B-29 shot down, crewman survives without entering captivity?

Hello all,

Several years ago I recall reading an account of a bomber crewman (B-29?) who survived a shootdown over northern Japan (Hokkaido?) and lived in hiding for several months until the war ended. The account stated that the crewman was an American Indian. Does this ring any bells? I've been trying to find the account but haven't had any luck.

Thanks!

 

That was ARM1c Oliver Rasmussen from USS Shangri-La VB-85, a radio gunner in a SB2C.

From “Shangri-La Horizon” - Ship’s Newspaper, USS Shangri-La CV-38

One of the war's most amazing tales of ingenuity, high courage, daring and just plain will-to-live came to light when Oliver Rasmussen, ARM1c, returned to the Shangri-La after eluding capture on the Japanese homeland for 68 days.

Reported missing in action and definitely given up for lost when on July 14 the Helldiver in which he was rear-seat gunner failed to return, Rasmussen came back from the dead to collect his most important possession: a one-way ticket to the states by plane, priority 2. But before he left, Rasmussen's story, that of a modern Robinson Caruso, had been wirelessed to the states by every major news agency and he had recounted most of his experiences to the Shangri-La crew.

Rasmussen's odyssey began back on one of those overcast strike-day mornings in mid-July when the whole air group was up for an all-out blow against Hokkaido.

Low clouds forced the pilot, Lt. (jg) Howard Eagleston, to fly low and, while in the overcast, the plane struck a mountainside. Rasmussen was knocked unconscious momentarily and Eagleston was killed instantly.

Dazed and suffering from shock, Rasmussen tried unsuccessfully to extricate his first-aid kit from the wreckage, and then stumbled back into the hills away from the plane to avoid capture. He carried nothing but the clothes on his back, a small packsack and no food. He had only a vague idea of his location; he knew only that he was in northern Japan and that it would be a good idea if he didn't get caught.

Then started days of wandering through the rugged countryside of Hokkaido, living off the land, dodging Jap surveying parties, and trying to reach the coastline.

He finally found the coast on July 31 and had his first real nourishment in two weeks. He found a farmhouse and noticed a cow staked nearby. That night, weak from hunger, he crept up, milked the cow, and gorged himself on fresh milk.

This, Rasmussen decided, was the place to wait for the allied rescue planes. So every night for nine days he helped himself from the farmer's one-cow dairy and began to get his strength back. It would have gone on longer, Rasmussen said, but the Jap eventually turned the cow loose because it wasn't producing.

“That Jap was sure fouled up, but he never got wise that I was the guy getting all the milk,” he said.

His best supply of food gone, he wandered back into the mountains after first unsuccessfully trying to launch a small fishing boat through the breakers.

Eventually he discovered a small railroad shack for living quarters and for nearly a week lived on raw onions, raw frogs’ legs, eggs from bird nests, and uncooked rice. But on the 16th of August a Jap workman discovered him and he was forced to pull up stakes in a hurry, leaving behind two possessions worth their weight in gold by then: 20 pounds of raw rice and a bit of saki he'd found.

For the next week Rasmussen said he would no more than get comfortably settled in some hideaway than the Japs would get too close and he was forced to move on.

But the cows of Japan came to his rescue again. He found lumber and built a little shack in a secluded spot, yet strategically located among five farms. During the evening he noticed the farmers putting their milk in containers in the river to keep it cool. That was enough for him.

“I only took the cream off the top and put the container back so the Japs wouldn't get suspicious. I could have taken more but it only would have soured on me. My best night was 9 quarts.”

“The night of September 5th some dogs started howling at one of those farms. Several Japs came out jabbering and some of them started to close in on me. I bowled a couple over and ran like hell. That was my really close call,” he added.

Rasmussen missed his milk after that, but he was beginning to believe the war was over. At least he had seen several Allied planes flying surprisingly low and no one fired at them. His diary from then on was brief, and drily to the point:

“Sept. 5. Milk. During night was chased.”
“Sept, 6. No milk and raw corn.”
“Sept. 7. No milk and raw corn. Boiled potatoes.”
“Sept. 8. No milk, boiled potatoes and corn. Mighty fine.”
“Sept. 9. No milk and raw corn.”

That kept up for another week until on Sept. I5 he made this entry: “No milk, squash, potato stew. 0915 looked like PBM NE by NE. I think I'm still sane, but a DC with American markings flew over at 1158. Maybe the war is over. ha ha ha. 1230 8 PBMs flew over ... Could be. 1400 had boiled potatoes, squash and fish.”

American planes continued to fly over the area in increasing numbers and four days later he decided to risk going into the town of Tomakomai. He said he spent all morning on the beach hoping to attract attention of friendly planes but finally gave up and started into the town.

A policeman on the outskirts of the village took him in to the chief of police. He gave him a cigarette and called in an interpreter who told him he was right: the war was over.

The police also were curious about thefts of milk and rice in the area over the previous month, but Rasmussen stoutly denied any part of it.

So on September 19th, after 68 days of living in the open, dodging capture and going hungry most of the time, Rasmussen had his first real bath and hot meal. And more important still, a chance to go home.

This was his last laconic entry in his diary: “War sure must be over. Well, now I'll see if I can make it back to the states.” He did.​

Also see ARM1/c Oliver Rasmussen

Oliver Rasmussen retired from the USN after 20 years service; he died in 1980. Rasmussen was of Chippewa heritage.

 

That's the one! Thanks