Topics - Royal Hellenic C-47D Crash
K-10 Chinhae Airfield, Korea
December 26, 1952
 

 
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Most recent update to this page: February 18, 2020

 

Introduction

A C47 transport owned and operated by the Royal Hellenic Air Force (tail number 47-2622) crashed shortly after takeoff on December 26, 1952 4.5 km from Chinhae Airfield at Haengom-ni, South Korea. 

The C-47 lost its port engine just after lifting off from the airfield. The port wing stalled, clipping the top of a pine tree and spinning the plane into a hill, killing the crew (which included one American) and nine American passengers.

[KWE Note: Some of the names of the 14 men on this aircraft have not yet been found by the KWE.  To add information to this page contact Lynnita.]


Fatalities

  • Breitsprecher, SSgt. Roy Frederick
  • Coleman, AB Chauncey Edmond
  • DeGeorge, Airman James
  • George, Flight Bilias (Greek)
  • Graham, Capt. Paul Kirker
  • Hulse, A3C Jackie Lee
  • Izuo, A3C Franklin Narwaki (radio operator)
  • Lillard, SSgt. Gene Edward
  • Panayiotis, Flight Lambrou (Greek)
  • Teodoro, George
  • Vassilios, 2Lt. Katsantonis (Greek)
  • ?
  • ?
  • ?

Biographies of Fatalities

Breitsprecher, SSgt. Roy Frederick

Born June 18, 1927, he is buried in Edgewood, Maryland.  His infant son was Roy F. Breitsprecher Jr. (1950-1951).  The KWE believes that his family included parents Herman Breitsprecher (1887-1962) and Clara Delia Hanenberg Breitsprecher (1900-1995) and siblings Melvin H. Breitsprecher (1921-2012), John Breitsprecher, Hazel G. Anderson, Rex J. Breitsprecher (1923-2010) and Herman Breitsprecher Jr. 

Coleman, AB Chauncey Edmond

Born January 13, 1933, Aviation Electronics Technician 3C Coleman was from Hampton County, Virginia.  He is buried in the Hampton National Cemetery.

DeGeorge, Airman James

Airman DeGeorge was born on May 14, 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland.  He is buried in the Baltimore National Cemetery.

Graham, Capt. Paul Kirker

Captain Graham was born May 19, 1918.  He was from Artesia, New Mexico.

Hulse, A3C Jackie Lee

Born October 11, 1933, he was a son of George D. Hulse (1899-1976) and Goldie A. Campbell Hulse (1902-1986) of Grammer, Indiana.  He had been in Korea for about four months before the crash.  He attended Columbus High School and enlisted in the Air Force in 1951.  He had training at Lackland AFB in Texas.  His siblings were Robert, Freddie, Millard Dale (1930-2004), Edward Eugene, Marjorie "Margie" Hulse Western (1923-2007) and Betty Hulse Davis.

Izuo, A3C Franklin Narwaki (radio operator)

Airman Izuo was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on November 18, 1932.   He was named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt who was elected President of the United States on the same day he was born. He is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Katsantonis, Vasileios A.

Katsantonis was the pilot of this C54.  He was one of 586 personnel that served in the Hellenic Air Force in Korea, and was one of only twelve of them who died in Korea.  There were seven C-47D's from Greece in service in Korea from November of 1950 until May of 1955.

Lillard, SSgt. Gene Edward

Staff Sergeant Lillard was born July 23, 1929, son of Rev. Horace Roy Lillard (1897-1965) and Nixie Young Lillard (1902-1970) of Maryville, Tennessee.  His siblings were Betty Johnston (1924-2013), James D. Lillard (1926-1985, Norma Lynn, Roy Lillard, James Lillard, and Mildred J. Houk.  SSgt. Hillard is buried in Clover Hill Cemetery, Blount County, Tennessee.

Teodoro, George

Teodoro was a press officer with the United Nations Information Department from Manila.

 

 

 
 
 

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