Flight Lieutenant
Graham Hulse arrived at Kimpo in September 1952. He was on loan from
the RAF to the USAF for two years to gain experience in the F-86 Sabre.
During World
War 2 Hulse was a Sgt Pilot in no. 122 and no. 81 Squadron in 1942-43,
flying combat over Europe against the Luftwaffe, then transferred
to no. 93 Squadron in the Far East. When he was shot down in Spring
1944, evading capture, he had 2 confirmed victories, plus a 3rd that
he scored in April 1945 with no. 213 Squadron after being promoted
to Flight Lieutenant. Houston Tuel - "A tall blonde, affable
veteran of the Battle of Britain, he rapidly became one of our most
admired and respected pilots. We listened intently to his accounts
of his combat missions in defense of Britain, often told with self-deprecating
humor. His skill as a story teller was legendary.
Shortly after his arrival at Kimpo, he was promoted to Squadron Leader,
the RAF equivilant of major, and made commander of `C' Flight in the
336th Squadron. Members of his flight practically idolized him. He
made it very clear that he was just as interested in the success of
the junior members of his flight as he was in his own personal success,
sharing oppurtunities with them that they might not have had with
a different flight commander.
As he neared
the end of his tour in Korea, he opted to forego an extension beyond
the usual 100 missions because he wanted to be home in England in
time for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He almost made it.
On March 1953,
he took off on his 95th mission. Nearing the Yalu River, Hulse saw
a MiG and attacked it, closing on him rapidly from behind. He fired,
scoring numerous hits. The MiG began smoking profusely and decelerated,
probably because of engine damage. Apparently believing the MiG had
been rendered harmless, Hulse passed him on the right then made a
sharp left turn, crossing directly in front of the MiG at a very close
range. With what had to be a very lucky deflection shot, the MiG pilot
fired his 37mm cannon, blowing several feet off of Hulse's left wing.
Hulse's wingman,
Major Eugene Sommerich, had started firing at the MiG after Hulse
broke off. His gun camera film dramatically recorded what happened
subsequently.
The intelligence
people were not overly generous in sharing what they knew with those
of us at squadron level. So much of what we heard later had the credibility
of rumors. That said, Hulse was seen to eject over the peninsula code-named
`Long Dong', and was reportedly seen on the ground alive both that
day and the next.
The following
day, the weather was non-operational and remained so for the next
two weeks, at the end of which a massive but futile rescue operation
was attempted. To the best of my knowledge, Sq/Ldr Graham Hulse, DFC,
RAF, is still listed as Missing In Action."
Sq/Ldr Hulse
was officially credited with 3 air to air victories over MiG-15 jet
fighters, including a .5 credit for the MiG that eventually also shot
him down.
No portion
of this article may be used or reprinted without permission from the
President of the F-86 Sabre Pilots Association or the editor of Sabre
Jet Classics magazine.
