Operation: Watercraft Sweep, Kokas to Fak Fak, Dutch New Guinea

Date: 5th December 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 76 Squadron, 73 Wing, 1st Tactical Air Force

Type: Kittyhawk III ‘Young John’

Serial: A29-303

Code: SV:?

Base: Kamiri Strip, Noemfoor Island, Admiralty Islands

Location: Seckar Bay, near Ogar Island, Dutch New Guinea

Pilot: Flt Lt. John Edward MacLeod 416591 RAAF Age 23. PoW/Murdered

Above: Flt Lt. John E. MacLeod (from NAA Case No: 81962)

Note: Kittyhawk III A29-303 was built as a P-40M BuNo. 43-5421

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 5th December 1944, four (4) Kittyhawks from 76 Sqn took-off from Kamiri Strip commencing at 09:30 hrs detailed to undertake a Watercraft Sweep from Kokas to Fak Fak, Dutch New Guinea.

At 10:30 hrs whilst strafing stores at the eastern end of Seckar Bay at Lat/Long 02 44S, 132 28E, No’s 1 and 2 made a run on a stores building constructed of corrugated iron camouflaged by vegetation. A large explosion followed which turned No.1 on its back and severely shook No’s 3 and 4, who were approximately one (1) mile away.

Immediately after the explosion No.1 called up No.2 and told him that he was losing fuel. No 2 acknowledged but replied that he was hit and losing glycol and stated that he was ditching. Flt Lt. MacLeod was observed by all aircraft to successfully ditch at 10:33 hrs and was seen to inflate his dinghy and climb aboard.

The location was at the eastern end of Seckar Bay, near Ogar Island, Dutch New Guinea.

No.1 instructed No.3 to orbit pilot and ordered No.4 to return to base and report. No.1 gained altitude and tried to contact base by wireless which was unsuccessful.

No.1: Kittyhawk III A29-338 - Flt Lt. R.M. Muirhead 407127;
No.2: Kittyhawk III A29-303 - Flt Lt. John E. MacLeod 416591;
No.3: Kittyhawk III A29-329 - Flt Lt. L.G. Butterworth 404494;
No.4: Kittyhawk III A29-355 - Flt Sgt. L. Newbold 429821.

Flt Lt. Robert McDougall Muirhead DFC, 407127 RAAF. Survived the war and was discharged from the service on the 5th April 1946;

Flt Lt. Leslie George Raymond Butterworth 404494 RAAF. Survived the war and was discharged from the service on the 20th November 1945;

Flt Sgt. Leonard Benjamin Newbold 429821 RAAF. Appointed to a commission. Survived the war and was discharged from the service as a Fg Off. on the 25th January 1946.

Twice during the afternoon attempts were made by Japanese to capture the pilot, but they met with disaster on both occasions, their watercraft being strafed, sunk and at least one of the occupants was killed.

The downed pilot was covered by other Kittyhawks from the Sqn and also Beaufighters until 17:00 hrs on the 5th December. Searching aircraft were over the search area at first light on the 6th December and searching continued throughout the daylight hours of the 6th and 7th December but no trace of the pilot or dinghy was observed. A daily search by two (2) aircraft for approximately two (2) hrs until and beyond the 12th December without success.

The fate of Flt Lt. MacLeod was determined at a Military Tribunal convened at Manus, between the 7th August and 14th August 1950. Three (3) former personnel from the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) were charged with committing a war crime that is to say murder in that they at Kokas, New Guinea, about December 1944 murdered Flt Lt. J.E. McLeod [sic] of the RAAF then a prisoner of war held in custody by the Japanese Armed Forces.

The three (3) accused served with the Japanese 25 Special Naval Base Unit, Kokas detachment

Lt. (Kaigun-tai-i) SHIMIZU Kuichiro, Commanding Officer;
Sub Lt. (Kaigun-Chūi) SUZUKI Yutaka;
PO 1st Class. (Kaigun-Ittōheisō) AGATA (or YASUGATA) Yuzaburo.

Note: The Japanese word Kaigun preceding a rank indicates that it relates to the Navy.

The court heard that Flt Lt. MacLeod had landed on a small island believed to be Ogar and picked up by natives and taken to their village. The following day he was captured by Japanese army personnel who had handed him over to the custody of the Kokas detachment of the 25th Special Naval Base Force.

This Force was commanded by SUZUKI, who was an Ensign (Kaigun-shōi) at that time, who had taken over the command of the detachment from SHIMIZU, who was a Sub Lt. (Kaigun-Chūi) at that time, on the 4th December 1944 and who was awaiting transport to his new command.

Following on his capture a signal was sent from the Kokas Detachment to the headquarters (HQ) of the 25th Special Naval Base Force at Ambon advising the HQ of the capture. For some days Flt Lt. MacLeod was kept in an air-raid shelter and interrogated by an army officer.

When such interrogation was finished on the 7th December 1944 the accused SUZUKI caused a further signal to be despatched to his headquarters at Ambon reading:

‘Would appreciate your instructions as to handling the disposition of the prisoner of war’.

To this signal the following reply was received:

‘Send the documents only. The prisoner need not be sent’.

SUZUKI after some discussion with SHIMIZU decided to the interpret the reply to mean that the PoW was to be executed. SUZUKI then ordered the accused AGATA (or YASUGATA) to carry out the execution.

Accordingly AGATA (or YASUGATA) took the Australian PoW on the evening of the 19th December to a place of execution some few hundred yards behind the detachment HQ and there decapitated him with a sword.

The court found SUZUKI and AGATA (or YASUGATA) guilty of the charge, SHIMIZU was found not guilty of having aided and abetted the war crime.

The court passed a sentence of death by hanging on SUZUKI and AGATA (or YASUGATA) was sentenced to imprisonment of fifteen (15) years. The final disposition of the sentences are unknown.

Burial details:

Above: The Ambon War Cemetery (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Above: Initial Grave marker for Flt Lt. John E. MacLeod (from NAA Case No: 81962)

Flt Lt. John Edward MacLeod. Finally laid to rest on the 3rd December 1946 at the Ambon War Cemetery, Grave Plot 7, Row C, Grave 3. Born on the 1st May 1921 in Lower North Adelaide, South Australia. Son of Alexander Norman and Mary Ellen (née Craigs) Macleod. Husband of Lesley Catherine (née Purcell) Macleod of Potts Point, New South Wales, Australia.

John Edward MacLeod was the recipient of the Royal Humane Society Medal. He also served as a Junior Constable with the South Australia Police department.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot (Jun 2026).

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