Historian Dennis Spragg says he now has evidence the famous band leader wasn't killed by an RAF bomb downing his aircraft. The only reason his disappearance isn't well known today because it happened 76 years ago. This means potentially the remains of an Eighth Air Force Noorduyn C-64 Norseman, serial number 44-70285. Miller was born in Iowa and spent the latter part of his boyhood in Fort Morgan on Colorados Eastern Plains. Anxious to bring his band to troops on the European front, Miller took off from England on December 15, 1944, bound for Paris. The fabric and lightweight Sitka Spruce wood wings and fuselage are long gone. There, he played high school football and honed his skills on the trombone. In order for Millers plane to have been taken down by the flight of Lancaster bombers, time would have had to shift by an hour and the small plane would have had to be 20 degrees off course. When the death of a major celebrity is talked about for ten years with never a single mention of a particular theory, it's more than likely the case that that theory was born after the ten years. The Glenn Miller Orchestra played an important role in World War 2 by keeping up morale with a series of performances across the country. He was 40 years old when a plane flying him from England to France on Dec. 15, 1944, disappeared in what has become one of the lingering mysteries of the war. The icing took three forms: engine icing, carburetor icing and induction ice, Spragg says. Here is a link to my new, comprehensive interview about the Disappearance of Glenn Miller with the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, VA: For further and accurate information about Glenn Miller, you discover the truth in my critically praised and definitive biography Glenn Miller Declassified. this realistically means that what anyone can find is debris. This theory grew out of a tall tale told by one of the Lancaster pilots in a bar in South Africa in 1984, Spragg saysSo why not tell the story in 1944?. I went through all the possibilities and knocked them down or verified them. "The theory that persisted was that a returning Lancaster squadron jettisoned their bomb loads in a specific zone and it was these jettisoned bombs that took Miller's plane out the sky and caused it to crash into the ocean. (Photo: Courtesy University of Colorado Boulder Glenn Miller Archive). TO OUR READERS This article about the death of MAJ Glenn Miller in World War II first ran onMilitaryCorruption.com in 2009. Shaw was looking through a small observation window in the belly of the plane when he saw the bombs of his plane and the others begin to drop over the sea. Such broadcasts, combined with Millers work alongside British actor David Niven, Spragg says, emboldened theorists to assert that Miller had been a spy for the Allies and perhaps assassinated. Miller's disappearance was officially announced to the press on Dec. 24, 1944. Lana Wood, her sister, has openly talked about it. After Glenn's death she moved in with Randy Thompson and collected $153,000 from her husband's death and pension . Neither his body nor the wreckage of the plane was ever found, spawning dozens of elaborate conspiracy theories. Phillip added: He had just been contacted by Steven Miller, Glenns son, commissioning him to do a full investigation to find the real truth about the situation. Initially we didnt have a clue what it meant, but then we saw he put a P on some pages and an OVHD on others, and realised that meant overhead. Soon we may have more information: In 1987, a fisherman hauled up what many think are the remains of a UC-64A Norseman. The disappearance of Glenn Miller, famous American musician and band leader, in December 1944 remains a mystery to this day. The news broke most places on Christmas Day 1944, crammed onto front pages amid the blaring war headlines: Glenn Miller was missing. But intriguing clues from beneath the waves could finally be providing some. The C-64 airplane disappeared over the English Channel due to a combination of pilot error, mechanical failure and/or severe weather conditions. A German newspaper said Saturday that bandleader Glenn Miller died of a heart attack in the arms of a French prostitute in 1944 and not, as officially reported, in a plane crash. He never spoke to anyone about it, but he obviously thought some thing to have done what he did.. 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"We sent this info to Dennis and a few days later he got back to me and said there was no doubt that was a sighting of Glenn Miller's plane. This potentially consists of the Pratt & Whitney engine, part of the aluminum cabin and some of the steel frame. At that time, the Soviets had a five-month-long undeclared war with Japan in the Far East. In addition, airplane #44-70285 is the only C-64 that went down in the English Channel. Popular big band leader Glenn Miller lost his life in a plane crash during the Second World War. . