For Whom The Bells Toll
By Heidi Sproat
Starting the climb to reach the crash site – gorgeous view of Independence Lake and Mount Lola in the distance
I strained to see if I could still hear the clanging of Rafferty’s Bell, but I could not. I don’t know what the fascination is with this particular story, but I could not let it go.
Just before Covid 19 kept us all out of our Research Library, reviewing the scanned Sierra Suns I noticed an article about a horrible late fall plane crash somewhere near Independence Lake, Carpenter Ridge and Mount Lola. Having been to the Lake once before, I was again stunned by the beauty, ruggedness and isolation of the area. At that time however, I did not know about this C-47D crash.
Reading up on the accident, and obtaining the official crash site records, I discovered that the crash site had been well documented, but I had not been able to actually visit the site to see for myself.
Fast forward to this July 2025.
I was invited to accompany friends on a jeep trip to explore the south side of Independence Lake to see if we could locate this site. “I’m in,” I said.
So on a gorgeous summer day, the drive up to Independence Lake was non eventful - anxious at times yes, as I was relying on the driving skills of my expert jeep companion. She did not disappoint. And we didn’t die.
Two jeeps, two people in each, and all of us cautiously ascended the fire road and eventually drove to the end of whatever the “road” was called after that - maneuvering around fallen trees, overgrown trees, wild bushes, deep ruts, and glacial erratics that decided to roll and stop in the middle of the “road.”
Turning the jeeps around before we set out on foot - in case we had to evacuate for some reason quickly like lightning or fire alerts - we had the GPS coordinates thanks to earlier explorations by various entities, including the US Air Force.
Note to self: I am not a Billie goat.
In my early 70s, climbing - aka scrambling - up the side of a very steep, rocky, scree-covered slope is not exactly my idea of a fun afternoon. Nonetheless, we proceeded as far as 3 of us dared. One intrepid explorer in our foursome, however, Billie-goated to the actual site of the crash. Another attempted the crossover, but returned - a bit shaken as well. Our one explorer who scrambled across the slippery slope was successful in reaching the crash area, and returned humbled, respectful, and so appreciative of the opportunity to view this area. Photos were taken and shared amongst us so that the three less physically able-bodied “goats” could share in what was found.
There is a cave up there in the high elevation that others have located. Many remnants of the plane have since been recovered, but not all. Scattered about are cables and wiring and errant pieces of the aircraft. Stone Memorials have been placed inside the cave commemorating the men who lost their lives in this October 1950 horrific accident. It was not until 7 months later did the authorities locate the wreckage strewn about the volcanic hillside. That’s isolation - and it wasn’t even winter when it crashed.
After showing us the photos our companion took in and near the cave, an utter silence overcame us all. None of us could even imagine the force that the plane hit the mountainside. It was a quiet ride back down the ”trail” to the main highway.
This visit gave each of us pause and garnered a renewed respect for pilots who fly over the mountains in this area. Treachery can be but a blink away.
So even though we could no longer hear the wind rustling through the cable wire dangling from the mountainside top - which prompted the reference to “bells”, and Rafferty was the pilot’s name - we could still hear the treetops swaying and loose rocks falling down the sleep incline.
I will always remember this trip because, as is so often the case when I visit memorials, somehow I feel a connection to the lost souls who perished on the mountain. We pay tribute and remembrance to their memory and maybe if we listen intently enough, we can still hear “Rafferty’s Bell.”
Just before Covid 19 kept us all out of our Research Library, reviewing the scanned Sierra Suns I noticed an article about a horrible late fall plane crash somewhere near Independence Lake, Carpenter Ridge and Mount Lola. Having been to the Lake once before, I was again stunned by the beauty, ruggedness and isolation of the area. At that time however, I did not know about this C-47D crash.
Reading up on the accident, and obtaining the official crash site records, I discovered that the crash site had been well documented, but I had not been able to actually visit the site to see for myself.
Fast forward to this July 2025.
I was invited to accompany friends on a jeep trip to explore the south side of Independence Lake to see if we could locate this site. “I’m in,” I said.
So on a gorgeous summer day, the drive up to Independence Lake was non eventful - anxious at times yes, as I was relying on the driving skills of my expert jeep companion. She did not disappoint. And we didn’t die.
