Operation: Rabaul, New Britain

Date: 2nd November 1943 (Tuesday)

Unit: 501st Bombardment Squadron (M), 345th Bombardment Group (M), 5th Air Force

Type: B-25D

Serial No: 41-30094

Code: Unknown

Base: 7-Mile Drome, Port Moresby, Papua and New Guinea

Location: About three (3) miles east of the Rapopo Drome

Pilot: 1st Lt. Orbry Homer Moore O-793431 AAF Age 24. MiA

Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. John Calvin Heath O-672098 AAF Age 23. MiA

Armorer: T/Sgt. John Michael Barron 36321185 AAF Age 24. PoW */Murdered/MiA (1)

Gunner: S/Sgt. William Cecil Harris 6973602 AAF Age 23. PoW */Murdered/MiA (1)

Radioman: Sgt. Michael H. Kicera 13022239 AAF Age 23. PoW* /Murdered/MiA (1)

* Tunnel Hill PoW Camp, Rabaul, New Britain

Above 2nd Lt. John C. Heath (Courtesy of the Austin American Statesman, dated 16th February 1943)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 2nd November 1943 B-25D 41-30094 took-off from 7-Mile Drome, near Port Moresby, on a mission against Rabaul, New Britain

Jackson Airfield (7-Mile Drome) was one of a complex of seven (7) military airfields located in the area of Port Moresby in the territory of Papua and New Guinea.

Eye-witness account of the loss of 41-30094 by 1st Lt. James K. Clark O-519993:

“1st Leut. Moore, O.H. in ship number 41-30094 was hit by ack-ack just after topping the ridge before making turn to left and run over target area. The ack-ack exploded aft of the fire wall and immediately the right engine nacelle caught fire. It seemed to me that 1st Lieut. Moore, O.H. made use of his Lux system, and was able to right his ship and rejoin the formation and make his run. When I again noticed ship 41-30094, the right engine nacelle was enveloped in flames and about one-third (1/3) of the right wing was also on fire. The right landing gear had dropped and was hanging. 1st Leut. Moore, O.H. at that time was leading the formation and in my opinion pealed away in order to assure the safety of the formation in the event of an explosion. Captain Manders, J.M. and his flight continued to follow 1st Leut. Moore, O.H. When last I saw the ship it was under control and in a glide toward St, George's Channel just off shore from Kabakau. At this time he was still strafing. Later it was reported by a pilot of a P-38, that 1st Leut. Moore, O.H. made a successful crash-landing in the water”.

Eye-witness account of the loss of 41-30094 by Capt. John M. Manders O-724790:

“1st Lieut. Orbry H. Moore was flying ship number 41-30094, flying in the number two position of the third element. As we were about to start our run into the target area, I noticed that all were intact. Immediately after dropping down on to the township area, we started firing our guns and dropping bombs. After we'd gone about one quarter of the way down the run, laying just about broad side to us, at that point was a cruiser which kept firing at us. It is my opinion that Lieut. Urbry H. Moore was hit by this cruiser; at that time his right engine burst into flames. I immediately called him and told him the squadron formation was his and that we would all fall in on him, which we did. For a moment or so after that, it looked es though he had put the fire out, with the use of his Lux System. We were then just west of Matupi Island and again Lieut. Orbry H. Moore's ship's right engine burst into flames, this time the fire had spread from the engine nacelle to approximately one third of the wing Lieut. Orbry H. Moore then pulled out of the formation to the left and started to prepare to crash land his ship. I pulled my flight on out and followed him down. He still had his ship well under control as we passed over Rapopo airdrome. It looked to me at that point that he was either going to crash land into the Cocoanut Grove or just off shore. A P-38 pilot later confirmed the landing just off shore. We were unable to offer any more assistance or observe the actual landing as Zeros were pressing their attacks and making it impossible for us to stay with him any longer”.

Note: Capt. John M. Manders and his crew of five (5) were KiA on the 30th January 1944 during a low-level bombing mission against Japanese shipping in Hansa Bay, New Guinea His B-25D 41-30594 was hit by shore based Anti-Aircraft fire, exploded and crashed in the Bay.

