Operation: Offensive Barge Sweep

Date: 17th December 1943 (Thursday)

Unit No: 30 (City of Sale) Squadron, RAAF, 77 Wing, 1st Tactical Air Force

Type: Beaufighter XIC

Serial: A19-141

Code: LY:C

Location: Western New Britain

Base: Kiriwini Airfield, Trobriand Islands

Pilot: Flt Sgt. Colin Elbert Wein 414975 RAAF Age 21. PoW */Murdered

Navigator: Flt Sgt. Donald Clarence Kirkwood 21714 RAAF Age 23. PoW */Murdered

* Tunnel Hill PoW Camp, Rabaul, New Britain

Note: Beaufighter A19-141 was previously RAF aircraft Serial No. JM168

Above: Flt Sgt. Donald Clarence Kirkwood from his service record

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the morning of the four (4) Beaufighters took-off from Kiriwini Airfield, on the Trobriand Islands, Milne Bay on a Barge Sweep from Cape Koas to Cape Hoskins on the north coast of New Britain.

On reaching Cape Koas at 06:35 hrs a large burnt out hulk was sighted on a reef, approximately one (1) mile from the shore. Sgt. Wein flying A19-141 was seen to make a dummy attack, whilst the accompanying Beaufighter A19-54 flown by Flt Lt. D.W. Eisenhauer, flew 500 ft above and approximately 400 yards behind.

When A19-141 pulled away in a climbing left hand turn, A19-54 dived in on a similar run and after pulling away from the hulk, Flt Lt. Eisenhauser did not see any sign of A19-141.

Flt Lt. Donald William Eisenhauer DFC 400644 RAAF survived the war.

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC): Citation: “Flight Lieutenant EISENHAUER was posted to No. 30 (L.R./F.) Squadron on 1st December, 1943, and since that date has taken part in 56 sorties against the enemy, including 44 strikes, 21 of which were attacks on the Wewak Area. Flight Lieutenant EISENHAUER is a courageous pilot who can always be relied upon to press home a determined attack in the face of strong enemy opposition. He has completed 133 hours of operational flying”.

After a search in the vicinity of Cape Koas, Flt Lt. Eisenhauser completed the sweep, thinking that A19-141 had flown ahead towards Cape Hoskins. On completing the sweep of Cape Hoskins he set course for base and at 07:05 hrs tried to contact A19-141 by Radio/Transmitter without success.

Although the disappearance Beaufighter A19-141 was witnessed nothing was found to indicate where the aircraft crashed or as to the fate of Sgt. Wein and Sgt. Kirkwood.

The wreckage of Beaufighter A19-141 was located about 20 km SSE of Hoskins Airport and 7¼ km to the SW of the extinct volcano Pago on western New Britain on the 27th April 2005 over the Anzac Day weekend.

The crash site had been found by a group of employees who had gone to hunt birds on a nearby hill during the clearing and cutting timber on an area where a new oil palm had been planted inland from Hoskins airport.

They reported their find and the next day a visit to the site was arranged. Almost the first piece of wreckage that was found had the number 141 clearly visible. Over a nearby ridge an engine, propeller, parts of the fuselage and the pilot’s seat. Over the next ridge the second engine and propeller was found. Within this wreckage a piece of fuselage was found with “A1” and a part of a “9” formed on it.

Indications were that the port propeller appeared to turning whilst the starboard was feathered at the time of the impact. The plane impacted heavily and was demolished with bits strewn around a ridge top and two gullies. It was clear that no one would have survived the crash and both Flt Sgt. Wein and Flt Sgt. Kirkwood must have baled out.

(Above extracts courtesy of article in “The Whisperer” by Cecilie Benjamin dated June 2005).

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.

From an interrogation of two Japanese officers on the 29th December 1945 it was established that Flt Sgt. Wein had been taken prisoner on the 28th December 1943 and Flt Sgt. Kirkwood had been taken prisoner on the 24th December 1943. Flt Sgt. Kirkwood was captured by a Japanese patrol whilst he was sleeping after being betrayed by a village chief.

Both were transferred to the PoW compound at Rabaul on the 31st December 1943. The following year were moved to the Tunnel Hill PoW Camp at Rabaul.

It was claimed by the Japanese that Flt Sgt. Wein and Flt Sgt. Kirkwood 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: Rabaul (Bita Pita) War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)

Above: Grave marker for Flt Sgt. Colin E. Wein (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Flt Sgt. Colin Elbert Wein. Ashes repatriated and laid to rest at the Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery A.A.16. Grave Inscription: “LOVED & SADLY MISSED BY MOTHER, FATHER, RON & FRIEND JEAN OF Q' LD”. Born on the 12th June 1922 in Gayndah, Queensland. Son of Esbert Andrew and Eliza Ann Wein of Gayndah Queensland, Australia.

Above: Grave marker for Flt Sgt. Donald C. Kirkwood (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Flt Sgt. Donald Clarence Kirkwood. Ashes repatriated and laid to rest at the Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery Collective Grave E.C.5-11. Grave Inscription: “DEARLY LOVED HUSBAND OF MARY DEAR DADDY OF ELAINE (DEC'D) & YVONNE”.Born on the 24th July 1920 in Gladesville, New South Wales.Son of Robert Jeffrey and Dorothy Alma Kirkwood. Husband of Mary Douglas Kirkwood of Smithfield, New South Wales, Australia.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Dec 2025).

Thanks to The War Graves Photograph Project (TWGPP) (Insert Link) for their great work.

Other sources listed below:

Reference(s):

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

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