Captain Harold V. Bowman

World War II & Korea US Air Force 40th Bomb Squadron 6th Bombardment Wing - Heavy Walker Air Force Base, Roswell, New Mexico Service Number: AO 666128 Born: February 11, 1917 Inducted: Died: May 25, 1955 in crash near Garden City, Texas Buried: Section Q, Plot 479, Golden Gate NC, California Air Medal

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Bell C. Bowman of Lowell, Arkansas (formerly of Yuma).

Golden Gate National Cemetery

Photo contributed by V.A. National Cemetery Staff

Yuma Pioneer May 1955

Local Lady's Nephew Dies in Plane Crash

Captain Harold V. Bowman, pilot of the giant B-36 bomber, which crashed and killed fifteen men in the storm Wednesday night of last week, was a nephew of Mrs. George Hall of south of Yuma. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bell C. Bowman of Route One, Lowell, Arkansas. The family lived in Yuma at one time moving away when Harold was four years old. Mrs. Bowman is a sister of Mrs. Hall.

The huge ten engine plane was on a routine training flight from Walker Air Force Base at Roswell, New Mexico, when it hit the tornado and crashed sixty miles west of San Angelo, Texas. Four of the jet engines were found twenty-five miles from the plane. An eye witness to the crash said the plane was burning as it fell to the ground through a violent rain and hail storm. Two explosions followed the crash, and wreckage was found over an eight acre territory in rugged ranch country. The plane was last heard from at 10:44 p.m., eight minutes before the fatal crash and at this time did not anticipate the approaching storm.

Funeral service was conducted Wednesday at Roswell. He is survived by his wife and daughters ranging in age, eleven years, three years and six weeks; his parents in Arkansas; two sisters, Mrs. W.L. Stim of Denver and Mrs. T.E. Newell of Miami, Florida, and a brother, Edward H. Bowman of Whittier, California. Harold enlisted in the Air Corps during World War II. He was 38 years of age.

Notes:

Crew List:

              6TH BOMBARDMENT WING, HEAVY
            40TH BOMB SQUADRON, HEAVY (SAC)
               Walker Air Force Base 
                Roswell, New Mexico

Flight Order 24-1                       24 May 55

The following named crew members will proceed on or 
about 25 May 55 for the purpose of 50-8 training and will 
return to station on or about 25 May 55.

GRADE,   NAME,                 AFSN,      UNIT, DUTY
*Captain Basinger, L C JR.    AO 754311   40th  AC
 Captain Bowman, Harold V.    AO 666128   40th  P
 Captain Morton, Ernest R.    AO 688975   40th  VO
 Captain Fred, Arthur L.      AO 2064559  40th  N
 Captain Zalonka, Charles C.  AO 733573   40th  CO OBS
 Captain Ensor, Nelson H.     AO 2101885  40th  1 APE
 2 LT    Glover, Richard B.   AO 3024195  40th  2 APE
 T/Sgt   Cannon, Leonard T.   AF 19253266 40th  1 RO
 A/2c    McNeil, Terance M.   AF 13461639 40th  2 RO
 T/Sgt   Messer, David C.     AF 1415959  40th  LUA
 T/Sgt   Davis, Charles J.    AF 13327655 40th  RUA
 A/1c    Davis, Charles L.    AF 25940050 40th  LAR
 A/1c    Coffinger, Ernest Jr.AF 12407448 40th  TG
 A/1c    Kershner, Billy H.   AF 18415900 40th  TG
* Indicates pilot in charge of aircraft.

BY ORDER OF THE COMMANDER
                            s/ William J. Miller

                             William J. Miller MAJOR
                           Squadron Operations Officer 

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