South African Air Force History

Rare archive footage of the South African Air Force from 1910 until the Korean War. The SAAF participated in many conflicts around the globe and this is footage of the SAAF during those conflicts.

South African Air Force History Termed as the Father of Aviation in South Africa as he built the first aircraft in this country in 1907. The first flight was undertaken by Albert Kimmerling in 1908. Western gained renown during the early part of the century with his daring displays. General Christian Beyers persuaded General Smuts that the sky would be the battleground of the future and persuaded him to start the first flying school. The first ten cadets were enrolled at the Compton Paterson Flying School near Kimberley. Later, the school was closed and six of the cadets were sent to Britain for further training. The outbreak of the First World War solved the fledgling South African Flying Corps playing a major role in the Southwest Africa campaign. The First World War produced the first of the many South African flight that exist in the person of Captain Beauchamp-Proctor who was awarded “the VC” for his experts in the air. Captain Boetie Venter later rose to the rank of Director General of the South African Air Force and one of the most illustrious flies of the period was Sir Pierre van Ryneveld. It was Pierre van Ryneveld, who on February 1, 1920 founded the South African Air Force, as we know it today. Van Ryneveld and Quintin Brand flew down Africa in the Silver Queen, and after crash landing in Egypt continued the journey in another aircraft, the Silver Queen II. At Delaware, they crashed again and finished their many flights in the Voortrekker, a DH-9. Van Ryneveld’s Air Force took shape in the 30’s and performed a large list of civilian service undertaking aerial photography, transporting and running an airmail postal service between Johannesburg and Durban. In 1926, the first parachute jump was made in the South Africa. The end of 30’s saw war clouds gathering over Europe. After the fall of Everson near the South African Air Force, desert war was used to be the Western Desert. Conditions in the visit were arduous and here the front line and grand crews came into their own. The desert war seesawed back and forth until 4 December 1942 at El Alamein when Rommel’s group was finally broken. Now the war became one of the suit in the treason and here the bombers of the South African Air Force came into their own. In North Africa, the battle was over. In the Middle East, the war continued to the South African Air Force protected the convoy, which rounded the Cape. On the home front, a Women’s Auxiliary Air Force was formed while up north, the invasion literally took place. Cold weather in Italy made the task of the ground crews more difficult. Apart from the Reconnaissance missions, the South African Air Force bombed the German fleet in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. The South African Air Force was in at the keel when the war in Italy ended on the 2nd of May, 1945. During the burning blockade, they took part in many mercy plot applying more than 2000 missions to the Vatican City. In 1950, the South African Air Force went to Korea career and number 2 Squadron. The flying chief is Blue Mustangs and later, Saver Jets and the South African Air Force stood poise to enter the jet age.