Joseph H. Ballinghoff Jr.
JOSEPH HENDRICKSON BALLINGHOFF JR. was born February 23, 1913 in Wilmington, Delaware to Joseph H. and Anna Ballinghoff. He grew up in Camden, New Jersey, where his family had roots going back to the 1880s. His grandfather, Philip Ballinghoff, a cigarmaker by trade, had come to Camden from Woodbury, New Jersey in late 1887 or early 1888. His parents had married around 1907, and were living at 633 Van Hook Street in Camden at the time the Census was taken in 1910. Joseph Ballinghoff Sr. was then working as a riveter at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard, and the move to Wilmington may have had something to do with a shipyard job there. In any event, the family had returned to Camden shortly after Joseph Jr.’s birth. The Ballinghoffs were living at 428 Jackson Street in 1920, Joseph Sr. having returned to his former trade and his former employ at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation.
By 1930 there were six children in the family, Joseph Jr., Philip, Calvin, Rose Anna, Donald, and Thomas. The family then lived at 1725 South 4th Street in Camden’s Eighth Ward. They later moved to 220 North 10th Street.
Joseph H. Ballinghoff Jr. was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on October 5, 1938 and reported for duty with Engine Company 3 the following day. His abilities were soon recognized, and he was promoted to Captain on April 8, 1948. On January 9, 1950 he was reassigned to the Fire Marshall’s office. On July 1, 1955 he was promoted to District Chief and assigned to the 2nd Platoon of the 2nd Fire District. On February 1, 1961 he was again reassigned, becoming the Administrative District Chief at Fire headquarters. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the department on a disability pension on June 1, 1961.
Joseph Ballinghoff Jr.’s first cousin, Arthur F. Ballinghoff, joined the Fire Department on March 15, 1938. He would serve the City of Camden for 24 years before retiring in 1972.
The 1947 Camden City Directory shows Joseph Ballinghoff and his wife Ann living at 1302 South Merrimac Road in the Fairview section of Camden. They stayed there through the 1960s before moving to Audubon Park, New Jersey.
Joseph Ballinghoff was last a resident of Martin County, Florida. He died there on February 15, 1992.
Private Plane Tears Into S. Camden Street
Camden Courier-Post —
Pilot Injured as Craft Crashes Near Home
A 26-year-old South Camden pilot miraculously escaped with his life Wednesday night when his light monoplane, plunging out of control, tore down power lines and crashed into the street near his home.
Hundreds of terror-stricken persons saw William A. Kreusser, of 873 Fairview st., circling the neighborhood in the vicinity of 9th st. and Congress rd. as he fought to pull the craft from a dive.
Then the plane ripped through a network of wires and crashed into the road in front of 843 Sylvan st. without exploding.
Dug from the wreckage by firemen, Kreusser was rushed to West Jersey Hospital with a brain concussion, several fractured ribs and a punctured right lung. But doctors said today his condition was fair and he would recover.
Flying Five Years
Neither police nor relatives were able to explain what Kreusser, who has been flying for five years and who bought the monoplane three months ago, was doing over his South Camden home at the time.
He had left the Blackwood Airport, where he kept the craft, around 5:15 p. m. The bizarre crash occurred half an hour later. Kruesser, a former marine, is an employe of New York shipyard and lives with his father and mother at the Fairview st. address.
In its dizzy descent, the monoplane sheared off the crossbeam of a utility pole at 9th and Fairview sts. after plowing through a netting of telephone and power lines.
Street Lights Out
Street lights in the vicinity of 8th and 9th sts., between Florence st. and Congress rd., were blacked out for approximately five hours following the crash. Service was finally restored by Public Service at 10:45 p. m.
When it plunged into Sylvan st., the craft flopped over with its wheels in the air, narrowly missing a row of two-story brick homes.
Police roped off the crash area from hundreds of curious onlookers and also roped off the vicinity of the home of Albert Buzine, of 901 Fairview st., over which loose electric wires were dangling. House lights in the neighborhood were affected.
A detail of police and firemen, working under emergency beam lights, tried to turn the plane upright. The covering of its fuselage was torn away, exposing the steel ribs. In their efforts to right the plane, the detail scurried away when the ripped and broken right wing toppled over and hung dejectedly.
The crew dragged the remains of the monoplane to the Kreusser backyard and hoisted the mangled structure over the white picket fence.
Igor Shelpuk, 15, of 907 Fairview st., was in the second floor rear bedroom of his home when, he said, he heard the drone of a plane motor increasing in volume. He said he looked out of the window and saw the craft circling the area. It disappeared from view for a time and then the boy said he looked out again at its approach in time to see the plane “spin dizzily two or three times” and cut away out of sight.
