Operation: Mine laying in Simpson Harbor, Rabaul

Date: 14th February 1944 (Monday)

Unit No: Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron 233 (VMTB-233), Marine Air Group 11 (MAG-11), Marine Air Wing 1 (MAW-1), USMC

Type: TBF-1C Avenger

Serial: 47506

Code: 10

Base: Piva Uncle Airfield, Bougainville

Location: Centre of Blanche Bay east of Vulcan crater

Pilot: 1st Lt. Hugh Lonea Cornelius O-14783 USMCR Age 22. PoW */Died (1)

Radio: Pfc. Edwin Duane St Germain 498645 USMCR Age 21. KiA

Turret Gunner: S/Sgt. Edward Michael Slipkas 323548 USMCR Age 28. PoW */MiA (2)

* Tunnel Hill PoW Camp, Rabaul, New Britain

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 14th February 1944 twenty-six (26) aircraft from VMTB-233 were detailed to undertake a mission to mine the northern half of Simpson Harbor at Rabaul with Mk.12-1 mines.

Three (3) groups of aircraft took-off from Piva Uncle strip at one (1) hour intervals starting at 00:30hrs. Group A and C was to make their attack from East to West, and egress down St. George's Channel, with Group B to make their attack from West to East and egress across Talili Bay and the neck of Crater Peninsula. One plane failed to catch up and returned to base.

The Avengers were picked up by searchlights and then encountered intense Anti-Aircraft (AA) fire throughout the attack.

TBF-1C Avenger #47506 was one of six (6) aircraft that failed to return. One (1) was lost from Group A, two (2) from Group B and three (3) from Group C. The others that failed to return were:

TBF-1C Avenger #06311, Code 14, flown by 1st Lt. John F. Bartholf Jr. O-14325, Pfc. Raymond P. Lagro 801179 and S/Sgt. Joseph A. Sullivan Jr. 359657. Shot down by AA north of the northwest end of the Lakunai Airfield. All were posted MiA and remembered on the Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing;

TBF-1C Avenger #24264, Code 102, flown by 1st Lt. James W. Boyden O-17011, Pfc. Arthur J. Patrickus 816591 and Pfc. Bernard C. Pardun 468686. All were posted MiA and remembered on the Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing;

Note: In 2016, personnel from Defence PoW/MiA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conducted an excavation of a possible crash site and sent the remains to the DPAA laboratory for analysis. Laboratory analysis and circumstantial evidence were used to identify the remains of one of the crew as those of Capt. James W. Boyden.

TBF-1C Avenger #24340, Code 107, flown by 1st Lt. Robert W. Sherman DFC(GS), O-24763, Pfc. William Bernard Cashman Sr. 807836 and Sgt. James Wallace Greene Jr. 403889;

TBF-1C Avenger #25316, Code 111, flown by Capt. Alonzo N. Hathway O-15355, Pfc. Willie C. Thompson 812851 and Cpl. John Joseph Edwards 407068. All were posted MiA and remembered on the Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing;

TBF-1C Avenger #25327, Code 115, flown by 1st Lt. James L. Fowler O-23232, Pvt. John J. Pudil 813818 and Pvt. Cecil Marvin White 818218. All were posted MiA and remembered on the Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing.

TBF-1C Avenger 47506 was shot down in flames centre of Blanche Bay East of Vulcan crater. It was surmised that Pfc. Edwin D. St Germain survived along with his fellow crew and was captured by the Japanese. However, his name is not in any official PoW records nor is he mentioned in the affidavits of the surviving PoWs from the Tunnel Hill PoW Camp. It is likely that he perished when the aircraft crashed.

Two (2) of the other three (3) losses resulting from AA fire were reported to have crashed on the north shore of Simpson Harbour and the centre of Simpson Harbour opposite Bridge Point. The location of the third loss is not known.

