ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 85198
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| Date: | Friday 7 December 1951 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 |
| Owner/operator: | 805 Sqn RAN |
| Registration: | WE795 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Chinnampo area, Amgak Peninsula -
 North Korea
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | HMAS Sydney, at sea, off coast of North Korea |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 WE795: Notified as awaiting collection 13/4/1951. Delivered to the FAA RN (Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy) 17/4/1951 at RNAS Anthorn RDU. To AHU RNAS Abbotsinch and crated for overseas shipment early 6/1951. To RNAS Sembawang AHU by sea 27/6/1951, arrived 23/7/1951. Shipped from Sembawang AHU to ARS Iwakuni on HMS Unicorn. Taken on charge by the Royal Australian Navy, and issued to 805 Squadron, Royal Australian Navy 5/11/1951
Sub Lieutenant Dick Sinclair (then aged 22) was killed on 7/12/1951 whilst flying 805 Squadron Sea Fury WE795 in Korea. His aircraft was hit near Chinnampo, leading to a loss of oil pressure and a fire in his engine. He managed to reach the coast and bailed out, but was struck by the tail fin on exiting the aircraft. His body was recovered by HMAS Sydney’s helicopter.
The 805 Squadron Diary entry for that day reads as follows:
‘Armed Recce No 2 for the day was 51 Flight and this turned out to be a milk run. After checking some junks at Gird Ref. 951904, a strafing attack was made on some troops in trenches. The flight then headed to check the rail yard [for] box cars. On leaving this area 51-4 (Sub/Lieut Sinclair) was hit by an explosive shell and called up to say there was a smell of burning in the cockpit. He then gained height and headed seaward. Directly over the coast flame appeared from forward and underneath the aircraft and very shortly afterwards the aircraft went into an apparently uncontrolled dive. Approx 300-400 feet from the deck the pilot was seen to bale out and the parachute open at 100 ft. On hitting the ground the pilot was not seen to move, and when the helicopter from Bromide-Baker picked the body off the mud bank there was no sign of life. Medical examination subsequently showed that he was hit by the tail surfaces and the parachute was broken open by the impact.
S/Lt Sinclair was one of the best shots in the Squadron and had the keenest eyesight of all, he will [be] missed by all – especially by those in the casbah.‘
Paragraph 3 of HMAS Sydney’s Report of Proceedings 20/2E/1 of 20 December 1951 notes that S/Lt Sinclair’s body was committed to the deep with full Naval honours at 17:45 (local time) on 7th December 1951 at position 37° 35’N 124° 30′ E.
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant et al, Air Britain, 2004 p.394)
2. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WE
3. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/seafury.htm
4. https://www.faaaa.asn.au/sinclair-r-r-dick/
5. https://aeropedia.com.au/content/hawker-fury-and-sea-fury/
6. https://www.navy.gov.au/aircraft/hawker-sea-fury-mark-11#:~:text=On%207%20December%201951%20Lieutenant,Sydney%20with%20full%20naval%20honours.
7. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/617501
8. Account by pilot's widow; https://www.legacy.com.au/Assets/2732/1/NaomiSinclairsStory.PDF
9. https://www.recoverycurios.com/hawker-sea-fury
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Dec-2010 03:06 | angels one five | Updated [Operator] |
| 25-Dec-2012 19:24 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jan-2014 07:08 | angels one five | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 22-Aug-2020 21:10 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Aug-2020 16:40 | soucek56 | Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator] |
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