Richard L. Morris
Rank: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Force
Serial: O-734817
Unit: 528th Bomber Squadron, 380th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Entered service from: New Jersey
Died:
Buried: Central Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biography
Second Lieutenant Richard L. Morris of Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Second Lieutenant Richard L. Morris was born in Pennsylvania in 1916 to John C. and Elizabeth Morris. The family had moved to Haddonfield some time after 1920, and by 1930 had owned the home at 230 Redman Avenue. Besides Richard Morris, there were three sisters, Julia, Elizabeth, and Jane. He was a graduate of Haddonfield High School, where he starred in baseball, basketball, and football. He had married in 1940, and was living in Haddonfield with his wife, Isabelle Monzo Morris, at 12 Euclid Avenue. His wife worked as a schoolteacher in Brooklawn. Both were active in amateur productions of the Haddonfield Plays and Players. He was studying engineering at Drexel Institute in Philadelphia when he enlisted in 1942.
Richard Morris qualified for flight duty. He trained as a bombardier, and saw duty at Maxwell Field, Alabama, and Santa Ana Army Air Base, California, before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on December 12, 1942, at Williams Field, Chandler, Arizona. He subsequently was stationed at Davis–Monthan Field at Tucson, Arizona, before being sent to his last posting, Biggs Field in El Paso, Texas.
Richard Morris was killed during a flight from Biggs Field to Roswell, New Mexico. The bomber he was in crashed at Roswell on February 19, 1943. Seven other men were killed, including Staff Sergeant Robert J. Donaldson, of Sicklerville, Winslow Township; and Second Lieutenant Edward L. Games, of Camden. Richard Morris was survived by his wife, parents, and sisters.
2-12-43A. Roswell, New Mexico. At 0526 MWT, a Consolidated B-24D crashed eight miles northwest of Roswell, New Mexico, killing eight crewmembers. Engineer SSgt Ralph E. King, Onaway, Michigan, was able to parachute to safety and was uninjured. Killed in the crash were: 2Lt. Charles C. Wylie, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pilot; 2Lt. Edward L. Games, Camden, New Jersey, co-pilot; 2Lt. Richard L. Morris, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bombardier; 2Lt. James E. McMullen, East Point, Georgia, navigator; Sgt. George Dickson, Barnsdall, Oklahoma, assistant engineer; SSgt. Robert I. Donaldson, Collingdale, Pennsylvania, radio operator; Sgt. Lesley W. Stinne, Jr., Louisville, Kentucky, assistant radio operator; Sgt. John J. Yauch, Holliday Cave, West Virginia, gunner. Investigators stated, “The mission started out as a four-airplane formation navigation and bombing mission, take-off at 0100… The airplane had entered a spin due to the engines quitting because of severe carburetor ice. When the airplane began spinning to the ground it suffered the catastrophic structural failure and separation of the tail section and the port wing… The airplane had exploded into flames upon impact.
Plane Crashes Kill 2 More From Area
Camden Courier-Post —
So. Jersey Victims Reach Four Over Weekend in Air Mishaps
Army air crashes caused the death of two more South Jersey men while a Navy machinist’s mate saved himself by parachuting into the ocean.
Lieut. Edward L. Games, of Camden, was among eight killed when an Army bomber crashed at Roswell, N. M. Deaths of Lieut. Richard L. Morris, of 230 Redman avenue, Haddonfield, and Staff Sergt. Robert J. Donaldson, Jr., of Sicklerville, in the same crash, were announced Saturday.
Military Funeral For Lieut. Morris
Camden Courier-Post —
Services to Be Held Tomorrow in Haddonfield for Flier Killed in Crash
A military funeral will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow for Lieut. Richard L. Morris, 27, who was killed Friday in a bomber crash at Roswell, N. M., at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Morris, 230 Redman avenue, Haddonfield.
The body of Lieutenant Morris was accompanied here by Lieut. Richard R. Nowall, Jr., of Biggs Field, El Paso, Tex., home base of the plane. Lieutenant Nowall was a close friend of Lieutenant Morris. A military escort from Fort Dix will conduct the rites.
Rev. G. Ernest Thomas, pastor of Haddonfield Methodist Church, of which Lieutenant Morris was a member, also will conduct services. Burial will be in Central Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia.
Lieutenant Morris was one of eight men killed in the crash, the Army announced. Another of the victims was Lieut. Robert J. Donaldson, Jr., 22, of Sicklerville. One aviator parachuted to safety.
Lieutenant Morris was a Haddonfield High School athletic star, playing baseball, basketball and football. He was employed by Public Service and was studying engineering at Drexel Institute in 1942 when he enlisted. He trained at Maxwell Field, Ala., Santa Ana Army Base, Calif., and graduated a bombardier on Dec. 12 at Williams Field, Chadler, Ariz. He served at the Davis-Monthan Field, Tuscon, Ariz., before being sent to Biggs Field.
Three years ago Lieutenant Morris married the former Isabelle C. Monzo, of 13 Euclid avenue, Haddonfield, now a Brooklawn school teacher. They were active in amateur productions of Haddonfield Plays and Players. She went to El Paso to be near him a month ago and returned home for the funeral after learning of the tragedy.
Also surviving are three sisters, Mrs. Howard D. Turner, of 100 Park avenue, Haddonfield; Mrs. Donald D. Beckman, 231 Reading avenue, Barrington; and Miss Jane Morris, who resides with her parents.