(1) It was later established that 1st Lt. Cornelius had been captured and held at the 6th Field Kempeitai Headquarters (HQ) PoW Compound. On the 2nd March 1944 after the 6th Field Kempeitai HQ was destroyed in a bombing raid he was amongst the approximately fifty-three (53) PoWs who were transferred to another camp known as the Tunnel Hill Cave PoW Camp in a mountain pass named Tanoura on Tunnel Hill road, which was about 2½ miles from Rabaul City and between Rabaul and Pilapila.

In his affidavit 1st Lt. Jose L. Holguin reported that in his opinion because of gross negligence by the Japanese in not provide adequate food and medical attention 1st Lt. Cornelius died on the 29th April 1944 from Pneumonia.

An overview of the investigation into the circumstances of the deaths and those deemed to be responsible for executions and atrocities is summarised in the report entitled “Talili Bay Massacre, New Britain”.

On the 29th December 1945, the 18th Australian War Graves Unit recovered the remains of twelve (12) Allied personnel which were found in graves located approximately 50 yards south of the Tunnel Hill ‘Death Valley’ PoW Camp.

The identity of 1st Lt. Cornelius and the other eleven (11) were translated from the crosses over the graves, checked against the Japanese Military Police records and a list provided by Capt. John J. Murphy:

1st Lt. Thomas B. Fessenger O-663706 USAAF;
1st Lt. John J. Fitzgerald O-26468 USMCR;
1st Lt. Billy D. Hanks O-737083 USAAF;
1st Lt. Charles C. Lanphier O-11933 USMCR;
1st Lt. Robert W. Sherman O-24763 USMCR;
Lt (Jg) James A. Warren O-156661 USNR;
S/Sgt. John J. Gillis Jr. 20610868 USAAF;
Sqn Ldr. John E. Todd 271707 RAAF;
Flt Sgt. Harry B. Dawkins 280791 RAAF;
Fg Off. Leslie A. McLelland-Symonds 401314 RNZAF;
WO. Norman N. Vickers 413232 RNZAF.

His remains were recovered and initially interred at the American War Cemetery Finschaffen No.5 in New Guinea.

(2) In a PoW report dated 2nd April 1944 S/Sgt. Slipkas was a PoW in Rabaul, New Britain. Therefore he would have been initially held at the 6th Field Kempeitai Headquarters (HQ) PoW Compound before being moved to the Tunnel Hill PoW Camp on the 2nd March 1944.

His date of death is reported to have been on the 12th April 1944, however, he was not named amongst the remains of sixteen (16) PoWs who were recovered from two (2) grave sites nor is he mentioned in the affidavits of the surviving PoWs from the Tunnel Hill PoW Camp. As a consequence his death remains unexplained and is posted MiA.

Burial details:

Capt. Hugh Lonea Cornelius. Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Purple Heart (PH), Air Medal (AM). Repatriated on the 31st March 1949 and laid to rest at the Glen Abbey Memorial Park Cemetery on the 21st May 1949. Born on the 22nd July 1921 in Aztec, San Juan, New Mexico. Son of Temple Houston and Olive Estelle (née Frazier) Cornelius of National City, San Diego, California. Husband of Helen Mae (née Betow) Cornelius of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

Pfc. Edwin Duane St Germain. Purple Heart with Gold Star (PH(GS), Air Medal (AM). Manila American cemetery, Plot D, Row 8, Grave 254 (Official date of death is reported as the 15th February 1945). Born on the 22nd April 1922 in Elgin, Illinois. Son of Edwin Dwane (deceased in October 1932) and Irene H. (née Sweeney) St Germain of Batavia, Kane County, Illinois, USA.

Above: S/Sgt. Edward M. Slipkas, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

S/Sgt. Edward Michael Slipkas. Purple Heart (PH). Air Medal with Gold Star (AM(GS)). Manila American cemetery, Wall of the Missing (Official date of death is given as 15th February 1945). Born on the 7th November 1915 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Son of Walter and Anna Slipkas of Windsor, Hartford County, Massachusetts, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their relatives (May 2026).

Other sources listed below:

Reference(s):

1. NAA: 336/1/1955 Part 7

Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them. Franklin Delano Roosevelt