The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The exhumation of the body of 031401 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Graham Strout, of 77 Squadron RAAF, from his grave near the crash site of his RAAF Mustang A68-757 in the area of Pukpyong, South Korea, in late December 1950 - early January 1951. It is being observed by Commander (Cdr) Paik of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy and a local Korean civilian, while the digging is performed by another civilian. Sqn Ldr Strout, the first RAAF fatality in the Korean War, was posted missing after leading a raid by a section of four Mustang aircraft north of latitude 37 degrees 08 minutes north, on the east coast railway at Samchok on 7 July 1950. The RAAF Air Board had directed that a search team should be sent to locate Strout or his remains. At the time, the Pukpyong area was controlled by ROK forces and the recovery party was assisted by the ROK Navy. The team comprised Sqn Ldr Esmond New, an RAAF Presbyterian chaplain with extensive knowledge of Korea, its people and language from prior to World War II, and Sergeant (Sgt) Tom Henderson, a World War II veteran of RAAF search and rescue in New Guinea, Java and New Britain. Sqn Ldr Stroud's remains were recovered and were later buried at the United Nations Cemetery at Pusan, South Korea.
Lieutenant Commander (LCdr) Cha of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy taking a photograph of the crash site of RAAF Mustang A68-757 in the area of Pukpyong, South Korea, in late December 1950 - early Ja
Lieutenant Commander (LCdr) Cha (left), Commander (Cdr) Paik and a naval commando of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy, with Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Esmond New, RAAF, in the area of Pukpyong, South K
Lieutenant Commander (LCdr) Cha (left) and Commander (Cdr) Paik, of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy, with Sergeant (Sgt) Tom Henderson RAAF, in the area of Pukpyong, South Korea, in late December 195
Part of the wreckage, including the propeller, of RAAF Mustang A68-757, relocated from its crash site in the area of Pukpyong by North Korean forces to an unidentified area some 10 miles (16 kilometre
Part of the wreckage of RAAF Mustang A68-757, photographed in South Korea in late December 1950 - early January 1951, and which had been relocated from its crash site in the area of Pukpyong by North
The burial service for 031401 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Graham Strout and 033272 Pilot Officer (Plt Offr) William Percy Harrop, both of 77 Squadron RAAF, in what is now the United Nations Cemetery at
