(above) Doolittle crash site and plane wreckage near 215 Faitoute Ave., 1929. Courtesy, Kenilworth Historical Society.
What, Where, and When in Old Kenilworth – Famed Pilot Crashed Here
(above) Pilot James “Jimmy” Doolittle during WWII. Courtesy Historic Signs Inc., Public domain.
It was an overcast day 90 years ago on March 14, 1929, when the future, world famous WWII pilot James “Jimmy” Doolittle, crash landed his plane in a field along Faitoute Ave. Originally a WWI pilot, he gained international acclaim in April 1942 when he led a surprise air raid attack on Tokyo, Japan just four months after Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor. His death-defying bombing raid achieved two very important goals. It buoyed American spirits after the Pearl Harbor attack and showed the world – including Japan itself – that Japan was not the invincible nation it claimed to be. Doolittle eventually was promoted to the rank of general.
Eugene Coppola, a life-long Kenilworth resident, will be 99 years old on March 13. He is the sole surviving witness. He recalled in 2010, “My family lived at 21 No. 20th St. A bunch of us kids were playing. It was twilight when we heard a plane flying overhead. As we always did, we looked up to count the wings – one or two. It had two. When we saw the plane going down. we ran down 20th St. and came out on Orange Ave. near Newark Ave. Faitoute Ave. came all the way up to Orange Ave. in those days, right near Newark Ave. So down we hurried along Faitoute Ave. When we got to the crash site there already were other kids all over the place getting pieces of the plane. Some even managed to get parts of the propeller. It was somewhat of a wild scene. I went home for supper and returned later. Now even more people were there – everybody, grown-ups and all. There was a great deal of excitement. Many people were taking airplane parts as keepsakes. I had a small piece for a while but gave it away years ago.”
Doolittle’s destination was Mitchell Field, NY. Bad weather forced him to search for Newark Airport. Conditions pushed him further west. Low on fuel, he wrongly thought a beacon tower light he saw through the clouds near Faitoute Ave. was for the Kenilworth airfield on the Boulevard near 24th St. He survived the crash that wedged his plane between two trees. He was driven by local resident John Arthur to Elizabeth from where he eventually got to his original destination, Mitchell Field. Born in 1896, Doolittle died in 1993 at age 96.
A more detailed account of this crash is featured in the book, Kenilworth Memories, at the local library authored by the writer of this article, Walter E. Boright, Ed. D. Persons with inquiries about this or other aspects of Kenilworth history may contact Dr. Boright at drbori@aol.com or 908-256-5200.
Submitted by Walter Boright
(above) Eugene Coppola recalls the Doolittle crash. Courtesy, Historic Signs.
