Vance Drummond
Vance Drummond | |
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South Vietnam ) |
Vance Drummond, DFC, AFC (22 February 1927 – 17 May 1967) was a New Zealand–born Australian pilot who fought in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He initially saw service in the New Zealand military, but joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1949 and graduated as a sergeant pilot in 1951. Posted to No. 77 Squadron in Korea, he flew Gloster Meteor jet fighters and earned the US Air Medal for his combat skills. He was shot down by a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 in December 1951 and imprisoned for almost two years. After returning to Australia he converted to CAC Sabre jets and in December 1961 became a flight commander with No. 75 Squadron; he subsequently led the squadron's Black Diamonds aerobatic team, and was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1965.
Drummond was promoted to acting
Early life and New Zealand military service
The third child of Leonard Henry Vance Drummond and his wife Dorothy Josephine May,
Returning to New Zealand in October 1948, Drummond tried to transfer to the RNZAF as a trainee pilot but was considered too old; he successfully applied to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and enlisted in August 1949.[1] His brother Frederick Agnew Vance Drummond (1921–1941) had died on active service with the RAAF during World War II.[1][3]
RAAF flying training and Korean War
On 23 October 1950, while a student with No. 1 Flying Training School in Point Cook, Victoria, Drummond ditched his CAC Wirraway into Lake Corangamite during a low-level exercise.[4][5] He was at an altitude of 200 feet (61 m) when he went to adjust his compass and accidentally knocked his control column forward, causing the Wirraway to dip and strike the water. Drummond remained with the floating plane for two hours before being rescued by boat. The RAAF investigation found that although Drummond was technically at fault, the "glassy" surface of the water and the awkward position of the compass in the Wirraway were the prime causes of his "aquatic adventure".[5] He was considered an above-average student and was not disciplined for his lapse.[6]
After graduating first in his class in February 1951, Drummond was posted to No. 78 (Fighter) Wing as a sergeant pilot. The wing operated North American P-51 Mustangs and De Havilland Vampires out of Williamtown, New South Wales.[1][7] In August, Drummond was posted to No. 77 Squadron, based at Kimpo, South Korea. The squadron had gone into action a week after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 and had recently converted from Mustangs to Gloster Meteor jet fighters.[1][8] North Korea's Chinese allies operated a Russian-designed swept-wing jet, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, that outclassed all other fighters in the theatre except the new North American F-86 Sabre.[9][10] The MiGs were often flown by seasoned Russian air force pilots, whose deployment was unofficial, and denied at the time by the Soviet Union.[11] In its first months operating the Meteor, No. 77 Squadron conducted offensive sweeps up the Yalu River with USAF Sabres, bomber escort missions, and combat air patrols.[12]
Drummond was recommended for the US
Sabre pilot
After returning to Australia, Drummond undertook No. 8 Advanced Navigation Course.[22] In April 1954 he was one of six navigators who made a graduation flight from East Sale in Victoria—home of the RAAF School of Air Navigation—to New Zealand in Avro Lincoln bombers.[23][24] He was then posted for flying duties with No. 2 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Williamtown, where he completed No. 3 Fighter Combat Instructors Course.[22] Drummond was a founding member of the Sabre Trials Flight, established in November 1954 as part of No. 2 OTU under Wing Commander Dick Cresswell, former commanding officer of No. 77 Squadron in Korea.[1][25] The CAC Sabre was the RAAF's first swept-wing, transonic aircraft; belonging to the Trials Flight was, according to the official history of the post-war RAAF, "the Air Force's ultimate status symbol".[25] Drummond was promoted to flight lieutenant on 30 May 1955.[26] On 9 September, he married Margaret Buckham, a law clerk, in St Peter's Anglican Church, Newcastle; the couple had a son.[1]
In February 1959, Drummond was assigned to
Vietnam War
Drummond was promoted to acting
On the evening of 24 July 1966, having already flown that day, Drummond and his US pilot were called out to assist a company of soldiers besieged by
Fatal accident and court of inquiry
Drummond's acting rank of wing commander became
The court of inquiry into the accident investigated several possible explanations including engine problems, oxygen system failure, and pilot incapacity. It found that the Mirage was fully serviceable prior to the flight. The inquiry also considered Drummond's flying ability and physical fitness. It noted that he was an above-average pilot with "exceptional leadership abilities" based on career assessments and evaluation by the USAF during his recent tour of duty in Vietnam. His medical officer testified that Drummond had been fully assessed four months previously and was fit to fly without restriction. Margaret Drummond was also called as a witness. She said that over the past six weeks her husband had suffered instances of severe headache, double vision, chest pain and heartburn. In response, the medical officer opined that Drummond may have had a heart attack in the air, pointing out that a
Wing Commander
In 2013 and 2014, local newspapers reported plans to salvage the Wirraway that Drummond ditched in Lake Corangamite in 1950.[45][46] In August 2021, a specially designed gantry was used to lift the fuselage of the Wirraway out of the lake.[47]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Newton, Dennis. "Vance Drummond (1927–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Gillespie, The Pacific, p. 307 Archived 5 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Drummond, Frederick Agnew Vance". World War Two Nominal Roll. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- ^ "Pilot clings to plane in lake for 2½ hours". The Herald. Melbourne. 23 October 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b RAAF Headquarters, Accident to Wirraway A20-714, p. 6
- ^ RAAF Headquarters, Accident to Wirraway A20-714, p. 11
- ^ No. 78 Wing, Operations Record Book, p. 214
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 224–225, 231–233
