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  Freeman July 1944 |
Location Lat 3° 19' 60S Long 154° 45' 0E The Nuguria Island Group (Nuguria Islands) is located in the Nuguria Atoll at the northern tip of the Solomon Islands. Nuguria Atoll surrounds Nuguria Lagoon formed by a fringing reef and Nugarba Island (Nugava, Paobau), Peiti Island (Wreck Island) and the Malum Islands. Roughly 184 miles to the southwest is Rabaul. Prewar and during the Pacific War, part of the Kieta District in the Territory of New Guinea. Postwar, part of Bougainville Province (North Solomons Province). Today located in Selau Suir Rurial LLG of Northern Bougainville District in Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Wartime History Nuguria Atoll was located along the aerial ferry route for Japanese aircraft flying from Truk to Rabaul or vice versa. During the Pacific War, the Japanese did not occupy the islands. During 1942-1943 several Japanese aircraft crashed or force landed in the vicinity. On February 20, 1942 damaged G4M1 Betty ditched off Nugarba Island in Nuguria Atoll returning from an attack on Task Force 11 (TF-11) including USS Lexington (CV-2). On April 27, 1943 a formation of twenty-seven Ki-61 Tonys from 68th Hiko Sentai (68th Flying Regiment) depart Truk on a ferry flight to Rabaul flying in two groups, each lead by a Ki-46 Dinah flying as a pathfinder. Of the first group's 13 planes: 2 returned to Truk, 2 went MIA, one landed at Kavieng and the remaining eight ditched at Nuguria Atoll. The second group arrived at Vunakanau Airfield safely, while the first group never arrived. Later, the Navy send a vessel to the atoll, all they found was only one of the pilots [identity unknown] in bloodstained clothes. On April 9, 1944 a pair of U.S. Navy (USN) PT Boats from Nissan Island (Green) patrolled Nuguria Atoll and found the wreckage of G4M1 Betty in shallow water. According to locals, three of the crew survived and were later rescued by a barge and were the only Japanese they had met. When they returned from the patrol, they reported the Betty. During July 1944, personnel from Air Technical Intelligence Unit (ATIU) including Captain Tolbert and Michael J. Freeman aboard PT-124 "Who Me" visited Nuguria Atoll to investigate ditched G4M1 Betty. While the PT Boat loitered nearby, the pair uses two dinghies to paddle up to the bomber, took at least three photographs and recovered a bag with documents found inside the fuselage above the water level. Today Nuguria Atoll is a remote location rarely visited by outsiders. John Douglas adds: "Kevin Baldwin, has a dive boat, and went to Nuguria to find them [in 1990s]. He said that the planes seem to have landed outside the atoll in deep water. They couldn't find any trace of them. The locals remembered the incident. When I told him about one survivor. he agreed with me, but said that the locals had killed the rest, leaving one survivor who was also beaten up by the locals." Nugarba Island (Nugava, Paobau) Small narrow island in the south of the Nuguria Islands. G4M1 Betty Tail F-??? Pilot Ono ditched February 20, 1942 Peiti Island (Wreck Island) Small island in the Nuguria group Malum Islands Small island in the Nuguria group References The Lost Squadron by Alfred Weinzierl Contribute
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