100 Years
Defenceweb commentary
Defenceweb commentary
ONE OF THE FEW Squadron Leader Albert Gerald Lewis, DFC and bar INTRODUCTION It all started with a picture. A photo in the book called THE FEW. A photo of a young – rather long haired – RAF pilot, standing besides his Hurricane with a big grin. I could not shake off that image of…
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The 315th Airlift Wing received news late last week that one of its members, Senior Master Sgt. George Counts Jr., died in a car crash along with his wife and father. Majors Mike Stratton and Jason Williams along with loadmasters Eric Zilaitis and George Counts, 317th Airlift Squadron Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., maintained the…
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The Chief of the Air Force unveiled the Collective Heritage Display Hall at the Swartkop branch of the SAAF Museum on Thursday 15th of September. It is the first phase of the complete revamp. Here’s how it looks:
Wilfred Teper visited the War Eagles Air Museum in New Mexico and found a SAAF Sabre #365 on Display. It seems that this aircraft was one of around 10 sold to Flight Systems of California to be used as target drones, but is in a flying condition at the War Eagles Museum. (Civil registration revised,…
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In 1986, while on a flight to Ondangwa at about 8000ft, Dakota C-47 #32961, SAAF 6855 was hit by a SA-7 missile. The explosion ripped off most of the tail. To add additional pressure, the Dakota was full of military VIP passengers including the Chief of the Army. The aircraft commander, Capt Colin Green slowed…
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Steve Stevens, DFC, is frail, bedridden and in pain. However, there is no doubt that this man is a force, a man who has packed more into his 96 years on Earth than most of us, and who is firmly committed to his goals and his religion. When I call him to arrange the meeting,…
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Some more feedback on the Buccaneer profile sketch project. Johan Conradie now has the following sketches completed A sketch of each of the eight Buccaneers (412 to 419) with the flight crew names at Lossiemouth on 27 October 1965 Buccaneer G-2-1 (411) fitted with long range fuel tanks Buccaneer G-2-2 (412) equipped with French Nord…
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F Sgt Elna Hadfield is a museographer and a jack of all trades, from managing the SAAF Museum “Ops” Room to running 110 Squadron. She says that nothing is impossible and is responsible for all staff matters to ordering a pot of paint of paint. She is married to Lt Col Pierre Hadfield and has…
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On the 25th June 2015 at the 62nd Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Day Memorial Service, the South Korean Ambassador to SA paid tribute to the SA airman that took part in the war which started on 25 June 1950. 34 South African Air Force airmen lost their lives and eight were taken prisoner.…
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