AR banner
Search Tips Advanced Search
Back to Top

• Kracker Archive
• Allied Losses
• Archiwum Polish
• Paradie Canadian
• RCAF
• RAAF
• RNZAF
• USA
• Searchable Lists

Info LogoAdd to or correct this story with a few clicks.
Archive Report: US Forces
1941 - 1945

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

We seek additional information and photographs. Please contact us via Helpdesk
10th Air Force
06.03.1944 1st Air Commando Group, CG-4A Waco Glider, Unknown Serial, 1st Lt. Charles B. Liston

Operation: ‘Operation Thursday’, Burma (Myanmar)

Date: 6th March 1944 (Monday)

Unit No: 1st Commando Group, 10th Air Force

Type: CG-4A Waco Glider

Serial No: Unknown #

Code: None

Base: Lalaghat, India

Location: Chindwin river area, Burma (Myanmar)

Pilot: 1st Lt. Charles Bourck Liston O-529445 AAF Age 34. PoW */DED **/MiA

Co-Pilot: M/Sgt. Fletcher Eugene Hart 37001604 AAF Age 34. PoW *

Cpl. Julius Fidel Yackie 17072536 AAF Age 25. PoW */DED **/MiA (1)

* Burma #5 (Moulmein & Rangoon Jail) also known as the New Law Courts Jail

** DED = Declared dead

REASON FOR LOSS:

The aim of Operation ‘Thursday’ was to fly a force of 10,000 men, 1,000 mules, equipment and supplies into clearings in the heart of Burma behind enemy lines.

Three sites were selected for the initial landing grounds and were given the code names ‘Piccadilly’,’ Broadway’ and ’Chowringhee’, named after famous roads in London, New York and Calcutta. The site at ‘Piccadilly’ was excluded because it was found that the Japanese were active in the area. These landing sites had been chosen in inaccessible areas to avoid contact with Japanese ground troops and all sorties were to be flown at night to avoid Japanese aircraft.

The plan was for a first wave of gilders to land troops to secure the sites. A second wave would land more troops and American engineers with their equipment to construct an airstrip so that C-47 Dakotas could bring in the remaining troops and equipment. Flights were flown from three airfields, Hailekandi and Lalaghat in Assam and Tulihal in the Imphal plain. All glider operations would be mounted from Lalaghat.

The operation commenced on the 5th March1944. The first wave consisted of 52 gliders towed by 26 Dakotas from 1st Air Commando Group. Another 28 gliders were towed in the second wave. At 18:12 hrs on the 5th March 1944 the first 8 gliders of the first wave took off followed half hour later by the main body.

The Dakotas normally only towed one glider but due to the need to fly in a force capable of defending and constructing an airstrip as quickly as possible it was decided to tow two gliders from one aircraft. This resulted in some of the gliders never reaching their destinations due to engines overheating on the tug planes and some of the tow ropes breaking. After this further gliders would only be singled towed.

On the night of 6th/7th March twelve (12) gliders, one of which was flown by 1st Lt. Liston, were towed into the second landing site ‘Chowringhee’ where another airstrip was constructed. By the 8th March a force of 1,200 men, 200 mules and their equipment and ammunition had been delivered. After this ‘Chowringhee’ was abandoned because it was found to be vulnerable to ground and air attack. A few hours after it was evacuated ‘Chowringhee’ was bombed by the Japanese air force.

The Lat/Long for the landing site of 'Chowringhee' was at 23°55'24.00"N 96°23'2.00"E. This is in the confluence region some 7 miles to the east of the Irrawaddy River and 3 miles south of the Shweli River in the Sagaing Region.

It appears that 1st Lt. Liston, M/Sgt. Hart and Cpl. Yackie were captured in the attempt to reach Allied lines. A report initiating the casualty status of these men stated that it was thought that they were prisoners of war.

The names of 1st Lt. Liston and M/Sgt. Hart were subsequently mentioned on a unofficial broadcast emanating from Japan. Later information confirmed that they had been captured and were eventually incarcerated at the Burma #5 (Moulmein & Rangoon Jail) PoW camp.

(1) Cpl. Yackie was reported to have died from malnutrition and the mistreatment whilst a PoW on the 28th August 1944. A British Military Court convened in Rangoon, Burma between the 6th and 19th June 1946 determined that his death was deemed to be a war crime.

Four (4) members of the Imperial Japanese Army were charged with committing a war crime in that they, at the New Law Courts Jail Annex, Rangoon, Burma, between the 1st March 1944 and 1st May 1945 when members of the Staff of the Jail and were responsible for the well-being of the prisoners in custody there, in violation of the laws and usages of war, were together concerned as parties to the ill-treatment resulting in the deaths of seventeen (17) and other American PoW, and physical suffering to other American PoW in custody at the jail.

