Flt Off Martin J McTigue - executed by the Japanese around 13.3.44

Discussion in 'Burma & India' started by Skoyen89, Dec 22, 2021.

  1. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    I am trying to find information on the circumstances of the death of Flt Lt Martin J McTigue T-060765 who was an American glider pilot flying a glider into Broadway, a Chindit landing ground in Burma on 5 March 1944. The glider crashed before reaching Broadway and the surviving passengers plus McTigue set off to walk back to India. On 13 March the group (mainly from 1st Kings (Liverpool) Regt) was ambushed and split into two parties; one party made it back to India but a group of five were captured by the Japanese and imprisoned in Rangoon Jail. William Fairfield survived and returned but three (Sgt GV King, Pte S Booth and Pte RW Blundell) all died whilst in Rangoon Jail. It was reported that McTigue was executed by the Japanese.

    I have some good accounts of the crash and the evasion but has anyone come across McTigue in their research? There isn't a Liberation Questionnaire for Fairfield on the COFEPOW site. Does anyone know where I could find out whether the execution was treated as a war-crime?
     
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  2. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

  3. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    When Fairfield was approached by the War Office in November of 1945 he replied "I cannot help you with same" as he had turned over all "the chaps names and particulars on my arrival in this country".

    William James Fairfield was born 9 December 1913 and passed away in Liverpool October 1991. His wife Dorothy passed in 1985. There were three children.

    McTigue's wife, Evelyn, never remarried and passed in April of 1986.

    Regards,

    Dave
    The_Daily_American_Mon__Apr_28__1986_.jpg
     
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  4. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Thanks Tony 56. I should have been clearer on what I have already (including that photo etc of Mctigue from the same source).

    I also have:
    • the two Dekho accounts of the crash from #142 and #121
    • the Casualty Lists for all those on the aircraft (who are listed in High Wood's great thread on the 1st Kings here: 1st Bn The King's Regiment, (Liverpool), Chindits. | Page 34 | WW2Talk
    • two newspaper articles from April 1944 about the exploits of the group that returned to India#
    • Fairfield's POW docs and Japanese Index Card from FMP
    • a 1945 newspaper article saying that Fairfield was a POW and had been released
    When researching this crash I was intrigued by why McTigue alone was 'executed' and the four British soldiers who were captured ended up in Rangoon Jail.
     
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  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Hi Skoyen89,

    Thanks for the info on Fairfield today. I will update my website accordingly in the near future. I have had a good search through my docs and known places, but very little about McTigue has been thrown up I'm afraid.

    I do believe that he may have a file at the US National Archives, but I have not been able to find this on line. Attached are his Air Medal Decoration card from NARA and his name on a card for missing airmen, which makes me believe their might be an actual personnel file out there. Also attached from the 77 Indian Infantry Brigade HQ war diary for 1944 (WO172/4436), the passenger list for Glider 19B.

    My only thoughts on why he was killed (murdered) in March 1944, would be if he had attempted to escape after capture, or had been severely wounded either as a result of the glider crash, or after attempting to escape and the Japanese did not feel he could then march on at the pace required to the POW camp. Many Chindits that fell into enemy hands in 1944 were killed in this way, if they could not manage to keep up with their comrades after capture.

    Air Medal Decoration card.jpg Missing Airmen.jpg WO172:4436 Glider 19B2 copy.JPG
     
  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    McTigue is also mentioned by Arthur House in Phil Chinnery's March or Die. His story I'm sure will be a composite of the two accounts in Dekho. You may already have this Skoyen89 in any case. A sub-note on page 114 suggests McTigue was killed by a Japanese officer. Apologies for the poor scans:

    MOD 113.jpeg MOD 114.jpeg MOD 115.jpeg
     
  7. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    B43

    Many thanks for taking the time to look these extras out. I don't have the Chinnery book but have just ordered it from abebooks.co.uk. The account in it is the most coherent of the various versions that exist but they all seem to be based on the same sources. Your comments on the reasons for McTigue being executed are similar to my own having read the stories of those captured in Malaya, Burma 1942 and the Chindit expeditions.

    I think I'll add the 77 Indian Infantry Brigade HQ war diary for 1944 (WO172/4436) to my list for my next visit to Kew. I am amazed it has such detail in it.

    Again thanks
     
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  8. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Dave

    Many thanks for your info on Fairfield and McTigue's wife. can I ask what your interest in both is - or did you just search on the internet as the result of my query?
     
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  9. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    SK89,

    This type of thread shows me how much stuff I've got and sometimes forget I have. It is a concern to me at times. The 77 HQ diary is a huge file and difficult to read through, but has some amazing detail within. I think forum member HW has used it extensively when picking out info about the men from 1 KLR on Operation Thursday. I've dipped in and out of the file over the years and it has brought great reward even from a Longcloth perspective.
     
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  10. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    Hi Skoyen,

    I saw that the title of this thread had McTigue as a Flight Officer, a US rank equivalent to Warrant Officer (or a WAAF rank) but in your first post McTigue is a Flight Lieutenant, an RAF rank equivalent to Captain in the USAAF.

    Regards,

    Dave
     

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