The South African
Military History Society

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Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging

Published on the Website of the South African Military History Society in the interest of research into military history

Colonel Stephanus Francois “Rosy” du Toit, CBE, DFC and Bar, US DFC

By Stef Coetzee

Notes on my uncle who us children knew as Oom Fanie, my Mother’s younger brother, (Rosy) du Toit - in this context I should refer to him as Colonel S.F. du Toit, but will take the liberty of a nephew and refer to him simply as he was known – Rosy. A self-effacing man, Rosy did not speak of his wartime exploits much – what follows is what I have managed to piece together from a welter of sources (including paying to get his service records copied for me back in 2007).

Rosy went on to become the youngest officer in the SAAF to command a fighter wing on operations at the age of 25.

Compiled by his nephew Stef Coetzee with thanks for input and help from family and Rosy’s friends and as a token of respect and appreciation to celebrate Rosy’s life. Special thanks to my brother Boet, and my cousins Mike Haupt and Brian Stableford for their input.

Early Life - Stephanus Francois du Toit

Rosy matriculated from Helpmekaar High School in 1935. Helpmekaar was the first Afrikaans school in Johannesburg, started in 1921 by a group of Afrikaners who wanted their children to have an alternative to English schools. Construction of the school started on 19 September 1925 with the foundation stone being laid by General Barry Hertzog. The school badge was designed by a matric pupil of 1925, A.J. Lessing and the slogan of the school "KOMAAN" was derived from a poem by Jan F. E. Celliers by the same title – a maxim that could have been applied to Rosy as his life’s journey progressed. (Literally translated 'Komaan Helpmekaar' means 'come on, help each other').

In the course of 1934, emerging from the years of the Great Depression, South Africa’s economy began a sustained upward trend, and a significant increase in the Defence Budget was approved for the first time in many years. In 1935 the Minister of Defence announced that the Defence Force was to be expanded. This decision had a significant effect on the training facilities and efficiency of the SAAF. A new training scheme for pupil pilots was introduced which gave the development of the Air Force considerable impetus. The idea was to train a reserve of 1,000 pilots and 700 air mechanics. The overall size of the Air Force was also increased from four to seven squadrons, with new stations and bases being built at Waterkloof, Bloemfontein, Durban and Youngsfield. Central Flying School was also established with satellite air training schools in the Cape Province, Orange Free State and Natal.

Back to Rosy - he enrolled in a BSc course in mining engineering at Wits University in Johannesburg in 1936, but within two years the advent of war and the drive to sign up proved too great.

Rosy enrolled in the Transvaal Air Training Scheme (TATS) which was established to train aviators for the Regular Air Force. As mentioned above, in 1935 the ”One Thousand Pilots” Scheme was launched with a view to training 1,000 pilots and 700 mechanics by 1942. To achieve this, the TATS was expanded beyond the University to include inrtoductory training at civilian flying clubs with advanced training at SAAF Flying Training Schools.

Rosy enrolled as pupil pilot No 231168 TATS 1st April 1937 and posted to Witwatersrand Technical College Flying Club for non-continuous training under a new scheme. Subsequently, once he decided to abandon his university career, Rosy was seconded to the South African Permanent Force (SAPF) Cadet Course no. 382G at the Military College Roberts Heights from 2nd May 1938 to September 1939. His description on his oath of loyalty to King George VI is in Afrikaans and lists him as fair-skinned, 5 foot 11.5 inches tall, chest size 35 inches, hair colour light brown, eyes grey and religion “Hervormde Kerk” (Dutch Reformed).

Basic training was followed by flying and artillery training, the latter included equestrianism. Rosy was apparently an excellent horseman. I have a recollection of one of his colleagues in Course 382G mentioning that there was a large black stallion that none of the cadets dared ride, but Rosy tamed it [and] made it his preferred ride!

Rosy was examined at Central Flying School Roberts Heights during January 1939 and passed in Theory of Aerial Sighting; Interrupter Gear; Vickers Gun; Organisation of SAAF; Theory of Flight; Airmanship and Army Co-operation (TATS Ord 16/38) according to his service record. He qualified 7th in order of merit with rated proficiency (on his service record) of “Above average” (F.O. 2069).

Between the First and Second World Wars the South African Military College conducted a number of ‘Amphigarious’¹ courses for SAPF cadets with a view to providing regular officers for both the SA Artillery and the SA Air Force. In Europe, the rumblings of an impending war were being heard and South Africa, along with other European nations, began to look at military resources. These courses then were scheduled to run for a period of two years, commencing in April or May.

Course 382G started on 2nd May 1938 and was due to finish at the end of April 1940. Applications for the course ran into the hundreds, but the Selection Board, which sat at Defence headquarters, reduced the numbers to 46, and these 46 young men, ranging in age from 18 (Rosy was the youngest) to 23, were anticipating their careers as military officers with great excitement and high hopes. Of the 46, four were already in uniform and some of the others had been in the Active Citizen Force or the Transvaal Air Training Scheme.

When WW II kicked off in September 1939, Course 382G still had eight months to run. The officer cadets, now reduced in number to 32, although not having completed the planned full course training them as officers capable of fulfilling their function in the SAPF, their graduation was rushed, and they were duly commissioned on 6th September 1939 and presented with their ‘wings’ on 16th September 1939.

Rosy was appointed 2nd Lieutenant General Duties Branch P.F. 6/9/39.

Nineteen were posted to the SAAF, eleven to the SA Artillery, one went to the Technical Service Corps, and one decided that he did not wish to continue serving.

As an aside, of those 32, 12 survivors met at a 50th reunion of the anniversary of the start of course 382G in Cape Town between 29th April and 1st May 1988.

So, in September 1939, at the age of twenty, as a 2nd/Lt. Rosy du Toit was commissioned into the South African Air Force (SAAF) and posted to No. 4 Bomber/Fighter Squadron in Durban, flying Hawker Furies.

The advent of war in 1939 caught the SAAF unprepared for large-scale operational deployment despite the attempts made since 1934 to expand and modernise the organisation. At the outbreak of war, the SAAF’s "front-line" strength consisted of about 100 aircraft of miscellaneous types, the great bulk consisting of Hawker Hartebeest, complemented by Hawker Harts, Hawker Furies, Westland Wapitis and trainers plus a sprinkling of more modern machines. In terms of personnel, the SAAF had a total full-time strength of 160 officers, 35 officer cadets and 1 500 other ranks. Hence the urgent priority to train more personnel and acquire more aircraft.

