Lawrence H. Eslinger
2nd Lt Lawrence H. Eslinger
883rd Bomb Sq, 500th Bomb Grp
April 7, 1918 - Sept. 17, 1944
Lawrence H. Eslinger, was born on April 7, 1918, in Kinsley, Kansas, to Harold Arthur Eslinger and Esther Elizabeth (Somerville) Eslinger. He grew up in Kansas and later resided in Manhattan, Kansas. (No photo is currently available. Any help would be appreciated.)
In April 1944, Eslinger married, though details about his spouse and any children are not readily available. He served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Corps, flying B-17, B-24, and B-29 bombers. At the time of his death, he was assigned to the 883rd Bomb Squadron, 500th Bomb Group.
On the evening of September 17, 1944, Eslinger was co-piloting a B-29 Superfortress on a training mission from Walker Army Air Field in Kansas. After completing a gunnery mission and returning to base to disembark an ill bombardier, the crew embarked on a night instrument training flight. During the flight, the aircraft deviated from its approved path to fly over Copeland, Kansas—a town where either Eslinger or the pilot had previously worked on a farm. Tragically, the plane crashed into the Hatfield farmhouse near Copeland, killing all ten crew members aboard and two civilians on the ground, including Ora Hatfield and his infant grandson, Jay Settles. The crash also severely injured Hatfield’s wife and daughter.
Initially, the U.S. Army Air Forces denied claims for damages and loss of life, citing that the flight was off-course and not on official business. However, in 1947, Congress passed an act granting compensation to the Hatfield family.
Second Lieutenant Lawrence H. Eslinger is remembered for his service and sacrifice during World War II. His story is commemorated by the Peace Memorial Auditorium in Manhattan, Kansas, which honors local veterans who served in the war.
Here are the names of the men who died in this accident:
AC 2/Lt Wayne B. Cooper
CP 2/Lt Lawrence H. Eslinger
N 2/Lt Kenneth O. West
FE 2/Lt William P. Kane
Radio Sgt Bruno Gutt
Ring G Cpl John F. Kelly
RG S/Sgt Clarence A. Boston
LG Cpl Robert L. Cooper
Radar Sgt George V. Johnson
TG Cpl Gerald J. Murphy
A BRIEF REVIEW OF The 883rd Bombardment Squadron
The 883rd Bombardment Squadron was a distinguished unit of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, serving as part of the 500th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy. Activated on November 20, 1943, at Gowen Field, Idaho, the squadron initially trained with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses before transitioning to the more advanced B-29 Superfortress at Walker Army Air Field, Kansas. Training was often delayed due to necessary modifications to the B-29s to address production issues.
In September 1944, the 883rd deployed to Isely Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands, joining the Twentieth Air Force’s strategic bombing campaign against Japan. The squadron flew its first combat mission on November 11, 1944, targeting a submarine base in the Truk Islands. Shortly thereafter, it participated in the first bombing raid on the Japanese mainland from the Marianas.
Initially, the 883rd conducted high-altitude daylight raids on industrial targets in Japan. A notable mission was the January 1945 attack on the Mitsubishi engine manufacturing plant in Nagoya, for which the squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). In March 1945, the squadron shifted to nighttime incendiary raids on urban areas, contributing to the extensive firebombing campaigns over Japanese cities. A second DUC was awarded for its June 1945 missions against Osaka, Hamamatsu, and transportation targets on Kyushu.
Beyond bombing missions, the 883rd supported Operation Iceberg—the invasion of Okinawa—by attacking airfields in Kyushu. The squadron also conducted psychological operations, dropping propaganda leaflets over Japan, and humanitarian missions, delivering food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war in Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan after the war’s end.
The 883rd returned to the United States in late 1945 and was inactivated at March Field, California, on January 17, 1946. Its legacy is preserved through historical records and commemorations, including the restored B-29 “Three Feathers,” which served with the squadron and is now displayed at the March Field Air Museum.