Military Aviation in South Africa -1930s

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

I have come across my grandfather's albums and have found some great pictures but have no idea of some of the planes I am looking at. He seems to have attended the SA Military College in about 1933 in Roberts Heights in Pretoria. He eventually served in Kenya and North Africa where he flew Lockheeds (I think).

 

Hopefully someone can help with the plane types. There is also a Nazi plane in here but I have no idea of the story behind it.

 

There are more pics so I will upload them as I get hold of them digitally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PatCartier]

You should contact Manfred > https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/profile/12098-615sqn_manfred/

He's the author of some studies about SAAF.

>https://aviationaoi.com/mes-publications/

Tinus Le Roux should help you too > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAMGKx0Qhm_q0oVGcO_wh3g

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

Thanks Pat! I'll check it out. 

[PatCartier]

Great photos indeed !

[Ajcrou]

Hello,

 

Thanks for these very interesting photos.

 

They seem to be RAF aircraft, probably during one of the RAF tours in South Africa because these aircrafts were not used in the SAAF in 1933. This is particularly the case for Vickers Victoria (British biplane freighter), used in particular by No.216 (RAF) Squadron in Egypt and Sudan. The Fairey seems to be a Fairey IIIF du No.47 (RAF) Squadron.

 

In fact, the RAF carried out several Trans-Africa Flights during the 1920s (until 1935). Several photos showing similar aircraft in South Africa can be found in the following book: ILLSLEY, John William. In Southern Skies : A Pictorial History of Early Aviation in Southern Africa (1816 - 1940). Johnathan Ball Publishers (Jahannesburg and Cape Town), 2003. p.132 to 135.

On photo 2 : Perhaps the back of a De Havilland Hercules DH66 (G-....) from Imperial Airways on Johannesburg  (Rand Airport)

There are some similar pictures in the book cited above (p.192 to 198).

At least three were buy by the SAAF in 1934 and then for training (n ° 260 ex "G-AAJH", n ° 261 "G-ABMT" and n ° 262 (G-EBMX). They were struck off charge in May 1943 at Germiston.

 

On photo 6

Maybe some Airco DH.9 of SAAF ???. Old DH4s were modernized in 1926 with 375hp AS Jaguar (two aircrafts : n°201 and 203) : "DH9J" and in 1937 with 540hp Bristol Jupiter : "Mpala". Around 10 modified aircrafts. The DH9 remained in service till late 1937.

Or Westland Wapiti ??? The first aircraft arrived at SAAF in 1930 and then built locally with the same Jupiter engines as the modified DH9 (Wapiti J), then Panther Engine (Wapiti P). Twenty-six Wapitis were built in South Africa.

Edited December 18, 2019 by 615sqn_Manfred

[Ajcrou]

On Photo 15 : 

- Some Westland Wapiti : P612 : Crashed 26/10/35 (Second Lieutenant H. Inglish) ; P611 : crashed near Blaauwbergstrand 07/10/39 (Lieutenant LC Botha / D.L. Banks).

- two DH66 Hercules : 261 (ex-G-ABMT / G-AUJQ ) and n°260 (ex G-AAJH). Also on Photo 16 and 17.

 

On the last photo, I think : Avro Avian IVM (20 aircrafts : serial 504 - 523). This seems to correspond to an aircraft registered n°510.

Twenty Avian were ordered in October 1939, with delivery in March the following year. Equipped the training Flight at Zwartkop until being replaced by Avro Tudor in 1935.

And for the German aircraft 

ILLSLEY, John William. In Southern Skies : A Pictorial History of Early Aviation in Southern Africa (1816 - 1940). Johnathan Ball Publishers (Jahannesburg and Cape Town), 2003. p.268.

(this book is really great).

 

A Bf 108 Taifun taxies in at Rand Airport in January 1937. At the controls was Frau Rosemeyer better know to the world as Fraulein Elli Beinhorn. Her husband, Herr Berndt Rosemeyer, was a famous racing car driver who appeared at the 1937 Grand Prix races in East London and Cape Town. The grey Messerschmitt was carrying a swastika on its rail. 

I don't know if it's the same aicraft (it looks slightly different in positioning the swastika on the photo in the book).

Two others german plane ara noted in the book : "A Ju.52 (D-AMUO) in December 1937 with technical representatives of Junkers and in early 1939 : three Luftwaffe pilots : Leutnant Balthasar, Kaldrack and Anhaueser flew to South Africa in Siebel Fh.104 A.

