Operation: Photographic and Armed Reconnaissance

Date: 30th December 1944 (Saturday)

Unit No: 30 (City of Sale) Squadron, RAAF, 77 Wing, 1st Tactical Air Force

Type: Beaufighter Mk.X

Serial: A19-149

Code: Unknown

Location: Tiaboto about 10 miles from Gorontalo, Sulawesi Island

Base: RAAF Wama strip, Morotai Island, Indonesia

Pilot: WO. David Bernard Benson 402487 RAAF Age 26. Murdered

Navigator: Sgt. Robert Leonard Frederick Jones 69985 RAAF Age 20. Murdered

Note: Beaufighter A19-149 was previously RAF aircraft Serial No. JM285.

Above: Sgt. Robert Leonard Frederick Jones (from his Service Record)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On 30th December 1944, two Beaufighters, A19-189 flown by Flt Lt. R.E. Richmond 406732 and Fg Off. R.J. Porter 406732 as navigator and A19-149, flown by WO. D.B. Benson and navigator Sgt. R.L. Jones took off from Wama Strip, Morotai Island, Sulawesi Island at 06:23 hrs.

Morotai Island is in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesia's Maluku Islands and is one of Indonesia's northernmost islands.

Today the Northern Celebes island is know as North Sulawesi, which is part of the four Greater Sunda Islands to the east of what was known as Borneo, governed by Indonesia.

They were detailed to conduct a photographic and armed reconnaissance of the coastline from Cape Doelang to Koesandang Bay, North Celebes.

The aircraft and proceeded without incident to Cape Doelang. They then commenced their reconnaissance sweep to Koesandang Bay which was also competed successfully and then turned inland in the direction of Gorontalo.

Beaufighter A19-149 was last seen by navigator of A19-189, Fg Off. Porter, at approximately 08:55 hrs slightly east of Mount Danap. A few minutes later A19-149 completely disappeared. Flt Lt. R.E. Richmond returned to the vicinity of Mount Danap and carried out an extensive search of the whole area for 55 minutes but no trace of the missing aircraft was seen. Efforts to make contact by wireless were also futile so Flt Lt. Richmond returned to base.

As 13:45 hrs that day, two Beaufighters each from 30 and 51 Squadrons were detailed to conduct a search for A19-149. They took off from Wama Strip at Morotai and proceeded to the Mount Danap area, but there were nil sightings and the aircraft returned to base at 18:40 hrs.

This was only the crew’s 5th sortie, their first was on the 23rd December, after they had been posted to the squadron on the 16th December. The crew were posted Missing in Action.

The circumstances leading to the deaths of WO. Benson and Sgt. Jones were determined by an Australian Military Tribunal convened at Morotai on the 31st January and 1st February 1946.

Three members of the Imperial Japanese Army were charged jointly with committing a war crime in that they, at Kakaskasen, Northern Celebes on or about the 5th March 1945 murdered Fg Off. K. Packham, WO. D. Benson and Sgt. R.L.F. Jones all members of the RAAF and then PoWs held by Japanese Forces.

Fg Off. Keith Packham 436776 RAAF was the Navigator of 31 (City of Wagga Wagga) Sqn, Beaufighter XXI A8-10 EH:T when complete) which was hit and shot down by AA fire on the 1st February 1945.

The accused, all members of the Kempeitai, were:

Sgt Maj. (Rikugun-Sōchō) ICHIHASHI Shigeo;
Sgt. (Rikugun-Gunsō) SOMA Takesaburo;
Sgt. (Rikugun-Gunsō) SASAKURA Rinji.

The Kempeitai were the military police of the Imperial Japanese Army and functioned much like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany.

The Japanese word Rikugun preceding a rank indicates that it relates to the army.

Each of the accused gave evidence in his defence. They claimed that they did so pursuant to the orders of Warrant Officer (WO) (Rikugun-Jun-i) MATSUMOTO Kunio who was the 2nd in Command of the Kempmitai HQ at Kaaten.

WO. MATSUMOTO was also implicated in the murder of two RAAF airmen from 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron, RAAF Liberator A72-92.

In Court documents WO. MATSUMOTO was listed as being deceased.

ICHIHASHI stated that on the 24th February 1945 he escorted three Australian airmen PoWs from Tinoor Dua to Kakaskasen. One was a flying officer and the other two were NCOs who he recognised as Australians by their uniforms.

One day at the end of February at about 16:00 hrs MATSUMOTO told him that the three PoWs were to be executed and that he was to escort them from their cell to the cookhouse kitchen which was about 350 to 400 metres from the jail and hold them there. At about 21:00 hrs MATSUMOTO arrived and told him to carry out the executions next to the three prepared graves.

In his statement ICHIHASHI denied that he had executed one of the prisoners, however, when questioned by the Court he admitted that he had in fact executed the first prisoner. SOMA claimed that SASAKURA asked to borrow his sword which he then used to execute a second PoW. SOMA himself admitted to executing the third PoW.

However, SASAKURA denied SOMA’s assertion and claimed that on account of his late arrival at the place of execution another Japanese soldier had executed the 2nd PoW.

The Court found the three accused guilty of the charge. SOMA and ICHIHASHI were each sentenced to be imprisoned for 6 years and SASAKURA for 3 years.

The proceedings of the Court were reviewed by the Judge Advocate General of the confirming authority. He determined that it was perfectly clear from the evidence that the three men were purely acting under the commands of WO. (Rikugun-Jun-i) MATSUMOTO Kunio, who made all of the arrangements. The accused made it clear that they not approve of their actions but were bound to carry out the orders of their superior officer.

Each PoW was executed by a different member of the Kempeitai. SOMA and ICHIHASHI each beheaded a PoW and SASAKURA was ordered to behead the third, but arrived late and another guard actually did the beheading although SASAKURA was present.

He could see little difference in criminality between the 3 men and suggested that the sentences for SOMA and ICHIHASHI be mitigated to 3 years.

Burial Details:

Above: the Ambon War Cemetery, Kota Ambon, Indonesia (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Above Grave Marker for WO. David B. Benson (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

WO. David Bernard Benson. Ambon War Cemetery 33.D.13. Inscription: “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE”. Born on the 29th October 1918 in Sydney, New South Wales. Son of Henry Benjamin and stepmother Mary Benson of Rose Bay, New South Wales. Husband of Dorothy Maud Benson of Highett, Victoria, Australia.

Above Grave marker for Sgt. Robert L.F. Jones (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Sgt. Robert Leonard Frederick Jones. Ambon War Cemetery 32.D.11-12 Joint Grave. Inscription: “SADLY MISSED BY HIS MOTHER, FATHER AND BROTHER BILL (EX. A.I.F)”. Born on the 8th October 1924 in Botany, New South Wales. Son of Sidney Walter and Lilian Miriam Jones of Drummoyne, New South Wales, Australia.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Nov 2024).

Thanks to The War Graves Photograph Project (TWGPP) for their great work.

Other sources listed below:

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