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| USN VB-101 Formally VP-51 |
Pilot Lt. Jay Darwin Bacon, Jr., O-079900, USNR (MIA / KIA) CA Co-Pilot Ensign Edmund John Kolazyk, O-146507, USN (MIA / KIA) Fitchburg, MA Crew AOM2c Frank Eugene Atkins, 2627848, USN (MIA / KIA) ) Easley, SC Crew ARM2c William Barber, 3762721, USN (MIA / KIA) East Palo Alto, CA Crew ARM1 Frank Lee Betz, Jr., 4073077, USNR (MIA / KIA) Houston, TX Crew AMM1 Jessie Lloyd Henderson, 2722465, USN (MIA / KIA) AL Crew AMM2c Norman Levi North, 2689387, USN (MIA / KIA) Longwood, FL Crew AMM2c John Melvin Walker, 2686043, USN (MIA / KIA) Macon, GA Crew AMM2c Oscar Kenneth Ward, 3759133, USN (MIA / KIA) CA Crew AMM3c Roy Russel Wells, 3604159, USN (MIA / KIA) TX Crew AOM3c Joseph Harold Zattera, 3763622, USN (MIA / KIA) San Francisco, CA MIA February 14, 1943 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation at San Diego. Constructors Number 848. At the factory painted with olive drab upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. Delivered U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-15-CO Liberator serial number 41-24053. Assigned to U.S. Navy (USN) as PB4Y-1 Liberator bureau number 31950. Wartime History Assigned to Patrol Squadron 51 (VP-51). Squadron number 51-P-4. This side number indicated it was the 4th aircraft from Patrol Wing 51. No known nickname or nose art. This bomber was not repainted into a Navy color scheme. Ferried from Barber's Point Airfield on Oahu then across the Pacific to the South Pacific (SOPAC). On February 1, 1943 redesignated Bombing Squadron 101 (VB-101) and retained squadron number 51-P-4. On February 13, 1943 took off from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal off piloted by Lt. Jay D. Bacon Jr. armed with a single 1,000 pound bomb on a bombing mission against Japanese shipping in the Buin-Shortland area. Mission History On February 14, 1943 took off from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal off piloted by Lt. Jay D. Bacon Jr. armed with a single 1,000 pound bomb as one of nine PB4Y-1 Liberators led by LCDR William A. Moffett Jr. (C. O. VB-101) on a mission against Japanese shipping off southern Bougainville in the Buin-Shortland area. The bombers were escorted by ten P-38G Lightnings from 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) plus twelve F4U Corsairs from Marine Fighting Squadron 124 (VMF-124). Over the target by 11:45am, the bombers released their bombs against Japanese shipping and scored two near misses bracketing Hitati Maru (Hitachi Maru) and two near misses bracketing Kisaragi Maru. After the bomb run, the formation was intercepted by roughly thirty A6M Zeros and fifteen A6M2-N Rufe floatplanes from Shortland. During the air combat, two PB4Y-1's were shot down including PB4Y-1 pilot Bacon (MIA) and PB4Y-1 pilot Cooper (MIA). During the air combat, PB4Y-1 pilot Cooper was shot down by a head on attack by Zeros and crashed over the target area. Returning, PB4Y-1 pilot Bacon was damaged by gun fire and ditched north off New Georgia. When this bomber failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Due to the severe American losses, this mission was dubbed the "Saint Valentines Day Massacre". Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on December 10, 1945. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. The entire crew earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. The crew was also memorialized on memorial to Patrol Squadron VP 11/54/51, VB 101, PATSU 1-2 at Bomber 2 Airfield on Espiritu Santo. Bacon earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Kolazyk earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Atkins earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Barber earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Betz earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Henderson earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). North earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Walker earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Ward earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Wells earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Zattera earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Relatives Jeannette Banks (niece of Norman Levi North) "My mother was contacted about a year ago to send her DNA because she was told that his plane had been found and they needed the DNA for the remains. We have not heard anything as of yet. My mom is 93 years old and has been excited and now depressed. Can you direct us to someone who would know about this. His pilot was Bacon. Photo #1 of AMM2c Norman Levi North in uniform and Photo #2 AMM2c Norman Levi North in uniform." References Note, many published sources and some wartime records incorrectly give the date of loss as March 3, 1943 or March 5, 1943, both are in error. USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-15-CO Liberator 41-24053 "24050 to US Navy as PB4Y-1 BuNo 31947" Navy Serial Number Search Results - PB4Y-1 Liberator 31950 "31950 (ex USAAF B-24D 41-24053)" USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List February 1943 does not listed either PB4Y-1 Liberator missing on 2/14/43 Army Air Forces Historical Studies No. 35 "Guadalcanal and the Origins of the 13th Air Force" (1945) pages 182 (February 14, 1943), 240 (footnotes 12-16) via Wayback Machine May 20, 2006 (Page 182) "Next day [February 14, 1943] the Liberators tried again. Nine more went up to Buin, accompanied this time by 10 P-38's and 12 of the Marine's new F4U's. Again the Jap sent up 45 fighters to intercept, and again the cost was heavy. One B-24 [PB4Y-1] was shot down in a head-on attack, another