Dillinger's Grave Site

[RoscoeTurner]

I am going to be in the Indianapolis area soon and thought about going to Dillinger's grave site. Is it accessible?

 

Wanted to take a few pictures to bring back to one of his cousins who is my bank teller of choice at the local bank.

[OCM]

Yes it is, it's in the Crown Hill cematery. Crown Hill is huge, you'll need directions. I can only say it's over in the left area as you enter, not to far from the Eastern side. I think there is a info type place as you enter, I haven't been there in awhile, they are very familiar with where is Dillinger's grave. It's the most viewed grave there. You'll spot the grave site as a large marker with DILLINGER is on the site.

He is John Dillinger JR. This is the 6th headstone I think, rest have been chipped away.

Here is the site, spanning from 1966 I think, to the last time I was there. ( in case you don't make it over )

 

Sandy

Edited September 24, 2012 by OCM

[RoscoeTurner]

Thanks. I had the location of the cemetery from Find A Grave but it gave no directions to the plot other than Lot 44. I was concerned it may be a rather large cemetery due to its age.

 

I often take photos of grave sites here from the two National Cemetery in this area for folks looking for their Civil War ancestors, it can be a chore locating them sometimes and thought I would run into the same situation with this one.

 

I'll also be stopping by Roscoe Turner's grave site to pay my respects as well, he is buried at D-10-2K.

[OCM]

Easy, Google Crown Hill Cemetery and it gives you directions to the Dillinger grave, map and all. He's listed under notables, in the Cemetery link on the site. Last time I was there I was with one of the family members, they used to watch people on tour to the JD grave, as it had been chipped away so much. Family was getting tired of replacing the headstone. Collector Joe Pinkston paid for #3 , in return for the old chipped one for his museum.

Back in the 60s, some kids stole it, but it was found and the kids got busted. He was not a Jr., but the family had that put on as not to confuse him with John Dillinger Sr , who is also buried there in the same plot- ( 1947 as I remember )

Have fun.

If the bank teller needs any information on JD, feel free to email me .

 

BTW, how's Gilmore doing these days ? I think I saw your plane at the Air & Space Museum, on one of my visits. May have been at Silver Hills ? I had no idea Turner was buried there, whish I knew that before.

Sandy

Edited September 24, 2012 by OCM

[RoscoeTurner]

Thanks much for the information. I will let her know.

 

Turner has two planes in the Smithsonian. The Laird-Turner RT-14 Meteor he won the 1938 and 1939 Thompson Trophy with and the Boeing 247-D he flew with Clyde Pangborn in the England-to-Australia International Air Derby in 1934.

 

Gilmore is sadly stuffed and resides at the Smithsonian also but is not on display.

 

http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19540069000

 

http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19730886000

[OCM]

Looked it up in my old photo album, got a picture of the Laird Meteor Racer in Silver Hills, in one of the hangers, on display. Wasn't rotated to the Museum at the time. ( including the photo I took)

Twin Wasp !!! Good lord. I learned to fly in a Piper Cub J-3.

 

Just to keep us legal : When they arrested Dillinger in Tucson, they shang-hi ( ed) Dillinger from Tucson to the town of Douglas in a Travel-Aire as I remember. They then transfered him across country, commercially, in various Ford Tri-Motors. In one of the transfers, we got the N number off the plane and traced it through the Ford Tri-motor site, to China.

 

OCM