Linglestown Gazette

LP Historical Society meets Thurs. at St. Thomas Roasters

April 22 -- When the Lower Paxton Historical Society holds it's next meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 26 at the St. Thomas Roasters coffee shop on Linglestown Road in Linglestown, attendees will hear a brief report on the search for the site of the 1953 crash of a B-25 on Blue Mountain that occurred in 1953.

Members Andy Mazich and Jay Purdy made a preliminary exploration for the site on Sunday, April 22 based on reports from two area residents who, as teens, helped to recover the bodies of the three plane occupants.

The B-25 "Mitchell" was a twin-engine medium bomber manufactured in the thousands during World War II.

Any significant pieces of the wreckage were removed by Air Force personnel in the days after the crash. The historical society is hoping to recover small shards of metal to tell exactly where the impact occurred.

That portion of Blue Mountain has changed considerably in the intervening decades due to logging and trees felled by wind-storms.

An extensive undergrowth of thorn bushes slowed the search Sunday. While a couple of terrain features citied as being near the crash were located, no evidence of the exact site was found.

The society hopes to return to the scene in the coming weeks with metal detectors.

Persons attending Thursday's meeting are asked to bring something of historic value they have a story about or about which they have questions that society members could help them get answers to.

There will also be an update of the society's next scheduled event, a picnic and tour Saturday, May 12 at the newly-restored Daniel Lady farmhouse and barn in Gettysburg.

Persons with questions can contact 545-8704 or e-mail janetbdoyle@msn.com or thepurd@comcast.net.

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