The Raaf’s VC Winning Bostons

No22 Squadron prepared to move in October 1942 to New Guinea to join the Bristol Beaufighter equipped No30 Squadron, becoming the second low level attack squadron in the theatre. The advance party arrived at Ward’s airfield, Port Moresby, on the 19th October and set up alongside No30 Squadron. The Bostons were flown in during the first week in November. The two types of aircraft complemented each other, the Beaufighters attacking with machine-gun and cannon fire and the Bostons delivering bombs in addition to machine gun fire.

The Japanese, still confident of capturing NewGuinea and the adjacent islands despite being decisively defeated on the Kokoda Trail, were attempting to land troops at various points and No22’s earliest operations were against troop carrying vessels of the Japanese Navy.

In November the squadron lost three Bostons, and all nine crew members, in somewhat mysterious circumstances. A28-12 crashed on the 10th during a practice bombing attack; A28-22 and 20 crashed on the 26th and 29th respectively while on operations. It was eventually decided that the fragmentation bombs that all three had been carrying were not dropping clear when released and were being thrown back against the aircraft and exploding. This was never conclusively proven but the unexplained losses ceased after the squadron abandoned the use of this weapon.

In December, a Boston piloted by Flying OfficerG St C Turner, was damaged during an attack on Sanananda Point and forced to land in a small clearing. As the aircraft – which had landed on it’s wheels – was substantially undamaged, a party trekked through the jungle to the site and made the Boston serviceable. They then stripped the aircraft of all equipment not essential for flight, extended the clearing, and a single crew member flew the aircraft back to Port Moresby while the rest of the group walked back.

In December, Wing Commander K Hampshire DSO DFC succeeded Sqn Ldr Bell as Commanding Officer and operations in conjunction with other squadrons in the area kept enemy positions under constant pressure. During the first two months of 1943, over 200 hours of operational flying were recorded during which 30 tons of bombs and 83,000 rounds of ammunition were expended in low level attacks. In March a further seventy two sorties were carried out and the enemy bases at Lae and Salamaua were regularly attacked. At the end of the month and in April, No22 Squadron operated against the Japanese 51st Division on the trails from Wau to Mubo, including attacks between the 26th and 30th April in support of Australian infantry operations against a feature known as ‘the Pimple’. As all supplies on this front had to be carried by porters, the Bostons occasionally dropped munitions and supplies to forward companies under attack.

On the 16th March 1943 Flight Lieutenant William Ellis Newton, one of the most aggressive pilots in the squadron, known for the quality of support it gave the infantry, was recommended for the Victoria Cross when he pressed home a series of attacks on the Salamaua Isthmus, against extremely heavy anti aircraft fire. His aircraft received four direct hits during one attack, but Newton was able to fly it back to base. Two days later he again took off for Salamaua, on his 52nd and last mission. His aircraft, A28-3/ DU-Y was hit over the target and burst into flames. Newton was forced to land in the bay only a short distance from the target and although he and Flight Sergeant J Lyon managed to escape from the aircraft they were captured when they reached the shore. The third member of the crew, Sergeant BG Eastwood, is believed to have been killed before the aircraft crashed.

Following questioning, Newton was ‘accorded a Samaurai’s death’ on the 29th March when he was·beheaded. Lyon was not so honoured, being bayoneted to death in front of the unit which had captured him.

The award of the Victoria Cross appeared in the London Gazette on the 19th October 1943 and his citation in part reads:

“Throughout, he displayed great courage and an iron determination to inflict the utmost damage on the enemy. His splendid offensive flying and fighting were attended with brilliant success. Disdaining evasive tactics when under the heaviest fire, he always went straight to his objective. He carried out many daring machine gun attacks on enemy positions involving low level flying over long distances in the face of continuous fire at point blank range . . . Flight Lieutenant Newton’s many examples of conspicuous bravery have rarely been equalled and will serve as a shining inspiration to all who follow him. ” In July, Squadron Leader C C Learmonth took over command from Wing Commander Hampshire and the squadron moved to a new base on the opposite side of New Guinea at Goodenough Island. It then transferred it’s attentions toenemy concentrations at Salamaua, Komiatum and Gasmata, beforemoving to Vivigani at the end of the month to again harass the barge traffic which was the main means of transportation used by the Japanese. On the 4th September 1943 theunit supported the Allied landings at Lae by bombing the runway at Gasmata airfield, thus preventing any large scale intervention by the Japanese Air Force.

