2nd Lt David Richard Gerhardt, service No O&717886, was shot down 1 April 1945. The plane actually crashed in Tokyo Minamitama Kooricho 790, Honmachida, Tamachi.
Gerhardt and 9 others parachuted safely. All were captured and transferred to the Tokyo Military Prison at the Kempei Tai Hq adjacent to the north side of the Imperial Palace.
MACR 14230, Plane # 44-69666. He was the bombardier in the crew of 1st Lt Edward Law.
Law was the only man to die in the crash. All the other men were caputred and sent to the Kempei Tai Hq in Tokyo. The Central Fire Control man, Staff Sgt Ray Hooper was later sent to Omori. He would be the sole survivor.
On the night of 26 May 1945, upon notice of the forthcoming raid, all civilian prisoners were removed from their cells and moved to the safety of open field shelters. The Japanese locked the Allied prisoners in their cramped cells. Generally, 16 to 19 men would be placed into these vermin and filth covered cells, approximately 2.5 x 3 x 2.4 meters.
Incendiary bombs ignited the building. Those trying to escape were shot or slashed to death by swords. Gerhardt perished that night. His remains were cremated and disposed of by the Japanese. Somewhere between 60 to 150 men died in the locked cells.
Those responsible were tried as war criminals, convicted and hanged.
Regards,
Roger Mansell
Director
Center For Research
Allied POWS Under The Japanese
www.amnsell.com