Operation: Lakunai Airfield, Rabaul, New Britain

Date: 14th January 1944 (Friday)

Unit No: Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 341 (VMSB-341), Marine Air Group 21 (MAG-21), Marine Air Wing 2 (MAW-2)

Type: SBD-5 Dauntless

Serial: #36230

Code: 27

Base: Munda Airfield, New Georgia Island, Soloman Islands.

Location: About 2½ miles north of Tawui Point, New Britain

Pilot: 1st Lt. Harold Rudolph Tuck O-23078 USMCR Age 21. PoW */ Died/ MiA (1)

Radio/Gunner: Pfc. Paul Frederick McCleaf 486913 USMCR Age 20. PoW */ Murdered (2)

* Tunnel Hill PoW Camp, Rabaul, New Britain

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 14th January 1944 the first full scale attack of land based light-weight bombers was planned against the primary target of Lakunai Airfield, Rabaul, New Britain. However, because the primary was closed in by weather, the secondary target of shipping in Rabaul harbour was attacked.

Thirty-six (36) SBD Dauntless dive bombers of which VMSB-341 detailed thirteen (13) pilots and their gunners, eighteen (18) TBF Avengers torpedo bombers and seventy-three (73) fighters were assigned on the strike. The formation was met with intense anti-aircraft fire and attacked by successive waves of enemy aircraft.

Approaching the target 1st Lt. Tuck’s SBD-5 Dauntless was seen to spin-in having lost its tail. It was first thought that there was a mid-air collision, however, post-mission no other aircraft in his flight was involved in any collision so far as it could be determined. It was believed that his aircraft had been struck by the belly tank jettisoned by one of the top cover F6F Hellcats. The aircraft crashed about 2½ miles north of Tawui Point in the St. George’s Channel.

Shorty, before 1st Lt. Tuck’s SBD-5 was lost a second SBD-5 Dauntless serial #35971 from VMSB-236 had its tail shot off by anti-aircraft fire whilst approaching the target. When last seen the aircraft was in a flat-spin over the St. George’s Channel. 1st Lt. Billy R. Ramsey O-14608 was posted MiA whilst Sgt. Charlie J. Sciara 503505 survived and was captured by the Japanese. He was held at the 6th Field Kempie Tai HQ compound at Rabaul. It was reported that he had died but no further information has been found. His remains have not been recovered.

A ‘Dumbo’ search was carried out with negative results and as a consequence 1st Lt. Tuck and Pfc. McCleaf were posted MiA.

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 1st Lt. Tuck and Pfc. McCleaf had been captured, transported to the 6th Field Kempie Tai HQ compound at Rabaul and then were moved and imprisoned at the Tunnel Hill PoW Camp.

(1) It was established that 1st Lt. Tuck had died on the 12th November 1944 from beri-beri, lack of medical treatment and mistreatment by the guards.

1st Lt. Tuck was one of those identified from the translation of the cross on a grave and Japanese Military Police records at the 2nd of two (2) grave sites at the Tunnel Hill PoW camp. However, none of the remains recovered from either of the two burial sites were subsequently confirmed as those of 1st Lt. Tuck and as a consequence he is still MiA.

(2) It was claimed by the Japanese that Pfc. McCleaf was 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”.(Insert Link when complete)

Burial details:

Above: 1st Lt. Harold R. Tuck, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC.)

1st Lt. Harold Rudolph Tuck. Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing. Born on the 30th December 1922 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Son of Dewey Thomas and Bertha Mae (née Cox) Tuck of Lynchburg, Lynchburg City, Virginia, USA.

Above: Group burial marker for Pfc. Paul F. McCleaf (Courtesy of KcK - FindAGrave).

Pfc. Paul Frederick McCleaf. 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 9th August 1923 in York Springs, Adams County, Pennsylvania. Son of Frank Benjamin Sr. and Anna Mae (née Hovis) McCleaf of Rouzerville, Pennsylvania, USA.

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

Other sources listed below:

References:

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