 

Unfortunately, I cannot add more... But these photos are really beautiful.

 

Edited December 18, 2019 by 615sqn_Manfred

[Ajcrou]

For the German aircraft : "D-2728" seems to be a Klemm KL32 XIVa

http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_D-9.html

 

and https://hannsklemm.wordpress.com/wichtige-personen/1933-karl-schwabe/

 

 

Edited December 18, 2019 by 615sqn_Manfred

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

Thank you Manfred. There are many more.... I'll post them when I get them in digital format. 

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

Some more pics.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by =EXPEND=Dendro

[AndyJWest]

Some nice pics of South African Ju 86Z's there. They had 18 of them, originally bought for civilian use by South African Airways, converted to bombers, and used in the East African campaign.

 

Correction: the SAAF had 17 Ju 86Z's, and one Ju87K, which was built as a bomber, and apparently sent to South Africa for evaluation. Details of the individual aircraft here:

https://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/aircraft/175/ju-86-k-3-z

 

Edit: The ship in the series of photos looks very much like the German liner the SS Watussi, which was bombed by a SAAF reconnaissance bomber (possibly one of the JU 86s, though the photos were obviously taken from a biplane) in December 1939 after leaving port in Mozambique where it had been holed up since the start of the war. The passengers and crew abandoned Watussi, which was finally sunk by gunfire from the Renown, as a hazard to navigation. It that is the Watussi, those photos may possibly be of historical significance.

 

Short article on the sinking of the Watussi. Note the similarities to the photo's above.

http://rapidttp.co.za/waratsea/watussi.html

 

Edit 2: More on the sinking of the Watussi, from the service history of HMS Renown.

Quote

[December 2nd 1939] – At 1030 hours Force K received a sighting report from a Junkers Ju 86 (one of 3 ex SAA aircraft taken over by the SAAF) of 15 Sqd. SAAF of a suspicious vessel in the area south of Cape Agulhas, 74 miles 167 degrees from Cape of Good Hope. Force K and Force H, who were returning to the patrol area after refuelling at Simonstown and were closest to the position reported, made for the sighting position.
Force H with SUSSEX leading were first to arrive and found the German passenger ship SS WATUSSI 9522grt, which had departed Mozambique on 23/11/39. On the approach of SUSSEX, the WATUSSI was abandoned, set on fire and scuttling commenced, the 155crew and 42 passengers were picked up by SUSSEX.
When Force K arrived on the scene the WATUSSI was well on fire but still afloat. RENOWN then sank the hulk with gunfire from her B turret.

https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-02BC-Renown.htm

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by AndyJWest

[Ajcrou]

Thank you again for these wonderful photos.

 

Would it be possible to know the name of your grandfather, who seems to have belonged to No.12 (SAAF) Squadron ?

 

The Junkers Ju.52 seems to be : "ZS-AJH" (serial n°663). SoC : 01/46.

Edited December 19, 2019 by 615sqn_Manfred

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

Thanks Andy.

 

Manfred... he was Johann ABH Terre Blanche.....not precisely sure of his rank but I believe he was Major.

Edited December 19, 2019 by =EXPEND=Dendro

[PatCartier]

Thx for sharing m8 !

[Ajcrou]

2 hours ago, =EXPEND=Dendro said:

Thanks Andy.

 

Manfred... he was Johann ABH Terre Blanche.....not precisely sure of his rank but I believe he was Major.

 

Ok, thanks.

 

I looked (very) quickly in my books and found the name of one : J.A. Terreblanche : "The available flight of No.24 (SAAF) Squadron (Captain J.A. Terreblanche) was diverted to assist No.39 (RAF) Squadron over Crete. (May 1941).

BROWN, James Ambrose. Eagles Strike : The Campaigns of the SAAF (1941 - 1943). Purnell, 1974. p. 21 - 22.

 

I also found the mention of a Captain Terreblanche (Junkers Ju.86 n°658) on a Operation Order No.26 : Photo Reconnaissance of Juba River (6 November 1940). No.12 (SAAF) Squadron War Diary. This Captain Terreblanche is transfered to No.14 (SAAF) Squadron (No.24 Squadron after transfer to North Africa) on December 1940. He appears in War Diary as Capt. J.A.B. Terreblanche. His name is mentioned several times in War Diary (The War Diary is handwritten and the writing is not easy to read).

