The South African Air Force can lay claim to being the second oldest independent military flying force, having been established in 1920 from the South African Air Corps, part of the Union Defence Force. The modern country of South Africa has its origins in the Union of South Africa which was established in 1910 and gained limited autonomy from Great Britain. The Union maintained close relations with Britain and entered WWI on the British side, with almost 3000 South Africans serving in the Royal Flying Corps. A total of 46 South African RFC pilots became aces with the most successful being Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, whose 54 victories made him the British Empire’s fourth highest scoring pilot.
After the war ended, the Union received an “Imperial Gift” of 110 aircraft from Britain. Of these, two survive and are displayed at the museum. The first of these is an SE-5a, built in 1917 by Wolseley Motors. The SE-5 aircraft had a relatively short frontline career, being retired in 1922. The museum’s aircraft served for many years as an instructional airframe at Durban Technical College, before being donated to the museum. The replacement for the SE-5 was another aircraft which formed part of the Imperial Gift - the de Havilland DH-9. The DH-9 had a longer SAAF career, serving until 1937, before being relegated to training roles.
One unique aircraft from the inter-war period is the last surviving Hawker Hartbees. This aircraft was a development of the Hawker Hart which was optimised for use in the “hot and high” conditions of Southern Africa. Serving in the army cooperation role, the Hartbees saw service in the East African and Abyssinian campaigns in 1940-41, before that too was reduced to training duties.
The Union entered WWII as an ally of the British and was to perform a vital role in training Allied pilots at 38 South African based schools. In addition, SAAF personnel took part in WWII in many other theatres, particularly North Africa. On display at the museum is a superb collection of WWII aircraft, including a de Havilland Mosquito, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, all of which were important aircraft flown by South Africans during the conflict.
Of particular interest in the collection of WWII aircraft are a selection of captured German types. These include a Messerschmitt Bf109F-2/TROP - this version of the famous Messerschmitt fighter was designed for service in North Africa, so is appropriate given the commitment of South African forces in the region. Another, earlier Bf109E is also displayed in the condition in which it made a forced landing in England, just after the Battle of Britain. Flown by Unteroffizer Heinz Wolf of I/JG26, the aircraft is thought to have run out of fuel, causing it to land in enemy territory. It was brought to South Africa as part of a wartime exhibition of German armaments, and later presented to the museum.
Perhaps the two rarest aircraft in the collection are also captured Luftwaffe types, which were also brought to South Africa to provide the public with an opportunity to see German technology. The first of these is a Focke Wulf Fw190A6/R6, carrying the famous markings of 8/JG11, a unit tasked with defending the Reich from the USAAF daylight raids. This heavily armed aircraft carried a total of four 30mm cannons, with the target of their efforts being reflected in the unit insignia on the engine cowling - it features a Luftwaffe pilot doing something unpleasant in Uncle Sam’s hat…
Probably the most exciting aircraft on display is “Red 8”, a unique Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1. This is the only surviving two-seat night fighter version of the famous German jet fighter, and was operated by 10/NJG11, before being captured by the British. “Red 8” was later evaluated by the RAF, and gained some British flight instruments, before ending up in South Africa and fortunately being saved by the museum.
Post-war, the SAAF fought in the Korean War, using P-51D Mustangs and later F-86 Sabres, with 2 Squadron being attached to the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing. Later, after South Africa gained political independence and became a republic, the SAAF was also involved in local conflicts with the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia, which lasted from 1966 until 1989, when Namibia achieved independence. The air force also contributed air support to the Angola Campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s.
Three important post war aircraft are preserved outdoors at the museum, all of which saw action in the post war conflicts in Africa. The Mirage III was supplied by France and served the SAAF in large numbers from 1965-90. The Atlas Impala was a license built version of the Aermacchi MB339K, and was operated as a light strike aircraft and remained in use until 2005.
The most capable strike aircraft operated by the SAAF in the 1970s and 80s was the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.Mk50. South Africa was the only export customer for this legendary strike aircraft, with 15 aircraft being operated by 24 Sqn at AFB Waterkloof, near Pretoria. The SAAF Buccaneers differed from RAF/RN aircraft by the fitment of auxiliary Bristol Siddeley rocket engines, designed to enable operations from their high altitude base, although the rockets were seldom used operationally.
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