Monomoy Island Gunnery Range
Encyclopedia
The Monomoy Island Gunnery Range was a former naval gunnery range for aviators, located on Monomoy Island
, in Chatham, Massachusetts
. The site was principally used for machine gun target practice, and bullets and fragments can still be found on the refuge. After the was, the site became part of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
was established. On August 17th, 1948, 1st Lieutenant Edward W. Meacham, 28, of Westfield, Massachusetts
was killed when his P-47 Thunderbolt
failed to recover from a dive-bombing run on the range. He was a member of the 131st Fighter Squadron
at the time of his death.
Monomoy Island
Monomoy Island is an 8 mile long spit of sand extending southwest from Chatham, Cape Cod off the Massachusetts mainland.- History :It was taken over by the US government just before World War II...
, in Chatham, Massachusetts
Chatham, Massachusetts
Chatham is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 6,625 at the 2000 census...
. The site was principally used for machine gun target practice, and bullets and fragments can still be found on the refuge. After the was, the site became part of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
Monomoy Island National Wildlife Refuge is federal wildlife refuge located on Monomoy Island in Massachusetts.- History :It was taken over by the US government just before World War II. The island was home to the Monomoy Island Gunnery Range until 1944 when the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge was...
was established. On August 17th, 1948, 1st Lieutenant Edward W. Meacham, 28, of Westfield, Massachusetts
Westfield, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
was killed when his P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
failed to recover from a dive-bombing run on the range. He was a member of the 131st Fighter Squadron
131st Fighter Squadron
The 131st Fighter Squadron flies the F-15C Eagle. It is a unit of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 104th Fighter Wing.-History:Patrols over the Pacific, September 1942-July 1943. Replacement training, July 1943-June 1944...
at the time of his death.
External links
- http://www.fws.gov/northeast/mainecontaminants/PDF%20files/Monomoy%20Seal%20Final%20Report_Jan%2008.pdf