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. But there is no harm in verifying all claims, however improbable. American musician and bandleader Glenn Miller (1904 - 1944) in a U.S. Air Force uniform. On the night of December 15, 1944, American big band leader Glenn Miller left an airbase in southeast England to entertain US soldiers in Paris. Glenn Miller. MARIETTA, GA-Anthony Eugene Harris II, 50, of Marietta, GA, a Portsmouth, passed away Thursday, February 16, 2023, in Marietta. To this day, the exact cause of the fatal crash and the death of those on the plane with him remains a mystery. There was a movie about him ("The Glenn Miller Story"). Richard Anderton when was in his early 20s. MacArthur Memorial Podcast The Disappearance of Glenn Miller, https://www.dennismspragg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SSRH-665-220304.mp3. During WWII, the morale for the Allied forces was helped in part by entertainments provided by top performers of the day. He attended the University of Colorado Boulder briefly before dropping out to pursue his music career. The diaries are now owned by Richards nephew Phillip and were found in a house clearance after he died in 1982. I went through a logical process of elimination, Spragg says. He called the Coast Guard and described it. He was born August 17, 1942, in Richmond, VA, the son of Gwen and Elmer Miller. Spragg cites military documents to back his claims, some of which have been in the public realm for decades, but were previously uninspected by Glenn Miller researchers, he says. When fuel lines froze the engine stopped, giving the plane's pilot about eight seconds to react before it plunged into the water. Some believe that Colonel Baesell, who was a sort of fixer for Miller who made arrangements for gigs, hotels, and so on, pressured Morgan to take off regardless of the danger. Miller was the biggest star of the Big Band era, and from 1939-43, was the biggest recording artist in the world. All other Norseman of the time have been accounted for, so perhaps the Miller mystery is nearing its end. Richards sighting showed this dog leg, about 35 miles off London to the Reading area. I went through a logical process of elimination, Spragg says. An area off Portland Bill could be where the wreckage of the aircraft of Glenn Miller is located, US investigators have said. Using flight logs and the discovery that another plane actually was accidentally bombed, Spragg has shot holes in the friendly-fire theory. Helen and Glenn Miller were married from 1928 until Glenn Miller's death in 1944. But then he inexplicably threw it back in! Yet theres no substantial proof that Niven, who served for a short time in an elite British military unit, worked as a spy with Miller, Spragg says. Alexander Technique, University of Colorado Boulder301 UCBBoulder, Colorado 80309-0301, University of Colorado Boulder Regents of the University of Colorado During August 2020, The Daily Express of London published a report about Glenn Millers disappearance with the headline World War 2 Mystery: Glenn Millers plane could be found within a three-mile radius. The article says that the team at the aviation archeology group TIGHAR and Dennis Spragg, who authored the book Glenn Miller Declassified. BYU coach Kalani Sitake says LB Keenan Pili tore his ACL vs. ASU and is lost for the season. Ditto for Glenn Miller, one of the University of Colorado Boulder's most illustrious alumni, who was the nation's most famous big-band leader when he disappeared Dec. 15, 1944, after heading out over the English Channel on a small military plane bound for Paris. Dennis Spragg, consultant to the Miller achieve at Colorado University, believes that pilot error is to blame for the death of the legendary band leader whose light aircraft vanished as he was flying from Britain to Paris to make arrangements to relocate his band on December 15 1944. Long overlooked military documents indicate the small plane in which Miller was likely traveling when he disappeared in 1944 probably crashed in the English Channel after fuel intakes froze, according toDennis Spragg, a senior consultant to the Glenn Miller Archive at the University of Colorado Boulder. On December 15 1944, a single-engined Noorduyn Norseman aircraft left Twinwood Farm airbase in south-east England for Paris, carrying the hottest big-band leader of the era, Glenn Miller.. Dennis was commissioned by Miller's family to investigate and has now published a book giving a full account of what happened for the first time. 