Operation: Insein, Burma (Myanmar).

Date: 1st December 1943 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 9th Bombardment Squadron (H), 7th Bombardment Group (H), 10th Air Force

Type: B-24J

Serial No: 42-73055

Code: Unknown

Location: 19 miles west of Maubin, Burma (Myanmar)

Base: Pandaveswar, India

Pilot: Capt. Bill Wright DFC (OLC) O-725565 AAF Age 23. PoW */DED** /MiA (1)

Co-Pilot: 1st Lt. Merrill Reyman Parker DFC O-730160 AAF Age 23. MiA

Navigator: 1st Lt. Roy Albert Wentz Jr. DFC (OLC) O-659938 AAF Age 24. PoW *

Bombardier: 1st Lt. Raymond Alvin Maloney DFC O-726056 AAF Age 21. PoW *

Engineer: S/Sgt. Clifford Henry Bockman DFC (OLC) 19075514 AAF Age 27. PoW *

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Francis Clare Winderl 19019299 AAF Age 24. MiA

Asst Engineer: S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez 6578491 AAF Age? PoW */DED **/MiA (2)

Asst Radio Op: S/Sgt. Edward John Girman DFC 35258994 AAF Age 23. MiA

Gunner: S/Sgt. Alvin Leon Hastings DFC (OLC) 35357272 AAF Age 25. PoW *

Gunner: S/Sgt. Joseph Briggs Wells 6934111 AAF Age 23. PoW *

* Burma #5 (Moulmein & Rangoon Jail)

** DED = Declared dead

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 1st December 1943 Capt. Wright’s B-24 joined a force of B-24s and P-38 escort fighters on a mission to bomb targets at Insein near Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar).

The force encountered fierce enemy opposition from AA fire and Japanese fighter aircraft over the targets. P-51s fighters which failed to make rendezvous with the B-24s before the attack join the formations on the return trip.

US losses were high, Capt. Wright’s B-24 was one of five B-24s and one P-51A that were lost on this mission.

Capt. Wright, 1st, Wentz, 1st Lt. Maloney, S/Sgt. Bockman, S/Sgt. Rodriguez, S/Sgt. Hastings and S/Sgt. Wells successfully baled out of the aircraft and became PoWs of the Japanese.

1st Lt. Parker, S/Sgt. Winderl and S/Sgt. Girman were either killed in the air battle or perished when the aircraft crashed 19 miles west of Maubin, Burma (Myanmar). Their remains have not been recovered and are still Missing in Action.

(1) The circumstances leading to the death of Capt. Wright were determined by a British Military Court convened in Rangoon, Burma between the 3rd and 21st May 1946.

The following four members of the Imperial Japanese Army were before the court:

Capt. (Rikugun-tai-i) NAGAHARA Kenso who was the former Commanding Officer (CO) of Futo Buntai, Rangoon, Burma and also the CO of the Futo Buntai prison;

Capt. (Rikugun-tai-i) YAMAZAKI Kaname was the Medical Officer (MO) of the prison;

2nd Lt. (Rikugun-Shōi) YOKOTA Masao;

Cpl. (Rikugun-Jōtō-Hei) NODA Masami.

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

All were also members of or attached to the Kempeitai who were the military police of the Imperial Japanese Army and functioned much like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany.

On the first count all four accused were charged with committing a war crime in that between the 1st August 1943 and 1st April 1945, when members of staff of the New Law Courts Jail, Rangoon, Burma, were responsible for the well-being of the persons interned there, and in violation of the laws and usages of war, were together concerned as parties to the ill-treatment causing a physical suffering to PoWs interned there.

On the third count Capt. NAGAHARA, 2nd Lt. YOKOTA and Cpl. NODA were also charged that in the month of April 1944, they were concerned with the ill-treatment leading to the death of Capt. Wright.

Capt. NAGAHARA was in post at the Futo Buntai prison, also known as the New Law Courts Jail Annex, from 1st January 1945 and the 1st April 1945.

During the period they were in charge a number of American and British airmen 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.

On the first count Capt. NAGAHARA and 2nd Lt. YOKOTA were found guilty and sentenced to four and two years imprisonment respectively. Capt. YAMAZAKI and Cpl. NODA were found not guilty.

On the third count all three of the accused were found not guilty.

(2) S/Sgt. Rodriguez died (Declared dead (DED) on the 27th August 1944) whilst being held as a PoW. 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 for this rank and 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 Capt. Wright and S/Sgt. Rodriguez in Grave 204, were recovered on the 5th May 1946 from the Rangoon Cantonment Cemetery by the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS). On the 17th May 1946 their 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 two (2) airmen along with another thirty-six (36) are still missing to this day.

Burial Details

Above. Capt. Bill Wright, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

Capt. Bill Wright. DFC (Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster). Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing. Capt. Wright was Declared Dead (DED) on the 31st March 1944. Born on the 16th August 1920 in Texas. Son of Jim M. and Emma Clyde (née Whitfield) Wright of Texas, USA.

Above. 1st Lt. Merrill R. Parker, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

1st Lt. Merrill Reyman Parker. DFC, Air Medal, Purple Heart. Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing. 1st Lt. Parker was Declared Dead (DED) on the 4th February 1946. Born on the 13th August 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri. Son of Pratt Emerson and Flora Beatrice (née Reyman) Parker of Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Above. S/Sgt. Francis C. Winderl, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

S/Sgt. Francis Clare Winderl. Air Medal, Purple Heart. Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing. S/Sgt. Winderl was Declared Dead (DED) on the 4th February 1946. Born on the 15th March 1919 in Richland, Montana. Son of Theodore F. and Blanche M. (née Rouse) Winderl of Glasgow, Montana, USA.

Above. S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez. Air Medal, Purple Heart. Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing. Other than his place of residence was recorded as Oakland, California and that he was married no further information has been found.

Above. S/Sgt. Edward J. Girman, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)

S/Sgt. Edward John Girman. DFC, AM (Oak Leaf Cluster), Purple Heart. Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing. S/Sgt. Girman was Declared Dead (DED) on the 4th February 1946. Born on the 7th March 1920 Hammond, Lake County, Indiana. Son of Mike and Anna (née Martin) Girman of Whiting Lake, Indiana, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape and Traugott Vitz for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew. Thanks also to Traugott Vitz for his work on the ‘VitzArchive’. Addition of war crime narrative for S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez (Jan 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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