PO2c Enji Kakimoto
Imperial Japanese Navy pilot of A6M3 Zero ditched August 27, 1942
Prisoner Of War (POW) died August 5, 1944 by suicide during Cowra Riot

Pilot History
Enji Kakimoto was born in 1921 in Hitachi, Oita-Ken on Kyushu in Japan. Prewar, he was a farmer and a Buddhist. In captivity, he claimed he was born April 28, 1920 [sic 1921].

Wartime History
In 1937, he enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) at Sasebo and underwent flight training as a fighter pilot. Assigned to the Tainan Kokutai (Tainan Air Group) as a fighter pilot with the rank of Pilot Officer 2nd Class (PO2c) based at Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul.

On August 7, 1942 took off piloting an A6M2 Zero from Lakunai Airfield on a mission to escort G4M1 Betty bombers attacking U.S. ships off Tulagi and Guadalcanal. Kakimoto was flying in the 3rd Chutai, 2nd Shotai led by Saburo Sakai. The Zeros intercepted F4F Wildcats then Kakimoto and Uto joined Yamazaki engaged F4F-4 "Junior" 5192 piloted by James "Pug" Southerland II that was finally shot down by Saburo Sakai with the aerial victory claim shared equally between Sakai, Uto and Yamazaki. Afterwards, Sakai and Kakimoto attacked enemy planes that proved to be SBD03 Dauntless dive bombers as Sakai and Kakimoto began their attack the SBD's rear gunners opened fire injuring Saburo Sakai and damaging his Zero.

On August 22, 1942 part of a detachment of A6M3 Zeros were flown from Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul to operate from Buna Airfield on the north coast of New Guinea.

Mission History
On August 27, 1942 took off from Buna Airfield piloting A6M3 Zero as one of seven Zeros including five Zeros from Tainan Kokutai (Tainan Air Group) and three Zeros from the Kokutai (2nd Air Group) on a mission to escort D3A1 Val dive bombers from the 2nd Kokutai (2nd Air Group) against Milne Bay. The Zeros did not rendezvous with the Vals until 8:20am as they were completing their dive bombing runs and departing the area. Kakimoto flew in the 3rd Chutai in the no. 2 position flying as the wingman for A6M3 Zero pilot Sadao Yamashita.

Afterwards, the five Zeros from the Tainan Kōkūtai dove to strafe No. 1 Strip (Gurney Field) firing at LB-30 "Yard Bird" AL-818 that was already destroyed and unservicable. Over the runway, two of the Zeros including Kakimoto were hit by anti-aircraft fire. From the ground, one of the Zeros was photographed after strafing flying at low level. As Kakimoto was trying to rejoin the other Zeros, his oil pressure failed. He tried to find a target to crash into but found none and instead ditched in shallow water and landed unhurt.

Fates of the Pilot
Kakimoto swam to the beach nearby. On the back of a Tainan Kokutai group photograph he was carrying, he wrote a short diary. Finding native people, he stayed with them for four days and went with them, believing them were friendly. On August 31, 1942 the villagers turned him over to the Australian Army to Private Farrer, WXM6468. Before being captured, he tore up the Tainan Kokutai group photograph, but the pieces were found and later repaired by Allied intelligence.

As a Prisoner Of War (POW), Kakimoto was taken to Milne Bay. During early September 1942, he interacted with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilots from No. 75 Squadron and No. 76 Squadron, including taking a posed photograph blindfolded with Squadron Leader Keith "Bluey" W. Truscott pointing his Webley revolver at the prisoner. Flight Lieutenant Jeff Wilkinson of No. 75 Squadron remembered Kakimoto: "He sat for most of the time with his head in his hands in disgrace an and he looked a very dejected person".

Kakimoto was registered as prisoner of war PWJA.110007. Transported to Australia, he arrived on September 12, 1942 at Broadmeadows and was marched to Hay arriving September 14, 1942. Next marched to Cowra POW Camp arriving January 9, 1943 and assigned to Hut 7. Over the next year, he became a ring leader who advocated for the prisoners to riot. He was remembered as a vocal orator with a bad temper.

On August 5, 1944 during the Cowra Riot (Cowra Breakout) he ordered a lame subordinate to hang himself. In the early morning, Kakimoto hung himself to commit suicide.

Memorials
Kakimoto is buried at Cowra Japanese War Cemetery at grave QC 32.

References
Kodochosho Tainan Kōkūtai - August 7, 1942
Kodochosho Tainan Kōkūtai - August 27, 1942
Pacific Wrecks - A6M3 Zero pilot Kakimoto
The Hidden Chapters (1995) by Robert Piper "Zero Hour" pages 134-143
Australian Post "Where Japs got the third degree" by David Sissons, July 17, 1986, page 4
Cowra-Japan conversations: MURAKAMI Teruo, TAKAHARA Marekuni and YAMADA Masayoshi as former prisoners of war, Cowra, 1942–1945: Interviewed by Terry Colhoun at Australian War Memorial, Canberra, on 7 August 2004 (AWM S03331)
"YAMADA: I don’t think my role was anything special. I was just one of the others, but Mr KAKIMOTO, whose family has traveled to Australia with us this time, was a group leader. He told me that he was a Zero pilot, or something like that. We just followed his orders."
First Japanese Mission To Guadalcanal August 7, 1942 (1998) by Michael Claringbould
Thanks to Robert Piper, Osamu Tagaya, Edward Rogers and Minoru Kamada for additional information

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