The Forgotten Few. 77 RAAF Squadron in Korea

Hurst, Doug

Published by Allen & Unwin, NSW 2008. ISBN 9781741755008.

About this Item

*Sales/posting to the USA suspended*. Card covers, 253pp, b&w plates. Light wear to card edges/corners, signed by Hurst with brief inscription on fly. Pages browning, a little wear on edges else very good. In June 1950, No 77 Squadron RAAF was in Japan, packed up and ready to go home. Instead, they went to Korea, flying Mustang fighters as part of a UN force aiding South Korea fight invading communists from the north. Early flights helped hold the crucial Pusan Perimeter, after which they moved north to fight both the enemy and the deep cold of the Korean winter. When Chinese MiG-15 jet fighters entered the war the squadron re-equipped with twin-jet Meteors. The MiGs were controlled by Russian fighter experts who targeted the Meteors, driving them out of 'MiG Alley'. Adopting ground attack with rockets as their main role, they still fought MiGs, ending the war with a five-all draw. It was valuable but very dangerous work and squadron pilots faced a one in four chance of death or capture for much of the war. This action-packed account tells of the men of the RAAF's No 77 fighter squadron, the only RAAF squadron to take part in the Korean War; initially with propeller driven World War II vintage mustangs which were replaced by meteor jet fighters when the Chinese, with their MiG 15s, entered the war. Draws on first-hand accounts.

Seller Inventory # 184571

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Forgotten Few. 77 RAAF Squadron in Korea
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin, NSW 2008. ISBN 9781741755008.
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)