South African Air Force squadron identification codes explained

The South African Air Force (SAAF) adopted the use of squadron codes from the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.The SAAF continued to use these codes after the war, with the final use of the wartime code system on a 22 Squadron PV-1 Ventura in 1960.^[1]

Aircraft deployed for the East African Campaign did not carry any squadron codes—these were first introduced when the SAAF deployed to North Africa in 1942. Squadron codes were assigned by the RAF from a theater annex to SD110. Aircraft used in South Africa did not carry squadron codes, except for aircraft of the 11 OTU which carried the squadron codes of their parent squadrons (1 and 2 Squadron SAAF).^[2]

Historically, the codes were usually two alphabetic characters, painted on the rear fuselage next to the roundel. These formed a suffix or prefix to the call sign of each aircraft (on the other side of the roundel) which was usually a single letter (e. g. "G for George"). In general, when an aircraft was lost or withdrawn from use, its call sign was applied to its replacement or another aircraft.^[3]

World War II

Code	Squadron	Type	Period From	Period To	Theater	Notes
AX	1 Squadron	Hurricane Mk I	April 1942	November 1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
AX		Hurricane Mk IIc	September 1942	November 1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
AX		Spitfire Mk Vc	November 1942	April 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East
AX		Spitfire Mk VIII	August 1943	June 1945	Mediterranean / Middle East
AX		Spitfire Mk IX	c August 1943	October 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East
AX		Hurricane Mk II	1943	1944	South Africa: Training	A Flight 11 OCTU: "AX" on a square yellow background
DB		Kittyhawk Mk I, Ia	April 1942	June 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East	Maj. D.B. Hauptfleisch (OC 2 Sqn) flew Kittyhawk Mk. I with personal code DBH 1942–1943^[4]
DB		Kittyhawk Mk III	June 1943	Junly 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East
DB		Spitfire Mk Vc	June 1943	March 1944	Mediterranean / Middle East
DB		Spitfire Mk IX	February 1944	July 1945	Mediterranean / Middle East
DHL			1943	1944	Italy	Personal code of Col. D.H. Loftus, OC 7 Wing SAAF, Kittyhawk^[5]
DT			1943	1944	Italy	Personal code of Maj. S.F. du Toit, 7 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. VIII
DT			1945	1945	Italy	Personal code of Lt. Col. S.F. du Toit, OC 8 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. VIII
CA		Spitfire Mk IX	February 1944	October 1945	Mediterranean / Middle East	Maj. C.A. Golding (OC 3 Sqn) flew Spitfire IX with personal code CAG 1944-1945^[6]
DX		Tomahawk Mk. II	Feb 1942	Jun 1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
KJ		Tomahawk Mk. IIb	c Nov 1941	Jan 1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
KJ		Kittyhawk Mk's I, Ia, III	Jun 1941	Jul 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East
KJ		Spitfire Mk. V	Jul 1943	May 1944	Italy
KJ		Spitfire Mk. IX	May 1944	Jul 1945	Italy
KK		B-24 Liberator	1944	1945	Italy
GL		Tomahawk Mk II	Oct 1941	Jan 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East
GL		Kittyhawk Mk Ia	1943	1943	Mediterranean / Middle East
GL		Kittyhawk Mk III, Mk IV	Jan 1943	Sep 1944	Italy
GL		Mustang Mk III, Mk IV	Sep 1944	Oct 1945	Italy
GL		Hurricane Mk. II	1943	1945	South Africa: Training	B Flight
JEP			1945	1945	Italy	Personal code of Maj. J.E. Pearson, 8 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. IX^[7]
JH			1945	1945	Italy	Personal code of Lt. Col. J Human, OC 7 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. IX^[8]
ND		Kittyhawk Mk. IV	Oct 1944	Aug 1945	Italy
ND		Spitfire Mk. IX	Aug 1945	Oct 1945	Italy
OZ		Boston Mk. III	1941	1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
P	12 Squadron^[9]	Douglas Boston III	March 1942	December 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East
P	25 Squadron^[10]	Martin Marauder III	October 1944	July 1945	Mediterranean / Italy
?	26 Squadron^[11] ^[12]	Vickers Wellington Mk X & XI	May 1943	May 1945	West Africa / Gold Coast(Ghana)
A	12 Squadron	Martin Maryland II	January 1944	December 1944	Mediterranean / Italy
V	12 Squadron	Martin Maryland III	August 1945	November 1945	Mediterranean / Italy
B	30 Squadron^[13]	Martin Marauder III	August 1944	September 1945	Mediterranean / Italy
TA		Tomahawk Mk. II	1941	1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
TJ		Spitfire Mk. IX	1944	1945	Mediterranean / Middle East
VL		Boston Mk. III	1942	1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
WR		Hurricane Mk's. I, II	Jan 1942	Aug 1942	Mediterranean / Middle East
WR		Spitfire Mk. V	Feb 1943	Jun 1943	Mediterranean / Middle East	Lt Col R.R. Rogers, OC 40 Sqn flew with personal serial code RR, 1943, Spitfire Mk. IX^[14]
WR		Spitfire Mk. IX	Jun 1943	Oct 1945	Italy	Maj T. Cook, OC 40 Sqn flew with personal serial code TC, 1944, Spitfire Mk. IX
ZP		Blenheim Mk. V	1942	1943	Mediterranean / Middle East

Post war use of wartime code system

Code	Squadron	Type	Period From	Period To	Theater	Notes
DHL			1946	1946	South Africa	Personal code of Col. D.H. Loftus, OC 7 Wing SAAF Spitfire Mk. VIII
AX		Spitfire LF.9	1946	1949	South Africa
AX		Vampire FB.5	1949	1951	South Africa
DB		Spitfire LF.9	1946	1948	South Africa
JS		Dakota Mk. III, IV	1946	1950	South Africa
JS		Spitfire LF.9 (PR)	1946	1950	South Africa
JS		Ventura Mk. II	1946	1950	South Africa
JS		Mosquito PR 16	1946	1950	South Africa
LB		Ventura Mk. II	1947	1951	South Africa
MS		Ventura Mk. V	1947	1958	South Africa
MT	22 Squadron^[15]	Ventura Mk. V	1954	1960	South Africa
OD		Dakota Mk. III, IV	1946	1955	South Africa
OP		Auster AOPS	1953	1957	South Africa
OZ		Ventura II	1948	1948	South Africa
PH					South Africa	Code allocated but not used.
RB		Sunderland GR.5	1945	1947	South Africa
RB		Anson floatplane	1946	1946	South Africa
ST					South Africa	Code allocated but not used.
VL		Anson	1946	1950	South Africa

Notes and References

Book: Flintham, V. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force unit codes since 1938. 2008. Pen & Sword Aviation. Barnsley. 9781844156917. 165. Tomas, A .
Flintham (2008), pp. 165
Book: Lake, Alan. Flying units of the RAF. Airlife Publishing. Shrewsbury. 1999. 1st. 294–303. 1-84037-086-6.
Flintham (2008), p. 229
Flintham (2008), p. 230
Flintham (2008), p. 229
Flintham (2008), p. 233
Flintham (2008), p. 234
Web site: History of War . No. 12 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War . 2 February 2012.
Web site: History of War . No. 25 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War. 2 February 2012.
Web site: History of War . No. 26 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War. 2 February 2012.
Web site: 26 Sqn Unofficial Site . No. 26 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War.
Web site: History of War . No. 30 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War . 2 February 2012.
Flintham (2008), p. 237
Flintham (2008), pp. 198