This is the story or part of it about my uncle Frank which I wrote some time ago, both my father and Frank served in WWII. My father was seconded by the RAF and flew on DDay, this is close to us as a family and since some of the stories here are about family members I thought I would share this with y'all.....
The images posted here are copyright © to our family.....written references are at the end of the text
The Uncle I never met
This is an account of “one of the most tragic episodes in the history of the RNZAF Fighter Wing, that occurred in the South Pacific on 15th January 1945. It was a black day for No. 14 Squadron, and for it’s sister No. 16 Squadron who were then based at Green Island. On that day, eight Corsair pilots failed to return, one of them after a gallant struggle for survival lasting almost nine hours”[1].
My uncle, Flight Lieutenant Francis (Frank) George Keefe RNZAF (NZ.417066) No. 14 Squadron, who was shot down by “Ack Ack” (anti aircraft fire) and was forced to a low level bail out, from his burning Voight F4U Corsair NZ5413 over Simpson Harbour, Rabaul, New Britain on that day.
Frank enlisted in the RNZAF on 21st December 1941 for initial training as an airman pilot, was awarded his flying badge and commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on 5th September 1942. He was further promoted to Pilot Officer on 5th September 1942, Flying Officer 1943 and to Flight Lieutenant 5th September 1944.
He was a Flying Instructor at Tauranga, then Harewood and in July 1944 went to Ohakea on a Fighter training course. Following his younger brother (my father) William John Francis Keefe (NZ. 4210922) into active service, he was posted to Ardmore for a conversion course on Corsair fighter aircraft. In September 1944 he was posted to Hobsonville and joined No14 Squadron at Ardmore and embarked for service in the Pacific arena 16 October 1944, which was based at Green Island in the Pacific campaign. Green Island is a small atoll 270 nautical miles South of the equator, strategically it was well within striking range of the Japanese held Island of Rabaul.
Shortly after 0900 Frank was to take part in an attack on Toboi Wharf, just South of Rabaul’s Simpson Harbor. During this sortie, his aircraft had a direct hit in the starboard wing forcing him to bail out. F/Sgt Norman Rosser who was with No.24 squadron got a first class view of events. “The Japs were pooping up ack ack and holed Bob Weir with a 20mm shell in his elevator trimming tab. F/Lt Keefe had his starboard wing hit which burst into flame. I had just turned off the target when I saw a Corsair come down in a screaming dive (vertical almost) just past my wing tip. I was at about 800 ft and the pilot hadn't got out then. I thought he had had it, but somehow he miraculously popped out in a flash, his 'chute opening about 200 ft above the deck, a split second before the plane hit the deck and, exploding, sunk immediately”[2]
Landing in the water near the Northern end of Simpson Harbour , Frank commenced swimming strongly towards the harbor mouth with the remainder of the Squadron circling above in spite of the “Ack Ack”. Base was advised and a rescue mission was put into place. There was only one solution and everyone new it, the Japanese included. Flight Lieutenant Keefe if he were to be picked up would have to make the long swim out past the entrance to Simpson harbor to a distance where a Catalina could land with at least a reasonable chance of taking off again.
So commenced a dogged struggle on the part of Keefe which was destined to last all day. Discarding his small rubber dingy (which would make a perfect target for the Japanese guns emplacements around the volcano), but retaining his Mae West (A Mae West is a yellow life jacket that can be inflated when the pilot is in the water), he set off from his position about half a mile north of a small group of Harbour Islands known as the Beehives. Shortly after 10 o’clock he had passed the Beehives and was striking out toward Matupi Island in the harbour mouth. Meanwhile reports of his progress were being sent to back to Green Island. At this stage he was being assisted by wind and tide “it seemed a rescue attempt just before nightfall would stand a fair chance of success. The time for a water landing was set for 6:15 pm. The long day wore on. There was never a moment when Simpson Harbour was not covered by New Zealand Corsairs, flights relieving each other at regular intervals “[3]
Plans were made at Green Island to have the local natives construct two life rafts made from bamboo, which were then dropped by a Ventura aircraft, when they arrived back at Simpson Harbour, they were distressed to find the tide had turned and he had now been washed back towards the Beehives. “Following behind, I observed that they had had come down close to the swimmer, but on this run he seemed to be lying motionless across what appeared to be a small log”[4]
It was decided by Squadron leader Paul Green, that any rescue would be suicidal “ that was the first half of the day nine drawn out hours of planning and striving to rescue a gallant New Zealand pilot whose struggle to win out against insuperable odds will never be forgotten by those who did their best and risked their lives to save him. But the day had not ended. This time the enemy was the weather” [5]
Approximately half way back to Green there appeared in front of us a jet-black tropical front stretching right across the horizon and down to sea level. “ [6]
This tropical storm claimed the lives of seven pilots, four from No. 14 squadron, and three from No.16 Squadron, only one body was found F/O G. Randell. As they flew in formations back to Green Island some missed Green Island completely never to be seen again, some crashed whist in formation.
This was most certainly the most tragic day for the RNZAF.
Frank was picked up by the Japanese Navy, Lieutenant Minora Fujita was on board the vessel, Frank was severely wounded in the arm and died ten days later whist a prisoner of war from blood poisoning at Naga Naga where he was buried, later re-interred in the New Zealand Military Cemetery Bourail, New Caledonia.
The story doesn’t end here though, in the 1980’s when I was living with my parents my father received a call from a friend asking had he seen the local newspaper? There was a story in there that someone from America was trying to find any living relatives of a pilot called “Keefer”. My Father followed the lead, what came from that was the person making the enquiry was indeed a Japanese Navy Lieutenant called Minora Fujita. In his 80’s he flew from California USA, to Auckland NZ to meet with our family, I was there for that meeting, Minora Fujita had actually been with Frank not long before he died. When they were together, the only English that he knew and was taught was the “Lords Prayer” which they recited. He had never forgotten this moment and wanted to pay his respects to our family.
The pilots that didn’t come back from that day, 15th January 1945,
No 14 Squadron
F/L F.G Keefe
F/L B.S Hay
F/O. A.N Saward
F/Sgt I.J Munro
F/Sgt J.S McArthur
No. 16 Squadron
F/L T.R.F Johnson
F/O G. Randell
F/Sgt R.W Albrecht
Service medals Francis George Keefe NZ. 417066,
The 1939 – 45 Star, The Pacific Star, The War Medal 1939 -45, The NZ War Medal
References:
[1] F/Sgt Norman Rosser: Excerpt from his war dairy he kept whilst in the Islands 15 January 1945
Too Young To Die: Bryan Cox,
[4,5,6] Chapter Five Page 125, 126
Bryan is a family friend and also survived that days flight, by shear luck.
RNZAF A Short History Geoffrey Bentley
[1,3] Chapter thirteen page 125
No 14 Squadron Green Island 1945, Frank is the cigarette smoker pictured....
Frank 1942
Vought F4U NZ5332 Ardmore Aerodrome 1944 (actual picture of Frank piloting this aircraft)
My fathers story is interesting as well he flew Beaufighters over Europe during the war and then returned home a changed man, like so many others. I'll look for some of his pictures too....
Mick