Hears Crash
An instant later Shelpuk heard a crash. The motor was still humming. In a moment, he said, there came a rending crash as the plane hit in Sylvan st. and turned over.
William Vogel, 27, of 931 Woodland ave., Camden, near the Kreusser home, almost completely lost his voice by the shock of learning of his friend’s predicament. Both men are employed by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Vogel in the purchasing department electrician.
Vogel said, in a whisper that could hardly be heard, he was near his home when he saw the plane come by. He said it was flying so low he knew it must be in some kind of trouble. He felt certain, a moment later, when he saw the craft maneuvering for an emergency landing in Ever’s Park. Apparently the pilot changed his mind about landing there when he saw a group of children playing in the park.
Friend Is Stunned
Vogel said he was too stunned to visit the scene of the crash when he heard the plane pancake.
Capt. John Ballinghoff, of Engine Co. 10, said the plane, after shearing off the crossbeam of a utility pole on Fairview st., hopped upward as Kreusser evidently made a desperate attempt to gain altitude, but plummeted in a diagonal dive across the backyard of his home and crashed.
The Kreusser home has a long, grassy plot for a backyard, which is fenced in white pickets and extends back to Sylvan st. The picket fence was not touched.
Police Chief Gustav Koerner arrived from his home to take charge of police forces.
The plane did not catch fire when it crashed to the street, but loosed a flood of gasoline around its battered frame. Firemen sprayed the wreckage with water and washed down the street as a precautionary measure.
Taken to Hospital
Kreusser was taken to the hospital in a station wagon owned by Cyril Hughes, who lives at 8th st. and Woodland ave. Accompanying Hughes was the injured man’s father, William A. Kreusser, 57, and Hoseman John Dugan of Engine Co. 10.
Kreusser senior, also employed by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., as a miscellaneous buyer, said his son was stationed with the U. S. Marines in California during War II. The pilot learned to fly, following his discharge from the service, under the GI Bill.
The father said his son had been flying for five years. He had acquired possession of the monoplane about three months ago and customarily took off on jaunts from the Blackwood Airport, he said.
Registered Pilot
Vogel said Kreusser is a registered pilot in the state with more than 1000 hours flying time qualifying him to pilot any type aircraft.
Neighbors said Kreusser worked for a time as a commercial crop-duster.
The pilot’s mother, Margaret, and a sister, Margaret, were shopping in Philadelphia at the time of the crash. A neighbor stood by to notify them when they arrived home.
The pilot’s sister spent the night at the hospital. She was recently graduated as a nurse from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Philadelphia and is presently employed as a registered nurse at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Neighbors Witness Crash
Jane Skare, 14, of 945 Fairview st., said she heard the plane’s motor, ran out and looked up and saw the craft zoom across Fairview st. at house-top level. It then struck the power lines and crashed moments later.
Mrs. Helen Campbell, of 870 Fairview st., was in the backyard of her home while her daughter, Dolores, 4, was playing in front of the house when the plane came over. She said she saw it circle very low, ran through the house and grabbed her daughters off the porch as she saw a tremendous flash. Then, she said, power lines dropped to the street.
Both Mrs. Mary Mulbrier, of 869 Fairview st., and Mrs. Margaret Devlin, of 836 Sylvan st., whose homes are back to back, said they thought their houses had been struck when the power lines and the pole crossbeam were cut.
Certificates of Commendation
Camden Courier-Post —
CERTIFICATES OF COMMENDATION were presented on Tuesday to three Camden firemen by Deputy Public Safety Director Willard C. Schriver. Fire Chief William Van Pfefferle (next to Schriver) watches as presentation was made to Joseph Ballinghoff, Second Division Chief; Fireman Harrison MacNeir and Captain Albert A. Weller, of Rescue Squad 1. The awards were made for prompt action of the men in searching for occupants presumed to be in a car which plunged into Cooper River on September 26.
Thomas Carr Heads Police, Fire Group
Camden Courier-Post —
Thomas J. Carr Sr. has been reelected president of the Camden Police and Firemen’s Association, it was announced today.
Other officers elected for 1958 are John K. Voll, vice president; Harrison Pike, treasurer; Joseph Gfrorer, financial secretary; Arthur C. Batten, recording secretary; Winfield Leviseur, chairman of the board of managers; Joseph Ballinghoff, John Moore and Howard Brickner, members of the board of managers, and Joseph Dmochowski, Leon Puszczykowski, Ernest Tartaglia and Spencer Smith, sergeants-at-arms.
Appointments include: Gfrorer, flower committee; Leviseur, memorial committee; Pike, Leviseur and Gfrorer, loan committee; George Bowen, auditor; Bruce A. Wallace, solicitor.
Camden Fire Department Service Record
Camden Fire Department service record — Joseph H. Ballinghoff Jr.