Airman James Ray Short

In Memoriam

(Note: James Ray Short was one of many people that served at the Twin Bases and died during our operations there. I hope other people that died at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge can also be remembered. I hope this helps commemorate this one young man and the brave people who tried to assist Shorty and Ferguson that terrible night. I apologize if I have misspelled anyone’s name, or have their rank at the time of this tragedy wrong. Please feel free to let me know and I can get it corrected. Thank you)

Airman James Ray Short, "Shorty," assigned to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, 81st Field Maintenance Squadron was killed performing aircraft fuel systems maintenance in Hangar 7, Building 688 on Phase Row on the RAF Bentwaters flightline on Monday, April 17, 1978 at 2035 hours.

While performing a Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO) on a McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II centerline external fuel tank, static electricity ignited fuel fumes within the tank and the tank exploded. The nose cone separated and was blown, with Airman Short, up to the roof and across the Hangar. The remainder of the tank blew through the wall of Hangar 7 landing outside on the grass between Hangars 6 and 7.

Working with Airman Short was Senior Airman (SrA.). Patrick Ferguson, who sustained serious burns in the explosion and was evacuated first to Ipswich and then to the USAF hospital at RAF Lakenheath. Airman First Class (A1C) Smith ("Smitty") also suffered serious burns on his arms and hands responding to aid both Airman. He bravely fought the flames that had consumed SrA Ferguson, certainly helping save his life. Other responding colleagues from the 81st FMS Fuel Shop fought the fire in Hangar 7 including SrA. Nativio, Master Sergeant (Msgt.) Ray Horvatin and many others working on Phase Row who responded and desperately tried to rescue and give aide to Airman Short.

The incident was a tragic day in the lives of all of us who were stationed with Shorty, Fergie and Smitty. I was stationed with Airman Short during technical training in aircraft fuel systems at Chanute AFB, Illinois in the 3354th School Squadron. Airman Short was the last of a large group of new Airman that had been transferred to RAF Bentwaters as part of a rotation of airman back to the States following their 2 and 3 year tours. Shorty had arrived at RAF Bentwaters just a little more than a month (6 or 7 weeks) prior to the tragic explosion.

Shorty was a quiet but fun guy, somewhat older than most of us new fuel systems troops. I believe that I remember he was from Indianapolis, Indiana but I am not positive about this. He bought a nice used Morris Minor that had with a huge switch in the middle of the dashboard that made the turn signals operate. It also had a crank in the trunk of the car to turn it over in case the battery or starter died. Shorty’s roommate was Airman Wayne B. Overholt and he spent a lot of time with Airman Dale Lawson. We were all living in the FMS Barracks, Building 756 and we would drive over to The Victoria (The Vic), a pub in Aldeburgh that is still going strong on the High Street in the evenings and weekends. We were there a lot as several women working at the Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh went there. The Vic had a great jukebox and several of the fuel systems guys lived in Aldeburgh and would all meet up there.

On runs to Aldeburgh, I often got to ride with Lawson or Shorty. Sometimes we hitchhiked from the signs at the front gate and occasionally we found people to share cabs with to Aldeburgh. Shorty’s Morris Minor worked great and I remember a few nights heading back to base talking about our new life in England, work on the flightline and mostly we talked about women.

The day before he died, Sunday, April 16, 1978, Airman Lawson, Shorty and I went to Framlingham Castle in Shorty’s Morris Minor. It was cold and gray, a perfect early Spring day in Suffolk and I took only 2 photos of Shorty and these maybe the only pictures of him in England.

Shorty’s body was taken to RAF Mildenhall and flown home. Shorty’s roommate from the FMS Barracks, Airman Wayne B. Overholt, escorted his body back to the states for burial. I remember Overholt standing in front of Hangar 8 before leaving, in his dress blue uniform and all of standing around shuffling our feet, quiet in our grief.

One of my saddest memories I have was riding my bike around perimeter road at 5:30 a.m. the morning after the explosion, April 18, 1978. I was hoping the whole incident was a bad dream. I remember crossing the taxiway by AGE and the FMS Squadron building heading over to Phase Row and seeing al the light alls (portable flood lights we used to work on planes at night) all shining on Hangar Seven. There were armed SP’s patrolling the area. When I rode around by the Egress Shop and looked down the small roadway the passed in front of the nose section of the Phase Row Hangars, the only thing down the road was Shorty’s Morris Minor. It sat there all alone waiting for Shorty, like a good dog. It was not a dream and that moment really got to me and still does.

Chuck Dalldorf
2005

Follow Chuck's visit to Shorty's graveside here...