Captain Benton H. Daniel
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF) B-17 Flying Fortress pilot
Prisoner Of War (POW) / Missing In Action (MIA) Rabaul

Background
Benton H. Daniel was born 1920 to parents Benton Hayes Daniel and Carrie Bell Moore Daniel Hollis, Oklahoma. He graduated high school and attended two years of college and worked as a cook.

Wartime History
On November 24, 1940 enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) in Oklahoma City as an aviation cadet with serial number 18004292. He earned his wings and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-421896.

Mission History
On January 5, 1943 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby as co-pilot of B-17F "San Antonio Rose" 41-24458 with observer Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker Commanding Officer (C. O.) 5th Bomber Command aboard leading "Mission 4L" against Rabaul. The formation included six B-17 Flying Fortresses from the 64th Bombardment Squadron (64th BS) plus six B-24 Liberators from the 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG). The specific targets were Japanese shipping in Blanche Bay, Simpson Harbor and Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul.

Around noon, the B-17 formation at 8,500' arrived over the target area and bombed Japanese shipping in Blanche Bay anchored between Lesson Point to Kokopo then proceeded over Simpson Harbor. This B-17 was last seen over the target area, east of Vunakanau Airfield at 5,000' pursued "closely pursued by four (4) to five (5) Zeros." [sic Ki-43-I Oscars from 11th Hiko Sentai] Left outboard engine [no. 1 engine] temporarily smoking." When this B-17 failed to return the entire crew was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA).

Fate
In fact, Bleasdale managed to bail out in the jungle an mountains to the north of Tol on southern New Britain. During the middle or late January 1943 Bleasdale and Daniel were captured at Tol and became Prisoners Of War (POW) and were transported to Rabaul. In captivity, Bleasdale and Daniel were interrogated during February 1943 and March 1943. Both were likely tortured and forced to answer questions under duress.

In late February or early March 1943, Daniel was interrogated about technical aspects of the B-17 Flying Fortress including its performance and capabilities that was the subject of a report "The B-17 and Its Armament" dated March 2, 1943 and intercepted by Allied Translator and Interpreter Service (ATIS) and translated into English. A Catholic priest detained at Rabaul noted Daniel's name as a captive of the Japanese. He was no longer at Rabaul by the middle of July 1943. Reportedly, he might have been taken to Kavieng. He did not survive captivity and was never reported as an official POW of Japan. In late July 1943, the two prisoners were mentioned in documents supposedly signed by Bleasdale that were shown to American POWs including 2nd Lt. Jose L. Holguin. Daniel remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

Memorials
Daniel was likely executed in March 1943. He was officially declared dead on December 12, 1945. Daniel earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing.

References
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Benton H. Daniel
Missing Air Crew Report 15359 (MACR 15359) was created retroactively on June 9, 1945
NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File does not list Benton H. Daniel as an officially reported POW
Prisoners from B-17F "San Antonio Rose" 41-24458
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Benton H. Daniel
FindAGrave - Capt Benton Hayes Daniel, Jr (photo, tablets of the missing photo)

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