ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 85067
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| Date: | Friday 26 October 1951 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Fairey Firefly FR Mk 5 |
| Owner/operator: | 817 Sqn RAN |
| Registration: | WB393 |
| MSN: | F.8590 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | NE of Chaeryong-gang Waterway, 10 miles S of Seriwon -
 North Korea
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | HMAS Sydney, off coast of Korea |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Fairey Firefly FR.Mk.5 WB393: Taken on charge by the Royal Australian Navy aboard HMAS Sydney 27/9/1951, and issued to 817 Squadron, RAN as "204/K"
Written off (destroyed) 26/10/1951 in combat operations: Hit by flak/AAA during attack on tunnels North East of Chaeryong, 10 miles South of Seriwon, Korea. Pilot made a successful forced landing in field behind enemy lines three miles West of target. RESCAP by Sea Furies and RAAF Meteors. Crew - Lieutenant Neil MacMillan (pilot) and Chief Petty Officer Phil Hancox (Observer) - rescued by a US Navy HO3S-1 helicopter flown by Aviation Machinist's Mate, Chief A K Babbitt (US Navy) with crewman C P Gooding (Royal Australian Navy). The rescue took place at dusk, just before nightfall.
According to the official history report into the incident (see links #4, #5 & #6):
"We borrowed an RN Westland Dragonfly helicopter initially, before it was replaced by an identical-looking craft, a USN Sikorsky HO3S-1. This chopper assumed the duties of rescue destroyer, but the latter was kept in hand just in case the helicopter was called away for a rescue elsewhere or it became unfit to fly. A similar helicopter was deployed to one of the islands nearer to the coast and it featured in a number of rescues of downed RAN aircrew.
On 26 October 1951, Sub Lieutenant Neil MacMillan and his Observer, OBS1 CPO Phil Hancox, were shot down during a railway tunnel attack near the Chaeryong-gang waterways. Sydney’s borrowed USN helicopter, flown by CPO A.K. (Dick) Babbit and aided by a fortuitous gale-force tailwind, made what must have been the longest helicopter transit over enemy territory to rescue downed aircrew in the Korean War.
Calculated at 120 nautical miles, this was in addition to a transit south to Kimpo airfield that Babbit made in gathering, then total, darkness. The RESCAP for this opposed rescue was provided by RAN Fireflies and Sea Furies and, for a brief period, Meteors from RAAF 77 Squadron. The HOS3-1 was not cleared for night flying. It had no instrument lighting. In his report, Babbit said that he used the dome light intermittently to check his instruments but ‘flew by ear to maintain speed and engine R.P.M.’ His total flight time was two and a half hours and he landed with zero fuel at Kimpo with the aid of hastily-ranged truck headlights."
Chief Petty Officer Arlene ‘Dick’ Babbit, USN, who was later awarded the Commonwealth Distinguished Service Medal as well as the United States Navy Cross for his involvement in their rescue
Firefly WB3939 Struck Off Charge as Cat.ZZ by HMAS Sydney 1/12/1953. Already formally Written off Charge (WOC) from FAA RN Records on 29/9/1953
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004 p.282)
2. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/n1.htm
3. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WB
4. https://www.navyhistory.org.au/number-1-ran-pilots-course-in-korea/
5. https://www.facebook.com/RoyalAustralianNavy/posts/2385559544792065:0
6. https://www.facebook.com/123855294295846/posts/1467853949895967
7. https://www.navy.gov.au/history/squadron-histories/817-squadron-history
8. https://www.faaaa.asn.au/shine-angel-rescue-in-korea/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Dec-2010 02:59 | angels one five | Updated [Operator] |
| 25-Dec-2012 18:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Jan-2013 08:06 | Nepa | Updated [Operator] |
| 07-Apr-2016 19:54 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Registration] |
| 07-Sep-2020 17:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Sep-2020 17:53 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Sep-2020 17:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
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