Brinkworth, Anthony Howard (A H)

Died in Aircraft Accident, suffered a double flame-out and crashed into the sea 28 miles off Green Point near Scottburgh and exploded on impact with the water. The aircraft was flying in a formation of three Buccaneers for a night attack on a Naval Strike Craft that was towing a LARNE-splash target off the coast of Scottburgh, Natal and the attack started well. Under the light of a NATAC flare that burned for almost 4-minutes, each Buccaneer could re-attack the splash target towed at some 15-knots and shoot rockets or drop bombs on the moving target - something only the Buccaneers ever did. At the end of the attack, Captain Dries Marias called in and said that he had a flame out in one engine and was diverting to Durban International Airport. Not long after, he called in a second engine failure and the formation saw the flames of the two rocket ejection seats as they ejected from Buccaneer 423. Captain Dries Marias was rescued from the sea and where he confirmed that they had not transferred the bomb door fuel to the main fuel tank. Captain Brinkworth's parachute and harness were found floating in the water and they had been undone, indicating a safe and conscious landing in the sea he was never found and the search was called off after two days. Captain Brinkworth has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. For administrative purposes, he was officially declared dead on 14 August 1979