Crew History
Bender had survived the crash of B-25C "Salvo Sadie" during a ferry flight to New Guinea on April 24, 1942.

Co-pilot, Flt Sgt Hawter, has two service files in the NAA.  It seems that he used his younger brother's birth certificate to enlist because he was too old to fly.  This wasn't discovered until after his shoot down. 

Aircraft History
Had the name 'Aurora' painted on nose.

Mission History
One of five B-25 that took off from Seven Mile Drome, Port Moresby, to attack the Japanese seaplanes anchored off Gasmata, on the south coast of New Britain. En route the formation was attacked by approximately 10-15 Zero fighters from the Tainan Kokutai, while they were passing near the Buna area, which had recently been seized by Japanese ground forces.  The bombers jettisoned their bombs and fled for Port Moresby. 

This aircraft was set afire and eventually exploded. Only the pilot Capt. Frank Bender and the turret gunner, T/Sgt. Arnold M. Thompson, were able to escape. Also shot down was B-25C 41-12470.

Escape & Return to Base
While Sgt. Thompson was able to bail out Capt. Bender was trapped in the cockpit after the plane went into a spin. He was miraculously blown free after the plane exploded and managed to deploy his parachute though he sustained injuries to his knee. He landed close to the wreckage of his plane (12 miles southeast of Buna) and also about a mile from a Japanese forward patrol.

Friendly natives assisted Bender in reaching the crash site where he identified the remains of Flt. Sgt. Hawter and Sgt McBroom and Sgt Middleton. The natives buried the bodies next to the crash site.

With their assistance of members of ANGAU and natives, Bender and Thompson evaded the Japanese and spent the next three weeks walking and being carried over the mountains to the south coast of New Guinea. They finally reached a mission station, from which they were taken to Abau and evacuated to Port Moresby.

Remains Recovered
In 1945 a RAAF search team lead by Sq/Ldr Keith Rundle visited the site of the crash and found the remains of Sgt. Hamilton along with his identity disc in the wreckage of the aircraft. He was temporarily interred at the Australian cemetery at Soputa.

There were two RAAF crew members: Fl/Sgt. Edgar Horace Hawter is buried at Vicksburg National Cemetery, Mississippi U.S.A. (sec. W. Coll. grave 17527/9) and Sgt. Ian Chetwood Hamilton, 405378, WAG / Radio Gunner, who is buried at Bomana War Cemetery.

What was thought to be two sets of remains recovered from the crash site by the U.S. graves registration unit was actually three. Those of Fl/Sgt. Hawter were unintentionally sent with those of the two American KIAs, Sgt McBroom and Sgt Middleton were buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery, Mississippi. Today all three are interred in a group burial there.

Relatives
Are you a relative of any member of this crew?
Are you a relative of Arnold M. Thompson?

References
Thanks to Edward Rogers, Larry Hickey, Daniel Leahy and William McCollum for additional information.

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B-25

MIA
Group Burial

Wounded in U.S. - Jap New Guinea Air Battle

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