M. H. ' Mickey' RORKE, Lieutenant, SAAF

Killed in Action, Korea, 15 May 1951

[Editor's Note: With many of our 'Unsung Heroes' it is not possible to describe their heroic combat deaths without first describing notable parts of their vibrant lives. Lieut. Mickey Rorke was one of those who became vitally concerned with the wartime morale of his fellow combat pilots ... who endured the loss of friends and narrow escapes which placed all of the No.2 Squadron pilots and crews under considerable strain, and something extra was needed to relieve the tension. That 'something' was the inspiration of the young SAAF officer from Eastern Cape, Mickey Rorke, who agreed that the USAF Officer's Club was comfortable and friendly .. but it lacked South African atmosphere.

With the help of Flt. Sgt. Bob Monroe, he borrowed a jeep, drove from Chinhae to a British NAAFI at Pusan, where he purchased ten dollars worth of bottled drinks. On return to base he built a bar next to his bunk from ammunition boxes, and the original 'Rorke's Inn' was in business. He charged a paltry seven cents for a tot of Scotch whiskey .. which was much lower than the frugal costs at the American Club .. and the venture was a great success.

Rorke's Inn was then established in a tent, and later in a wood and iron building, and the pub ... and it's proprietor Mickey Rorke, became an institution of the Cheetah Squadron until the end of the war.

Winston Brent's book describes various aspects of Mickey Rorke's generous, outgoing life, and includes a full page and a half recollection by J. G. Willier, Brigadier, Ret., who was Rorke's flight leader and friend ... and who was leading his final flight when Mickey was prematurely 'tossed into the air in a stalled condition' by K-16's notorious 'ski jump' at the 2200' point of the short 3200 foot runway *.]

The early evening flight was to be Mickey Rorke's third combat sortie of the afternoon, on 15 May 1951, with a rushed refuel, re-arm and take-off in a southwesterly direction - into the early twilight of the setting sun, trying to get back to finish off an enemy truck convoy and fuel dump their flight had discovered, but were not able to completely destroy before running out of ammunition on their prior sortie.

Lieutenant Mickey Rorke was a member of a flight of three, consisting of Captain Willers, Lt. Rorke and Lt. McKellar, who were to take off from K-16 (Seoul City Airport) at 18:55 hrs. Willers took off first from the rough pierced-steel planked single runway, and was to be followed a short time after he broke ground by Rorke. (The rough PSP runway precluded formation take-offs of heavily-laden Mustangs.)

Rorke opened his throttle and started rolling. About three quarters of the way down the steel planked strip he suddenly became airborne. As he lifted into the air his nose seemed to come higher and the aircraft, instead of climbing, remained approximately ten feet off the runway. His Mustang started a slow turn to the left, heading towards a damaged twin-engine B-26 bomber parked about 40 yards from the left end of the single runway. His left wing started to drop in a stall, and Rorke jettisoned his two napalm bombs just prior to his F-51's impacting the B-26; both aircraft burst into a raging inferno.

Mickey Rorke's body, burned almost beyond recognition, was buried with honors at the UN Cemetery at Pusan, South Korea. Rorke's Inn, and the atmosphere he instigated, remained as inspiration to the later-arriving Cheetahs until the end of the Korean War.

( * I remember that particular bump at Seoul's K-16 airport very well ... because it taught me personally, quickly and regularly - the benefits of sudden rudder-exercise stall recoveries until adequate take-off speed could be accumulated in over-loaded, war-weary F-51 Mustangs. - Bud Biteman )