Having joined the SAAF at the Central Flying School as an 18-year-old cadet, Rosy graduated to flying Hawker Furies two years later. South Africa purchased seven Furies in 1935, which were delivered in September 1936 (numbered 200-206). These were the first single-seat fighters for the South African Air Force (SAAF) since the imperial Gift in 1920 of 22 Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5As (a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War). The Furies were equipped with Kestrel VI engine as used in the RAF’s Fury IIs. The Furies served initially with the Central Flying School before they became part of the equipment of no. 2 Bomber/Fighter Squadron at Waterkloof Air Station in 1939. Early in 1939, they were joined by four Hurricanes, and these ten were the total fighter strength of the SAAF when WWII broke out.

It is worth mentioning the sentiment that prevailed in certain quarters in South Africa at the time. Rosy’s parents (as with my father and his parents) received their share of abuse from their Afrikaans community, as their son had signed up “for the other side” – that generation still retained memories of the Boer War. My grandfather (Rosy’s Dad) responded by resigning from the Transvaal Education Department and signing up as an officer at the age of 49. (Whilst down from my grandfather’s farm in the Standerton district, my father also signed up for officer training).

In February 1940 Rosy attended Course No. 519M for Anti-Gas training and passed Q.2 with a comment from Lieutenant-Colonel Poole “Capable. Showed great promise at the commencement of the course but slacked off at the end”. Rosy got a mark of 98% for Respirator Drill! Clearly the genetics at play, getting bored once he felt he had mastered a subject!!

At the outbreak of war, South Africa had no naval vessels and the UDF's first priority was to ensure the safety of the South African coastal waters as well as the strategically important Cape sea-route. To provide credible maritime patrol operations, the SAAF took over all 29 of South African Airways' passenger aircraft: eighteen Junkers JU-86Z-l's to be used in the maritime patrol role and eleven Junkers JU-52's for transport purposes. SAAF maritime patrols commenced on 21st September 1939 with 16 Squadron flying three JU-86Z's from Walvis Bay. By 1940, the JU-86s were replaced by Anson's and SAAF Coastal Command had been established, eventually consisting of 6, 10, 22, 23, 25, 27 and 29 Squadrons.

In May 1940 Rosy was sent to Specialist Armaments Officers Training Course No. 2 at No. 65 Air School Youngsfield, Cape Town. Formerly Air Armament School SAAF, no. 65 was a school for Air Armament and Gunnery Training, assigned to Training Command. Aircraft Types included the Oxford, Anson, Wapiti and Fairey Battle.

At the advent of WW II, Britain had insufficient strength in the Middle East to engage Italian forces in both Libya and in East Africa. The RAF could not spare units from Egypt or Sudan or Aden for operations in Kenya. Among the Commonwealth allies in Africa only South Africa had anything which could be characterised as a functioning air force, although Rhodesia could supply trained men to join a squadron equipped with RAF donations of Hawker biplanes, and Kenya could provide some personnel and light aircraft.

East Africa

In December 1940 the General Officer Commanding East Africa Force, Lt Gen Alan Cunningham, grew eager to launch an attack somewhere along the Kenya-Italian Somaliland border. This was due to mounting pressure from the commander-in-chief of the Middle East, Lt Gen Sir Archibald Wavell, as well as the respective prime ministers of Britain and South Africa - Winston Churchill and Jan Smuts.

In support of this South Africa brigaded its Hurricanes and Furies together as 1st Squadron, and while the Hurricanes were flown by stages to Kenya, the Furies were over-hauled, crated, and shipped there by freighter. While the Hurricanes were stationed at Port Reitz airfield outside Mombasa, the Furies arrived on June 1st, and after assembly were stationed at Nairobi. It may well have been intended to use them there in a training rather than a combat role, but events quickly established a need for more fighters, of any sort. The first employment of the Hurricanes, as escort for bombers attacking an Italian airfield, was disastrous, with one Hurricane being surprised while strafing by a Fiat biplane and shot down, while an Italian bombing raid on a forward airfield at Wajir succeeded in setting fire to stores of gasoline there. The Furies were moved to Mombasa's Port Reitz field, on June 20, to provide protection against any possible Italian air raid on the port. Soon after, they were split into two detachments and sent to provide protection for the forward airfields at Wajir and Buna.

This was the start of a lengthy combat service for the Fury in Kenya, under extreme and disadvantageous conditions. Over-heating was a great problem for the Kestrel engines in service here, severely degrading performance: coolant often boiled away, and oil ran too thin to lubricate properly. Local remedies, ranging from cutting extensive louvres in cowlings to plumbing in supplementary oil coolers, were only palliative. In the role of point defence, the Furies engaged older Italian tri-motor bomber-transports on several occasions and succeeded in downing two of them. The original six Furies (quickly enough chopped down to three by accidents, including a mid-air collision), were reinforced by ex-RAF Furies through the closing months of 1940. At the end of September, SAAF fighters in Kenya were reformed as 2nd Squadron, and at the time consisted of nine Furies, nine Gladiators, and five Hurricanes. Soldiering on, the Furies came to be used mostly as escorts for Hartebeest two-seaters in No 41 Sqn, and for ground attack.

In East Africa, the SAAF’s exploits began to hit the headlines. Equipped with a few squadrons of Gloster Gladiators, Hawker Hurricanes, Furies, Hartebeest and JU86s, the SAAF took on an Italian air component comprising nearly 300 much more modern aircraft.

