Stratford: The Stories We Tell
By David Wright
Town Historian
Another “Amelia Earhart” Visits Stratford
You’ve probably heard that Amelia Earhart visited Stratford in April, 1929 to pick up her new “Avro-Avian” airplane. A second “Amelia Earhart”, perhaps not as famous as the original, visited Stratford under much less favorable conditions in July, 1933.
James and Amy Mollison took off in their airplane, Seafarer, from Pendine Beach in Wales, on July 22, 1933, on the first leg of what was to be a new long distance flight record. They never made it to New York, but crashed in Great Meadows Marsh, just short of the runway at what is known today as Sikorsky Memorial Airport. After Jim and Amy recovered from the crash, the then Stratford Airport was re-christened, for a period of time, as the Mollison Airport.
Many Stratfordites are familiar with photos of the crashed Seafarer, resting with its wheels skyward in the marsh. What is much less familiar is the actual story behind the Mollison’s crash landing.
In 1942, a British filmmaker documented the Mollison’s story in a movie entitled Wings and The Woman. You may read about this Mollison movie, and the Mollison crash story at https://5il.co/3b14o. You may also view a short film showing the Mollisons taking off from Wales at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQunxHl7Vo8.
The world was led to believe Amy was behind the controls when the Seafarer crashed in the marsh. Actually, the Mollison’s story would have had a more successful ending had Amy been at the controls.
As the Mollisons approached the U.S. shoreline, Molly called Jim’s attention to the fact that they were extremely low on fuel. If they didn’t make an emergency landing, very soon they’d run out of fuel and crash. James, nevertheless, believed he knew better than Amy. He was certain he could still make New York City with his skillful maneuverings and superior knowledge of their aircraft. Amy painfully proved her caution and wisdom superior to James’.
James was flying the Seafarer at the time of the crash, and many believe it was James’ bravado and derring-do that led to the unfortunate downing of the Seafarer.
James and Amy were taken from the crash scene to the Bridgeport Hospital. The Seafarer was scuttled, never to be flown again. Jim was widely viewed as an inveterate womanizer, whom Amy divorced not long after the marsh crash.
Both Jim and Amy continued to strive for flight fame following their ill-fated crash landing in Great Meadows Marsh. Just prior to Amy’s last flight, Jim proposed to Amy that they should remarry. Amy accepted, immediately setting off thereafter, on a flight during which she crashed and drowned.