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 229–230
- ^ Hurst, The Forgotten Few, pp. 67, 83
- ^ Hurst, The Forgotten Few, pp. 107, 140
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 234–236
- ^ "Recommendation: United States Air Medal". Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ "Royal Australian Air Force". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Canberra. 14 August 1952. p. 3426. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b Hurst, The Forgotten Few, p. 171
- ^ O'Neill, Combat Operations, p. 552
- ^ "Royal Australian Air Force". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Canberra. 23 July 1953. p. 2066. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 242
- ^ a b "Exchange of prisoners near end". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 2 September 1953. p. 4. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Pilot tells of death march". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 14 September 1953. p. 7. Retrieved 6 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "United States Air Medal". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Canberra. 5 November 1953. p. 2993. Retrieved 3 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c d "Awarded the Air Force Cross: Squadron Leader Vance Drummond" (PDF). Australia and the Vietnam War. Canberra: Department of Veterans' Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ "6 RAAF men in special flight". The Herald. Melbourne. 30 April 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 7 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 149–150
- ^ a b Stephens, Going Solo, p. 348
- ^ "Royal Australian Air Force". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Canberra. 28 July 1955. p. 2299. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 69
- ^ Hurst, Strategy and Red Ink, p. 185
- ^ "Royal Australian Air Force". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Canberra. 20 December 1961. p. 4707. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Nineteen in honours list". RAAF News. Vol. 7, no. 1. January–February 1965. p. 3.
- ^ "No. 43530". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1965. p. 40.
- ^ "Royal Australian Air Force". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Canberra. 13 January 1966. p. 101. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- Department of Air. 22 December 1965. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam, pp. 262–263
- ^ a b Stephens, Going Solo, p. 305
- ^ a b "RAAF pilot decorated for Vietnam service" (PDF) (Press release). Canberra: Department of Air. 12 September 1967. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- ^ "Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross: The late Wing Commander Vance Drummond" (PDF). Australia and the Vietnam War. Canberra: Department of Veterans' Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ "Latest souvenir for Memorial". The Canberra Times. Canberra. 7 October 1966. p. 4. Retrieved 21 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Royal Australian Air Force". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Canberra. 27 October 1966. p. 5349. Retrieved 28 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c RAAF Historical Section, Fighter Units, pp. 6–7
- ^ a b c d Lax, Mark (April 2017). "A lack of oxygen or something else?" (PDF). Aviation Safety Spotlight. Defence Aviation and Air Force Safety. pp. 38–42. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Susans, The RAAF Mirage Story, p. 128
- ^ "Fuel part seen as jet fault". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 16 October 1967. p. 1. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ "No. 44415". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 September 1967. p. 10427.
- Camperdown Chronicle. Camberdown, Victoria: WD News Publications. 21 November 2013. Archivedfrom the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Ocean Grove diver's 15-year bid to rescue a sunken war plane". Geelong Advertiser. Geelong, Victoria: News Corp Australia. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Coates, Jessica (31 August 2021). "Ditched World War II plane recovered from Lake Corangamite". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
References
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1995). The RAAF in Vietnam: Australian Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 1962–1975. ISBN 1-86373-305-1.
- Gillespie, Oliver (1952). The Pacific. OCLC 491441265.
- Hurst, Doug (2001). Strategy and Red Ink: A History of RAAF Staff College 1949–1999 (PDF). RAAF Base Fairbairn: Aerospace Centre. ISBN 0-642-26558-5.
- Hurst, Doug (2008). The Forgotten Few: 77 RAAF Squadron in Korea. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74175-500-8.
- No. 78 Wing (1943–1959). Operations Record Book. RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50). Canberra: National Archives of Australia.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ISBN 0-642-04330-2.
- RAAF Headquarters (1950–1951). Accident to Wirraway A20-714. Canberra: National Archives of Australia.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Fighter Units. Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Vol. 2. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42794-9.
- Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971 (PDF). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42803-1.
- Susans, M.R., ed. (1990). The RAAF Mirage Story (PDF). RAAF Base Point Cook, Victoria: ISBN 0-642-14835-X.
External links
- AWM photograph (1), taken 1 September 1953, of Drummond and four of his comrades, following his release from Korean Prisoner of War camp.
- AWM photograph (2), taken 2 September 1953, of Drummond on Australian transport plane, following his release from Korean Prisoner of War camp.
- AWM photograph (3), taken 2 September 1953, of Drummond on Australian transport plane, following his release from Korean Prisoner of War camp.
- AWM photograph (4), taken 2 September 1953, of Drummond on Australian transport plane, following his release from Korean Prisoner of War camp.
- AWM photograph (5), taken 2 September 1953, of Drummond following his release from Korean Prisoner of War camp.
- AWM photograph (6), taken 2 September 1953, of Drummond following his release from Korean Prisoner of War camp.
- AWM photograph (7), taken September 1953, of Drummond's return (with five other POWs) to Australia following his release from Korean Prisoner of War camp.