Operation: Aerodrome at Lae, New Guinea

Date: 22nd March 1942 (Sunday)

Unit No: 75 Squadron RAAF

Type: Kittyhawk IA

Serial: A29-16

Code: Y

Base: 7 Mile Drome, Port Moresby, New Guinea

Location: Lae Area, New Guinea

Pilot: Fg Off. Bruce Horace Anderson 260770 RAAF Age 25. MiA

Note: Built as P-40E Warhawk, (Unknown Bureau Number)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Kittyhawk IA A29-16 was one of a formation of nine (9) aircraft which took-off from 7-Mile Drome at approximately 08:00 hrs on the 22nd March 1942 on a ground strafing sortie against the Japanese Aerodrome at Lae, New Guinea. Fg Off. Anderson and four (4) other pilots were in the strafing element of the formation.

7-Mile Drome (Jackson Field) was named in honour of Sqn Ldr. John Francis Jackson, DFC from 75 Sqn RAAF who was killed in action while flying P-40E A29-8 on the 28th April 1942.

The aerodrome was approached from the sea and was taken completely by surprise. Two successful attacks were made by the ground strafing element and as all the aircraft were about to leave the area three (3) Japanese Zeke (Zero) type aircraft dived down and intercepted the top cover. The four (4) aircraft acting as the top cover engaged the enemy without any observed results, and the Zekes (Zeros) split up and broke away downwards.

A statement made by Fg Off. Woods revealed that he was flying in the same formation with Fg Off. Anderson and they were ground strafing between Lae and Salamata. Fg Off. Anderson was flying behind him and his aircraft was smoking. He saw it turn over on its side and dive down towards a hill out of control. He did not see the plane hit the ground and in his opinion Fg Off. Anderson was too low to bale out as he himself was flying at 300 feet and Fg Off. Anderson was below him.

Fg Off. Jeffrey Woods 406064. After his operational tour with 75 Sqn he undertook a series of ground postings and at No 2 Operational Training Unit (2 OTU) before being discharged from the RAAF as a Sqn Ldr. on the 15th September 1944;

The only reason for thinking this was Fg Off. Anderson's aircraft was that he occupied the position where Fg Off. Anderson should have been except that it was well behind and it was unlikely that Fg Off. Wackett, who also failed to return, would have got into this position.

Fg Off. Wilbur Lawrence Wackett 588 was later picked up by the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles with only slight injuries. Sqn Ldr. Wackett and Fg Off. Noble of 31 Sqn was reported missing on the 24th September 1944 whilst flying Beaufighter A10-208 engaged in escort operations in the Arafura Sea.

The aircraft was found in October 1945 near Kalpalga Station in the Northern Territory. No trace of the crew were found in the wreckage and the general opinion was that both Sqn Ldr. Wackett and Fg Off. Keith Eric William Noble 424052 had baled out and had perished in unknown circumstances.

On the 12th August, 1946, Sqn Ldr. K.M. Rundle of the RAAF Searcher Organisation reported that exhaustive searches and enquires in the Lae area for Kittyhawk aircraft A29-16 had been carried out and had failed to reveal any trace of the aircraft or the pilot.

Additionally Fg Off. Anderson was never officially reported by the Japanese as a PoW and his name does not appear on any lists of the prisoners kept by the PoWs themselves in all Japanese prison camps.

Burial details:

Above: The Lae Memorial (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Fg Off. Bruce Horace Anderson. Lae Memorial Panel 6. Born on the 24th October 1916 in Sydney, New South Wales. Son of James William Falconer and Winifred Alice Anderson of Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the pilot and his family (May 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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