Aircraft History
A new plane for the crew, who was also on record of flying another aircraft.

Mission History
Took off from the Gilberts on a bombing mission against Taroa Airfield, The bombers were reportedly attacked by over 30 Japanese aircraft. This bomber was damaged and fell behind the formation, even though flying at full power.  Two other B-24s in its flight flew escort and helped defend it. The B-24 flew slower and lower, and had two A6M Zeros stay with it all the way to the Majuro Atoll, nearly 100 miles south of their base. 

Pilot Osborne made a decision to ditch the aircraft on the reef, we presume that he felt the aircraft would not make it home, and the west end was 30 miles away from the Japanese forces on Majuro at the East end.  Osborne made a "U" turn at Majuro and made a perfect landing on the inside edge of the west reef, between Majuro Island and Ajola Island.

The aircraft was intact and did not explode or catch fire. Immediately, the two zeros began to attack the downed aircraft, making strafing runs, which were driven off by the two escorting B-24's.  The two escorts then had to depart, as did the zeros.  No sign of life was seen by the B-24s, but presumed the crew was alive.

Fates of the Crew
In fact, the pilot and co-pilot died in the crash.  The rest of the crew survived and were taken prisoner by the Japanese, and later executed.

Matt Holly adds:
"The story now has an old version, a middle version, and my new one.  The old version was created by Dirk Spennemann.  It is incorrect.  The middle story is what I produced for the National Park Service in 2000, which basically explained the Japanese had some float planes at the East end of Majuro that day, and possibly forced them to not try a rescue.  Also found was the Navy also lost a PB4Y on the same day and was also searching for it.  In any case a search was made and no signs of life were seen at the aircraft, which was then bombed to avoid its assets or technology from falling into enemy hands.  The bombs missed.  All 10 crew were presumed captured and executed.

The crew reportedly escaped and fled to a small island to the northeast, where they were captured the next day.  The zeros had reported the crash landing and a boat was immediately sent from Maloelap.  (The boat was named the Kaikou Maru, which I discovered sunk in Maloelap in 1981).  This information also included a photo of the crew, taken on Maloelap, in which the aircrew still has on flight gear and is clean shaven.  It was not a week later.    The crew was reportedly paraded through the streets of Majuro, beaten and abused, including Marshallese who were forced to attend.  I do not know if I believe this story, as I don't think they were in Majuro long enough to do this.  But this is a local story.  A machine gun from the aircraft was found in Laura during Majuros capture.  There were few Japanese here, and they transferred to Mili Atoll.

They were taken to Maloelap, and presumably treated well.  They were reportedly attacked by Japanese pilots and crew, who had lost so of their buddies during the B-24 attacks.  The Admiral reportedly gave them some of his whiskey and safe haven, and shipped them to Kwajalein the next day.

The Japanese Admiral, in his notes to the investigating war crimes investigators, states the words 8 survivors of the crash.  The photo on Maloelap shows 8 aircrew, and Osborne and his co-pilot are missing.  There is no other information, and people searching for the lost aircrew after Majuro was captured looked for but did not find any crew.  It has been presumed that the aircrew was executed on Kwajalein shortly before the American invasion on February 1, 1944.  This was always presumed to be all 10 aircrew, but I think only the surviving 8 were killed on Kwajalein.

About six months ago I was taking with some older Marshallese when showing them some of my US Navy war photos of the local population, trying to identify those in the pictures.  Out of the blue this older woman asks me what about the 2 pilots buried at the end of Majuro?  I nearly fell of my chair!  Without prompting, I asked her to explain herself, as only I knew at this point that 2 were unaccounted for.  She told me they were killed in the aircraft, and that the Marshalese near the end of Laura had found their bodies and buried them near the end of the island.  They had done this secretly, and only a handful of people had known.  The people asking the questions after the war never spoke to these people, and over the last few months I have 5 people still alive that may know the exact site.  I think Osborne and Cloyer are buried on Majuro!"

Wreckage
The wreck of this B-24 remains 'in situ' in 1-1.5m of water (at low tide) Present are the port wing, most parts of the starboard wing, the central fuselage section between the wings, and four engines. A number of small parts can be found scattered around the area. All propellers can be seen in place except for those of the No. 1 engine, which has fallen off its mounting and is resting nose down in the sand. The blades of the propellers are not bent, indicating that the pilot could feather the engines before the crash landing.

Memorials
The crew was declared dead on February 4, 1946. Memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Hawaii Cemetery (Punchbowl).

Relatives
Connie Blackmon Cauthen (relative of Max G. Deer)
"Deer was a relative of ours and his family was never given any of the above information. His Parents never knew anymore than that he was MIA. Intersetingly Deer was friends with the actress Rosalind Russell."

References
Thanks to  Dirk H. R. Spennemann and Matt Holly for additional information.

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Last Updated
January 18, 2010

B-24

POW / MIA

1 - 1.5m