Operation: Escort mission, Japan

Date: 15th August 1945 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 894 Naval Air Squadron (NAS)

Type: Seafire III

Serial No: -

Code: 143/S

Location: Higashimura (now Chōnan), NE of Tokyo City, Japan

Base: HMS Indefatigable

Pilot: Sub-Lt.(A) Fred ‘Freddie’ Hockley RNVR Age 22. Murdered

Note: No record of the Serial No. for this Seafire III has been found. However, it is believed that the Sqn/Aircraft code was 143/S which he had previously flown on the 8th May 1945 when claiming a 1/3rd share of an A6M (Zero or Zeke) destroyed east of Formosa (today Taiwan).

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 15th August 1945 aboard HMS Indefatigable the Seafires were prepared for their first offensive operation since returning to the waters off Japan in mid-July. 3 Seafire IIIs of 887 and 4 of 894 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) were assigned to escort 6 Avengers of 820 NAS and 4 Fireflies of 1772 NAS, for a dawn strike against the kamikazes at Kisarazu airfield, 30 miles south of Tokyo. It was considered likely that this was to be the last air strike by units by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of WW2.

Sub-Lt. Fred Hockley was assigned as the flight leader of the Seafires from 894 NAS which would fly close escort. He was a combat veteran having flown the Seafire III in operations over southern France a year ago and against the Japanese since the Palembang strikes in January 1945 which marked the arrival of the British Pacific Fleet. Sub-Lt. Victor Lowden led the Seafires from 887 NAS assigned to fly top cover for the strike.

At about 05:30 hrs, Sub-Lt. Hockley could just see the dark mass of the coast of Honshu (Main Island of Japan) ahead through the thickening clouds. At that moment, the Avenger leader passed the word that they were aborting the attack on Kisarazu airfield on the southern shore of Tokyo Bay, due to the poor weather and would attack their secondary target, a chemical weapons factory at Odaki Bay to NE of Tokyo Bay. When Sub-Lt. Hockley pressed his radio switch to reply and when no one responded he realised that his radio transmitter had malfunctioned closely followed by the receiver.

Nevertheless, he decided to press on with the mission, relying on hand signals to his wingman. On approach to Odaki, the Fireflies and Avengers dropped to 1000 feet over the flat plain and started their rocket and bomb runs. Just at that moment, two Zekes (Zeros) were spotted below the bombers. Sub-Lt. Randy Kay, leader of the second 894 NAS pair, called out that they were probably decoys. A moment later, he spotted 12 Zekes (Zeros) that appeared out of the clouds, flashing past the 887 Seafires 3,000 feet above the 894 Seafires.

With his radio out, Sub-Lt. Hockley only realized the formation was under attack when he saw his wingman break sharply to the right. He was a moment too late flinging his Seafire after the others. Suddenly, his fighter was wracked by the heavy hits of 20mm shells from the Zeke (Zero) he suddenly saw in his rearview mirror, locked on his tail. Holes appeared in his wing and engine cowling, followed by smoke.

Sub-Lt. Hockley managed to pull away as his attacker turned to face another Seafire. He pulled back his canopy, unfastened his harness, pushed open the cockpit side flap and baled out. Falling clear of the fight he opened his parachute and in a matter of moments he hit the ground hard, outside the village of Higashimura (now Chōnan). It took a moment for him to catch his breath and disentangle himself from his parachute. When he stood up, he faced a very surprised and very scared Japanese air raid warden. Sub-Lt. Hockley raised his arms in surrender.

The circumstances leading to the death of Sub-Lt.(A) Fred Hockley was determined by a Military Court for the trial of war criminals which was convened in Hong Kong between the 30th May and the 13th June 1947.

Three former Japanese officers of the Imperial Japanese Army were charged with committing a war crime, in that they, at Ichinomiya, Japan, on or about the 15th August 1945, were in violation of the laws and usages of war, together concerned in the killing of one Fred Hockley, Sub-Lt. of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR).

