Bertram Lee Ware was the only child of Isaac Walter and Bessie J. Ruark Ware. He graduated from Wicomico High School, Salisbury, Wicomico, MD in June 1942. He and his parents then moved to Brooklyn, Baltimore City, MD where he registered for the WWII draft on 7 Aug 1943. He enlisted in the US Army several months later in Baltimore, MD on 23 Oct 1943.

Sgt Ware (33898131) was one of eleven aircrew flying in a B-29 Super Fortress, aircraft M-34 (AAF Serial No. 44-69871), from 30th Bomb. Squadron, 19th Bomb Group. They departed North Field, Guam about 1730, 15 April 1945 on an incendiary bombing attack on Kawasaki, Japan. Landfall was reached about 0030, 16 April 1945. M-34 approached the target from the South over Sagami Bay. As the aircraft approached Yokohama Point, the aiming point on the bombing run, enemy searchlights illuminated the B-29. A few seconds before release of the bombs, the aircraft suffered a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire from ground batteries. The pilot, 1st Lt John L. Schofield Jr., was wounded slightly in the shoulder. The bombs were released on target at about 0047. Immediate breakaway was made across Tokyo Bay. A fire that had begun in the bomb bays was fanned by a slipstream caused by the failure of the bay door mechanism. The bomb bay doors would not close. As the aircraft approached the shores of the Chiba Peninsula, fires had begun in engines No. 2 and No. 3. The aircraft began losing altitude rapidly as the fires became more intense. The interphone system failed breaking contact with those crewmen in the forward compartment. The order to bail out was given. All crewmembers in the rear compartment bailed out including Sgt Ware who was the left gunner. Soon after, the flaming aircraft went into a spin and crashed in a valley. The details concerning the subsequent capture of Sgt Ware and three other survivors from his plane are unknown.

The only known survivor of this crew to see the war’s end was radar operator 1st Lt Warren H. Ransler. On 10 April 1946, he wrote a letter to the Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington, DC. The subject of the letter was, "Prisoners of War Transferred from Kempai Headquarters o/a 10 May 1945.” Ransler stated he previously sent information regarding POWs that were members of his crew and their disposition by the Japanese to the Judge Advocate General's Office through agents of the War Crimes Commission. Lt Ransler stated that he was brought to Tokyo on 5 May 1945 after evading the Japanese for 19 days. He wrote that a group of 50-100 prisoners was to be transferred from Kempai HQ prison camp in Tokyo to some unknown location during 6-11 May 1945. On 6 May 1945, Lt Ransler believes he heard the voice of Sgt Henry Younge, a tail gunner on his crew, answering roll call. Within a day or two Younge was transferred with other POWs to an unknown location. Later, Ransler learned by hearsay that two other members of his crew, S/Sgt Anthony F. Scolaro and Sgt Bertram L. Ware, had been in Kempai and transferred during the 6-11 May 1945 period. In a letter written in Jan 1946 by ex-POW 1st Lt Fiske Hanley, (398th Bomb. Sq., 504th Bomb Grp, B-29 #42-24864) shot down 27 Mar 1945, he confirmed that Sgt Tony Scolaro was imprisoned in the cell with him as a POW at Kempai and transferred on 09 May 1945 to an undisclosed location. Lt Ransler said he was told by the Japanese that all the American’s were to be tried as war criminals.

On 24 April 1946, The Daily Times newspaper of Salisbury, MD published an article titled, “Salisburian Presumed Dead In Prison Fire Set By Yank Planes.” This article states that no official confirmation of the death of Sgt Ware has been received in the US from the Japanese government, but information furnished to the War Department indicated Ware lost his life in a fire at the Yoyage prison camp. The fire was set by raids of US planes dropping incendiary bombs on 26 May 1945. In the absence of positive proof of his fate, however, the War Department listed Sgt Ware as presumed dead. The article also states that Sgt. Ware was last reported a prisoner in Kempai Tai prison in Tokyo from where he was moved on 09 May to an unknown location.

Sgt Ware's remains were repatriated from Japan, and he was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA on 06 Oct 1949.

Sgt Ware was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory medal, and possibly the Air Medal. He is eligible for the Prisoner of War Medal (issued 08 Nov 1985 but retroactive to 06 April 1917).

Bertram L Ware