5th Bombardment Squadron Memorial Way (Queens)
Present name:None
Location:At the intersection of Hillside Avenue and 239th Street
Honoree:  The 5th Bombardment Squadron was based in Mitchel Field on Long Island. In the early morning of June 17, 1940, two Army B-18 bombers took off from Mitchel Field on for training drills. At 8:49 a.m., while the planes were flying at approximately 2,500 feet, the two Army B-18s locked wings, burst into flames and crashed into the residential community of Bellerose, Queens below. Local residents, many of whom were women, desperately tried to save the victims of the plane crash before the fire department and emergency medical staff arrived. Neighbors used garden hoses, a fire extinguisher and blankets to treat burn victims and put out fires. Three fire trucks, two engines and a rescue squad responded to the crash. Ultimately, the efforts of the community and the first responders were not enough to overcome the impact of the crash and the flames from the burning aviation fuel. All eleven Army Airmen were killed as was Mrs. Emily Kraft, who died the next day from burns received after her home was set ablaze by one of the planes. (Grodenchik)
LL:2021/14