What actually happened? Who can say? Anyway, I appreciate your perspective
on this, as you obviously have a much better background than I. I’m still
trying to “crunch” the numbers I’m getting from different
sources to come up with something that makes sense, and I’m wondering
how you arrived with the number of 6 MIA’s lost on that mission. There
were, according to other sources, several planes shot down in Simpson Harbor
that night, one plane from the first wave of eight, two from the second, and
from the third group of eight, it is less clear. Captain John Foster says “only
three planes escaped.” The data I have from military records state that
six planes did not return to base, which would suggest only two escaped: Captain
Bartholf’s
and Lt. Cornelius’ planes were observed by others to be shot down inside
the harbor; “The planes piloted by Lieutenants Boyden, Sherman, Fowler,
and Hathway (also) failed to return to base.” The report in my possession
also states that the remains of Lt. Cornelius and Lt. Sherman were found buried
among the unknowns recovered from Prisoner of War cemeteries in the Tunnel
Road vicinity of Rabaul. An additional identified person’s remains, those
of PFC Duane St. Germain, were also found, suggesting to the report’s
author that “perhaps
more of the personnel in the above flight may have reached shore safely and
have been buried among the unknown recovered from Prisoner of War cemeteries
in the Rabaul area.” Apparently PFC Germain was not among the crews of
Lt’s
Cornelius or Sherman.
At any rate, the discrepancy between Cpt. Foster’s account (that three
planes escaped) and the account I received from military records, that six planes
did not return (including two known shot down), is that one plane escaped from
the harbor but did not return to base. Am I correct in that deduction? This would
suggest that actually five were shot down, two returned to base, and one plane “escaped” from
the harbor but did not return to base. This would correlate with a separate report
that Lt. Fowler was heard requesting his bearings over the radio after the attack
had ended. Perhaps it was Lt. Fowler’s plane which escaped from the harbor,
perhaps damaged and unable to ascertain which direction to fly back to Bougainville.
Perhaps the plain was attacked by Japanese fighters and shot down, or whatever.
At any rate, trying to tie up the lose ends, so to speak, to which six MIA’s
does your reference on the Torokina page refer? I’m sorry about putting
you “on the spot” like this, but I’m curious as to how you
reached the number “six.” Actually, there were, according to the
reports I have in my possession, four planes in addition to the two known shot
down which did not make it back to base. That would make 12 MIA’s (not
counting the two planes known shot down). This would mean that possibly five
planes were shot down in the harbor, three got away, but that one of them did
not make it back. So don’t see how you arrived at the number “six.” Do
you see my dilemma? I hope you can help me to understand this better, as I
seem to be hopelessly confused.
Thank you so much for any assistance you can give me with this “riddle.” Is
there any specific information, for instance, as to how many TBF’s were
actually shot down that day inside the harbor? I’m very curious about
these details and welcome any information anyone can send me.
By the way, I am attaching a photo you requested of my Uncle, Cecil Marvin
White, who turned 21 years of age on February 13, 1944, which was the actual
date of his death, here in the US (it was already February 14th in New Britain,
where he was lost.) He was the gunner on Lt. Fowler’s TBF Avenger in the VMTB
233 unit. He was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 153 pounds, with blue eyes
and medium brown hair. He was my father’s only sibling, and his loss was
something rarely spoken of by our family over the past 61 years, but it affected
us all tremendously. His parents passed away in 1991, but only now, after my
father’s death in April of this year, am I able to pursue the details of
his brother’s death in earnest. I remember, as a grammar school child,
putting together plastic models of my Uncles’ Avenger, and I still have
one on my bookshelf. I appreciate any assistance you or others can give me
in obtaining the information I seek.
