No. 7 (South African) Wing Explained

Unit Name:No. 7 Wing SAAF
Dates:1942 to 1945
Country: South Africa
Branch:South African Air Force
Role:Fighter Bomber Wing
Commander1 Label:Commander
Identification Symbol Label:Squadron Identification Code

No. 7 Wing (SAAF) was a South African Airforce fighter-bomber air wing during World War II. The Wing served in the Western Desert and Italian campaigns. By the end of the North African campaign in May 1943, SAAF No 7 Wing, comprising 2, 4 & 5 Squadrons, was considered the best dive bomber formation in the world.[1]

Organisation and squadrons

7 Wing was initially a RAF Wing. In December 1942, 2, 4 and 5 Squadrons SAAF were placed in reserve and on 6 December 1942 they were assigned to 7 Wing SAAF under the command of Lt.Col. D.H. Loftus. It was the first time South African squadrons had operated together as a unified wing. The wing badge was a leaping Sprignbok on a green and yellow shield and was painted on the rudder of wing aircraft. In 1943 and 1944, the wing supported partisan operations in Yugoslavia. By Christmas 1944, the Wing was based at Forli near Bologna where it remained until the end of the war.It comprised the below squadrons during its existence:

No. 7 Wing SAAF organisation: 1941 - 1945
Datetext-align:center;"Assigned Squadronstext-align:center;"Wing Commandertext-align:center;"Higher formation
October 1942
(Initially 7 Wing RAF)
Lt. Col. D.H. LoftusNo. 212 Group RAF
February 1943 Lt. Col. D.H. Loftus
Lt. Col. J.D. Human
No. 212 Group RAF
July 1944 Lt. Col. Johnny D. Human[3]
Col. D.D. Moodie
Desert Airforce
May 1945 Lt. Col. A C Bosman[4] Mediterranean Allied Tactical Airforce

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SAAF Squadrons – present and past.
  2. Web site: No. 274 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War.
  3. Book: Fortune Favours the Bold: An African Aviation Odyssey. 9781462813902. 28 January 2009. Xlibris Corporation.
  4. Web site: Photographs: Royal Air Force: Italy, The Balkans and South East Europe, 1942-1945.. Imperial War Museum.