11 Squadron SAAF

October 2019 11 Squadron Fairey Battle.jpg 300 Fairey Battle similar to that flown by the squadron in East Africa in 1941 11 December 1939 – June 19412 June 1944 – August 1945January 1974 – 1991 South Africa 1928 South African Air Force Light Bomber and Fighter Bomber (WWII)Liaison 1974–1991 AFB Potchefstoom when disbanded Ne Desit Virtus (Let Courage not Fail)SAAF Website (Unofficial) https://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/squadrons/27/11-squadron The Airforce Squadrons ND 1939–1945Flintham Vic Combat Codes 2003 Pen & Sword Aviation Barnesly 9781844156917 165 Squadron Identification Code 80px Insignia 11 Squadron was a World War II squadron of the South African Air Force. It was created in South Africa in 1939 and served in East Africa until 1941 as an army cooperation and reconnaissance squadron. It was re-formed in 1944 as a fighter bomber squadron and served in Italy until 1945 when it returned to Egypt and was disbanded on conclusion of the war on 30 October 1945. It was re-activated in 1974, flying Cessna 185s as an army liaison squadron until 1991 when it disbanded for the final time. History 11 Squadron served in two periods during World War II, in East Africa and again later in Egypt and Italy. It was formed on 11 December 1939 at Waterkloof Flying Station equipped with 24 Hawker Hartbees in an army co-operation role, moving to Kenya in May 1940.Tidy D.P. The South African Military History Society https://www.samilitaryhistory.org/vol026dt.html South African Air Aces of World War IIThe squadron flew from Waterkloof on 19 May to Pietersburg and then Bulawayo, 20 May Bulawayo – Salisbury – Broken Hill; 21 May Broken Hill – Mpika; 22 May Mpika – Mbeya – Dodoma – Moshi and on 23 May Moshi – Nairobi. The squadron received its first Fairey Battle in June 1940 and by 19 August all of the Hartbees aircraft had been replaced by Fairey Battles deployed from Archers Post in Kenya.The Hawker Hartbees were passed on to 40 Sqn SAAF.Ambrose-Brown James A Gathering of Eagles: South African forces World War II: Vol II 1970 Purnell Cape Town 46 It served in a reconnaissance and army cooperation role in Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia until June 1941 when its aircraft were transferred to 15 Squadron and 11 Squadron was disbanded.Rickard J. History of War https://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/SAAF/11_wwII.html No. 11 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War The squadron was re-formed on 29 June 1944 at Almaza in Egypt flying Mk.VB and Mk.VC Spitfires in the role of fighter squadron. It was moved to Edku in July 1944 and to Perugia in Italy in September 1944 – where it exchanged the Spitfires for Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk.IVs as part of the Desert Air Force. In Italy, the squadron was part of No.8 (S.A.A.F.) Wing 0-86843-008-0 Eagles Victorious: The S.A.A.F. in Italy and the Mediterranean: 1943–1945 Purnell H.J. Martin, Neil Orpen 1977 Cape Town 231 responsible for ground-attack and fighter-bomber sweeps in support of the armies in Italy until the end of the war. In August 1945 the squadron received Spitfire Mk.IXs and was transferred back to Egypt, where it remained until being disbanded on 30 October 1945. It was resurrected in January 1974 as a liaison and army cooperation squadron equipped with Cessna 185s and based at Potchefstroom Air Base. It was finally disbanded in 1991. Aircraft +Aircraft flown by 11 SquadronAircraftPeriodImageHawker Hartbee1939–1940thumb|RAF Hawker HartSupermarine Spitfire Mk.VB1944 thumb|40 Sqn SAAF, Gabes 1943Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc1944thumb|Spitfire Mk. Vc of 1 Squadron SAAF, 1943Curtiss Kittyhawk1944–1945thumb|Kittyhawk of No. 5 Squadron SAAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX1945thumb|aircraftCessna 1851974–1991thumb|SAAF Notes and references Footnotes Note Citations Category:Squadrons of the South African Air Force Category:Military units and formations established in 1939 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1991