The "Katy-Did" Crash - Danville, AL
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member hummerstation
N 34° 19.467 W 087° 00.080
16S E 499877 N 3798131
The "Katy-Did" was a B-26C Martin Marauder that crashed near the marker on April 9, 1944.
Waymark Code: WMNAAH
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 01/30/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member muddawber
Views: 5

The "Katy-Did" Crash historical marker is an Alabama Tourism Department metal marker with the Alabama Great Seal at the top. It is located near mile marker 19 on AL Hwy 157. The marker was placed by the Alabama Tourism Department.
Marker Name: The "Katy-Did" Crash

Marker Type: Rural Roadside

Addtional Information::
Marker Text: Eight U.S. Army Air Corps officers and enlisted men were killed one-fourth mile east of here near the Roundtop Community on Sunday, April 9, 1944, at 2:20 p.m. when their B-26C Martin Marauder bomber, nicknamed the “Katy-Did”, crashed nose-down, at full throttle, and exploded. The warplane was on a official flight from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia to Memphis, Tennessee when it encountered a severe thunderstorm. Witnesses reported that the plane reappeared from the heavy storm clouds upside down before crashing. The victims were: Col. Lucius B. Manning, base commander, Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Georgia; Capt. Howard L. Hardy, pilot, La Harpe, Kansas; Capt. Arthur J. Gratis, co-pilot, Seattle, Washington; Sgt. John W. Haney, engineer, Buffalo, New York; Pvt. Matthew J. Georghegan, mechanic, Bronx, New York; Pvt. John H. Bailey, radio man, Trenton, New Jersey; Sg. James R. smith, St. Maire, Idaho; 1st Lt. Hugh Williams, Jr., Megehee, Arkansas.


Date Dedicated / Placed: 2014

Marker Number: None

Visit Instructions:
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