G. DEREK DOVETON, 2-Lieutenant, SAAF

Killed in Action, Korea, 15 February 1951

There is an old belief amongst aviators that accidents happen in groups of threes. This belief seemed to be verified when Lt. Derek Doveton was killed.

Lt. Doveton and Lt. McKellar as his No. 2, took off from the airfield at K-10, Chinhae, to conduct an armed reconnaissance mission of the Kaesong-Haeju-Sariwon area. They had attacked different targets, when they found a camouflaged vehicle near Kaesong, which they attacked repeatedly. After the fourth pass the vehicle caught fire. Doveton carried out another attack when McKellar saw the Mustang bounce off the side of a hill in a cloud of smoke, somersault and burst into flames. That afternoon Commandant Theron and Captain Davis took off from K-10 to search for Doveton; the wreckage was found, but there was no sign of Doveton.