Operation: Barge sweep, South Coast, New England

Date: 12th September 1943 (Sunday)

Unit No: 22 (City of Sydney) Squadron RAAF, 77 Strike Wing, 1st Tactical Air Force

Type: Boston III ‘Spirit of Sport’

Serial: A28-15

Code: DU:Q

Base: Vivigani Airfield, Goodenough Island

Location: 35 miles south of Gasmata, New Britain

Pilot: Flt Lt. Harry Blinman Dawkins 280971 RAAF Age 27. PoW */Died (1)

Wireless/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Douglas George Semple 26741 RAAF Age 21. MiA

Wireless/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Gordon Ronald Thomas 417011 RAAF Age 22. PoW */Murdered (2)

* Tunnel Hill PoW Camp, Rabaul, New Britain

Note: DB-7B Boston III A28-15 was previously RAF Serial AL361

Above left to right: Flt Lt. Harry B. Dawkins, Flt Sgt. Douglas G. Semple, Flt Sgt. Gordon R. Thomas (from their service records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the morning of the 12th September 1943 at 11:45 hrs A28-15 was one of four (4) aircraft took-off from Vivigani Airfield on Goodenough Island to carry out a sweep for barges along the south coast of New Britain. As no barges were sighted a secondary target on Gasmata Island was attacked.

Fg Off. Gunson, flying Boston III A28-7, observed A28-15 make an attack with its bombs hitting the north end of the Island and then pull away from the target in a normal manner but under intense Anti-Aircraft fire. Fg Off. Gunson then made his attack and also found himself receiving much attention from the Anti-Aircraft gunners.

Flt Lt. Norman Peter Coles Gunson DFC 407424 survived the war and was discharged from the RAAF on the 16th January 1946

His DFC Citation: “Since being posted to No.22 Int. Squadron on the 24th July, 1940, Flying Officer GUNSON has completed 103 hours of operational flying, and has participated in 34 sorties of which 23 were strikes against the enemy. He has taken part in missions against objectives in the New Britain area, in one of which, in spite of heavy opposition from ground defences which crippled his aircraft, he pressed home his attack with great determination and was successful in bringing his aircraft back to base and landing safely. He has also disabled five barges and one launch and assisted in the destruction of two buildings and ammunition dumps at Cape Beechy. Flying Officer GUNSON has displayed exceptional courage, determination and skill whilst flying in active operations against the enemy. His devotion to duty is in the highest traditions of the Service”.

On completing his attack he was unable to locate A28-15 so set course for base alone. When some 35 miles south of Gasmata, he encountered A28-15, flying low and slow with one propeller feathered and the bomb bay doors open. Flt Lt. Dawkins transmitted saying he had been shot up and was about to ditch in the sea which he did in a most skilful manner.

Fg Off. Gunson observed all three (3) members of the crew climb into a dinghy as the aircraft sank and they all appeared quite sound. He obtained a fix of the dinghy position and signalled the information back to base. This message was not received by the Fighter Sector although an impromptu wireless set installed on the 30 Sqn camp site received and understood it and passed it on to the 22 Sqn Operations Room.

Intensive air searches were carried out for the survivors of A28-15, but no further trace was found. It is estimated that they would have drifted on to the South Coast of New Britain approximately 15-20 miles west of Gasmata within 30 hours.

Sqn Ldr. K.M. Rundle of the RAAF Searcher Organisation reported that on the 20th December 1945 that he had interviewed natives at Gasmata in reference to a missing aircraft and ascertained that a twin-engined aircraft crashed into the sea. Also that two (2) airmen landed in a rubber Dinghy on the shore of Ampul island, locate some 25 miles SW of Gasmata Island.

The natives informed him that the two airmen were taken to Malinglo island by other natives who handed them over to the Japanese on the 15th September 1943, who took them to Gasmata.

Contrary to the observation by Fg Off. Gunson that he saw three (3) crew in the dinghy it was considered highly probable that Flt Sgt. Semple failed to survive this crash and lost his life on the 12th September 1943.

