Glenn Miller mystery: Real reason VE Day-era musician disappeared exposed

Source: Newslanes

May 9 2020

The Glenn Miller Orchestra were a much beloved part of the national efforts to maintain morale during World War 2. During the American big band’s tour of military bases they performed more than 800 times on British soil. But the lead musician mysteriously vanished several months before Victory in Europe Day, which celebrated its 75th anniversary yesterday. Glenn Miller was travelling to France when the plane he was aboard suddenly disappeared. While search efforts were carried out, the final resting place of the performer still remains unknown. One historical investigator Ric Gillespie recounted details about the decision leading up to his death. He told Express.co.uk that behind the bandleader and two others’ demise, was an honourable commitment to beat the Nazi regime no matter the cost.

While the bodies of Glenn Miller, flight officer John Morgan and Lieutenant Colonel Norman Baessell have never been discovered, investigator Ric Gillespie has a hunch about where they were laid to rest.

Their plane, a C-64 Norseman, disappeared on December 15, 1944, as they travelled across the English Channel from the UK to France, amid a dreadful storm that likely led to their deaths.

The group disregarded concern for their own wellbeing and flew 300ft below the ceiling of cloud, which was being spiked with ice from frozen drizzle.

What caused their aircraft to vanish is not known, but a number of theories have since emerged including that they were killed by friendly fire.

That belief along with many others has been debunked by Mr Gillespie and his mystery-busting team The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR).

Mr Gillespie described the mission to transport the three travellers as “entirely illegal, unauthorised, unnecessary and tragic”, during an interview with Express.co.uk.

He cast doubt on the popular belief that the plane was “knocked out of the air” when Allied fighter planes returned from an aborted bombing mission and dropped their explosives over the English Channel.

The claims emerged from the account of RAF pilot Fred Shaw who in 1984 alleged to have seen an explosion that took out a small aircraft below his plane.

But Mr Gillespie stated: “It’s not true, we were able to completely debunk that.”

Among the many discrepancies with actual accounts, he listed that the bombs had been “defused” before they were jettisoned into the water so “would not have exploded”.

He also claims the accounts told four decades on from the disappearance of Glenn Miller unfortunately did not align with the actual timeline of events on that day because they were “at least an hour and a half out”.

Mr Gillespie spent two years researching the Glenn Miller disappearance with TIGHAR – perusing through records, logs and even visiting the UK to unearth the truth about what happened.

He believes accounts from a fisherman who claimed to have retrieved an aircraft from the bottom of the Channel back in June 1986 or 1987, after his trawler nets became caught.

The unnamed seaman “to his astonishment” pulled out a plane with its “nose facing upwards, landing gear, an engine and a wing that had a white star” which matched the description of Miller’s plane.

He told Express.co.uk: “There was this feeling of, what a shame it was that Glen Miller didn’t get to see the end of the war, it was a real shame that he didn’t live that long.”

Mr Gillespie explained that each person aboard the ill-fated flight on December 15, 1944, had a different motive for putting their lives at risk.

Glenn Miller and his orchestra were scheduled to play concerts for the troops in France after a lengthy tour of the UK.

At that point they “desperately wanted to get closer to the frontline” to make even more of an impact to raise morale during the war.

The bandleader was due to fly-out ahead of the others to solve accommodation, logistical and organisational tasks before they all arrived.

When his official flight was cancelled due to “extremely dangerous weather conditions”, he was invited aboard another trip that was going to take place against military orders.

Lt Col Norman Baessell, who coordinated the flight, was desperate to get to France due to being charged with setting up repair and maintenance facilities on the continent.

Mr Gillespie said: “When aircraft came back and needed a place to land after being shot-up, his work would ensure they didn’t have to fly over the Channel to get back over to the UK.”

He explained that Mr Baessell had “usurped authorities” for a while to ensure he could get wartime tasks done without being reprimanded, so once again commissioned the flight.