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Operation: Lae Airfield, New Britain
Date: 23rd May 1942 (Saturday)
Unit No: 13th Bombardment Squadron (L), 3rd Bombardment Group (L), 5th Air Force
Type: B-25C
Serial: 41-12462
Code: Unknown
Base: 14 Mile Drome, Port Moresby, New Guinea
Location: In sea near Salamaua, New Britain
Pilot: 2nd Lt. Henry Arthur Keel SSM, O-404018 AAF Age 25. PoW/MiA
2nd Pilot: 2nd Lt. Durward Raymond ‘Ray’ Reed O-431512 AAF Age 23. PoW/MiA
Bombardier: T/Sgt. George H. Bengel DSC, 6705073 AAF Age 34. PoW/MiA
Engineer: Sgt. Danforth Earl Wilkins 14006575 AAF Age 21. PoW/MiA
Wireless Op/Upper Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Marsh 411504 RAAF Age 22. PoW/MiA
Lower Gnr: Cpl. Louis E. Murphy 11013602 AAF Age 25. Returned (1)
REASON FOR LOSS:
A statement made by Sgt. Murphy USAAF after his return described the circumstances of the aircraft ditching and the immediate escape of the crew:
“On the 23rd May 1942, I was the upper gunner and Sgt. Marsh was the lower gunner on a B-25C airplane, of the 13th Bomb Squadron, piloted by 2nd Lt. Henry A. Keel which was engaged in bombing Lae Aerodrome in New Guinea.
Approximately five (5) minutes after we had dropped the bombs the formation was attacked by approximately eight (8) ‘Zero’ fighters. During the attack our airplane received a direct hit and knocked out the right engine. I believe that due to the right engine being shot out and unable to stay with the formation, and with four (4) ‘Zero’ pressing their attack, 2nd Lt. Keel decided to chance a landing on the water. The landing was accomplished smoothly and we abandoned the ship and immediately launched the life raft. We began grouping around the raft and the four (4) ‘Zero’ began strafing us. This making such a large target we were ordered by the pilot to separate. At this time we were all safe and intact. I began swimming in the opposite direction from the rest and this was the last I saw of my crew.
I do not believe that Sgt. Marsh and the rest of the crew was ever hit by the enemy airplanes for after the (4) ‘Zeros’ left I could still hear them yelling to each other, and the flight of ‘Zeros’ that came back did not strafe but once or twice overflew, then began circling the raft and stayed over-head until dark. Seemingly to be watching and signalling the position.
Thus, I believe at dark on 25th May Sgt. Marsh had survived the afternoon strafing and was still alive. I further believe that most probably Sgt. Marsh was captured by the enemy”.
A sworn statement by a Japanese Officer described what he knew of the capture of the crew from this aircraft.
He stated that on the day of question that four of the crew survived in the ditching in a rubber dingy. He sent a Warrant officer (WO) in charge of a party on a barge to capture the airmen. The airmen were captured before reaching land and were brought back to the Officer’s Headquarters.
One (1) of the prisoners had sustained fractures to his body and injuries to an arm and leg. The officer instructed a Medical Officer to attend to the airman’s injuries and worked on him for a number of hours.
Two (2) of the prisoners were 2nd Lts. and the other two (2) were Sgts. He thought one of the Sgts. was an Australian. Although he questioned the pilot he could not remember any of their names. Later that day he ordered a Japanese WO. to escort the four (4) PoWs to Lae. He believed that from there they were sent to Rabaul.
From this it can be deduced that 2nd Lt. Keel, 2nd Lt. Reed and Sgt. Marsh were three of the four captured. The fourth was either T/Sgt. Bengel or Sgt. Wilkins but no information has been found to identify which of the two was captured. All five (5) were posted as Missing in Action.
Above: 2nd Lt. Durward Raymond ‘Ray’ Reed reported missing (Courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer, dated 8th August 1942)
Above: T/Sgt. George H. Bengel DSC reported missing (Courtesy of The Miami Herald, dated 9th August 1942)
RAAF investigations found that a Rev. W. O'Connell had reported that Fg Off. MASON Leading Telegraphist (LT) WOODROFFE, together with four American aircrew members named PEACE [sic], CHIKOWSKY [sic], MASSEY [sic] and KING, were taken from the military prison camp at RABAUL on the 8th October 1942. It was alleged by the Japanese that they were taken to work on a new airfield but during the afternoon some of their clothing was returned to the prison camp. The full names and numbers of the four Americans were not known at that time.