 

This same Terreblanche is also mentionned on War Diary of No.31 (SAAF) Squadron B Flight on May / June 1940 (sea patrol on Avro Anson from Port Elizabeth).

 

I do not know if it is the same as your grandfather ?

 

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by 615sqn_Manfred

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

5 hours ago, 615sqn_Manfred said:

Thank you again for these wonderful photos.

 

Would it be possible to know the name of your grandfather, who seems to have belonged to No.12 (SAAF) Squadron ?

 

The Junkers Ju.52 seems to be : "ZS-AJH" (serial n°663). SoC : 01/46.

Yes that is him I believe. I am waiting for his diaries so I might be able to give more information. Thanks for your input!

[Dakpilot]

I did some airdrops in the Juba River Region in Somalia (DC-4) where your father did reconnaissance mission in Ju-86

Posted a pic from those days a while back 

 

Thanks for posting 

 

Cheers, Dakpilot 

[Ajcrou]

16 hours ago, =EXPEND=Dendro said:

Yes that is him I believe. I am waiting for his diaries so I might be able to give more information. Thanks for your input!

 

I will try this weekend to look deeper into the War Diaries of the concerned Squadron to find all the pages referring to Captain Terreblanche.

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

On 12/20/2019 at 10:24 AM, Dakpilot said:

I did some airdrops in the Juba River Region in Somalia (DC-4) where your father did reconnaissance mission in Ju-86

Posted a pic from those days a while back 

 

Thanks for posting 

 

Cheers, Dakpilot 

 

When were you doing these drops Dak?

 

 

I got hold of the typed part of his diary of which I have pasted a few of his entries .............. removed personal stuff for obvious reasons. He often switched to Afrikaans in his diary...those entries I briefly translated in italics.

 

My uncle evidently has flight logs and details of his aviation over the war....I asked him to try and find them but for some reason he was unsure that he even had them so I am now sweating over the possibility that I might never see them. It would be a disaster to me if I never got to see them if that was the case!

 

*****************************************************************

15/12/40

Nakuru
Like a bolt from the blue it happened. I had grown to love Nanyuki so much that I dreaded a transfer
every day. Charles Martin came back from the Union as O.C. No. 14 Squadron and the following
officers were posted to him.
Self, Davies, Tennant, Brain, Maxwell, Launder, Robbs, Barnby. We arrived here on . The night
before I left I went to say goodbye to the Roberts’ to whom I had been quite often by then. It was
like saying goodbye to people I had known for many years.

A few days ago I heard the heartbreaking news that P.H. (Vermeulen) had failed to return from a
raid. I shall never be able to describe my feelings. Who can a a time like this define the term
friendship? Who can every do it? Younger than I, I look upon him as a brother, a brother the very
essence of humour and the incarnation of devilment. I have the strongest conviction however that
P.H. is on his way back. He must and will come back - God willing. Three of the crew have already
been found. I don’t know the full story yet.

We have all flown the Glenn Martin and are beginning to like it very much. But we’ll never regard it
as a gentleman’s aeroplane. One requires all ten fingers. I am waiting for the day to see 15 of them
taking the air.

 

7/1/41

Still lazing and doing absolutely nothing - not even an occasional raid to break the
monotony. It seems as if the war is over for us down here. Further North the Italian resistance is
slowing breaking up. In Libya and elsewhere the British Army have captured something like 70,000
Italian troops, with masses of war material.

 

10/6/41

Have just returned form a raid on Afmadu(?) It was highly successful. We dropped 7.2
tons I & E from the 86’s alone. 

14/2/41

Raided Jumbo(?) today. Goodness what a reception! I can still see the chains of pom pom
shells weaving flaming curtains around me. Anyway we got the bridge, barbed wire fences and a
fort.

15/2/41

This morning we laid the “city” of Jelib(?) in waste. It was burning from end to end when
we left. There was an Italian division there. Where it is now I don’t know. A couple of machines
collected holes from large calibre M.G.

16/2/41

Again we raided Jelib. This time the target was M.G. posts along sections of the river. A
terrible tragic thing happened at about lunch time. My “C” Flight air-gunners and armourers(?) were
in a grass hut, cleaning their guns after the raid. A tin of petrol exploded in their midst and set the lot
alight. Five were badly burnt, and two of them have very little chance of recovering. Five huts, all our
M.G.’s and complete stock of aircraft spares went up in flames.