In December 1939 the Duke of Aosta had sent a report to Mussolini recording the state of chronic unpreparedness of the Allied Forces in East Africa. The collapse of France in 1940 had prompted Mussolini to join the war on the side of the Axis and as a result, air force elements were moved to forward positions in occupied Abyssinia to mount air attacks on Allied forces before they could be re-enforced. These deployments prompted Allied action and on 13 May 1940, 1 Squadron pilots were sent to Cairo to take delivery of 18 Gloster Gladiators and to fly them south, to Kenya for operations in East Africa. 11 Squadron equipped with Hawker Hartbees followed to Nairobi on 19 May 1940 and were joined by the Ju86’s of 12 Squadron on 22 May 1940. Italy declared war on 10 June 1940 and on the following day, the Ju86’s of 12 Squadron lead the first air attack by the SAAF in World War II. During the campaign, numerous SAAF aircraft were involved in air combat with the Italian Regia Aeronautica and provided air support to South African and Allied forces in the ground war. By December 1940, ten SAAF squadrons plus 34 Flight, with a total of 94 aircraft were operational in East Africa (1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 14, 40, 41, 50 and 60 Sqn’s). During this campaign the SAAF formed a Close Support Flight consisting of four Gladiators and four Hartbees with an autonomous air force commander operating with the land forces. This was the pre-cursor of the Tactical Air Force "cab-rank" technique which were used extensively for close air support during 1943-1945.

Thus the SAAF in Kenya initially had 12 Squadron SAAF (Junkers Ju 86 bombers), 11 Squadron SAAF (Fairey Battle bombers), 2 Squadron SAAF (Hawker Fury fighters) and 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron (Hawker Hardy), 40 Squadron SAAF (Hawker Hartebeest) and 41 Squadron SAAF (Hawker Hartebeest).

In April 1941 it was decided that 40 Squadron should be converted to a bomber squadron and equipped with Martin Marylands. Although this conversion never took place, the squadron was disbanded at Neghelli in Ethiopia at the end of May 1941 and its sixteen Hawker Hartbees aircraft were handed over to 41 Squadron at Yavello on 2 June 1941. (In September 1941, No. 41 Sqn personnel, after a brief period back in South Africa, were flown to Egypt to join the Desert Air Force to be equipped with Hurricanes). Better aircraft became available later but the initial aircraft that made up SAAF in Kenya were older and slower, the South Africans even pressing an old Vickers Valencia biplane into service as a bomber. The South Africans faced tough opposition from the experienced Italians who had a cadre of Spanish Civil War veterans to help them. Nevertheless, SAAF claimed 48 enemy aircraft destroyed and 57 damaged in the skies over East Africa. A further 57 were claimed destroyed on the ground; all for the loss of six pilots – the success led to HQ thinking the force was guilty of severe overclaiming until the claims were substantiated!

First Operational Tour Oct ’40-Dec ‘41

On 1st June 1940 Rosy was granted the temporary rank of full Lieutenant. and on 17th October 1940 posted to SAAF No 41 Squadron. 41 Squadron was formed at AFS Waterkloof on 16 October 1940 as an army co-operation squadron equipped with the Hawker Hartebeest aircraft, serving in East Africa. 41 Sqn was soon involved in the serious business of supporting the South African Forces. The initial involvement was centred in Somalia (Mogadishu) and steadily moved North and West, serving with distinction in Eastern and Northern Africa. The Squadron’s primary roles were varied including strafing, bombing, artillery spotting, pamphlet dropping and photo-reconnaissance.

Rosy was promoted to Captain, Flight Commander on detachment 4th August 1941 (F.O. 3234) and was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD F.O. 2725)

On August 25, 1941, his Hartbeest number 865 was hit by an Italian Breda fighter fire while he strafed a transport column and he had to make a forced landing 15 miles southeast of Gondar. (The Fucile Mitragliatore Breda was equipped with a machine gun of the Royal Italian Army.) Aided by Ethiopian patriot forces he and his gunner escaped.

On 1 September 1941 the squadron received a number of Curtiss Mohawks and these were grouped into "41 Squadron Fighter Detachment" - this detachment was later transferred to 3 Squadron.

[The Royal Air Force (RAF) displayed interest in the aircraft. Comparison with a Supermarine Spitfire Mk I revealed that the Hawk had several advantages over the early variant of the iconic Spit fighter. The Hawk was found to have lighter controls than the Spitfire at speeds over 300 mph (480 km/h), especially in diving attacks, and was easier to manoeuvre in a dogfight (thanks to the less sensitive elevator) and better all-around visibility. The Hawk was also easier to control on take-off and landing. Not surprisingly, the Spitfire's superior acceleration and top speed ultimately gave it the advantage of being able to engage and leave combat at will. Although Britain decided not to purchase the aircraft, they soon came in possession of 229 Hawks by way of diverted shipments to occupied France and aircraft flown by escaping French pilots. The aircraft received the designations Mohawk I through IV, mirroring French Hawk 75A-1 through A-4, and were fitted with 0.303-cal. Vickers K machine guns and conventional throttles (forward to increase power). Although they were considered obsolete, the South African Air Force received 72 Mohawks. Its first Mohawks were delivered to East Africa in mid-1941, where they were used by 3 Squadron SAAF to support operations in the East African Campaign, taking part in the Battle of Gondar which ended the campaign, and helping to patrol the border with Vichy French held Djibouti. These Mohawks were then sent to South Africa, where, supplemented by fresh deliveries, they were used for training and for home defence.]

On 6th November Rosy’s aircraft was again hit and set on fire. He extinguished the flames by diving steeply and flying very low. Later in November his Hartebeest 833 was hit in the engine but he managed to limp back and return it to Dabat.

By the end of the East African campaign, the SAAF pilots had destroyed 71 Italian aircraft in the air and many more on the ground. In addition, they had struck at innumerable railways, convoys and supply dumps in interdiction sorties in support of the ground forces. SAAF losses during the East African campaign totalled 79 pilots and air crew killed and five missing. Rosy’s service record logs 65 sorties and 182 flying hours in Hawker Hartebeest. Under battle casualties is listed that his Hartebeest 865 was force landed 26th August 1941.

After Abyssinia, the SAAF moved to North Africa equipped with American Tomahawks and Curtis P-40 Kittyhawks to join the Desert Air Force.

Rosy boarded Ju52/661 in Nairobi on 19th December 1941 for Zwartkop (Z.A.S.) arriving 22/12/41 (E.R.371) and posted to 24 Group Z.A.S. for a refresher course, having logged 240 operational hours.

No. 41 squadron remained behind in Abyssinia in 1942 when the rest of the South African forces moved into the Western Desert, with some Hurricanes being taken on strength in mid-1942.