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Dennis has now revealed the crucial piece of the jigsaw was a lost diary that appeared on Antique's Roadshow - that had been stashed away for decades by a Devon family. The BYU Cougars defense has suffered a big loss, as head coach Kalani Sitake announced Monday that linebacker Keenan Pili will miss the remainder of the season after he tore his ACL last Saturday in the Cougars' win over Arizona State. Bangor - Glenn Thomas Miller, 79, died after a short illness in Bangor, Maine, just as the sun began to rise on July 5, 2022. Video, 00:00:54Notebook clue to Glenn Miller mystery, 'Well alight': Heath fire breaks out at a nature reserve in Poole, Police hunt group of teens in balaclavas after damage to vehicle, Group of teens wearing balaclavas 'cause criminal damage' to a parked vehicle, Blandford artist donates painting of Ram Major to Bovington army base, A35 in Bridport and Dorchester areas to undergo resurfacing, Police searching for missing man known to regularly visit Dorchester, Angry protests erupt over Greek rail disaster, Messages reveal battle over UK Covid policy, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked minister's messages. 'There is a kite down there, I told the rear gunner, there's a kite gone in,' Shaw continued. He married the love of his life, Frankie, almost 58 years ago. Some even believed the story of a plane crash was a cover story for a more sordid end. It was in his service to his country that Miller lost his life. Helen Burger and Glenn Miller had two children, Steve Miller and Jonnie Miller, whom they had adopted. According to a BBC news report, the fisherman pulled up an airplane fuselage, then let it drop. As a result, and as Glenn Millers authorized biographer and archivist, these reports about the Glenn Miller disappearance are of great interest to me However, the Daily Express headline is misleading. suspect that the vessel may lie within a three-square mile radius of the English Channel where an anonymous fisherman claims to have pulled up the wreckage of the Glenn Miller airplane during the 1980s. The theory that persisted was that a returning Lancaster squadron jettisoned their bomb loads in a specific zone and it was these jettisoned bombs that took Millers plane out the sky and caused it to crash into the ocean. His plane disappeared just prior to the moment I was born on December 15, 1944. Glenn's cause of death was ruled natural causes due to an irregular heartbeat. What Happened to Glenn Miller. In some recordings Miller speaks German, phonetically pronouncing words for a German audience. . But that was dependent on Millers Norseman taking a very direct route from the north of London. It was also a touring band that played multiple radio broadcasts nearly every day. Glenn Miller. Read another story from us:Violins of Hope Israeli Violin Maker is Restoring Instruments from the Holocaust. Rather, they are targeting their search to a three-mile area off Portland Bill to solve the Glenn Miller disappearance. NFL coach Brian Flores discrimination case against Denver Broncos going to court, If your lease expires, you could still keep renting under Colorados just cause evictions bill, More than two dozen Woodland Park teachers and staff call out sick protesting school changes, Take a look at the new license plates for Colorados 150th anniversary. (Joe Ledford / AP) A . When he flicked through them one page opened up to him because Richard had placed a press clipping from 1969 between two particular pages. Replied on December 15, 2022, the 78th anniversary of his death. somekindofdruiddude 9 mo. Douglas Should be studied- not celebrated because he was a film star. The most likely cause is that in the fog, Morgan became spatially disoriented meaning that for a short time, he didnt know his altitude, bearing or the attitude of the plane. TIGHAR said it remains a "possibility" it was Miller's plane. "He said that we had to know exactly where Richard was making these sightings and the direction he was looking at the time. RAF Twinwood Control Tower restored in 2002. For first-year PhD student Laura Klein, a visit to Jane Austens House in Chawton, Hampshire, inspired The Jane Austen Playlist: Love and Music of Regency England. On Feb. 25, Klein will capture the essence of Austens six major novels in a dramatized performance. For full disclosure, if you do buy a book through a link from this page WW2TV will earn a commission.UK - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WW2TVUSA - https://bookshop.org/shop/WW2TV The UC-64A was an unusual plane to be seen over the Channel in that weather. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Allied planes were NOT in the air that day. PAPER SAYS GLENN MILLER'S 1944 DEATH WAS IN PARIS BROTHEL, NOT PLANE CRASH. The disappearance of bandleader Glenn Miller during World War II has remained one of aviation's greatest mysteries. "Dennis was very interested but had been looking at the archives and said on that afternoon there were two Norseman aloft in Reading. "We don't know how certain Richard was but he was obviously sure enough to think that was Glenn Miller's plane. In 2016, he was inducted into the Colorado Music . 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