RB-36H-25, 51-13721 (Provided by Neville Webb, Mike Webb and Stephen Webb) Introduction - On the 18th March 1953, RB-36H-25 51-13721 off course, and in bad weather, crashed into a ridge high above Nut Cove, Smith Sound, Newfoundland, Canada. All of the twenty-three of the crew, which included Brigadier-General Richard Ellsworth, were killed in the crash. The RB-36 wreck site is reached by driving east from Clarenville to Burgoyne's Cove.
At Burgoyne's Cove a gravel road, to a slate quarry further along the shore of Smith Sound, gives access to the base of the trail at Nut Cove that leads up to the wreck site. The wreck site lies across a 780 feet Above Sea Level (approximately) SouthWest-NorthEast ridge, which is cut through by a short narrow valley or notch. The main impact was along a flight line approximately ninety degrees to the east face of the ridge at 720 feet Above Sea Level (approximately). This particular wreck site is unique because of the size of the aircraft involved, the fact that parts of the aircraft's major structure are still in-situ, together with related aircraft items such as engines and propellers. Para-Rescuers' Story - I have spoken a number of times with one of the Royal Canadian Air Force Para-rescuers, Steve Trent from Trenton, Ontario, now 86 years of age. Steve, a Corporal at that time, recalls how he and Joe Coutourier parachuted at 700 feet from a United States Air Force C47 (just below cloud base).
The C47 took off on this mission from Torbay Airport (St. John's, Newfoundland) and was piloted by Major Rich (United States Air Force). Steve recalls they were in a hurry to jump over a frozen 'pond' (Nut Cove Pond), as the surrounding 'hills' were in cloud, and they"….just wanted to get out of here before they hit something". That evening Steve and Joe set up camp at the base of the west side of the ridge, at the edge of the frozen Nut Cove Pond. The following morning, leaving their jump gear at the campsite, and wearing snowshoes they made their way up the steep side of the main ridge, through the small valley to the tail section of the B36. Steve says they didn't see the front fuselage of the B36 at the west end of the valley.
Steve and Joe emerged from their climb by the Tail unit of the aircraft. Two local woodcutters were already at the site of the impact on the east side of the ridge. Steve recalls a few bodies were lying around; 'flight orders' were on the flight suit of one of the crew, and documents marked 'Top Secret' were lying around. Steve and Joe made a pile of various items and documents lying around. Later that afternoon United States Air Force personnel arrived by helicopter. Steve and Joe were invited by the two woodcutters to spend the night at their small cabin beside the shore, and they made their way down the east ridge.
The following morning Steve and Joe went back to their campsite and collected their parachutes and other gear. Later a Royal Canadian Air Force Canso landed nearby on Smith Sound, Steve and Joe were picked up and flown out. Later at Fort Pepperell, St. John's, both Steve and Joe were awarded the United States Soldier's Medal. This memorial is comprises a pyramidal type base about one meter high, with slate panels around four sides; one panel for each aircraft crew member.
A propeller blade from the B36 is mounted in the vertical position at the top. Originally the memorial had a 'plastic' plaque naming the members of the RB-36H 51-13721 crew and the date of the crash event, March 18th, 1953. Over the years, this memorial had fallen into some disrepair. For the Fiftieth Anniversary (2003) of the crash event, a bronze replaced the former plaque and the slate panels refitted. Steve Trent was present for this ceremony.