Western Desert and North Africa

The British after the outbreak of World War II began describing their air forces in the Middle East as the Desert Air Force (DAF). In the early days the air contingent was very small. The Desert Air Force was formally constituted as the Western Desert Air Force (WDAF) late in 1941. Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, who grew up in New Zealand, took over command of RAF No.202 Group. He began the first steps to the creation of the DAF and would command throughout the conflict with Rommel's Afrika Korps up to the Allied victory at El Alamein. He oversaw formation of 253 Wing to experiment with the close air support tactical operations that would be so important in the Western Desert.

WDAF's primary function was to provide close air support to the British Eighth Army. This would be the first time that the Germans had to face the air tactics that they had developed. And here the Desert Air Force would have several advantages over the Luftwaffe.

The Germans in the beginning saw the Western Desert as a side show. Hitler's focus and that of Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW; Wehrmacht High Command) was east on Barbarossa. Allied attacks on Italian convoys severely limited the delivery of supplies and equipment, as the Allies in contrast saw the Western Desert as of critical importance. For an extended period, whilst the campaign was being decided for the Eastern Front, was the only active Allied front.

The Desert Air Force also had access to virtually unlimited fuel supplies compared to the Afrika Korps which was starved for fuel. The Desert Air Force received major deliveries of aircraft from both Britain and the United States. Combat in the Western Desert not only afforded the opportunity to learn effective ground-support tactics, but in effect Rommel in effect helped school the Allies on effective armoured tactics.

253 Wing at first was composed of two squadrons of Hurricane fighters and one of Blenheim bombers. The British victory in the Battle of Britain enabled the British to deploy more air units to the Western Desert, 258 Wing and 269 Wings were formed for front line operations. 262 Wing was formed for the defence of the Nile Delta Zone.

258 and 269 Wings formed the core of the WDAF when it was formally constituted in October 1941.

WDAF's first major operation was to support Operation Crusader in November 1941. The DAF would eventually include squadrons from the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the South African Air Force (SAAF), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), and other Allied air forces. Besides playing a major role in the Allied victory in the Western Desert.

Arguably the Desert Air Force was the proving ground for the development of the close air support tactics that would be critical when the Allies closed with German units in Europe. It would be Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham because of his of his expertise gained through the Desert Air Force that would be given command of the tactical air forces in the all-important Normandy campaign in June/July 1944.

SAAF fighter, bomber, and reconnaissance squadrons thus played a key role in the Western Desert and North African campaigns from 1941 to 1943. SAAF fighter, bomber and reconnaissance squadrons played a major part in enabling the Allied Desert Air Force to attain total air superiority over the Axis air forces by early 1942. One memorable feat was the Boston bombers of 12 and 24 Squadrons dropping hundreds of tons of bombs on Axis forces pushing the Eighth Army back towards Egypt during the "Gazala Gallop" in mid-1942. SAAF bombers continually harassed retreating forces towards the Tunisian border after the Second Battle of El Alamein; the South African fighters of 233 Wing SAAF helped the Desert Air Force gain air superiority over Axis air forces, especially after the disastrous events at Sidi Rezegh in November 1941.

Between April 1941 and May 1943, the eleven SAAF squadrons flew 33,991 sorties and destroyed 342 enemy aircraft.

Conditions were however challenging with pilots and crew required to operate under desperate conditions at times. Pilots were frequently sent home to South Africa after gaining experience and did not return for many months, after which conditions in the desert had changed significantly and they were required to regain experience on different aircraft, different tactics, and operating from different bases. There were even cases where experienced fighter pilots were sent back to the Western Desert as bomber pilots for their second tour, exacerbating the lack of continuity and experience. The South Africans did however command the respect of their German adversaries.

The South Africans had the distinction of dropping the first and last bombs in the African conflict – the first being on 11 June 1940 on Moyale in Abyssinia and the last being on the Italian 1st Army in Tunisia. The SAAF also produced several SAAF WWII air aces in the process, including John (Jack) Frost and Marmaduke Pattle.

Second Operational Tour May ’42 - Jun ‘43

At the age of 23, Rosy embarked from Zwartkop for Cairo, and from thence to Union Defence Force (UDF) Base Camp Helwan. From there he was attached to 1 Sqn for a couple of weeks, returning to base camp Helwan to be attached to 233 Wing, posted to 2 Sqn as supernumerary Captain.

No. 1 Sqn June 1942
No. 2 Sqn 15th July 1942
No. 4 Sqn 9th August 1942

No. 4 Squadron was formed in April 1939 at Durban, equipped with the Hawker Hartbees, Hawker Fury and a few Wapitis. Disbanded in December 1939, the squadron was reformed at AFB Waterkloof on 24 March 1941.

Operational training in East Africa was undertaken with the Curtiss Mohawk before going to Egypt to convert to Kittyhawks. In 1941, the squadron went into action in the Western Desert. On 7th June 1942 a memo was sent to HQ RAF M.E.(ref ME 401/18/3) as follows:

“CAPT. DU TOIT, S.F. – This officer is being posted to you as supernumerary for conversion to Hurricanes. He has flown approximately 600 hours as a pilot but has not flown low wing monoplane types. In view of his experience as a pilot, he should not have much difficulty in converting to Hurricanes, and it would be appreciated if you could arrange for this”.

On 11th June 1942, Rosy was MiD (Mentioned in Despatches) again with a score of 3-0-0.

In June 1942 Major John Loch “Gugu” Hewitson took command of 4 Sqn. On 26th June Major Hewitson was shot down, baling out over Axis territory to become a POW. He was succeeded as OC by Major Eric Smith.

On 1st September tragedy struck 4 Sqn when their OC was killed in on the ground at LG97 in a horrific accident. (LG97 was mid-way and a wee bit due south of a line between Alexandria and El Alamein). Led by Major Eric Smith 4 Sqn provided medium cover to eight Bostons during the afternoon. On landing his P40D Kittyhawk Mk I #ET903 Major Smith turned off the main runway and taxied alongside it towards dispersal when a P40F Kittyhawk of 66th FS 57FG USAAF ran into the back of him, the propeller chewing its way up the fuselage, killing Major Smith instantly, leaving 4 Sqn leaderless. (Maj Smith is buried in El Alamein War Cemetery).

Rosy was immediately appointed O.C. 4 Squadron and on 3rd September 1942 promoted to Major (F.O.3234).

