100 Years
Defenceweb commentary
Defenceweb commentary
Article by Willie (Buskruit) Burger Velddrif Dec 2014 SAAF Boats – Short History THE NOW ALMOST INVISIBLE BOND BETWEEN THE NAVY AND THE AIR FORCE By 1940, when the first South African forces were deployed in East Africa, the Mediterranean Sea was under German and Italian control. The Suez Canal was thus an ambush, just…
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The story of Colonel “Oom Vuil” Fred Potgieter. When the SAAF bought the farm at Ondangwa to establish an air force base there was pretty much nothing but an open expanse of savanna grasslands. When the Mobile Radar Unit moved in to establish themselves, this convoy of trucks drove into the new base and…
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Film of Fleet Air Arm exercise in South Africa. Film includes Wingfield, Marmon Herrington Armoured Cars, and PV1. [youtube httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LxE8I-uo4 ]
68th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WARSAW FLIGHTS – Saturday, 8 September 2012 Tomorrow we will commemorate the 68th Anniversary of the heroic flights over Warsaw by South African and Allied airmen to drop supplies to the Polish Home Army and civilian population of Warsaw, at that time locked in a mortal struggle for freedom. Details of…
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By J J M Coetzee Member of the ground staff of 15 Squadron from November 1941 to May 1944 (Unless indicated otherwise, photographs are author’s own) Re-Published with Kind Permission of the South African Military History Society In the annals of war, great campaigns and battles are often reduced to a few paragraphs, or,…
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Bloemfontein- The oldest still-serving member of South Africa’s elite paratroops, Major Hans Human, has been a paratrooper all his life, whether as a National Serviceman or a member of the Reserve Force. He’s been jumping out of aeroplanes for more than 47 years. Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/305317#ixzz1nsezUykE
QUESTION I am seeking information on a vampire that forced landed after a flame out. Unfortunately I do not have exact detail except that this event took place approximately July 1959 whilst operating from AFS Langebaanweg. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help in any way. ANSWER The incident you’re referring to…
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This online exhibition features images and experiences of various members of the SAAF and RAF. Frederick George Coates was born in Enfield, Middlesex, England on 14th March 1920. His brother Albert joined the Royal and Merchant Navies and was on HMS Southampton when it was bombed. He had a little sister Olive who died…
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This online exhibition features images and experiences of various members of the SAAF and RAF and RAAF. Joe Joubert flew as a navigator in the Berlin Airlift. On the 9th July 1949 he and the radio operator were ordered to jettison 63 sacks of coal as the aircraft could not gain height in a…
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