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ONLY ONE SURVIVOR - The Saga of Honikuu Okole

21^st May 1943, B-17E serial #41-9244

64^th Bombardment Squadron, 43^rd Bombardment Group

In the early tropical hours of 21^st May 1943, a fresh drab green E model Fortress with a Hawaiian name - Honikuu Okole – was systematically torn apart in New Britain skies by cannon shells from an IRVING night-fighter of the 251^st Kokutai based at Vunakanau, Rabaul. What is clear now is that three men managed to bail out, all landing in the sea. One was captured and later beheaded leaving only one survivor, as the other remains unaccounted for. The survivor then lived in the jungle for nine months with natives before being returned to Allied lines.

Honikuu Okole departed Dobodura, New Guinea, at 0100 hours in the morning, to bomb Vunakanau, Rabaul. The crew had snatched only a minimum of sleep as they climbed towards their target. Those who could, grabbed a nap. Nearing Rabaul they were all on full alert, but just after crossing the Warangoi River in Cape Gazelle, the bomber was without warning hit in number three and four engines of the starboard wing. Below the Fortress a Japanese Navy Air Force IRVING night-fighter chugged cannon shells upwards. Shortly afterwards it systematically concentrated fire into the other wing, making hits on all four engines. It was 0348 hours, and Honikuu Okole had just run completely out of luck.

Pilot Major Paul I. Williams had no choice but to ditch, and he now attempted this. The crippled bomber was about seven miles east of Talilis Plantation. Three crew members, sensing how desperate things were, bailed out and hit the water. Two made shore, the fate of the third never to be known. Of the two survivors, one would be beheaded.

We now turn to the sole survivor’s report, remarkable as it is chilling. M/Sgt Gordon R. Manuel, after his return to Allied lines, would recount,

". . . the incendiary bombs were on fire. I bailed out at about 100 feet above the water. I was hit by shrapnel by the second burst of fire and I noticed that the navigator, Lt Aguirre, seemed slightly dazed. None of the crew other than the co-pilot, Lt Rippy, and myself succeeded in bailing out, and I believe that there is no possible chance that any other of the remaining members of the crew survived the explosion of the ship. As I hit the water I could see the co-pilot’s chute travelling towards the water, and striking the water approximately ¾ of a mile from where I landed, but I was never able to make contact with him. The ship hit the water and exploded immediately. I could see the tail and one wing blown into the air and settle into the water. I inflated my Mae West and swam seven hours until I reached the shore near the reef just below Indana Island.

I later learned from natives who assisted me that the co-pilot being unable to hide because he was exhausted from the six hour swim to shore and was subsequently captured by two Japanese soldiers who took him to Rabaul by destroyer sent down for that purpose (which destroyer I saw myself). Two natives told me that the co-pilot was beheaded when he reached Rabaul".

It is not clear what Manuel saw of the crashing Fortress that night. Perhaps parts of it did fall into the water. However, the fact is that the fuselage at least carried forward and crashed on land near the village of Put Put. In 1949 the remains of the rest of the crew were retrieved from the site by a RAAF recovery expedition and taken back to the US for burial. Most of the wreckage is still there to this day, almost completely overgrown by dense jungle.

Post-war investigations with captured Japanese officers at Rabaul did in fact reveal that a crew member was captured. It was not, as thought by Manuel, co-pilot 2/Lt John S. Rippy who probably died at sea after bailing out. It was side gunner Sgt Robert A. Curry who was captured from exhaustion by the two Japanese to whom the natives had referred. Curry was removed to Rabaul by destroyer and after ruthless interrogation was kept incarcerated in conditions which could only be described as barbarous. Finally, he was beheaded at Rabaul on 9^th December 1943.

M/Sgt Gordon R. Manuel was rescued by a PBY on 22^nd February 1944 after having at last made contact with an Australian coastwatcher. He was lucky he had not been turned into the Japanese by the native Tolais. Those in the Gazelle Peninsula area were notorious for doing such, coinciding with their pro-Japanese sympathies of the time.

RIP the ten crew of Honikuu Okole

Pilot Major Paul I. Williams

Observer 1/Lt Robert F. Moller

Navigator 2/Lt Richard D. Aguirre

Co-pilot 2/Lt John S. Rippy

Engineer S/Sgt Robert B. Gills

Gunner S/Sgt Lawrence L. Raxroat

Gunner Sgt Robert A. Curry

Radio Operator Sgt Edward W. Driscoll

Gunner Sgt Joseph F. Murray

Gunner Pvt William R. Smith

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