Denis Earp Explained

Honorific Prefix:Lieutenant General
Denis John Earp
Birth Date:1930 6, df=yes
Birth Place:Bloemfontein, South Africa
Death Place:Pretoria
Rank:Lieutenant General
Commands:Chief of the Air Force
Battles:Korean War

Denis John Earp (7 June 1930[1] [2] - 19 May 2019[3]) was a South African military commander, who held the post of Chief of the South African Air Force.

Career

He attended Grey College, Bloemfontein, Military College in 1948 and joined the SAAF in 1950. After qualifying as a pilot he served in Korea with 2 Squadron SAAF. He was forced to bail out over enemy territory and was a POW for 23 months.[4]

Released in September 1953, he was posted to 1 Squadron till January 1957. Then he spent two years as an instructor at Central Flying Service Dunnottar before being appointed as a pilot attack instructor at the Air Operations School.[5]

In 1964 he spent time in England converting to Canberra light bombers and on his return served as a pilot at 12 (Canberra) Squadron at Waterkloof Air Force Base.

In December 1967 he returned to 2 Squadron as commanding officer. Eighteen months later he was appointed commandant flying at AirForce Base Pietersburg and after that senior staff officer (air) of the Joint Combat Forces.

His career took an unusual turn when he converted to helicopters and became officer commanding 17 Squadron at Air Force Base Waterkloof.

After that he became senior staff officer operations at SAAF Headquarters, then director operations from 1 June 1976, to 1978 and director general operations at Defence Headquarters in the rank of major general from 19 June 1978.

He served as Chief of the Air Force from 1984 to 1988[6]

His son, Lieutenant Michael Earp, was a helicopter pilot who was killed in the Border War on 5 January 1982.[7]

Aircraft flown

Honours and awards

Gen Earp received the following Awards and Decorations:[8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Who's Who of Southern Africa . Who's Who of Southern Africa C.C . Hayes. S.V . 1992 . 203 . 0-620-15974-X.
  2. Book: We were there . Kraal Publishers . Geldenhuys, Genl. Jannie . 2011 . 49 . 978-0-9814009-8-3.
  3. Web site: Former SAAF Chief Denis Earp dies . Defenceweb . May 21, 2019 . May 21, 2019.
  4. Book: Uys, Ian. South African Military Who's Who 1452–1992. 1992. Fortress Publishers. 73. 0-9583173-3-X.
  5. The SADF: Supplement to the Financial Mail . Financial Mail . July 1987 . 35.
  6. Web site: SADF.info.
  7. Book: Lord, Dick. From Fledgling to Eagle: The South African Air Force during the Border War. 2012. Helion & Company Ltd. Solihull, England. 978-0415350150. Kindle.
  8. News: . Vyftien ontvang Ster van SA . afrikaans . Fifteen receive Star of SA . 5 March 1988 . 23 February 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150223174249/http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1988/03/05/9/12.html . 23 February 2015 .