Two jeeps, two people in each, and all of us cautiously ascended the fire road and eventually drove to the end of whatever the “road” was called after that - maneuvering around fallen trees, overgrown trees, wild bushes, deep ruts, and glacial erratics that decided to roll and stop in the middle of the “road.”
Turning the jeeps around before we set out on foot - in case we had to evacuate for some reason quickly like lightning or fire alerts - we had the GPS coordinates thanks to earlier explorations by various entities, including the US Air Force.
Note to self: I am not a Billie goat.
In my early 70s, climbing - aka scrambling - up the side of a very steep, rocky, scree-covered slope is not exactly my idea of a fun afternoon. Nonetheless, we proceeded as far as 3 of us dared. One intrepid explorer in our foursome, however, Billie-goated to the actual site of the crash. Another attempted the crossover, but returned - a bit shaken as well. Our one explorer who scrambled across the slippery slope was successful in reaching the crash area, and returned humbled, respectful, and so appreciative of the opportunity to view this area. Photos were taken and shared amongst us so that the three less physically able-bodied “goats” could share in what was found.
There is a cave up there in the high elevation that others have located. Many remnants of the plane have since been recovered, but not all. Scattered about are cables and wiring and errant pieces of the aircraft. Stone Memorials have been placed inside the cave commemorating the men who lost their lives in this October 1950 horrific accident. It was not until 7 months later did the authorities locate the wreckage strewn about the volcanic hillside. That’s isolation - and it wasn’t even winter when it crashed.
After showing us the photos our companion took in and near the cave, an utter silence overcame us all. None of us could even imagine the force that the plane hit the mountainside. It was a quiet ride back down the ”trail” to the main highway.
This visit gave each of us pause and garnered a renewed respect for pilots who fly over the mountains in this area. Treachery can be but a blink away.
So even though we could no longer hear the wind rustling through the cable wire dangling from the mountainside top - which prompted the reference to “bells”, and Rafferty was the pilot’s name - we could still hear the treetops swaying and loose rocks falling down the sleep incline.
I will always remember this trip because, as is so often the case when I visit memorials, somehow I feel a connection to the lost souls who perished on the mountain. We pay tribute and remembrance to their memory and maybe if we listen intently enough, we can still hear “Rafferty’s Bell.”
There is a 9:19 minute YouTube video of a gent who took a motorcycle to the site and likewise, he paid respectful tribute to these men.
https://youtu.be/RFIOHehZKfk?si=4MWcQpC-ml8FcxAo
Author’s original article appears at https://www.truckeehistory.org/raffertys-bell.html
NOTE: several of the websites addresses cited in the original article are no longer valid, but thanks to archive.org WayBackMachine, here are the links:
Accident report Monthly List is now at https://web.archive.org/web/20200811101112/https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AFrptsMO.htm
October 1950 USAF Accident reports now available at https://web.archive.org/web/20180909213322/https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/1950s/1950Oct.htm
https://youtu.be/RFIOHehZKfk?si=4MWcQpC-ml8FcxAo
Author’s original article appears at https://www.truckeehistory.org/raffertys-bell.html
NOTE: several of the websites addresses cited in the original article are no longer valid, but thanks to archive.org WayBackMachine, here are the links:
Accident report Monthly List is now at https://web.archive.org/web/20200811101112/https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AFrptsMO.htm
October 1950 USAF Accident reports now available at https://web.archive.org/web/20180909213322/https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/1950s/1950Oct.htm
And thanks to California Revealed who scanned our 1951 Sierra Sun volume, we were able to find the article about finding the missing plane. This article appeared on June 7, 1951, when fishermen looking for something else, spotted the wreckage above Independence Lake. The plane went down October 26, 1950 on its way to McClelland Field from Ogden, Utah. Link to article available at this link, californiarevealed.org/do/2104ad08-505c-4699-8c01-243e4d9eccc88 .
Driver expertly turning the jeep around – just in case we needed to make a fast exit - thunderstorm, fire alert
Just below the crash site – still visual evidence of cable wiring – some 75 years later
Remember I said it was steep – aka Billy Goat – the author – just a bit disheveled trying
to ascend to the crash site. Photo courtesy of companion jeeper
HCS 9/19/2025 - all photos courtesy of the author except the last image of "disheveled"; updated with Sierra Sun June 7, 1951, p. 1 Sierra Sun article link 11/3/2025