At this stage of service, several 4-squadron aircraft displayed an attractive winged Springbok squadron badge on the cowling with the motto “We’ve Had You”. Two further squadron badges appear to have been used by 4 squadron at this time. One was decorated with an eagle crest and the Afrikaans motto “Nader die Pale Toe”, a phrase from rugby which translates as “Closer to the Goal Posts”, while the other depicted an eagle destroying a German aircraft and the Afrikaans motto “ Vir Vryheid en Reg”, translated as “For Freedom and Justice”.

On his way back from an escort mission on 3rd September Rosy saw 3+ snappers behind and at his level (snappers here refers to top cover escorts, flying above the bombers). He and Lt Rowan turned immediately but P/O Joerns, an American in the RAF attached to 4 Sqn, flew on despite Rosy’s calls (radio possibly crock) and was shot down. Evacuated to a field ambulance, Jack Joerns returned a few days later.

On Monday 7th September at 18h10, four Kittyhawks of 4 Sqn provided medium cover to SAAF Nos. 2 and 5 sqns on a Stuka interception. 2 Sqn was lagging behind, flying at 170mph rather than the more usual 190mph, resulting in the formation arriving at the target area ten minutes after the Ju 87s had left. The Wing then enjoyed the attention of Bf 109s of JG 27 ten miles south of El Alamein, which had been providing indirect support to the Stukas. Flying Kittyhawk ET901 KJ-O Rosy turned his section about on hearing a report of snappers, seeing a Spitfire high above doing the same thing. He gave another sharp turnabout when attacked from 7 o’clock high. This brought him almost head on and the Bf109 (also known as a Me109) overshot to his left, carrying on for about 1,000ft in its dive. As it had flashed past him he saw a swastika marking on the fuselage (which looked like a JG27 marking of a thin white cross on a black circle) and pinkish camouflage. He kept turning to the left and the Me 109 turned about to the right below him. It climbed back into the sun, but Rosy positioned himself for a head-on attack and gave him two bursts as the 109 got into range. He saw his bullets hit and then white smoke started. The Me109 fell away and Rosy noticed a red spinner. He saw the 109 hit the ground and the wreckage burning. His Kittyhawk did not escape damage having received a cannon shell in the elevator.

In those early days, virtually every sortie ended in an air battle and the Allied Kittyhawks and Tomahawks was no match for the Me109s flown by the Germans. The P-40’s only plus was an ability to out-turn the 109 and as a result a lot of the flying had to be on the defensive and pilots needed to able to take split second shots at the enemy. Given that the SAAF pilots had aircraft that were outclassed by the German machines, it is remarkable how many enemy aircraft were shot down under these circumstances. The cost was high however – SAAF losses were dreadful. Most pilots were shot down at some stage or another and far too many good men killed. Capt. JE (Jack) Parsonson’s log book in January 1943 (no. 5 Sqn) reflects: “Instead of the anticipated Kitty IIIs we received ‘clapped (out)’ Kitty Is ”.

An astounding record with inadequate aircraft!

On 20th September Rosy led an attack when, coming down in a shallow dive, they saw 15+ Bf109Fs some 4500m below them “and by way of a change, the formation was able to jump the Me109Fs”. F/O Waddy saw two in a climbing turn and pulled out of his dive to stay above them. With his number two (Lt. Woodliffe) Rosy chased them and caught up south of Daba.

Reports from the time reflect that it was non-stop flying with one, two or even three sorties every day. The pilots yearned for an aircraft that could out-climb a Bf109 so that they could look down for the enemy instead of onstantly having to look up. One other huge disadvantage was that pilots were fighting from east to west and not vice versa. Any afternoon combat meant pilots had to fly home with the sun behind them in an aircraft that was many knots slower than those of the enemy.

Rommel’s final push against the Alamein line began and on August 31st with intense fighting and significant losses for the Allied Desert Air Force.

On the 13th of October, Rosy intercepted Stukas flying ET897 KJ-O and led a head-on attack. He fired continuously at a Ju87, closing to 200 feet. The Ju87’s left wing was badly torn up and smoke poured from the wing root. As the Ju87 nosed over Rosy had to make a quick turn to avoid approaching ME109s. When he looked again, he saw the Stuka burning on the ground.

In the second half of 1942 the 8th Army was in their race across the desert, with air support from the Desert Air Force. The 8th Army reached Tobruk in November, and on the 17th the units moved forward to Gazala. Enemy transport suffered serious losses on that day and the next, despite heavy flak and AA fire.

On the way back from an escort mission on 20th October, Rosy flying ET897 and Lt. McKay were chased by five Me 109s. By going down to very low level and skimming through wadis and ravines Rosy managed to shake off their pursuers although sadly McKay was not that fortunate and did not. He had been hit by a 109 in his wing and was also hit by AA fire in the tail.

Rod Hojem (from Peter Bagshaw’s fine book “Warriors of the Sky”) recalls on 1st November 2, 4 and 5 Sqdn became airborne just before dawn under the leadership of Noel “Wildy” Wildsmith when they saw enemy aircraft with Bf109 top cover some 4,000 feet above them. When the enemy aircraft spotted the Kittyhawks turned about. Wildy (to the disappointment of his pilots) ordered them to turnabout but at the same time to open throttles and gain height. Disappointment soon turned to excitement when the flyers realized what Wildy was doing. The enemy formation was fooled into thinking that the Kittyhawks had gone, and resumed their previous course. No 4 and 5 sqdn kept the Bf109s at bay whilst No. 2 sqdn chalked up 8 Stukas destroyed and 4 probables out of action.

While strafing on 3rd November Rosy’s aircraft was damaged by AA when his tail was badly shot up and a bullet exploded the starboard wing ammunition bay of ET975.

The next day Rosy led eight Kittyhawks to intercept Stukas on 4th November. They were in hot pursuit when they were attacked by 109s and 202s (Macchi C.202 Folgore (Italian "thunderbolt"). He was flying EV362 KJ-Y, chasing after one 202 but before he could get in range another attacked him head-on. Firing from 900 feet he saw the Macchi pull up and he fired again, just ahead of it. The De Wilde incendiary round hit it in the belly, black smoke pouring from the under-fuselage cooler. It made off, damaged.