Eye-witness account of the loss of 41-30094 by Capt. Wilfred J. McGowan O-730937:

“On Tuesday, November 2, 1943, in a strike on Rabaul harbor, I observed the crash landing of ship number 41-30094. This ship had been hit by accurate anti-aircraft fire in the right engine nacelle while over the target. I did not see any definite damage to him over the target, because my wing man was between his ship and mine. Also I could not see his right nacelle due to his position. After strafing a secondary target the formation pulled up and I was in a position to see that ship 41-30094 was in trouble. We were about thirty (30) feet below and a little to the left and back from it. It started burning and in a few seconds the whole nacelle and part of the wing were on fire. The wheel dropped down from the nacelle and then the pilot, 1st Lieut. Orbry H. Moore maneuvered his ship over the top of the formation and headed for the beach. He had good control and was still strafing as he was going down. The plane was burning very bad by this time and sections of the nacelle and wing were falling from it. Captain John M. Manders and his flight pulled over to cover the crash landing and fight a group of Zekes which were attempting to make passes at the crippled ship. I last saw the ship as he went below the palm trees on the beach a few miles east of Rapopo strip. At the approximate point of the crash landing I observed a cloud of white smoke rising above the trees”.

The aircraft made a controlled landing in the sea in Kabakaul Bay about three (3) miles east of the Rapopo Drome (Rabaul #3) just off the shore and opposite Pigeon Island.

(1) After the Japanese were defeated on New Britain it was found that there were only eight (8) surviving Allied PoWs at the Tunnel Hill PoW camp whereas it was expected to find a great many more. An investigation was instigated by the 18th Australian War Graves Unit to determine the fate of the PoWs that were thought to have been held on New Britain.

The investigation found that T/Sgt. Barron, S/Sgt. Harris and Sgt. Kicera were initially held at the PoW camp at Rabaul. They were was amongst the approximately fifty-four (54) PoWs who were moved from Rabaul to the Tanoura Mountain pass by truck. Surviving PoWs last saw T/Sgt. Barron in fair health and S/Sgt. Harris in an unknown condition on the 4th/5th March 1944.

It was claimed by the Japanese that T/Sgt. Barron, S/Sgt. Harris and Sgt. Kicera were amongst thirty-one (31) PoWs who were killed in an Allied air-raid on the 4th/5th March 1944. However, after interrogating Japanese officers and soldiers stationed at Rabaul during the war the investigation came to the conclusion that this claim was not credible and that the PoWs had been executed.

An overview of the investigation into the circumstances of the deaths and those deemed to be responsible for the executions and atrocities is summarised in the report entitled “Talili Bay Massacre, New Britain”.

Burial details:

Above: 1st Lt. Orbry H. Moore, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

1st Lt. Orbry Homer Moore. Purple Heart (PH), Air Medal (AM). Manila American Cemetery, Tablets of the Missing. (Date of death given 15th January 1946). Born on the 28th June 1919 in Murfreeboro, Rutherford, Tennessee. Son of Thomas Andrew and Eva Ethel (née Laminack) Moore of Murfreeboro, Rutherford, Tennessee. Husband to Sara (née Johnson) Moore of Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, USA.

Above: 2nd Lt. John C. Heath, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

2nd Lt. John Calvin Heath. Purple Heart (PH), Air Medal (AM). Manila American Cemetery, Tablets of the Missing. (Date of death given 15th January 1946). Born on the 22nd August 1920 in Austin, Travis, Texas. Son of John Herman and Elmeda (née Lewis) Heath of Austin, Travis, Texas, USA.

Above group burial marker including T/Sgt. John M. Barron, S/Sgt. William C. Harris, Sgt. Michael H. Kicear (Courtesy of KcK - FindAGrave)

T/Sgt. John Michael Barron. Air Medal (AM). Ashes repatriated and laid to rest on the 21st March 1950 in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri, Plot 78, Grave 930 to 934. Born on the 13th January 1920 in Chicago, Illinois. Son on the Francis John (deceased in March 1928) and Elizabeth (née O’Donohue) Barron of Chicago, Illinois, USA.

S/Sgt. William Cecil Harris. Air Medal (AM). Ashes repatriated and laid to rest on the 21st March 1950 in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri, Plot 78, Grave 930 to 934. Born circa 1920 in Georgia. Son of William Spurgeon and Lillie (née Neeley) Harris of Taylorsville, Georgia, USA.

Sgt. Michael H. Kicera. Air Medal (AM). Ashes repatriated and laid to rest on the 21st March 1950 in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri, Plot 78, Grave 930 to 934. Born on the 5th January 1921 in Buffalo, Erie, New York. Son of Helen P. Kicera of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their relatives (Jan 2026)

Other sources listed below:

References(s):

Investigation File: NAA: 336/1/1345 Part 6

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