"I KNEW A MAN WAS BURNING TO DEATH" (HUGHES, HOWARD.) Archive kept by William Durkin relating to his rescue of Hughes from the burning wreckage of the XF-11. 11 items: one artifact and 10 paper items, various sizes. Vp, 1946 and undated
The career of Howard Hughes is of enduring interest. Warren Beatty's new film about the reclusive billionaire is slated for a November 2016 release. Anyone who has seen Leonardo DiCaprio's 2004 portrayal of Hughes in The Aviator will remember the fiery wreck of the XF-11. Hughes had developed the experimental plane as a military reconnaissance craft during World War II. On 7 July 1946, he was flying solo in the prototype on its maiden flight when the plane lost altitude over Beverly Hills, CA. His attempt to make an emergency landing on a golf course fell just short of the mark, and his plane skimmed the roofs of several houses before crashing in a backyard. Hughes broke many of his ribs and his collarbone, among other serious injuries. Master Technical Sergeant William L. Durkin of the U.S. Marine Corps, who had been visiting in a nearby home, rushed to the scene, helped Hughes escape from the wreck, extinguished the flames on the aviator's clothes, and carried him away from the crash site shortly before a fuel tank exploded. Hughes credited Durkin with saving his life, and the two became friends. This archive of Durkin's papers and memorabilia from the crash includes: Aircraft control yoke, broken off at base, 14" across; chipped, stained, with some paint spotting and a fingerprint visible in the paint. This XF-11 control yoke from the downed plane was a memorable gift from Hughes to Durkin. Essentially the aircraft's steering wheel, Hughes clutched this as his craft lost altitude and he made his desperate crash landing. William L. Durkin. "An Account of the Crash of XF-11 July 7, 1946 in Beverly Hills." 2 pages. Typed carbon with manuscript revisions. This is Durkin's dramatic account of the event. Full of great unpublished detail: "Reasoning that a ship that large would have a crew of at least three aboard, and that there is always a chance in a million that somebody would be alive . . . I made a running jump onto the trailing edge of the wing and started forward." After giving up on finding survivors and concerned about his own safety, Durkin wrote: "I saw a hand move through the fire and smoke not more than four feet in front of me. At the same time I heard a scream of agony, and I knew a man was burning to death." Preston Sturges. Typed document signed on The Players billhead. "This will introduce Sgt. W.L. Durkin, who, with one companion, is to be the guest of The Players at any time." The Players was a West Hollywood nightclub owned by Sturges, a director who was a friend of Hughes as well as his partner in California Pictures. This pass is worn heavily at the folds, suggesting that Sgt. Durkin kept it in his wallet and made good use of it over the years. [Los Angeles], 13 July 1946 Preston Sturges. Typed carbon letter on California Pictures Corporation letterhead to Gen. Robert Denig of the Marines, commending Durkin for bravery. Hollywood, 18 July 1946. Howard Hughes. Typed Letter to Durkin, on Hughes Aircraft Company letterhead. Hughes expresses his gratitude, adding: "I have been thinking a great deal, however, about how to concretely convey this very real appreciation to you. . . . You may be interested in some phase of aviation or some other activity with which I may be connected. If so, I may be able to assist you. . . . My company, which feels duly grateful to you, is sending a small check. Another will follow each month until you return here for the discussion I have suggested." Culver City, CA, 23 December 1946. With original mailing envelope. "[Hughes] seldom wrote a personal letter--the best estimate is fewer than a dozen over the last half-century of his life"--Barlett, Howard Hughes, page 13. Frank W. McDonnell. Typed Letter Signed on Hughes Aircraft Company letterhead. A week after Hughes's letter, his general manager encloses a check for $200, the first of what would be monthly payments. Culver City, 30 December 1946. With original mailing envelope. See Barlett, page 140. Restaurant design for a proposed business venture with Durkin. Negative photostat with manuscript design on verso. 4 photographs of the doomed XF-11, each about 8 x 10 inches. One shows it on an airport runway, another in flight, and two show the wreckage in Beverly Hills during the investigation. with--6 other letters and clippings relating to Durkin's Marine career and involvement with Hughes, 1943-1957.