The four (4) accused were:

Captain (Rikugun-tai-i) TAZUMI Motozo;

1st Lieutenant (Rikugun-Chūi) ONISHI Akio;

Sergeant Major (Rikugun-Sōchō) UENO Kiyoshi;

Superior Private (Rikugun-Jōtō-Hei) UENO Koigetsu.

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

Capt. TAZUMI was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the Futo Buntai prison, also known as the New Law Courts Jail Annex, from 15th March 1944 until May 1944. Lt. ONISHI was the Medical Officer (MO) at the Jail from the 4th May 1944 to the 15th April 1945.

Sgt Maj. UENO was the Quartermaster in change of purchasing food and drawing rations for the entire personnel for the Jail from March 1944 until the evacuation on or about the 25th April 1945.

Sup Pvt. UENO was a member of the guard at the Jail from the 25th April 1943 to 10th October 1944.

During the period April 1943 to May 1945 approximately one-hundred (100) American PoWs were incarcerated in the Annex where they were kept in confinement under harsh and oppressive regulations without proper or adequate food, covering, sanitation facilities and medical attention. During this time the PoWs were subjected to brutal beatings and maltreatment by members of the staff of the jail and in particular by Sup Pvt. UENO.

The treatment of the PoWs directly contributed the deaths of the following seventeen (17) named Americans, and other PoWs:

Sgt. Norman E. Albinson, Sgt. John E. Leisure, Cpl. Julius F. Yackie, T/Sgt. Charles A. Pittard, S/Sgt. Jack R. Sheets, 1st Lt. Robert D. Drummey, 1st Lt. Burdette C. Goodrich, Capt. Armin J. Ortmeyer, 2nd Lt. Joseph G. Rich, 2nd Lt. Burdette H. Baker, 1st Lt. James M. Grey, S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez, Capt. Wayne R. Westberg, 2nd Lt. Everitt E. Briggs Jr., 1st Lt. Paul E. Almand, FO. Gene Gambale, Sgt. J. Brown. (No corroborated information for a US airman by this name has been found).

The court found TAZUMI guilty of the charge except in the case of the deaths of the seventeen (17) named Americans and other PoWs.

ONISHI was found guilty of the ill-treatment resulting in the death of 1st Lt. Robert D. Drummey and contributing to the deaths of Sgt. Norman E. Albinson, 1st Lt. Burdette C. Goodrich, Capt. Armin J. Ortmeyer, 2nd Lt. Joseph G. Rich, 2nd Lt. Burdette H. Baker, 1st Lt. James M. Grey, S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez, 2nd Lt. Everitt E. Briggs Jr., 1st Lt. Paul E. Almand and Sgt. J. Brown.

Sgt Maj. UENO and Sup Pvt. UENO were found guilty of the charge except in the case of the deaths of the seventeen (17) named Americans and other PoWs.

The court sentenced TAZUMI, UENO Kiyoshi and UENO Koigetsu to 7 years, 3 years and 15 years imprisonment respectively.

ONISHI was sentence to death, however, upon review on the 14th March 1947 the sentence of death was commuted to imprisonment for life.

The remains of Cpl. Yackie were recovered by the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS). On the 17th May 1946 his remains were loaded aboard C-47B 43-48308 of the 1304th AAF Base Unit to be transported from Mingaladon in Rangoon to Barrackpore in India. The aircraft failed to arrive at the ETA and despite an extensive air search no trace of any wreckage on land or sea was found and the aircraft, crew, passengers and the remains of these five (5) airmen along with another thirty-seven (37) are still missing to this day.

Burial Details

Above: 1st Lt. Charles B. Liston, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

1st Lt. Charles Bourck Liston. Air Medal (AM), Purple Heart (PH). Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery. Born on the 16th August 1909 in Union, Iowa. Son of Charles R. and Margaret L. (née Bourch) Liston of Quincy, Iowa. Husband to Eleanor Jean (née Forsythe) Liston of Washington, Iowa, USA.

Above: Cpl. Julius F. Yackie, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

Cpl. Julius Fidel Yackie. Air Medal (AM). Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery. Born on the 8th June 1919 in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Son of Theodore Fidel and Rosa Lena (née Armstrong) Yackie of Washington Town, Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to this crew and their families (Jan 2025).

Other sources listed below:

RS 16.01.2025 - Initial Upload

Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination  •  Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis •  SOE Heroine Nancy Wake •  Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
Acknowledgments: Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
Click any image to enlarge it
Click to add your info via ticket on Helpdesk •Click to let us know via ticket on Helpdesk• Click to explore the entire site

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

All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© 2012 - 2025 Aircrew Remembered
Last Modified: 30 January 2025, 10:58

If you would like to comment on this page, please do so via our Helpdesk. Use the Submit a Ticket option to send your comments. After review, our Editors will publish your comment below with your first name, but not your email address.