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From Fletcher Hank's, "WHEN AND HOW THE CNAC CRASHES HAPPENED ON THE HUMP AND ITS ENVIRONS DURING WWII" (hand-dated 5/4/02) Ridge Hammell, 05/09/45, C-47 #94 Both pilots, Hammell and C.C. Feng were killed. Ridge had survived the epic walk out from the Joe Rosbert crash. He often flew without complete crew. On this trip from Dinjan he only had a co-pilot. After leaving Dinjan, he put the plane in climb and on automatic pilot. In order to change the radio frequency, he went back to the radio operator's station. While there, the right engine lost power, which caused the plane to spin in that direction. The spinning aircraft caused so much centrifugal force that Ridge could not get back to the cockpit. The plane crashed and burned. When the search party reached the plane, the right mixture control was in cut-off position. The co-pilot was in his seat and Ridge was at the radio station. Source: Don McBride's log. See booksetc01.htm for details about this and other related books. 
January 11, 2006 Ridge is actually buried in Harley cemetary in Camden NJ; I have a copy of an obit from the local phila paper dated Thursday June 3, 1948 indicating a re-interment, I guess there was a number of deceased service men who were returned here later in the 1940's. Source: Bill McGlinn the great-nephew of Ridge Hammell.  or would like to be added to the CNAC e-mail distribution list, please let the CNAC Web Editor, Tom Moore, know. Thanks! |