South African Military History Society

SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY HISTORY SOCIETY EASTERN CAPE BRANCH
SUID-AFRIKAANSE KRYGSHISTORIESE VERENIGING OOS-KAAP TAK

Newsletter/Nuusbrief 182


November 2019

Matters of General interest.

Chairman Malcolm Kinghorn welcomed all to the meeting. With the month of November coming up it was advised that the Remembrance Day Service that is held at the Grey High School will take place on 11 November. The service will start at 11,40hrs due to examinations being written and guests should be seated by 11,20hrs. All are welcome and tea and refreshments will be served afterwards in the restaurant.

This service is held in the Memorial Quadrangle and the area is very sheltered. Seating is provided and would suit more of the elderly who in earlier years may have attended the services that were held at the war memorial situated at the top of Western Road in Central. The memorial itself was unveiled in 1948 by Field Marshall Smuts and remembers the 187 Old Greys who gave their lives in both World Wars and in other conflicts

November excursion – Saturday 9 November

This is a one day excursion and will commence at 9,00hrs at the Aloe Shell Hole which is situated next to the Clarendon Park Primary School. There after the intention is to walk across to St.John’s Church to view some graves of military interest before stopping at the Walmer War Memorial which is situated a short distance away in Main Road. The Pax Memorial is situated on the Little Walmer Golf Course and will be viewed from River Road. Unfortunately due to a corporate golf day we will not be allowed an open access across the fairways to this memorial which was erected in 1918. There after lunch will follow at your convenience and the afternoon session will resume at the EPVCC at 14,00hrs. The programme follows elsewhere in this newsletter

Our talks – The Member’s slot, the Curtain Raiser and Main Lecture.

Regretably we have no details on the very interesting talks provided by Peter Duffell Canham and Stephen Bowker – the former being on “The sinking of the Titanic Ship Yard – that known as Harland and Wolf of Belfast” and the Main Lecture delivered by Stephen who spoke on the subject of “Sir Walter Currie”. We will include these presentations in a future issue once to hand. The Curtain Raiser was delivered by Woody Turner of the SAAF Association and is summarised below.

The South African Air Force Association.

“The curtain raiser on the South African Air Force Association (SAAFA) was presented by Woody Turner, who is the Vice Chairman of the Port Elizabeth branch of the Association. SAAFA is properly constituted and administered and serves as an all ranks meeting place for members and ex-members of the SAAF. Persons who serve, or once served, in the SAAF, whether permanent or citizen force, or an allied air force, are eligible to join. Associate members, for example, persons from commercial aviation and the SAAF Museum are also eligible. The concept of the Association was put forward by a World War 1 veteran pilot, Colonel Rod Douglas, and an inaugural meeting was held in Johannesburg on 11 December 1944. The missions of the SAAFA are to maintain and foster friendship and camaraderie, provide support for the general well-being of aged members, perpetuate the memory of those who gave their lives in the service of their country and to promote the interests, image and heritage of the SAAF. There are, nationwide, 20 active SAAFA branches and 14 which have been disbanded. World War 2 SAAF veteran and former Chairman of the Port Elizabeth branch, Colin Trader, has published a book “We will remember them”, which is a collection of World War 2 and other aviation stories and a history of the Port Elizabeth Branch of SAAFA.”

Our next meeting – Saturday 9 November – 14,00hrs – EPVCC – Conyingham Road.

Our afternoon programme will take place after our morning excursion through Walmer and at our usual venue
Members slot – Maritime Piracy – by Malcolm Kinghorn
Curtain Raiser – The Declaration of War by South Africa – 6 September, 1939 – by Andre Crozier
Main Lecture – The Historic Background to the Military Character of the SA Police – by Mac Alexander

Chairman: Malcolm Kinghorn culturev@lantic.net
Secretary: Franco Cilliers cilliers.franco@gmail.com
Scribe (newsletter):Ian Pringle. pringlefamily@telkomsa.net

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South African Military History Society / scribe@samilitaryhistory.org