crash landed off New Georgia; two of the Corsairs went down, while the 339th Fighter Squadron, on one of its blackest days, lost 4 of its P-38's. Bombers and escorts had shot down [claimed] 12 Zeros and the B-24s sank a large cargo vessel 2 miles off Kahili, but the price was too high. [Footnote 17] It was immediately apparent that operations of this type could not long be sustained. Consequently on 14 February daylight attacks on the Buin area were discontinued until more adequate fighter cover could be provided. (Footnote 18)" (Page 240) "Footnote 17. Ibid. War Diary, MAW-2, 14 Feb. 1943; History of the 339th Fighter Squadron (TE). One of the P-38 pilots, Lt. John R. Mulvey, was rescued the following day. Footnote 18. War Diary, MAW-2, 14 Feb. 1943; incl. (War Diary MAG-12), "Record of Events, Fighter Command, Guadalcanal, February 1, 1943 to July 25, 1943," in USMC Hist. Div. files." History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II (1952) page 135 "On 14 February, their third day in the combat area, the F4U pilots learned that Japanese flyers had not lost their skill or aggressiveness. About 50 well-alerted Zeros were waiting from the raid on Kahili Field in southern Bougainville. The Japanese shot down two F4U's, two Navy PB4Y's, two P-40's and the entire top cover of four P-38's, with a loss to themselves of only three Zeros, [sic only one was lost], one of which collided with a F4U. This 'Saint Valentine's Day massacre' was a painful blow to the Guadalcanal-based flyers of all services." Letter Commander A. C. Jacobs USNR, Head of Casualties and Allotments Section to Mr. and Mrs. Clayton N. North February 29, 1944 "...reported as missing as of 14 February 1943, when the plane which he was aboard failed to return to its base in the Pacific area following an engagement with the enemy on that day. As yet, there is a lack of first hand information as to what happened to your son and further investigation is being continued. Pursuant to the provisions of Public Law 490, as amended, the Secretary f the Navy has given careful consideration to the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of your son. In view of the meager and inconclusive information available in regard to the fate of your son, the Secretary of the Navy has directed that he be continued in a missing status until information is received or other circumstances occur which would indicate the he should no longer be counted in this status." U.S. Navy Patrol Squadrons - VP-51 History History of Patrol Squadron-11F, Patrol Squadron-54, Patrol Squadron-51, VB-101, PATSU 1-2, and CASU F-56 "The next day, February 14,1943, off the coast of Southern Bougainville Island. nine PB4Y-1 aircraft fully armed, bombs and ammunition, bombed and sank a large enemy transport and a destroyer from 22,000 feet altitude. After the flack came 50 to 60 enemy fighters from Kahili airfield to intercept the bombers and their cover. The top cover consisted of 4 Army P-38's and the lower cover consisting of Navy F6F's and Marine Corps Corsairs (F4U). The Marine Corsair was in combat for the first time in this mission. Two PB4Y-1 Bombers -- 101-B-3 and 101-B-4 and entire crews were shot down. The entire top cover was destroyed and six of the lower cover aircraft were destroyed. It was reported by observers that the enemy lost 26 aircraft in this fight. This 'skirmish' was named in most military history books as the 'Saint Valentines Day Massacre'. The losses for both sides were very heavy for the day." We Flew Alone (2000) by Alan Carey pages 13-14 13th Fighter Command In World War II (2004) page 118 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jay D. Bacon Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edmund J. Kolazyk American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank E. Atkins American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William Barber American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank Lee Betz Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jessie L. Henderson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Norman L. North American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John M. Walker American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Oscar K. Ward American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Roy R. Wells American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph H. Zattera FindAGrave - Lt Jay Darwin Bacon, Jr (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Ens Edmund John Kolazyk (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Ens Edmund John Kolazyk (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - AOM2 Frank Eugene Atkins (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ARM2 William Barber (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - ARM1 Frank Lee Betz, Jr (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Frank Lee Betz, Jr (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - AMM1 Jessie Lloyd Henderson (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM2 Norman Levi North (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Norman Levi North (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - AMM2 John Melvin Walker (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AP1C Oscar Kenneth Ward (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM3 Roy Russell Wells (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AOM3 Joseph Harold Zattera (tablets of the missing photo) Thanks to Jim Sawruk, Minoru Kamada and Jeannette Banks for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated February 15, 2023 |
 PB4Y-1  Photo Archive  MIA 11 Missing |
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