After Kittybombing on 11th November, again flying EV362 KJ-Y, Rosy strafed a twin-engined aircraft on Gambut 4. He saw a swarm of 109Gs which were climbing. He dived and zoomed up behind one, firing a 4-second burst. It turned on its back and dived in. He spotted another Kittyhawk (possibly of 260 Sqdn) in battle with 109s and went back to help. After dicing for a while they became separated. Now alone with four Bf109Fs (JG.77?) and a C.202 he went down to 15m and diced for 20 minutes, all the while working his way east. The two aircraft made simultaneous attacks on him, damaging his fighter. On reaching the coast he made off along the cliffs on the shore, forcing the enemy to confine their attacks to his rear and port sides only. Three broke away, but two persisted. By jinking and diving into wadis he avoided their attacks. Suddenly he was flying through a terrific barrage from British AA and the remaining Macchi and 109 sheared off. Low on fuel, he lowered his wheels by the emergency system and put down at LG.155. His Kittyhawk’s wings were badly holed including a big hole torn in the port leading edge, and there were also holes in the fuselage.

Together with other squadron commanders, he flew to Bu Amud LG-147 to meet General Smuts later in November.

With the 8th Army approaching Tripoli early in 1943, Axis forces retreated to make a stand at Mareth (and old French fortification). Kittyhawks of 7 Wing SAAF and 239 Wing devastated enemy anti-tank and gun positions, facilitating the ground advance that would eventually push the enemy back to Tunis, the final chapter for Axis forces in North Africa.

On 22nd February with 7 Wing returning to ops, he led No. 4 Sqn to Zuara but on landing Rosy taxied over a mine which blew his starboard wheel off and further damaged the aircraft. This was after he had been assured by the sappers that they had lifted all the mines!

On 26th March he sustained damage to his aircraft from ground fire.

On the 5th April the Allies launched Operation Flax to disrupt the massive air-bridge that the Germans were setting up as supply lines, as the sea routes in the Mediterranean were now controlled by the Allies. On 19th April Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica transporters took another fearful beating at the hands of 7 Wing SAAF. As an example, during a sweep of the Gulf of Tunis they noticed unexpected support from 18 Spitfires (who thought that the P-40 were USAAF planes they were meant to escort). The SAAF pilots spotted a large formation of Me 323s in one ‘Vee’ of 15 aircraft, and another of five, with their fighter escorts. The Spitfires tackled the fighters and while No. 2 squadron stayed aloft as cover, No. 4 and 5 Squadron made head-on attacks on the transporters. Rosy at the time described the destruction of the formation as follows: “On 22nd April Jack (Major Parsonson) was leading 7 Wing when there followed horrific carnage as 24 huge six engined Me 323 transport aircraft were destroyed. Jack and his pilots sailed into the hapless enemy aircraft which were undoubtedly carrying a full cargo of fuel. They burst into flames on impact with the water, the burning petrol spreading out in all directions, giving the impression that the sea was alight”

Maj Parsonson destroyed two aircraft to become an ace, an honour shared by Maj Johnny Human who destroyed one to claim his fifth kill. They were the last Commonwealth pilots to become aces in the P-40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk series in the Mediterranean theatre, although Jack Parsonson’s luck deserted him on 30th April when he was shot down and taken PoW in Stalag Luft 3 until May 1945, where he heard he had been awarded a DSO. He was rescued by the British Army as they advanced into Germany in the closing stages of the war. He returned to Italy via the UK and was welcomed back into 8th Wing through some background effortd by Rosy (more about this further on in the chronology below).

The enemy forces in North Africa surrendered on 13th May. As Andrew Thomas puts it in his book on the aircraft: “The Tomahawk and Kittyhawk had been the workhorses of the Desert Airforce through much of the lengthy campaign in North Africa. Although not blessed with the best performance, they were well armed, and rugged – qualities that earned the respect and affection of the pilots that flew them.”

No. 4 Squadron had a ‘pet’ Me109F from Jagdgeschwader 53. Rosy made the first flight of 4 Sqn’s pet Bf109F (ex JG.53) on 6th January 1943 - and while landing manged to escape unharmed when he burst the tyres.

Between April 1941 and May 1943, the SAAF, with a maximum of eleven squadrons operational flew 33 991 sorties and destroyed 342 enemy aircraft.

No. 4 Squadron traversed the following locations whilst Rosy was with them:

May-June 1942: Gambut II
June 1942: LG.167
June 1942: LG.176
June 1942: LG.76
June 1942: LG.115
June 1942: LG.09
June 1942: LG.105 
June-July 1942: LG.85
July-November 1942: LG.97
November 1942: LG.75
November 1942: Gambut Main
November 1942: Gazala III
November 1942: Martuba
November-December 1942: Msus
December 1942: Antelat
December 1942: Belandah
December 1942-January 1943: Martuba 4
January 1943: Belandah
January 1943: El Hameit
January-February 1943: Darragh
February 1943: Zuara
February-March 1943: Nefatia Main
March 1943: Nefatia West
March-April 1943: Hazbub Main
April 1943: Sfax/ El Maoui
April-May 1943: Alem North
May-June 1943: Sorman
June-July 1943: Ben Gardane

In June 1943 Rosy was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (London Gazette no. 36059 dated 18/6/43 – F.O. 2925).

The SAAF was about to enter a new phase of operations at the end of the campaign in North Africa, extending its combat activities beyond the support of a single army.

Allied restructuring

On 18 February 1943, the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) was established with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder in charge of all Allied air forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (MTO).

In January 1943, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and their staffs reorganised the Allied air forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (MTO) at the Casablanca Conference.

In line with this reorganisation, Western Desert Air Force became a sub-command of Coningham's Northwest African Tactical Air Force (itself part of Northwest African Air Forces) in February 1943 and Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst became its Air Officer Commanding.

When the Allied forces invaded Sicily (Operation Husky) on 10 July 1943, Desert Air Force (DAF) was harnessed by renaming WDAF (Western Desert Air Force). For Operation Husky, DAF contained Advanced and Rear elements.

With SAAF operational units being some 1,000 miles from Cairo, approval was granted in March 1943 to form a UDF Advanced Administrative Headquarters catering for both Army and Air Force section, which set up at Castel Benito, a few miles from Tripoli at the beginning of April 1943. 16 SAAF Squadrons were in North Africa when the invasion of Sicily was being planned. Except for 7 Wing and 3 Wing whose bomber and fighter squadrons operated within their own wings, these squadrons were widely scattered across the Mediterranean Air Command (under Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder).

