USSR is kind of farfetched, but maybe not impossible.

[@65gtotrips]

There’s people in the world who’ve never been on the ocean fishing, or a cruise, or whatever to gain perspective, who have little idea of how utterly humongous the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans really are; Such they can’t understand why debris is never found. Also the sheer depths are almost unimaginable.

[@davidkermes376]

most likely answer is somebody got embarrassed and decided to cover up their foul ups. whether a mistake was made before, during or after the plane went down or during the subsequent search we'll never know because somebody wanted to protect their reputation. now everyone involved is probably dead.

[@MicMc539]

You can always spot the American. Pathologically unable to accept reality.