Research has identified the named individuals as:
MASON and WOODROFFE were Fg Off. Cecil John Trevelyan Mason 263679 RAAF of 20 Squadron, RAAF and LT. Roy Woodroffe F329/10 Royal Australian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RANVR) of HMAS Brisbane who captured on the 24th July 1942 behind Japanese lines on Anir Island.
Above: Leading Telegraphist Roy Woodroffe, RANVR
LT. Woodroffe was a coastwatcher and Fg Off. Mason had volunteered to be inserted into enemy territory by submarine to attempt a rescue of LT. Woodroffe. They were surprised by a Japanese patrol and LT. Woodroffe was captured, however Fg Off. Mason managed to escape into the jungle but was later captured by the same patrol. They were seen by a native, tied hand and foot and carried aboard a Japanese schooner together with all their gear including the wireless equipment.
Above: Fg Off. Cecil John Trevelyan Mason, RAAF
Fg Off. Mason had previously undertaken a similar mission on two occasions to rescue two (2) other coastwatchers, Lt. Alan Fairlie ‘Bill’ Kyle RANVR and Sub-Lt. Gregory Wade Benham RANVR but they chose to continue with their mission. Both were captured and executed by the Japanese on the 1st September 1942;
PEACE [sic] and CHIKOWSKY [sic] were Capt. Harl Pease Jr. O-395206 USAAF and Sgt. Chester M. Czechowski who were the Pilot and a Gunner respectively from the 93rd Bombardment Squadron (H) B-17E 41-2439 ‘Why Don’t We Do This More Often’ which was shot down on the 7th August 1942 over New Britain;
MASSEY [sic] and KING were 1st Lt. Harold Lloyd Massie USAAF and 2nd Lt. Arthur Christere King O-432982 USAAF who were the Pilot and Bombardier respectively from the 408th Bombardment Squadron Sqn B-26 ‘Imogen VII’ 40-1474 which was shot down on the 24th May 1942 over East Britain.
After hostilities had ceased an RAAF location party was led to by natives from Maturi Island to graves which were situated in the vicinity of the Japanese Cemetery at Matupi. They appeared to have been buried in several trenches. A huge bomb crater was alongside the graves and the natives stated that there was more graves there before the bombing, but that the bomb had blown them up. Recovery work was carried out until satisfied that no further remains were in the vicinity.
In one of the mass graves remains of twenty-four (24) bodies were recovered. The following were tentatively identified as:
LT. Roy Woodroffe RANVR who was wearing a gold ring inscribed 'R’ and who was known to have been wearing such a ring at the time of his capture. The identification of Woodroffe's body makes it probable that Fg Off. Cecil John Trevelyan Mason 263679 RAAF and the four (4) other Americans who were last seen with Woodroffe at Rabaul were also buried in the mass grave;
A body from this mass grave was found with the Identity Discs (ID) for 2nd Lt. Keel from this aircraft. However, the remains could not be positively identified as those of 2nd Lt. Keel. As this body and ID discs had been found in the mass grave, it is considered possible that any other members of this crew who survived the crash and captured were possibly killed at the same time and buried in the same grave.
Note: In April 1948 the No.2 Australian War Crimes Section and the American Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) Legal Section agreed that all crimes in Australian New Guinea that were not complete would be handled by the Australians, whether Australians or Americans were victims.
The investigation team were of the opinion, in light of the discoveries that were made, that the total number of prisoners murdered at Matupi over the whole period must have been at least one-hundred (100) and likely to be many more.