The capitulation of Axis forces in Tunisia in mid-May 1943 was the culmination of a phase of the war with similar impact to the Battle of Britain in the view of many war historians. With it the prospect of an ultimate Allied victory was on the cards. The forces in the Mediterranean area were about the reap rewards of several years of relentless struggle, with the SAAF having played a significant role.

The South African Air Force participated in the Allied campaigns in the following theatres:

• Italy (1943–45): 2, 3, 7 and 8 Wings fought in operations to liberate Italy from German occupation.
• Yugoslavia (1943–44): 7 and 8 Wings supported partisan operations against German occupation forces.
• Balkans (1944–45): Some squadrons served with the Balkan Air Force in operations over Hungary, Romania and Albania.

Sicilian and Italian campaigns

As mentioned above, by the end of May 1943, the SAAF had two Wings and sixteen squadrons in the Middle East and North Africa with 8,000 men. With the end of the North African campaign, the SAAF role underwent change - becoming more active in fighter bomber and bomber operations as opposed to the fighter role performed in the desert – with a splendid record of considerable contribution to the war effort relative to the number of men able to be deployed.

By the beginning of June 1943, a priority list for bringing SAAF Squadrons on to a fully general service basis had been drawn up. Priority ‘A’ included 7 Wing HQ and its three squadrons, 2, 4 and 5. At that time No. 7 Wing was based at Ben Gardane Airfield in Tunisia. SAAF 7 Wing came about when all the SAAF fighter squadrons were put together - 7 Wing HQ with the following squadrons and leaders.:

• No.2 Sqn O.C. Major T.P.L. Murray
• No 4 Sqn O.C. Major S.F. du Toit and
• No 5 Sqn O.C. Major E. Baker.

The fighters of 7 Wing were equipped with very tired Kittyhawk I’s – reportedly to the disappointment of the pilots who had hoped for higher performing Mustangs. Mediterranean Air Command informed RAF M.E. (Middle East Air Command) that 7 Wing would immediately be re-equipped with Kittyhawk IIIs flown through Takoradi – but this was to remain an unfulfilled expectation. [RAF M.E. (Middle East) Air Command stretched from East Africa, Iraq, Persia (as was), Aden through North Africa. As far as the Mediterranean was concerned its prime function was the air defence of North Africa East of Tripoli, as well as containing enemy forces in islands of Greece and the Aegean.] No 2 Squadron were initially disappointed at having their worn-out Kittyhawk Is replaced by reconditioned Kittyhawk IIIs which suffered from chronic engine-bearing failure. Even greater disappointment befell Nos 4 and 5 squadrons when they were told they had to make do with worn-out Kittyhawk Is.

With the preparation for the invasion of Sicily, the Desert Air Force (under Air Vice- Marshal Harold Broadhurst) formed part of the Northwest African Tactical Air Force (under Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham) together with US XII Air Support Command and the Tactical Bomber Force. The Tactical Air Force in turn formed part of the Northwest African Air Force under the American, Major General Carl Spaatz. The Mediterranean Air Command (under Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder) comprised of this Northwest African Air Force, together with the Middle East Air Command under Air Chief Marshal Sir William Sholto Douglas and the Malta Air Command under Air Vice-Marshal Sir Keith Park.

National identities were largely intermingled to form the cohesive whole to give the air command the enormous concentration of power it was soon to demonstrate to great effect in Sicily and in the push through Italy.

The experienced SAAF Squadrons in Tunisia were largely withdrawn in May 1943 for rest and re-equipment (other than 3 Wing who joined RAF and USAF in bombardment of island defences in preparation for invading Sicily). The squadrons of the SAAF that had sufficient aircraft were kept busy – with the exception of 7 Wing who were to undergo refitting, retraining and rearming – as the gathering of assault aircraft became clear to the enemy.

For more than 3 months 7 Wing had been off active operations, suffering from their worn-out Kittyhawk being replaced by reconditioned Kittyhawk IIIs which were known to suffer repeated engine bearing failure. No. 2 Squadron had been given IIIs (and had 8 bearing failures in two weeks), but 4 and 5 Squadron had been given Kittyhawk Is, all worn out. The wing moved by 23rd June to Ben Gardane North where they benefitted from a gift of a salvaged Ju52 transport aircraft from Col J.T. Durrant of 3 Wing.

On 26th June 1943 Field-Marshal Jan Smuts signalled the British Secretary of State for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair thus:

“Deeply disappointed to be told that my Fighter Wing which I believe you visited recently in Tunisia will not be able to participate in the next phase of operations due to lack of suitable fighter aircraft. SAAF and the whole country intensely proud and jealous of achievements of our Fighter Squadrons in African campaigns and I wish you to do everything in your power to adjust extraordinary position which has arisen in spite of alleged American aircraft surfeit and which looks like robbing South Africa of its hard-earned place of honour. All good wishes. Smuts”.

On the 6th of July, a reply to the above signal clarified that there was in fact a severe shortage of Kittyhawks. Sir Archibald agreed with Field Marshal Smuts and ACM Tedder regarding the superb performance of 7 Wing, but there was no surplus of American aircraft to draw on. To equip two of the three squadrons, he was planning to draw on his reserve of Spitfires (which were regarded as precious resources at the time) – justified due to the superb performance of 7 Wing.

Thus 7 Wing SAAF (under Lt-Col D.H. Loftus) now saw No.2 and 4 Sqns now being equipped with Spitfire V fighter bombers, and 5 Sqn (eventually!) with Kittyhawk III fighter bombers (probably P-40K, an Allison-engined aircraft the nose-top scoop retained and the Allison-configured nose radiators scoop, cowl flaps and vertical- stabilizer-to-fuselage fillet. The P-40L was sometimes nicknamed "Gypsy Rose Lee", after a famous stripper of the era, due to its stripped-down condition. Supplied to the Commonwealth air forces as the Kittyhawk Mk III).

Phew – Spitfires at last!

In July 1943 Major S.F. du Toit was appointed Sweep Leader, 7 Wing and Major D.W. Golding took over No. 4 Squadron from Major S.F. du Toit, with No. 2 and 4 Sqns moved to El Haouaria near Cape Bon. By 23rd July the re-arming of Nos 2 and 4 Squadrons was complete.

