Second tour: 17th May, 1953 to; End of Hostilities
Ship's Officers
Captain B.E.W. Logan
Carrier Air Group Commander: Commander (P) O.N. Bailey
No.807 Squadron CO: Lieutenant-Commander R.L. M. Brander, DSC
No.810 Squadron CO: Lieutenant-Commander A.W. Bloomer
Ocean arrived in Sasebo from Hong Kong, at 0630 on Sunday, 17th May 1953, with 807 and 810 Squadrons, flying Furies, and Fireflies, respectively. She spent the next two days, embarking aircraft, and stores, from Glory, and her aircrew, attended lectures and films on Escape and Evasion. Ocean relieved USS Bairoko as CTU 95.11, on the evening of 21st May. No flying was possible, due to poor weather, on the first day, and flying started, on the second day of the patrol. Operations were, in the main, against enemy communications, stores, and troops, and CAS for the UN and Partisans, on demand, as well as bombardment spotting for UN vessels, on the West coast.
Replenishment was on the 26th, and fog stopped operations at 1530, the following day. The airborne aircraft, diverting to Seoul for the night. The 29th saw reasonably good weather. The patrol ended on the 30th, with good results, no aircraft having been damaged by enemy action, in 560 sorties. Ocean headed for Sasebo, and during the passage, she disembarked 14 Sea Furies to Iwakuni, and continued, the Furies were meant to carry out a fly-past over the Commonwealth Division on Coronation Day, but this was cancelled, owing to low cloud, and poor weather. On 1st June, 13 Furies were RATOGed from the deck while the ship was at anchor, an almost unique evolution. 2nd June 1953, saw the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and ships of all nations, were dressed overall, from morning, until evening colours. Ocean held a parade and service, for representatives of all HM ships in the area.
Ocean
sailed from Kure at 0645 on 8th June, the day that the prisoner-of-war
agreement was signed. Her twelve Furies were flown back from Iwakuni, but
one, had to return to Iwakuni shortly after take-off, due to his engine
cutting. This marked the start of Ocean's second patrol, the usual attacks
continued. The weather preventing CAS for 1st Commonwealth Division on
the 9th, and two aircraft spent the night at Seoul, having run short of
fuel over Korea. Fog prevented the first detail on the 11th, but a full
day's flying, followed after. The 12th saw a full day's flying, and MPQ
mapping was included for the second time, radar controlled bombing in effect.
Replenishment was on the 13th, and a full day followed, on the 14th, with
CAS for the Commonwealth Division. Sub-Lieutenant Breakspear, made a forced
landing at Chodo, with dropping oil pressure. (The 16th saw dog preventing
some flying. )
Bad weather interfered with flying on the 17th, the last CAS mission being abandoned. Flying was cancelled at 1400, and Ocean left the area, turning over to Bairoko, and proceeded to Kure. Bad weather prevented CODS aircraft from making their routine visit, while on passage, and Ocean arrived in Kure, on the 19th. Two national Service pilots joined the Carrier, the first to volunteer to serve in Korea.
Ocean sailed from Kure at 1630 on 25th June, and after a foggy passage, took over as CTU 95.11, in the evening of the 27th. Her third patrol began on the 28th, with flying reduced to one event, of two Furies on CAP, due to fog. The weather improved on the 29th, and more sorties were flown, and a Firefly piloted by Lieutenant Bacon ditched, having been hit by small-arms fire, Bacon was quickly rescued, by the US SAR helicopter from Paengyang-do. The following day, saw a full day's flying, and Sub-Lieutenant Hick ditched, with an overspeeding engine, he was rescued quickly, returning later to Ocean, in the rear seat of a Firefly. Replenishment was on the 1st July, and only three, CAS missions were flown on the 2nd, due to bad weather. Another Firefly, made a wheels-up landing at Paengyong-do.On the 3rd, flying didn't start until 1100, due to low cloud, and driving rain. Heavy flak scored three hits on Sub-Lieutenant Hayes' aircraft, but he brought it back safely. The weather improved, and the next day, saw all but one detail flown, the weather deteriorating on the last day, and flying was cancelled at 1430. Ocean proceeded to Sasebo, and arrived there at 1630 on 7th July. Ocean sailed for her fourth patrol, at 0615 on 14th July. Prior to this, she had detached three Fireflies, and a unit, to Pvongtaek airfield, where they flew interdiction, against slow enemy aircraft attacking American supply dumps at night, at speeds where the American jets could not attack, because the enemy aircraft were too slow. Ocean retrieved her pilots and aircraft, and she began operations on 15th July. The first detail was cancelled, due to poor visibility. Some aircraft were diverted, due to an extensive fog patch, which developed without warning. The catapult was rendered unserviceable during the afternoon, and 8th Army was supported heavily by CAS. The second RATOG Fury launch of the day, saw the pilot fire the rockets too soon, and fail to gain speed. He ditched, ahead of the ship, and was recovered by helicopter.The first Firefly's rockets failed, and it crashed into the sea, taking the observer, Lieutenant K.M. Thomas with it. The pilot was recovered by USS (Southerland,) but attempts to revive him failed. A memorial, and burial service, was held on Ocean, after completion of the flying programme, the ships of the screen, closing astern, and on the quarter, to take their part.