17/2/41

Raided Ombri yesterday. Otto van Ginkel accompanied me. He has come to take over
my flight. The raid was late in the afternoon and we had to spend the night at Kisiwayo ???

24/4/41

Changing base to Maig-Herita??? – a little native village on the Juba River. Our camp will
be in a clump of trees where an Italian battery was stationed.

26/2/41

Hundreds of native troops are coming in at all hours and giving themselves up. Never seen
so many rifles and ammunition strewn all over the country side. Some of our officers went out on a
real scavenging party and returned with seven huge Italian lorries. These had just been abandoned
all along the road.

27/2/41

Mogadiscio(?) Flew over this morning with members of A.I.&.Q (??) and Force
Headquarters. The town fell yesterday and tonight I had quite a good dinner in one of the local

hotels. The waiters could not understand what I meant by fish so I draw on the menu. Most of the
civil population remained and were present in large numbers in the streets. Italian civilian police are
still controlling traffic and maintaining order and law!
European quarters are clean and there are really attractive buildings. The officer’s mess and men’s
barracks at the aerodrome are magnificent.

 

6/3/41

Broken Hill. Arrived here last night from Nairobi. Was rudely pulled out of bed at 7.15am
and in the air at 0800. Saw Gass who is stationed here.

 

No date???
Cape Town - landed here this morning. 
We’re working hard on our aircraft. I’m still loyal to the 86’s and consequently haven’t taken too well
to the Glenn Martins. We’re forming 14 Squadron here with Charles Martin as CO and many old 12
Squadron pilots. Danie du Toit, Meaker, Rose-Martin, Barnby, Brain, Jacobs etc.

 

*************************************************

I am yet to figure out what the Glen Martins are... B26 Marauder or 187 Baltimore or A22 Maryland????
 

******************************************************

 

8/4/41

Waterkloof
Weer terug in die ou Transvaal. Ek het die 26ste van laaste maand op gevlie van Kaapstad af en
die rekord geslaan. Vliegtyd van Kaapstad na Waterkloof was 2 uur 55minute!
Ek vertrek more met 8
Glenn Martins na Heliopolis. Die weer is verskriklik sleg en die Vader weet hoeveel van die 8 daar
sal aankom.

 

Back in Transvaal. Flew up from Cape Town on 26th of last month and broke the record. Flight time from Cape Town was 2hr55min. I am leaving tomorrow with 8 Glenn Martins to Heliopolis. The weather is extremely bad and God knows how many of the 8 will arrive.

18/4/41

Na ‘n onvermiddelike en onaangenaame vlud deur donder storm weer en sandstorm het ek
met 7 vliegtuie in Heliopolis aangeland. Ons bly vanaand in die Continental Hotel in Cairo.

 

After an unpleasant flght through a thunder storm and then a sand storm I landed at Heliopolis with 7 aeroplanes. (8 planes???) We are staing in the Continental Hotel in Cairo.

 

 

19/4/41

Shandur?? Kort voor middagete hier aangeland op ons nuwe stasie. Shander is gelee op
die westelike oewes van die “Small Bitter Lake” die binnelandse meer wat die twee dele van die
Zeus Kanale ??? verbind. Noord le Ismali??? En Suid Port Zeus.
Die honderde wit tente staan sterk afgeteken teen die ........... .............. sand duine van die Egiptiese
woestyn. 

 

Shandur?? Shortly before lunch I landed here. Shandur is located on the western shores of the "Small Bitter Lake", the land-locked lake that links the 2 parts of the Suez Canal. To the North lies Ismali and to the south, the port of Suez.

Hundreds of white tents stand in start contrats against the ????? ???? sand dunes of the Egyptian desert.

 

 

28/5/41

Nothing much happened. I went out to the Western desert and was stationed at Fuka
Satellite. Terrible sandstorms lasted for about a week, and hampered operational flying The
Germans made a push over the Egyptian border but were stopped near Sollum??. For many days
Fort Capuzzo?? Changed hands. The night before my return to Shandour we had our first raid with
5 G.L.’s It happened to be quite successful.
I am leaving 24 Squadron and will probably join 12 or 21.

