T. LIEBENBERG, 2-Lieutenant, SAAF

Killed in Korea, 9 June, 1951

Second Lieutenant Liebenberg was a member of a flight due to take off at approximately 07:00 hours from K-10's Chinhae airbase, with it's nearby parallel seawall on the south side of it's single active runway.

Flight leader Captain M.J. Uys, who was Operations Officer of No. 2 Squadron, had thoroughly briefed the flight of four, and had personally inquired of Lt. Liebenberg how he felt about going off on his first combat mission .. to which he had replied lightheartedly "Dood reg".

Liebenberg, who was No. 4, and last to take off, toward the east, and as he gathered speed his Mustang started a gentle 'broadside' to the left, causing it to veer off the runway to the left - away from the seawall - and towards the control tower. His aircraft hit a ditch, collapsing the undercarriage. It burst into flames when it hit a stationary aircraft near the control tower. He died in the resulting inferno. Lieutenant Liebenberg died on his first combat mission, without ever seeing or firing at the enemy. His body was buried at the United Nations Cemetery at Pusan, South Korea.