The patrol continued without losses, and CAS was provided for the army, as well as the usual PR, and strike sorties. Weather disrupted the flying on the 16th, and the first event on the 17th, was reduced by four aircraft, due to losses and unserviceability. Problems continued with serviceability the next day, and replacement aircraft were flown in from Iwakuni. The 19th was replenishment, and a full day's flying took palce on the 20th. On the first event, Sub-Lieutenant Breakspear, made the ship's 1,000th accident-free, deck-landing. A strike was launched late in the day, in support of the next day's landing by 2PIR, in the Yonan Peninsula.
The landing took place on the 21st, against gun positions, and the first twelve Fury strike sorties, carried out bombing, and strafing of enemy positions. Low cloud, and fog, forced the last two events of the day to be cancelled. Next morning, fog, and low cloud, prevented any flying, except CAP, until the afternoon. Flying on the 23rd, did not begin until noon, and afternoon flying was restricted. Ocean left for Kure, in the evening of the 23rd, and arrived on the 25th, and exchanged unserviceable aircraft, for serviceable aircraft, when Unicorn arrived, on the 29th.
Ocean's fifth patrol occurred, after the armistice was signed. She grounded on a shoal, on passage, on 1st August, and sustained some damage to the bottom log, but anchored to, for 10 hours, to effect repairs to the main condensors, which were choked with sand. The patrol was peaceful, and consisted of maintaining a watch on the enemy, at a low intensity of 20-30 sorties a day. Unicorn joined her on the 11th, and exercised her deck, with Ocean's aircraft. Ocean remained in the area, until 31st October. On 18th November, Flag Officer, 2nd in Command, Far East Station, at Hong Kong, hauled down his flag, and ended the participation of HM Naval forces, in the Korean War.
Lieutenant A.J.D. Evans, 15/7/1953
Lieutenant K.M. Thomas, 15/7/1953
Captain Charles Leo Gandore Evans, DSO, DSC, CBE
Captain Brian Ewen Weldon Logan, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant Commander (P) Cedric Kenelm Roberts, DSO
Lieutenant Commander (P) Andrew William Bloomer, DSC
Lieutenant Commander Richard Arnold James Lea, MBE
Lieutenant Commander (E)(A/E) Philip Leslie Luby, MBE
Lieutenant Commander (P) Donald Arthur Dick, DSC, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant Commander (E) Ronald Albert Harcus, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant (P) Peter Carmichael, DSC
Lieutenant (P) Peter Steel Davis, DSC
Lieutenant (P) Richard Deison Rowan Hawkesworth, DSC
Lieutenant (P) Michael Lawrence Brown, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant (P) Robert Henry Hallam , Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant (P) David Thomas McKeown, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant (P) Norman Edmund Peniston-Bird, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant (P) John Lewis Treloar, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant (P) Peter Watkinson, Mention in Despatches
Lieutenant (O) William James Cooper, Mention in Despatches
Master at Arms Ivor George Howells, Mention in Despatches
Aircrewman I, Charles Patrick McCullagh, DSM
Aircrewman I, James Patrick Potter, DSM
Chief Yeoman of Signals, Jack Stephens, DSM, BEM
Chief Air Fitter (E) Ronald Brighton, BEM
Chief Engine Room Artificer, James Poolev Rowe, Mention in Despatches
Chief Aircraft Artificer, Ian Ivor Basil Pearce Hamon, Mention in Despatches
Chief Aircraft Artificer, Frank Webb, Mention in Despatches
Chief Aircraft Artificer, David William Wynne, Mention in Despatches
Chief Engine Room Artificer, Douglas Perrin, BEM, Mention in Despatches
Aircraft Mechanician I, Thomas Lewin Sampson, Mention in Despatches
Radio Electrical Artificer, (Air) 3, John Edwin Lucken, Mention in
Despatches
Chief Air Fitter (O) Stanley Reid, Mention in Despatches
Chief Petty Officer Airman, Alan Dixon, Mention in Despatches
Supply Chief Petty Officer, (S) Henry Roy Ronald Williams, Mention
in Despatches
Leading Airman, (O) Reginald Arthur Fountain, Mention in Despatches
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