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| RAAF No. 77 Squadron |
Pilot F/L Daryl Maxwell Sproule, 250641 C. O. 77 Sqn (POW, executed Aug 16, 1943, BR) Sandy Bay, Tas Force Landed August 2, 1943 Aircraft History Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York. Constructors Number 21806. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-40K-15-CU Kittyhawk serial number 42-10422. Disassembled and shipped to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History During February 1943 assigned to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as P-40K Kittyhawk serial number A29-201. Assigned to 13 ARD. Assigned to No. 77 Squadron. No known nickname or markings. Mission History On August 2, 1943 took off from Vivigani Airfield piloted by F/L Daryl Maxwell Sproule (C.O. No. 77 Squadron) as one of eighteen Kittyhawks escorting Beaufighters and Bostsons on a strike against Gasmata Airfield. Returning, the Kittyhawks attacked Japanese barges off the south coast of New Britain. This plane was believed to be hit shrapnel from its own bomb and damaged and crash landed near the beach at Lindenhafen. Other aircraft saw the pilot get out of the plane and swim ashore apparently unhurt. When this plane failed to return it was offically listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Fate of the Pilot In fact, this P-40 crash landed in the sea near the beach at Lindenhafen. After reaching shore, Sproule was captured by the Japanese and became a Prisoner Of War (POW). By the middle of August 1943, the Lindenhafen patrol unit transported Sproule to 5th Air Defense Unit at Gasmata. At 5:00pm the prisoner was interrogated by Japanese Navy LtCdr Yoshihiko Fukute for an hour but due to his poor English and no translator, he only determiend the prisoner was Australian and came by plane and was accused of being a spy and reported the outcome and planned to send him to Rabaul. The prisoner was left under guard with instructions to shoot him if he attempted to escape. The next day before dawn, on or around August 16, 1943 the prisoner asked guard CPO Kuwabara to go outside to relieve himself and ran away in an attempt to escape and Kuwabara drew his pistol and hit him twice in his thigh and through the head but was still alive but was in pain and no medical personnel were available to render aid. LtCdr Fukute arrived at the scene of the shooting and seeing the victim drew his sword and beheaded him and his body was buried in a nearby bomb crater. Postwar, LtCdr Fukute was arresed for murder and detained in Sugamo Prison in Japan. Between November 19, 1948 to December 13, 1948 he was put on war crimes trial in Hong Kong. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging on December 13, 1948. Afterwards, he lodged his petition appealing for mitigation with a letter from his wife but it was denied. On March 22, 1949 at 7:00am hanged at Stanley Prison in Hong Kong. Recovery of Remains Postwar, the remains of Sproule were recovered and transported to Lae for permenant burial. Memorials Sproule was officially declared dead on August 16, 1943. After his remains were recovered, Sproule was buried at Lae War Cemetery at T. C. 8. Awards Sproule earned the DFC. On February 5, 2019 he earned the Commendation for Gallantry with a citation "For acts of gallantry in action following his capture by the Imperial Japanese Navy and until his execution as a result of an escape attempt around the middle of August 1943." References NAA RAAF Personnel File - Sproule Daryl Maxwell: Service Number 250641 (NAA: A9300, SPROULE D M) NAA Sproule Daryl Maxwell Casualty Repatriation, Aircraft Kittyhawk A29-201 (NAA: A705, 166/38/216) USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-40K-15-CU Warhawk 42-10422 "10422 to RAAF as A29-201 Feb 1943. Lost on operations near Vivigani Aug 1943." NAA "War crimes - Fukute, Yoshihiko" (NAA: MP742/1, 336/1/1706) ADF Serials - Kittyhawk A29-201 CWGC - Daryl Maxwell Sproule FindAGrave - Squadron Leader Daryl Maxwell Sproule (photo, grave photo) Australian Government Honours - Daryl Maxwell Sproule Commendation for Gallantry, 5 February 2019 Thanks to Daniel Leahy 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 March 4, 2026 |
 P-40  POW Executed |
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