Operation: Taboi Wharf in Simpson Harbour

Date: 15th January 1945 (Monday)

Unit: No. 14 (NZ) Squadron

Type: Vought Corsair F4U-I

Serial: NZ5413

Code: 13

Base: Green Island, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea (now known as Nissan Island)

Location: Beehives in Simpson Harbour, Rabaul

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Francis George Keefe NZ/417066 RNZAF Age 28. PoW

REASON FOR LOSS:

Aircrew Remembered has been assisted with this by the late Mr. Bryan Cox who had been the last surviving member of the 'Black Monday' operation. This followed the shooting down of Fl/Lt. Keefe and details can be found here.

The Australian garrison defending Rabaul was vastly outnumbered by the Japanese invasion force which landed in Blanche Bay on the 23rd January 1942. The Australian forces, lacking adequate air support and pre-arranged retreat plans, were forced to withdraw after a short but fierce defence. Rabaul, with its harbour and airfields, became a crucial Japanese base for operations in the Southwest Pacific, including the planned conquest of Port Moresby and expansion into other islands in the region.

The Australian forces suffered heavy casualties, with many soldiers killed or captured, marking the greatest Australian military disaster of the war against Japan in the Pacific

Following the capture of the port of Rabaul, Japanese forces turned it into a major base and proceeded to land on mainland New Guinea, advancing toward Port Moresby. Heavy fighting followed along the Kokoda Track, and around Milne Bay, before the Japanese were eventually pushed back towards Buna Gona by early 1943. As part of Operation Cartwheel, throughout 1943-1945.

Left: Japanese anti-aircraft gun at Rabaul

Allied forces later sought to isolate the Japanese garrison on Rabaul, rather than capturing it, largely using air power to do so, with US, New Zealand and Australian ground forces pursuing a limited campaign in western New Britain during this time.

By the end of the war, there was still a sizeable garrison at Rabaul, with large quantities of equipment that were subsequently abandoned. In the aftermath, it took the Allies over two years to repatriate the captured Japanese soldiers, while clean-up efforts continued past the late 1950s. Many relics including ships, aircraft and weapons, as well as abandoned positions and tunnels, remain in the area.

Taking off with 35 others to bomb the Japanese-held Taboi Wharf in Simpson Harbour. During the bomb run, NZ5413 was hit by the an intense anti-aircraft fire at 09:05 hrs. Despite being wounded in the arm he managed to bale out from the stricken Corsair and landed in the water close to the rock formation known as the 'Beehives'. Despite his injuries, he started to swim to the harbour entrance in the hope that he could then be rescued by a Catalina, but drifted further away due to the turning of the tide.

Nearby enemy batteries prevented an American Catalina landing to effect a rescue.

Throughout the day sections of Corsairs orbited overhead to fend off enemy attempts to capture the pilot. Towards dusk at 18:30 hrs a Ventura flown by W/O. Ronald Fredrick Lindsey MiD NZ/421381 with Corsair escort carried out a daring low-level sortie to drop two bamboo rafts close by, but the pilot was observed lying face down on what appeared to be a small log just within the harbour entrance. Fl/Lt. Keefe was picked up shortly afterwards by the Japanese and made a PoW at the Naga Naga camp south of Rabaul.

Here he died of blood poisoning 15 days later and was initially buried in Rabaul - later reinterred at Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery.

Above L-R: Athol Lyall White, Eric Blampied, Ronald Fredrick Lindsey, Jack Ingram and Pat Marchant Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand)

How the newspapers reported the incident.

The 15 Corsairs started to return to base but encountered a formidable tropical storm front and tragically 7 pilots were lost in the vain attempt to help Fl/Lt. Keede - 8 Corsairs were destroyed representing the greatest loss of aircraft in a single day or night flying in the history of the RNZAF known as 'Black Monday'. Further details here.

Burial and further details:

Fl/Lt. Francis George Keefe. Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery. Grave 8. 14. Born on the 23rd of July 1916 in Epson, Auckland. Educated at the Sacred Heart College, Auckland. Worked as a driver-mechanic at Gordon and Gotch Ltd, Auckland prior to service. Served for two years in the RNVR.

Enlisted in the RNZAF at Levin/Initial Training Wing as Airman Pilot u/t 21st December 1941. With 2 Elementary Flying Training School on the 07th February 1942. Posted to 2 Service Flying Training School on the 05th April 1942.

Awarded his 'Wings on the 15th of June 1942 and commissioned on the 05th of September 1942. Offices School of Instruction on the 14th of September 1942. On the 10th October 1942 with Central Flying School. Posted to 3 Elementary Flying Training School Flying the Tiger Moth as a flight instructor on the 08th December 1942. Promoted to F/O.on the 05th March 1943. Joined 20 Operational Training Unit on the 09th July 1944 flying the P-40 Warhawk on the 09th July 1944. Corsair Conversion and Test Flight on the 19th of August 1944, then joined Aircrew Pool on 09th of September 1944 having been promoted to Fl/Lt. on the on the 05th of September 1944.

Finally joined 14 squadron on the 25th of September 1944 before leaving with the squadron to the Pacific on the 31st of October 1944.

Son of Michael Francis Keefe (died 20th May 1975, age 84) and Margaret Frances (née Baker - married on the 08th September 1910 - died on 19th June 1967, age 79) of Gosford, New South Wales, Australia.

Husband of Frances Adelaide Keefe (married on 29th June 1940 - née MacKenzie - died on the 29th October 2007, age 89), of 45 Franklin Road, Ponsonby, Auckland. N.ew Zealand. Brother of F/O. William John Francis Keefe NZ/4210922 RNZAF (died 19th of January 1993)

Above Rear L-R: Alex Reginald Horn, Andy Cook, Ian Morrison Thorburnm, Albert Norman Saward, Leslie Cecil Jeffs, John Richard Claydon, Peter George Moore, Eric Trevor Green, Alan Jordan Ewert, C. Brown,
Centre: Stanley Robert Sparrow, David Ashley Corbett, Raymond Offen, Ian James Munro, Richard Augustine Murray Soar, John Seddon McArthur, Ronald Robert Mitchell, John Mahiti Wilson, Francis George Keefe.
Front: Neale Cook Sutherland, Rovert Anderson Barnett, Percy Warwick Blundell, Bruce Stafford Hay, Douglas Walter Cocks, Patrick Stanley Tennent, Harold Patrick Crump, Lionel Charles Strawbridge, Donald George Walther (Courtesy Bryan Cox) (Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand)

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland. Also our thanks to Paul Keefe. Additional information was provided by relatives of some of the pilots. We welcome contact from others who may be able to add to this page or indeed other reports.

Other sources as quoted below:

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