ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 243093
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| Date: | Saturday 8 December 1951 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Fairey Firefly Mk 5 |
| Owner/operator: | 817 Sqn RAN |
| Registration: | WB358 |
| MSN: | F.8563 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | USAF Base K-53, Paengyong-do Island, Ongjin County, Incheon -
 South Korea
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | HMAS Sydney, at sea, off coast of North Korea |
| USAF Base K-53, Paengyong-do Island, Incheon, South Korea | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Fairey Firefly Mk.5 WB358: Delivered to the FAA RN (Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy) on 18/11/49 to RNAS Culham RDU. Transferred 20/1/50 to HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch AHU, and embalmed for overseas shipment. Shipped on 14/1/51 to Far East in HMS WARRIOR, arriving 9/2/51 at RNAS Sembawang, Singapore. Stored until at least 31/7/1951
by/on 23/10/51 transferred to RAN Royal Australian Navy) charge and shipped via HMS UNICORN to 817 Squadron, RAN on board HMAS SYDNEY. Damaged 19/10/51: Bounced, caught No 10 wire and entered barrier while landing on HMAS Sydney. Pilot - Lieutenant W.E. Dunlop, RAN - uninjured.
Written off (destroyed) on combat operations on 8/12/51: Developed engine trouble on a mission over Korea but made a safe wheels-up landing at USAF Base K-53, Paengyong-do Island, Incheon (인천), South Korea where the crew was rescued by an American helicopter and later returned to HMAS Sydney. Both crew - Lieutenant A.L. Oakley RAN (pilot) and Lieutenant J.S. Hickson RAN - survived with minor injuries. According to the official history of HMAS Sydney for this period (see link #5)
"On 7 December [1951] Sydney returned to the west coast [of Korea] from Kure, again representing the Carrier Element of TE 95.11. Flying began shortly after first light the next day, according to her commander ‘proved rich in results’. Unfortunately the success of the day’s sorties was marred by the loss of a second pilot from her complement. Sub Lieutenant R.R. Sinclair, RAN, operating a Sea Fury [WE786] north west of Chinnampo, was hit by flak and although successful in baling out, died from injuries inflicted by his falling aircraft's tail. Four other aircraft were hit on this day and one Sea Fury [sic] was forced to land on Paengyong-Do with its wheels up."
Note that the official history mis-reports the loss of Firefly Mk.5 WB358 on 8/12/1951 as a Hawker Sea Fury [sic]. In January 1952, Firefly WB358 was Re-categorised as a "Total Loss", and on 1/2/52 was formally Struck Off Charge as Cat.ZZ
Paengyong-do Island (now Baengnyeong Island, and sometimes spelled Baekryeong) is a 45.8-square-kilometre (17.7 square mile), 8.45-kilometre (5.25 mile) long and 12.56-kilometre (7.80 mile) wide island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line, at approximate coordinates: 37°58′N 124°39′E
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004 p.280)
2. https://www.faaaa.asn.au/fairey-firefly-aircraft-histories/
3. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WB
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/n1.htm
5. https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-sydney-iii
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baengnyeongdo#Korean_War
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Sep-2020 22:30 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 24-Sep-2020 23:10 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location] |
| 25-Sep-2020 19:54 | Glog | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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