On the 22 nd inst Henry and I left here in a 1 tonner on a hunt for missing transport. At Port Said I
found 11 vehicles. From there we travelled to Cairo – Alexandria, where I saw No. 1 & 2 fighters –
back to Cairo – Helman – Cairo and then returned to base, having done 700 miles over the desert.

8/6/41

Shandour Have been in hospital for about a week. Doctor’s thought I had malaria, then
meningitis and eventually decided that it was ‘sandfly-fever’. Great, wonderful news. I’m going back
to the Union!!

9/6/41 Was flown to Cairo today and will leave for South tomorrow !
 

Edited December 21, 2019 by =EXPEND=Dendro

[Ajcrou]

28 minutes ago, =EXPEND=Dendro said:

 

*************************************************

I am yet to figure out what the Glen Martins are... B26 Marauder or 187 Baltimore or A22 Maryland????
 

******************************************************

 

I am leaving 24 Squadron and will probably join 12 or 21.

 

 

Martin Maryland Mk I and Mk II

 

This information is interesting to continue to search in the War Diaries of of these squadrons.

 

 

33 minutes ago, =EXPEND=Dendro said:

A few days ago I heard the heartbreaking news that P.H. (Vermeulen) had failed to return from a
raid. I shall never be able to describe my feelings. Who can a a time like this define the term
friendship? Who can every do it? Younger than I, I look upon him as a brother, a brother the very
essence of humour and the incarnation of devilment. I have the strongest conviction however that
P.H. is on his way back. He must and will come back - God willing. Three of the crew have already
been found. I don’t know the full story yet.

 

 

Concerning  P.H. Vermeulen

 

5 December 1940

 

Three Ju.86 of No.12 (SAAF) Squadron take off on an armed reconnaissance of the Mega - Moyale sector (south Ethiopia). At the end of the mission, the fort of Mega was bombed, although without success, but No.656 was hit on the right engine. The latter cut shortly after and the aircraft was forced into a forced landing 60 km south of Mega, on Italian territory. After the forced landing, three crew members remain near the wreckage, while three others decide to head south on foot in hopes of joining an advanced patrol of the King’s African Rifles. The other two Ju.86 returned to Nanyuki at 13h25 and an intensive search was launched by No.11 and No.12 (SAAF) Squadron.

 

It was not until 10 December that an aircraft finally found the wreckage and the three crew members (Flight Sergeant J.W. Armstrong, Arthur R. Ingle and Air Mechanic T. A.C. Cockilin) sheltered under a tree. Food rations are immediately dropped, while elements of the 2nd (South Africa) Infantry Brigade are dispatched from the fort of Marsabit. They returned to Kenya on 13 December with airmen exhausted by eight days of waiting. The pilot, Lieutnant Vermeulen, however, remains missing with the other two crew members who accompanied him on the march south. The search evolves tragically when the Fairey Battle Mk I L5176 n°918 crashes, killing the entire crew (Lieutnant Murdock MacDonald, Flight Sergeant Paul C. Marais). The body of Lieutnant P.H. Vermeulen was finally found lifeless a few months later, while the other two were still missing (Warrant Officer Marcus M. Hough and Air Sergeant William Roller).

 

 

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

War is a hell of thing. Thanks for this Manfred.

[Dakpilot]

That was in  1998,  there was major flooding, we did supply drops at 50ft along runway that was too wet to land,  if I recall correctly we did 9 runs and dropped 4 tons. 

 

War is indeed a hell of a thing, I think I have flown in six different ones, and left a lot of friends behind, luckily that ipart of my life is now over for me, and I lead a quieter life now ?

 

Cheers, Dakpilot 

[=EXPEND=Dendro]

You flew for SAAF? Have you written down your experiences? 

 

[BornToBattle]

Wow. What cool pics! Sometimes it really stinks that not u til someone passes that we begin to want to ask more questions about certain events or items. I know I’m in that boat.

 

Thanks for sharing these treasures!

[Heliopause]

On ‎12‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 9:40 AM, =EXPEND=Dendro said:

8/4/41

Waterkloof
Weer terug in die ou Transvaal. Ek het die 26ste van laaste maand op gevlie van Kaapstad af en
die rekord geslaan. Vliegtyd van Kaapstad na Waterkloof was 2 uur 55minute!
Ek vertrek more met 8
Glenn Martins na Heliopolis. Die weer is verskriklik sleg en die Vader weet hoeveel van die 8 daar
sal aankom.

 

The old Dutchie language.