On the 3rd September, the Boston flown by Squadron Leader was shot down during an attack on targets around Jacqumot Bay and the crew had to swim for shore. They were assisted by natives and eventually returned to their base on the 21st December after an absence of eight weeks.

No22 completed 12 months of operational service in November 1943, having flown 638 sorties in 133 missions and losing 12 aircraft. It’s aircrew won a Victoria Cross, a Distinguished Service Order, four Distinguished Flying Crosses and one Distinguished Flying Medal. In view of the primitive maintenance conditions and shortage of replacement aircraft and spare parts, the unit had achieved very creditable results.

The RAAF had received 22 Boston Ills, A28-1 to 22, in March and April 1942 which had been billed against orders from the British Purchasing Commission. The squadron had to operate with a diminishing number of aircraft until September/November 1943 when a further nine A-20Cs, A28-23 to 31 and nine A-20As A28-32 to 40 were received from the United States. The squadron continued its second year of operations with these aircraft attacking the same types of targets, gradually moving northwards as the Japanese retreated. Much of its work was against targets of opportunity. Areas would be allocated and every Japanese target within it (on land or sea) would be attacked.

In July 1944 the unit gave up its now war weary aircraft and received newer A-20Gs in exchange. Still working in close co­operation with the Beaufighters of No30 Squadron they continued to. harass the enemy at every opportunity. Ambon and adJacent islands were attacked in October and then, on the17th November, the squadron took up residence at Morotai. The Philippines were visited on the 22nd when Bunanan Harbour on Mindanao was attacked. This was the last Boston operation. That, the Japanese mounted a heavy air raid on the base, destroying 15 aircraft and damaging 29. These included 13 of No22s aircraft, of which eight were totally destroyed.

Due to a shortage of replacement Bostons it had been decided to re-equip the squadron with the OAP Beaufighter 21 (the Australian built version) and have all three squadrons of No77 Wing flying the same type of aircraft; the losses on the 23rd hastened this process.

Twelve aircraft, A28-57, 58, 66, 69 to 74 and 78 were returned to the USAAF in January and February 1945. The remainder were gradually scrapped, with the exception of A28-39, an A-20A which was used as an instructional airframe and was not disposed of until about 1949.

The Boston had proven to be a very effective attack aircraft for the theatre. It was manoeuvrable with a maximum speed of over 330mph (530kph), a range of 1,000 miles (1,600kms), six forward firing machine guns and a 4,000lb (1,814kg) bomb load, making it well suited for low level intruder missions and close support operations. It was a fine weapon for the aggressive style of operation that No22 Squadron conducted against the Japanese. Sixty four aircrew lost their lives while serving with the squadron, including all eight who had been shot down and captured.

The remains of a number of Bostons have recently been recovered from the New Guineajungles and returned to Australia for restoration. One of these, A28-8 coded DU-J which crashed near Vivigani airfield on the 13th September 1943 while being flown by Flight Lieutenant H Rowell, was brought back to Australia in 1987.

No22 Squadron disbanded at Deniliquin, New South Wales on the 15th August 1946 but was reformed as a reserve unit, No22 (City of Sydney) Squadron, on the 19th April 1948. It flew Mustangs, Vampires and later Meteors, until reduced to non flying status on the 2nd June 1960. On the 17th September 1972 the squadron was presented with a Standard bearing the battle honours gained in the Second World War: New Guinea1942-43, Moresby 1942-43, Bismark Sea, New Britain 1943, Markham Valley 1943, Dutch New Guinea and Morotai. This all bears witness to the squadron’s motto ‘ADSUM’, meaning ‘I am present’.