Kiyoshi Nagata of The Asahi Shimbun’s Aviation Department served as a flight engineer on the A-26 aircraft, which went missing during the Pacific War. Fumiko Nagata, his daughter, watched newly found footage of the aircraft during a screening in Osaka in July. (Video produced by Asahi Television Broadcasting Corp.)

Photo/Illutration Fumiko Nagata, left, and Shigeyuki Nagatomo are reunited for the first time in 76 years in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, on Oct. 31. Each holds a photo of themselves as a baby in their father’s arms. (Toshiyuki Mabuchi)

KAKAMIGAHARA, Gifu Prefecture--The children of the pilot and flight engineer of the A-26 aircraft that went missing en route to Germany during the Pacific War have reunited for the first time in 76 years.

Fumiko Nagata, 81, and Shigeyuki Nagatomo, 79, met at the Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum on Oct. 31 after long-lost footage of the doomed flight, known as the “Tragic Wings,” emerged last year.

Shigemitsu Nagatomo, Shigeyuki’s father, piloted the long-range aircraft when it took off from Singapore to Germany, Japan’s wartime ally, on July 7, 1943. Kiyoshi Nagata, Fumiko’s father, served as a flight engineer.

Fumiko and Shigeyuki last saw each other when they attended the funeral of their fathers organized by the Imperial Japanese Army Aviation Headquarters at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Hongwanji temple in June 1945.

“I heard from my mother that we were family friends,” said Fumiko, who now lives in Osaka's Asahi Ward.

“I also heard we lived close to each other,” Shigeyuki, a resident of Tokyo’s Ota Ward, said. “I never thought we would see each other again in good health.”

The fate of the A-26 remains unknown to this day. A special exhibition is being held to show the newly found footage, old design diagrams and other related items at the Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum through Jan. 10.

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A picture from a photo album left by Kiyoshi Nagata shows pilot Shigemitsu Nagatomo, left, and Nagata as a flight engineer. It was captioned “Before departure of a flight to Mount Hakutosan (Paektu Mountain in the Korean Peninsula).” The year when it was taken is unknown. (Provided by Fumiko Nagata)

The aircraft was operated by Nagatomo, Nagata and three other members of The Asahi Shimbun’s Aviation Department and was carrying three army field officers.

Nagatomo, 29, and Nagata, 32, were declared “killed in action” along with six others onboard.

The A-26 was designed for a nonstop flight from Tokyo to New York in 1940 planned by The Asahi Shimbun Co. The year was chosen because it would coincide with the 2,600th year since the enthronement of Emperor Jinmu, thought to be Japan’s first emperor.

However, production was halted when the Pacific War broke out in December 1941.

When Japan was surrounded by the sphere of influence of the Allies amid the worsening war situation, the Imperial Japanese Army took an interest in the A-26 for its capability of making long-distance, nonstop flights.

Two A-26s were completed under the army’s supervision, and the decision was made to fly the second aircraft to Germany. The plan was to transport liaison officers to the European ally along that route.

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Fumiko Nagata watches newly found footage of the A-26 aircraft during a screening at Asahi Television Broadcasting Corp.’s head office in Osaka on July 24. (Yasuji Nagai)

In autumn 2020, four minutes of footage showing the A-26 taking off from Singapore, its last transit point, was found at Tachihi Holdings Co., which is headquartered in Tachikawa, western Tokyo.

The company is the successor of Tachikawa Aircraft Co., which co-produced the airplane.

Fumiko, along with her children and grandchildren, were invited to a screening in Osaka in July. Her father is seen in the footage.

The episode was reported by The Asahi Shimbun in its Sept. 3 evening edition. Shigeyuki read the article and came forward to say that he is the son of the A-26’s pilot.

When they attended their fathers’ funeral, Fumiko was 5 and Shigeyuki was just 3.

Fumiko, who has photos taken at the funeral, said her mother had identified a child in one of them as Shigeyuki.

“I used to look at the photo as if I had a younger brother,” she told Shigeyuki.

After they lost their fathers, Fumiko and Shigeyuki lived through the postwar turmoil with their mothers.

The two fell out of touch over the years. While Shigeyuki remained in Tokyo, Fumiko evacuated to Shizuoka Prefecture before moving to Osaka.

“I’m overwhelmed with emotions when I think about how both of our families had experienced difficulties,” Shigeyuki said.

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