DC-2 Tail Number 31
About 10:15 P.M., Emil Silvan "Scotty" Scott was killed in the crash of
China National Aviation Corporation’s (CNAC’s) last DC-2, #31, shortly
after take-off, about 2 km from the Kunming Airdrome on a flight to
Chungking. This crash was reported in the New York Times, March 16, 1942.
A short paragraph about the accident is in William Leary’s book, The
Dragon’s Wings. Some personal details can be found in Olga Greenlaw’s
book, The Lady and The Tigers. On March 16, 1942, Emil was buried in
the Chinese Cemetery for Military Aviators, 8 km
east of Kunming on the
Kweiyang road. Chaplain Paul Frillmann officiated. Claire Chennault was
in attendance along with Flying Tiger Charlie Bond. Olga S. Greenlaw also
attended. In a letter to Georgi Scott, 17 March 1949, Claire Chennault
said that, "Scotty was buried in a very beautiful spot on a western slope
of a hill overlooking Kunming Lake." All three crew members and ten
passengers died in the crash. Four passengers survived. Tom C. Gentry,
M.D., Chief Surgeon, FAVG, identified Emil’s remains.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
1. Certificate signed by T.C. Gentry, M.D., Chief Surgeon, FAVG, says
"engine trouble".
2. C.L. Sharp to Mr. Bixby in NY - Overloading with contributing factors
were inexperience of the pilots in coping with the overloaded plane and a
soft wet field.
3. Royal Leonard to Dr. and Mrs. H.H. Kung - A bright light at the radio
operator’s seat may have temporarily blinded both pilots.
4. Unnamed source - sabotage.
5. Unnamed source - shot down. Very unlikely.
CREW KILLED
1. Emil Silvan "Scotty" Scott - co-pilot/pilot.
2. William H. Schuler - pilot. Home - 3301 Liberty Avenue, North Bergen,
New Jersey, formally of Weehawken, New Jersey. Married 7 years to Margaret,
who was a teacher in Union City.
3. T. Z. Woo, radio operator.
PASSENGERS KILLED
1. Major General Lancelot Dennys, chief of the British military mission to
China. Mrs. Dennys was in Chungking at the time of the crash.
2. Lieutenant Colonel Frederick L. Kohler of the American military mission.
A native of Oakland, California, Col. Kohler was born in 1918. Son of Mr.
and Mrs. Henry L. Kohler, 1321 Holman Road, Oakland, California.
3. Dr. Fenimore B. Lynch, financial advisor to the Central Bank of China
and long time resident of China. An American who lived in Chungking.
4. Lieutenant Colonel Otto C. George of the United States Military Mission.
Home - Hiawatha, Kansas. Wife and two children were in Oklahoma, City,
Oklahoma.
5. James Percy Russell, a King’s messenger.
6. D. Rocksen, actually I found out that the correct spelling is Robson
NOTE: Click here for additional information about passenger, Lieutenant D. Robson, member of the British Military Mission to China.
7. Mrs. Cecil Lowe (Joyce) and
8. her 5-year-old son (David).
9. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
10. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
SURVIVING PASSENGERS
1. Colonel Harvey Edwards of President Roosevelt’s special mission, headed
by Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stillwell.
2. P. C. Fogarty, former British commissioner for the Shan States of
Northern Burma and recently appointed representative of the Burmese
Government in China.
3. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
4. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
The following photos were taken by William D. Price. Price and Scott shared a Kowloon apartment near the airport.
I think the following four photos of the remains of the burned out DC-2 in a stand of trees is the wreckage of # 31,
your uncle's (Emil Scott) plane. I know he crashed into a stand of tall trees from Olga Greenlaw's book. (from Greg Crouch)
If you would like to share any information about this accident or
would like to be added to the CNAC e-mail distribution list,
please let me, Tom Moore, know.
Thanks!
|
