D. L. 'Dave' TAYLOR, 2-Lieutenant, SAAF

Killed in Action, Korea, 20 March, 1952

2nd Lieutenant Dave Taylor had been in Korea only seven days when on 25 February 1952 he had a narrow escape coming in to land at K-10 after a training flight. While on final approach his F-51 Mustang stalled and cart-wheeled into adjacent Chinhae Bay. He was rescued by two USAF master sergeants, S. M. Starts and R. Renaud. The latter risked his life to free Dave from the submerged cockpit, and was later awarded the Soldiers Medal for bravery in recognition of this deed.

Taylor's luck ran out permanently, on 20 March 1952 while Able and Dog flights of the 'Cheetahs' took part in three strikes by 18th Wing aircraft against the Sunch'on-Kuadon-ni section of the North Korean's railway.

Eight 2 Squadron Mustangs, led by Commandant Dick Clifton, who had assumed command of the squadron from Barry Wingett in January, took off on the third strike for a flak suppression mission in support of the rest of the 18th Wing. On the way to the target one of the second section aircraft developed engine trouble, and was escorted back to base, leaving only six aircraft to carry on to the target, where heavy flak greeted them, with gun flashes pinpointing their aiming point.

Clifton wasted little time in leading his pilots in to the attack. As he pulled out of his bombing dive in a climbing turn to observe results, the sky suddenly seemed to fill with MiG-15s. Dave Taylor's Mustang was promptly hit by MiG-15 cannon shells while he was pulling out of his dive, and he turned to the south with his aircraft streaming glycol and black smoke. Joe Joubert, Mac Maclaughlin and Hans Enslin formed up with the leader in tight battle formation covering Taylor, while Vin Kuhn managed to fight his way to the safety of a cloud bank. The lead aircraft were forced to turn towards two MiGs, which made a series of quartering attacks, and in doing so, Clinton lost sight of Taylor's aircraft. Joe Joubert spotted another MiG sneaking up quite low and slowly toward the leader, and sounded a quick warning, allowing the formation to break hard to port as the MiG began firing. Hans Enslin was in a position to fire a long burst into the jet's port wing root - a fact verified by his gun camera film, and which credited him with a "Damaged MiG-15".

This attack discouraged the remaining MiGs and they left the area, allowing the Cheetah flight to search for their comrade. But no sign of Lieutenant Taylor or his aircraft was ever found. Dave Taylor was the first of only two South African Air Force pilots to be shot down by MiGs during the Korean War.