Hessian Plane Crash 1937

[grandduchess_42]

witch boy of the hesse family died in a car crash?

[grandduchessella]

None from the Darmstadt branch that I can think of. After the advent of the auto the only males during that time were:

Ernie
George Donatus (died in plane crash)
Alexander (died in plane crash)
Ludwig (died in plane crash)
Louis (natural causes I believe, he was elderly)

It was the dearth of males in the Darmstadt line which caused it to die out and the head of the family to come from the Cassel branch.

I couldn't find anything in the other branches but geneaology isn't my strong point.  :-/

[Baby_Tsarevich]

Weren't there two Ludwigs in the family, one beeing the son of Georg Donatus and the other his brother? Georg Donatus died in the plane crash on his way to the wedding of his brother Ludwig along with his son, unborn child, wife and mother.

Please correct me if I'm wrong (I just began to studie about the Hessian family)

~Anastacia~

[grandduchessella]

Yes there were two.  George Donatus's elder son was Ludwig--he also had a 2nd son Alexander. Also Ernie's 2nd son Ludwig. It was a pretty popular Hesse/Battenberg name.

[Baby_Tsarevich]

Who els died in the plane crash with Don, (his; mom, wife, son, unborn child, and ?) I know there was another person, did his other son die with him too?

~Anastacia~

[allanraymond]

Who els died in the plane crash with Don, (his; mom, wife, son, unborn child, and ?) I know there was another person, did his other son die with him too?

~Anastacia~

George Donatus's second son Alexander was also killed in the plane crash.

You may wish to check out:

http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Hesse_Rhine_Royal_Family.htm#5.2143

Allan Raymond

[julia.montague]

When was this plane crash? Who died?

[allanraymond]

When was this plane crash? Who died?

16 November 1937, Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine, his mother, his wife and some of his children were killed.

Please see:

http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Hesse_Rhine_Royal_Family.htm#5.2143

Allan Raymond

[Prince_Lieven]

Georg Donatus, his wife Princess Cecile of Greece (sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh), his mother Grand Duchess Eleanore and two of his three children, Ludwig and Alexander were all killed in the crash. His daughter Joanna was adopted by his brother Ludwig and Ludwig's wife Margaret Geddes, but died in 1939.

[lostfan]

http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Hesse_Rhine_Royal_Family.htm#5. 2143

The child's body was discovered amongst the wreckage, Princess Cecilie was reported to be eight months pregnant at the time of the crash. Some doubt is cast regarding the birth/death of this baby as the supporting evidence is somewhat lacking.

This is a quote from that website, but it is confusing to me. What does me mean that doubt is cast regarding the birth/death of the baby?

[grandduchess_42]

is there a picture of him?

[grandduchessella]

This is a quote from that website, but it is confusing to me. What does me mean that doubt is cast regarding the birth/death of the baby?

Perhaps it means confusion over whether the baby died in utero or whether the trauma of the crash caused a posthumous delivery? In the former, the baby wouldn't technically have been born and there wouldn't have been a body.

[Elise]

I found some info about this crash :

The aircraft was flying from Cologne to London and should have made a scheduled stop at Brussel's Haren airport. However, Brussels was shrouded in fog and the pilot was advised to fly on to Ostend. Weather conditions were poor in Ostend as well and the aircraft hit a factory chimney while flying on approach to Ostend Stene airport. All on board were killed.

[allanraymond]

This is a quote from that website, but it is confusing to me. What does me mean that doubt is cast regarding the birth/death of the baby?

I'm sorry about any confusion.

I don't have my original notes which led to me inserting the comments against the stillborn birth.

David Duff's Hessian Tapestry Book (page 352) mentions the body of an eight-months child, born in the crash was found at the scene.

Although I've carried out some searches today I can't find my original source which cast cast doubt on Duff's statement. My recollection is somewhat of an haze but I can remember a discussion on one of the mailing lists/boards which mentioned there was no supporting evidence a baby's body was found. Also if my memory serves me, the buriel site of the family has no reference to the baby.

Marlene Eilers Queen Victoria's Descendants book mentions the crash but I couldn't locate any mention of finding a baby's body although the The Genealogy section of the book includes the stillborn child (day of crash).  

An article from "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia", mentions "An autopsy revealed Cecilie was pregnant with her fourth child at the time of the crash", possibly suggesting the child was not stillborn.

If anyone can share any further information regarding David Duff's statement I would be more than happy to clarify the comments on my Web Page?

Allan Raymond

[grandduchessella]

Here's what I've compiled from other threads--info by Marlene (who did research for David Duff who had written Hessian Tapestry so would probably know):

"It would have been black maternity dress as she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy, and gave birth during the crash. "

"Cecilia was most certainly pregnant at the time, and the pregnancy had been announced. The remains of a newly born stillborn child was found at the crash site - and there are references to this is in the news coverage of the day, including in the New York Times. "

from Hessian Tapestry: "and the body of an eight-months child, born in the crash"