With one exception none of the Japanese directly responsible for the murders of Allied airmen in this area were brought to trial. These known criminals can be divided into various classes:
Died or killed in action before end of war;
Committed suicide to avoid arrest, e.g. Rear Admiral (Kaigun-shōshō) FUJITA who was responsible for the murder of Flt Lt. William Ellis Newton VC, 250748 RAAF and Rear Admiral (Kaigun-shōshō) KIYAMA who was responsible for some of the murders at RABAUL;
Because of the cunning with which the Japanese had covered their tracks sufficient evidence had not been obtained when investigations closed;
Criminals that were still alive and at large against whom sufficient evidence of guilt had been obtained.
(1) Cpl. Murphy was about two (2) miles from land and could have made it during the night. However, he saw a boat coming so he moved out into deeper water to avoid it. He spent the night and the next day in the water and on the second night still in the water he was within 200 yards of Salamaua.
The current from the Francisco River carried him down the coast and about noon the next day, 48 hrs after landing in the water, he reached the shore. Lying exhausted on the beach, he was picked up by a Kanaka tribe member from the village of Salls. Cpl. Murphy, who was suffering from sun-blindness, heard firing and planes passing overhead.
The natives told him that two planes, one on fire, were seen to fall in the water between Salamaua and Salus. Other natives reported two more planes had come down near Lababia. He later found that two (2) B-25's from the 13th Bombardment Sqn were missing from this operation.
The natives carried Cpl. Murphy from Salus to Mube where they turned him over to the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR). Here, he was joined by the crew of 1st Lt. Irvine H. Shearer's B-25C #41-12498 from the 90th Bombardment Sqn, which was shot down in the action he heard on the night of the 25th May.
Note: 1st Lt. Shearer ditched his aircraft off Salamaua. He and four (4) of his crew survived. T/Sgt. Arthur G. Kelly, the Bombardier died aboard the aircraft and was posted MiA.
Above: Clipping from The Hamilton Spectator, dated 4th July 1942)
He stayed at Mube for a couple of days and then was carried on a six (6) day trip through the jungle to Wau. He contracted malaria at Wau and stayed there about a week. From Wau he was taken to Port Moresby aboard a Lockheed Hudson bomber. He made a report to the Intelligence Officer at Port Moresby and later made the trip to Townsville in a B-17.
Burial details:
Above: Wall of the missing for 2nd Lt. Henry A. Keel (Courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC))
2nd Lt. Henry Arthur Keel. Posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal (SSM), Purple Heart (PH). Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing. Born on the 25th March 1917 in Dickenson, Virginia. Son of Patrick Steven (deceased in November 1917) and Sarah Magdalene ‘Maggie’ (née Reedy) Keel of Umatilla, Florida, USA.
Above: Wall of the missing for 2nd Lt. Durward R. Reed (Courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC))
2nd Lt. Durward Raymond ‘Ray’ Reed. Posthumously awarded the Air Medal (AM), Purple Heart (PH). Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing. Born on the 22nd January 1919 in Montgomery, Kentucky. Son of Anthony Bascom and Nannie Fern (née Whitt) of Lockland, Ohio, USA.
Above: Wall of the missing for T/Sgt. George H. Bengal (Courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC))
T/Sgt. George H. Bengel. Posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Air Medal (AM), Purple Heart (PH). Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing. Born on the 11th September 1907 in Augusta, Kentucky. Son of Herman Harry Truman and Alice Julia C. (née Custer) Truman of Feyette, Pennsylvania, USA.
Above: Wall of the missing for Sgt. Danforth E. Wilkins (Courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC))
Sgt. Danforth Earl Wilkins. Posthumously awarded the Air Medal (AM), Purple Heart (PH). Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing. Born on the 6th January 1921 in McGehee, Arkansas. Son of Aaron Weatherly and Clara Lucille (née Carver) Wilkins of Monroe, Quachita, Louisiana, USA.
Above: Lae War Memorial, Panel 7 (Courtesy of Alanna Clifton)
Sgt. Thomas Marsh. Lae War Memorial, Panel 7, New Guinea. Born on the 11th March 1920 in Birtley, Gateshead, England. Son of Mr and Mrs Joseph and Marsh of Portland, New South Wales, Australia.
Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families. Many thanks to Alanna Clifton for the excellent Lae Cemetery images (Dec 2024).
Other sources listed below:
RS 28.12.2024 - Initial upload
RS 28.12.2024 - Initial upload
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