Saturday, November 07, 2009

South African Air Squadrons of the Second World War

No.1 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) took part in the campaigns in East Africa, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, most of the time providing escorts for Allied bombers.
No.2 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that served in East Africa, North Africa and Italy, sometimes providing fighter support for the Allied armies, but more often operating as a fighter-bomber squadron.
No.3 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that took part in the fighting in East Africa and in Italy, after arriving in North Africa just as the fighting there came to an end.
No.4 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) operated as a fighter-bomber squadron, taking part in the desert battles between Operation Crusader and El Alamein, the advance into Tunisia, and the invasions of Sicily and Italy.
No.5 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that took part in the fighting in North Africa in 1942 and early 1943, the invasion of mainland Italy and took part in raids over the Balkans.
No.7 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) was a fighter squadron that took part in the fighting in North Africa from the summer of 1942 until the German surrender in Tunisia, then served in the eastern Mediterranean before moving to Italy in the spring 1944.
No.9 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a short-lived fighter squadron that spend its entire existence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
No.10 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a fighter squadron that operated in Egypt and Libya for a short period during 1944.
No.11 Squadron, S.A.A.F. went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as an army co-operation squadron in East Africa, and later as a Spitfire-equipped fighter squadron in the Eastern Mediterranean.
No.12 Squadron, S.A.A.F., spent most of the Second World War operating as a bomber squadron, first in Italian East Africa, and then in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
No.15 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a bomber squadron that served in East Africa, North Africa, as an anti-shipping and submarine unit over the Aegean and as a day bomber squadron in Italy.
No.16 Squadron, S.A.A.F., went through three incarnations during the Second First World, first as a coastal reconnaissance unit, then as a bomber unit in East Africa and finally as a maritime patrol squadron in the Mediterranean.
No.17 Squadron, S.A.A.F., went through two incarnations during the Second World War - a short-lived period as a transport squadron in 1939 and a longer period as a maritime patrol squadron.
No.19 Squadron, S.A.A.F., had two short incarnations during the Second World War, first as a transport squadron in 1939 and later as a ground attack squadron operating over the Balkans.
No.21 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a medium bomber squadron that operated the Maryland, Baltimore and Marauder bombers in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
No.22 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a maritime patrol squadron that spent most of its existence operating from South Africa before moving to Gibraltar in June 1944.
No.24 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a medium bomber squadron that operated in the Western Desert, Sicily and over Italy between 1941 and the end of the Second World War.
No.25 Squadron, SAAF, was formed as a coastal reconnaissance unit, and spent two years patrolling off the South African Coast, before moving to the Mediterranean, where it joined the Balkan Air Force.
No.26 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was an Wellington equipped reconnaissance unit that flew anti-submarine patrols from West Africa from 1943 until the end of the war.
No.27 Squadron, S.A.A.F., served as a coastal reconnaissance unit from South Africa, before moving to Algeria during 1944 to fly anti-submarime patrols.
No.28 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a transport squadron that served in the Mediterranean from its formation in 1943 until the autumn of 1945.
No.30 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a medium bomber squadron that operated in Italy from August 1944 until the end of the Second World War.
No.31 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a heavy bomber squadron that operated from bases in the Mediterranean from its formation in 1944 until the end of the war.
No.34 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a heavy bomber unit that operated from Italy from July 1944 until the end of the Second World War.
No.40 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was first formed as an army co-operation squadron, but spent most of the Second World War serving as a tactical reconnaissance unit equipped with single engined fighters.
No.41 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was formed as an army co-operation squadron during 1940, serving in East Africa, then spent most of 1943-44 operating as a fighter unit in the eastern Mediterranean.
No.44 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a a transport squadron that operated in the Mediterranean from July 1944 until the end of 1945.
No.60 Squadron, S.A.A.F., was a photographic survey and reconnaissance squadron that operated in East Africa and the Mediterranean.

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