The accused were:

Col. (Rikugun-Taisa) TAMURA Teiichi, who was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 426th Infantry regiment;
Capt. (Rikugun-Tai-i) FUJINO Masayo who was an officer of the 426th Infantry Regiment;
Maj. (Rikugun-Shōsa) HIRANO Nobuo who was an officer on the staff of the 147th Infantry Division.

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

The court heard that at approximately 04:30 hrs on the 15th August 1945. Sub-Lt. Fred Hockley, a British Naval Aviator from the aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable was shot down by the Japanese in the vicinity of Higashimura, Chibaken, Honshu (Main Island) in Japan.

Sub-Lt. Hockley, was apparently uninjured when he parachuted and landed. He was captured by a member of the Civil Defence who turned him over to soldiers of the 426th Infantry Regiment. The soldiers took him to their Regimental Headquarters (HQ) near Ichinomiya. At about 08:00 hrs on the same day, the 146th Infantry Divisional HQ at Tsurumai was contacted and advised that an enemy airman had been captured. The Division stated that it would send transportation to collect the prisoner.

At 12:00 hrs that day the Emperor broadcasted his Decree announcing the end of hostilities, which was heard by all troops. In the early part of the afternoon, the Regiment again telephoned their Divisional HQ and requested for instructions regarding Sub-Lt. Hockley as no transport had arrived. Maj. HIRANO advised the Regiment through a subordinate officer that the Division did not want Sub-Lt. Hockley and that the Regiment should handle the matter by "disposing of" the prisoner. This message was passed on to Col. TAMURA.

At about 18:30 hrs that day the prisoner still had not been collected and Col. TAMURA told Lt. SASAKI that some officer should "take care" of the prisoner after dark so that no soldier would see. These instructions were passed on by Lt. SASAKI to the Adjutant, who in turn told Lt. SASAKI to make arrangements for a grave to be dug.

At about 19:00 hrs, Capt. FUJINO led the prisoner some distance away into the hills and, in the presence of several junior officers and men, shot Sub-Lt. Hockley four or five times in the chest. He fell to the ground after which the Capt. borrowed a sword from Sgt. KUSUME and stabbed the still twitching body through the back several times. He then handed the sword back to Sgt. KUSUME who himself stabbed Sub-Lt. Hockley's body once through the back. The body was then placed in the grave, and the grave filled in. Some weeks later, the body was exhumed, cremated and the ashes buried at some Japanese Temple.

Note: Lt. (Rikugun-Chūi) SASAKI Masetaro and Sgt. (Rikugun-Sōchō) KUSUME Yuei were witnesses at the trial and neither were before the court on this charge.

The court found all three accused guilty. TAMURA Teiichi and HIRANO Nobuo were sentenced to death and FUJINO Masayo was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

The death sentence imposed on the two accused was carried out at Stanley Prison in Hong Kong on the 16th September 1947.

Burial details:

Above: The Yokohama War Cemetery, British Plot. (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Above: Grave marker for Sub-Lt.(A) Fred ‘Freddie’ Hockley (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Sub-Lt.(A) Fred ‘Freddie’ Hockley. Recovered and interred at the British Mausoleum, Yokohama on the 13th March 1946. His ashes were laid to rest at the Yokohama War Cemetery, British Section, Plot P, Row A, Grave 6 on the 12th September 1946. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1923 in Littleport, Ely, Cambridgeshire. Son of George and Hannah Rebecca (née Freeman) Hockley of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

From 1995 Maj. Murray Ormsby, the prosecuting officer at the trial, placed a memorial notice in the Daily Telegraph on the 15th August each year, the anniversary of his death. He feared that Fred ‘Freddie’ Hockley’s would be forgotten.

The Daily Telegraph, Dated 15th August 1995

Researched by Ralph Snape and Traugott Vitz for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with additional thanks to Traugott for his work on the ‘VitzArchive’. Thanks to The War Graves Photograph project (TWGPP) for their great work (Aug 2024).

Other sources as quoted below:

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