In his investigation Sqn Ldr. Rundle ascertained that Flt Lt. Dawkins and Flt Sgt. Thomas had been transferred from Gasmala to the 6th Field Kempeitai Headquarters (HQ) PoW Compound on the 8th October 1943. On the 2nd March 1944 after the 6th Field Kempeitai HQ was destroyed in a bombing raid they were amongst the approximately fifty-three (53) PoWs who were transferred to another camp known as the Tunnel Hill Cave PoW Camp in a mountain pass named Tanoura on Tunnel Hill road, which was about 2½ miles from Rabaul City and between Rabaul and Pilapila.

(1) In his affidavit 1st Lt. Jose L. Holguin reported that in his opinion because of gross negligence by the Japanese in not providing adequate food and medical attention Flt Lt. Dawkins on the 15th July 1944 of Beriberi and Dysentery.

On the 29th December 1945, the 18th Australian War Graves Unit recovered the remains of twelve (12) Allied personnel which were found in graves located approximately 50 yards south of the Tunnel Hill ‘Death Valley’ PoW Camp.

The names of Flt Lt. Dawkins and the other eleven (11) were translated from the crosses over the graves, checked against the Japanese Military Police records and a list provided by Capt. John J. Murphy:

1st Lt. Hugh L. Cornelius O-14783 USMCR;
1st Lt. Thomas B. Fessenger O-663706 USAAF;
1st Lt. John J. Fitzgerald O-26468 USMCR;
1st Lt. Billy D. Hanks O-737083 USAAF;
1st Lt. Charles C. Lanphier O-11933 USMCR;
1st Lt. Robert W. Sherman O-24763 USMCR;
Lt (Jg) James A. Warren O-156661 USNR;
S/Sgt. John J. Gillis Jr. 20610868 USAAF;
Sqn Ldr. John E. Todd 271707 RAAF;
Fg Off. Leslie A. McLelland-Symonds 401314 RNZAF;
Flt Sgt. Norman N. Vickers 413232 RNZAF.

(2) It was claimed by the Japanese that Flt Sgt. Thomas was amongst thirty-one (31) PoWs who were killed in an Allied air-raid on the 4th/5th March 1944. However, after interrogating Japanese officers and soldiers stationed at Rabaul during the war the investigation came to the conclusion that this claim was not credible and that the PoWs had been executed.

An overview of the investigation into the circumstances of the deaths and those deemed to be responsible for the executions and atrocities is summarised in the report entitled “Talili Bay Massacre, New Britain”.

Burial details:

Above: Rabaul (Bita Pita) War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)

Flt Lt. Harry Blinman Dawkins. Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery D.B.2. Grave Inscription: “HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE... EVER REMEMBERED”. Born on the 15th April 1917 in Gawler, South Australia. Son of Harry Blinman and Elsie Maud Dawkins of Gawler, South Australia. Husband of Grace May Dawkins of Gawler, South Australia, Australia.

Above: Rabaul (Bita Pita) Memorial Panels (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)

Sgt. Douglas George Semple. Rabaul Memorial Panel 35. Born on the 6th November 1921 in Strathalbyn, South Australia. Son of George and Mary Louisa (née James – deceased in December 1933) of Strathalbyn, South Australia. Husband of Maxine Adelaide (née Ward) Semple, of Keswick, South Australia, Australia.

Sgt. Gordon Ronald Thomas. Ashes repatriated and laid to rest at the Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery Collective Grave E.C.5-11. Grave Inscription: “HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE... EVER REMEMBERED”. Born on the 24th February 1921 in Norwood, South Australia. Son of Arthur Gordon and Daisy Suttana Thomas of West Croydon, South Australia, Australia.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Dec 2025). Reviewed and updated with new graves information (May 2026).

Other sources listed below:

Reference(s):

1. Investigation File: NAA: 336/1/1345 Part 6.

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