USAF jet crash near Rivenhall, 1959

[XV490]

A personal account of life in the Polish resettlement camp at the former Rivenhall airfield in Essex mentions that a USAF jet crashed nearby in 1959.

Can anyone suggest its identity or provide more details, please?

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by XV490

A personal account of life in the Polish resettlement camp at the former Rivenhall airfield in Essex mentions that a USAF jet crashed nearby in 1959.

Can anyone suggest its identity or provide more details, please?

None of the usual sources list anything that fits for 1959.

[XV490]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

None of the usual sources list anything that fits for 1959.

Thank you very much for checking, Dave.

[capngrog]

I spent an hour or so looking at all the usual sources, but came up with nothing on your USAF Rivenhall crash. It was not time wasted, however, because I became aware of several crashes that were new to me.

Cheers,
Grog

[capngrog]

While I was looking around the Rivenhall area on Google Earth, I noticed what appeared to be the "ghost" remains of runways in what are now farm fields, about 5.5 miles ENE of Rivenhall. If you look in that area, you'll see the ghost image of runways/taxiways laid out in the common "triangle" shape of airfields of World War Two. A little more searching revealed that this was the site of RAF Birch which was used by both the RAF and the USAAF during WWII. If you look at the NE corner of the "triangle", you'll see the remains of two circular hardstand areas; otherwise, it appears that the balance of the airfield has been returned to agricultural use.

Here's a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Birch

At any rate, the runways were likely still in evidence in 1959, and might have made a likely spot for an emergency landing. Of course, this is all conjecture on my part.

Good luck with your research.

Cheers,
Grog

[Quemerford]

Date was 7 August 1958; it was F-100D 55-3677 of 55th TFS; location described as, "perimeter of abandoned Rivenhall Airdrome, Silver End, Essex. 1Lt Robert R Horness. During practice instrument training, the aircraft experienced heavy vibration and whilst carrying out an emergency letdown to base, a muffled explosion occurred along with a ball of flame in front of the aircraft. The pilot ejected OK.

[XV490]

Bravo, Quemerford. I had tried searching the years before 1959, to no avail.

[Cuillin Hills]

55th TFS - is that a Weathersfield-based squadron?

[Quemerford]

Originally Posted by Cuillin Hills

55th TFS - is that a Wethersfield-based squadron?

Yes it is.

[jimjim1]

Originally Posted by Quemerford

I transcribed the newspaper article -

Possibly from:-

Publication:The Journal Times
Location:Racine, Wisconsin
Issue Date:Friday, August 8, 1958


"Lt. Horness Is Safe In Jump From aircraft

Wethersfield. England
First Lt. Robert R. Horness of Sheboygan Wis. parachuted from a burning plane today and landed with only minor injuries.

The plane a F100D Super Saber jet fighter was on a training flight when it caught fire. Horness ejected from the flaming ship and landed at nearby Rivenhall Airfield. The plane crashed and exploded causing minor damage to a storage building.

Today marked the second time within three months that Horness has had to parachute from an F100D Super Saber.

On May 22 he parachuted safely onto the ninth tee of the golf course at Alconbury, England. His plane crashed into a wheat field.
Lt Horness a Central high School graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Christ Horness, 1229 St. Clair Ave."

2 x UNCERTAIN - Alconbury - Christ

[jimjim1]

Family seem to have lead an exciting life!

Surely this cannot be the same person? Flying a Super Saber at the age of 18?
However here is what I found, it is the same name and address as the crash report.

Google's cache of https://newspaperarchive.com/sheboyg...t-17-1958-p-8/

Sheboygan Press Newspaper Archives, Oct 17, 1958, p. 8
"He is Richard Horness. 18, of 1229 St. Clair Ave."

Youth Fined For Mishap With Shotgun The hunting license of an 18- vear-old Sheboygan youth was revoked and he was fined a total of S26 when the lad admitted 'ailing to take the proper pro- cedure following a hunting acci- dent Oct. 1, the opening day of :he duck hunting season. He is Richard Horness. 18, of 1229 St. Clair Ave. He was charged with failing to obtain treatment for the injured per- son; with not giving his name ind address; and with not re- sorting the mishap to the Sheriff's Dept., and the Wiscon- in Conservation Commission. Injured in the accident at the Sheboygan County Marsh was .Villiam Loeffler Jr., 522 Park Horness admitted in Sheboy- gan County Municipal Court to- day that he was guilty of all the charges except that he did give his name to Loeffler. He told udge Clarence F. Whiffen that .oeffler, who was hit in the face vith several shotgun pellets, ontinued to hunt for about ours after the mishap and that t was very foggy at the time. Judge Whiffen revoked Hor- css' license and ordered that one be issued to him until Sept. 5, 1959. The judge explained he et the date in mid-September o Horness would not be depriv- d of the opening days in the 959 hunting season.

###

Maybe this one was the pilot?
Ralph R Horness

June 23, 1960
The Sheboygan Press from Sheboygan, Wisconsin · Page 13
Ralph R. Horness, 26, of 1229 St. Clair Ave., suffered scalp and neck cuts

Young Man Is Injured In Crash A Sheboygan man was injured early today when his car left Highway 42 just north of Erd-man and struck a tree. Ralph R. Horness, 26, of 1229 St. Clair Ave., suffered scalp and neck cuts and bruises to both legs and knees. -.He was taken to Memorial Hospital by Tony's Sheboygan Ambulance Service. Investigating officers .quoted Horness as saying he fell asleep at the wheel. The car traveled 418 feet in the ditch before striking the tree, officers said.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by jimjim1

Surely this cannot be the same person? Flying a Super Saber at the age of 18?

Clearly not.

According to this obituary, Robert Horness was married in 1954, another reason why he couldn't have been 18 in 1958.