Australian Meteors In Korea

Decision Over Sunchon

There they were. . . thirty . . . forty. . . fifty of them. Red noses, squat shapes, Swept wings and high tails. . . Russian-built MiG-15s preparing to attack. It was about ten in the morning and the Meteors of 77 Squadron, R. A. A. F., were in the process of carrying out a fighter sweep north of Pyongyang, North Korea. The Meteors were at 19,000 feet (5790 m) over Sunchon but, as usual, the MIGs were above them by some 7000 feet (2130 m). Also, as usual, the Meteors were outnumbered about four to one.

Tensely, the Australian pilots watched them. Flight Lieut. Geoff Thornton, a Korean veteran with more than 150 missions to his credit, was leading the squadron and he watched them, waiting for them to come down so he could call the break.

Flying Officer Bruce Gogerly, a World War Two pilot who had flown P-40 Kittyhawks in the Pacific, also watched them. Tucked in close by was his wingman, Sgt. John Myers.

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