List of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in Southern Rhodesia explained

This article contains a list of the Southern Rhodesian facilities forming part of Joint Air Training Scheme which was a major programme for training South African Air Force, Royal Air Force and Allied air crews during World War II.[1] However, RAF Training units would still be based in this country until a decade after the war had finished

A war-time Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) gave a recruit 50 hours of basic aviation instruction on a simple trainer like the Tiger Moth. Pilots who showed promise went on to training at a Service Flying Training School (SFTS). The Service Flying Training School provided advanced training for pilots, including fighter and multi-engined aircraft. Other trainees went on to different specialties, such as wireless, navigation or bombing and air gunnery.[1]

During WW II

These are the units that formed the Rhodesia Air Training Group.[2]

Unit Name/No.BaseMajor types of aircraftRoleOpenedDisbandedComments
No. 25Belvedere, SalisburyTiger Moth, Cornell & HarvardEFTS24 May 194016 November 1945[3]
No. 20Cranborne, SalisburyHarvard 1, 2, 2a, 3 and OxfordSFTS10 July 19407 September 1945
No. 27Induna, BulawayoTiger Moth & CornellEFTS28 January 194021 September 1945
No. 23Heany, BulawayoOxfordSFTS8 July 194130 September 1945
No. 21Kumalo, BulawayoOxfordSFTS8 October 194018 May 1945
Sauerdale, BulawayoTiger MothEFTSPlanned, but base found to be unsuitable
No. 26Guinea Fowl, GweloTiger Moth & CornellEFTSAugust 194014 August 1945
No. 22Thornhill, GweloHarvard 1, 2, 2a, 3SFTS25 March 194130 September 1945
No. 24 Bombing, Gunnery and NavigationMoffat, GweloBattle, Oxford and AnsonBGTS12 May 1943[4] 13 April 1945
No. 24 Combined Air Observation SchoolMoffat, GweloBattle, Oxford and AnsonBGTS3 August 1941 12 May 1943 Split into 24 BGTS & 29 EANS
No. 29 Elementary Navigation SchoolMoffat, GweloBattle, Oxford and AnsonANS12 May 194313 April 1945
No. 28Mount HampdenTiger Moth, Cornell & HarvardEFTS1 April 194130 October 1945Motto: Pana Maziñana ano Bururuka - Here Fledglings Take Wing
No. 31CranborneHarvard (for Comms)ARU1 August 1941
No. 32HeanyHarvard (for Comms)ARU1 August 1941
Rhodesian Central Flying SchoolNortonAll types used in GroupCFS3 Sep 194120 May 1942Renamed 33 FIS
No. 33NortonAll types used in GroupFIS20 May 19429 May 1944Renamed CFS (SR)
Central Flying School (Southern Rhodesia)NortonAll types used in GroupCFS9 May 19449 October 1945
Communications FlightBelvedereTiger Moths, Cornells & HarvardsComms Flt14 May 19401 January 1946SRAF unit

Training aircraft

Glossary

After World War II

Unit Name/No.BaseMajor types of aircraftOpenedDisbandedComments
No. 4 FTSRAF HeanyTiger Moth (until replaced by Chipmunk), Harvard, Anson1 February 194726 January 1954
No. 5 FTSRAF ThornhillTiger Moth (until replaced by Chipmunk), Harvard, Anson23 April 1947 22 January 19514 January 1948 30 December 1953
No. 3 ANSRAF ThornhillAnson5 January 194828 September 1951formed from elements of both 4 & 5 FTS
No. 394 MURAF Heany1 September 194731 March 1954
No. 395 MURAF Bulawayo1 September 194731 March 1954
RATG Communications SquadronRAF KumaloAnsons, Chipmunks & Harvards1 September 194731 March 1954
For clarification; No.4 FTS & No.5 FTS initially functioned as complete Flying Training Schools with all three/four types at two different bases. After a short period, No.5 FTS was disbanded / redesignated as No.3 ANS specialising in Navigation training, sending all Tiger Moths & Harvards across to join No.4 FTS, and in return receiving No.4 FTS Ansons to add to its own. Three years later in 1951 the situation was reversed with the dissolution of No.3 ANS.

Training aircraft

Glossary

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Becker, Dave. Yellow Wings: The Story Of The Joint Air Training Scheme In World War 2 . The SAAF Museum . 1989 . Pretoria . 102 .
  2. The Fledglings of Rhodesia: An Instructor's Recollections of a Unit in the Empire Air Training Scheme . C. Nepean . Bishop . 2339 . LXIV . 668–670 . . 20 November 1953 . 13 February 2016.
  3. Web site: Rhodesia & The RAF. 29 February 2016.
  4. Web site: The Story of Royal Air Force Station, Moffat . Our Rhodesian Heritage . 29 March 2010 . 13 February 2016.

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