Only confirmed RAAF victory over MiG-15 in the Korean War

Pilot Officer W.H. (‘Bill’) Simmonds scored the only fully confirmed RAAF victory over a Communist MiG-15 in the Korean War. He was in a flight of four Meteors of No 77 Squadron protecting US bombers, making the biggest single attack of the war so far against an important supply depot at Sunan (now the site of Pyongyang airport), when MiGs attacked from behind. Simmonds was able to get onto the tail of one of the MiGs as it passed less than 10 metres below him and blasted it with a long burst of cannon fire. Two other members of the RAAF flight reported seeing the enemy pilot eject as his aircraft went into a spin and crashed to earth. Australian pilots reported a total of five MiGs shot down during the war, but this was the only occasion where there was absolutely no doubt about the claim.