Five SAAF squadrons were designated to support the July 1943 invasion of Sicily - 1 Squadron operated combat air patrols over the beaches for the Operation Husky landings while 2, 4 and 5 Squadrons provided fighter bomber support during the Sicilian campaign. 30 Squadron (flying as No. 223 Squadron RAF during the campaign) provided light bomber support from Malta and 60 Squadron was responsible for photo reconnaissance flights in support of all Allied forces on the island.

After successfully invading the island, a further three squadrons were moved to Sicily and the eight squadrons on the island were tasked with supporting the invasion of Italy: 12 and 24 Squadrons were responsible for medium bomber missions to "soften up" the enemy prior to the invasion while 40 Sqn was responsible for tactical photo-reconnaissance. 1 Squadron provided fighter cover for the 3 September 1943 landings while 2 and 4 Squadrons were responsible for bomber escort.

In July 1943 Rosy left for America on a brief visit to the USA at the request of Curtiss Wright Corporation (makers of the P-40 Kittyhawk). This is only a guess on my part, but the timing suggests it could be related to the engine performance problems and bearing failures related above. The following bit of documented history might be of interest.

From 1941 to 1943, the Curtiss Aeronautical plant in Lockland, Ohio produced aircraft engines under wartime contract destined for installation in USAAF aircraft. Wright officials at Lockland insisted on high engine production levels, resulting in a significant percentage of engines that did not meet USAAF inspection standards. These defective engines were nevertheless approved by inspectors for shipment and installation in U.S. military aircraft. After investigation, it was later revealed that Wright company officials at Lockland had conspired with civilian technical advisers and Army inspection officers to approve substandard or defective aircraft engines for military use. USAAF technical adviser Charles W. Bond was dismissed by the Army in 1943 for "gross irregularities in inspection procedure." Bond would later testify that he had been "wined and dined" by Wright company officials; one of those occasions was the night before Bond fired four USAAF engine inspectors another USAAF inspector had described as "troublemakers." Eventually, in 1944, three Army officers, Lt. Col. Frank Constantine Greulich of Detroit, former chief inspection officer for the material command, Major Walter A. Ryan of Detroit, former central states inspection officer, and Major William Bruckmann, a former Cincinnati brewer and resident Army inspections officer at the Wright plant in Lockland were charged with neglect of duty, conspiracy, and giving false testimony in a general court martial. All three men were later convicted of neglect of duty. The story of defective engines had reached investigators working for Sen. Harry Truman's congressional investigative board, the Truman Commission, after several Wright aircraft assembly workers informed on the company; they would later testify under oath before Congress. Arthur Miller's play “All My Sons” is based on this incident.

A signal stamped 30 September 1943 reads “ADUNI TIPOLI HQ SAAF MAC SAAF/1860 SALEG Washington advises Major S F du Toit departed Miami Sept 26”.

I am not sure what the USA visit was about as I said, but the timing suggests a large corporation was making a last ditch stand to secure further deployment rather than seeing the squadrons of 7th Wing get equipped with Spitfires.

For the more than three months that 7 Wing SAAF had been off active operations, the 7 Wing Squadrons were manned solely by general service volunteers, and they were champing at the bit to get back to active operations.

Third Operational Tour - Oct ’43 – Jan ‘44

There was great jubilation on 10th August when ten Spitfire IXs arrived to add to the 25 Spitfire Vs in Nos 2 and 4 Squadron. This was extremely fortunate as the shortage of aircraft in the Middle East was so acute that four RAF squadrons were being cannibalised to supply 7 Wing.

O.C. 7 Wing seized the opportunity when in mid-August two American barges were placed at their disposal and on 13th August the Wing and Squadron ‘A’ parties embarked at La Goulette, in transit to make camp at Pachino South by 19th August, which they shared with 324 Wing RAF under 211 Group. The aircraft arrived on 22nd August, and the next day patrols began to familiarise the pilots with the Straits of Messina. [As Mediterranean Air Command could not re-arm No. 5 Sqn with Spits, it transferred to 239 Wing and No. 1 Sqn with Spitfires then replaced it in 7 Wing].

The Wing moved to Faro landing ground near Gerbini on 28th August, but Nos 2 and 4 Sqns had to divert their aircraft to better runways at Cassibile for operations due to ongoing deluge of heavy rains. Sweeps over the Messina Straits and the Augusta-Catania areas, together with escort flights for 3 Wing bombers was the focus for 7 Wing squadrons as they waited for the 8th Army’s landing on the Italian mainland.

Medium, light and fighter-bombers were to give support to the Italian “D-Day” in the Reggio area on 3rd September. Almost half the Allied air effort would go into this support over the next few days. Before dawn on 3rd September the start of 29,000 rounds of gunfire hit the toe of Italy allowing the 8th Army to land on the mainland of Europe. 7 Wing fell under the newly formed Mobile Operations Room Unit (MORU) and 2 and 4 squadrons took part in ongoing patrols over the Straits.

On 7th September 7 Wing escorted a raid by No. 12 Sqn on the Rosarno area, and continued night operations against the marshalling yards at Benevento in preparation for the onslaught on Salerno.

On the 8th September the secret armistice talks with the Italian forces culminated in Italian aircraft and the Italian navy being transferred to Allied bases.

7 Wing had landed in Italy, reaching Isola landing ground on 17th September, and No 1 Sqn joined the Wing, replacing No. 5 Sqn, making it a full Spitfire Wing. The fighter wing moved to Cassano, then to Scanzano on the road to Taranto, performing sweeps over the Foggia landing ground under command of their Sweep Leader, Maj. Rosy du Toit. Preparations were now being made to move to Gioia del Colle.

The allies took Naples at the beginning of October 1943. For the first time since the Allied withdrawal at Dunkirk, Allied forces were again on the mainland of Europe in force, with solid support of the SAAF.

With his return as Sweep Leader of 7 Wing, eight months of combat lay ahead to achieve the next military goal - the enemy withdrawing from Rome. With the squadrons now equipped with Spitfires they were rapidly gaining experience in a far superior aircraft. Previously the action in the air was always remote – pilots felt they were not closely in tough with the part they played in ground operations and often did not really know what was going on down below. This now changed in a most time[ly] manner.

7 Wing, Gioia del Colle, was immediately pressed into service to assist RAF 244 Wing. Within half an hour of reaching their new base on 2nd October, the 7 Wing squadrons were in the air to sweep the area San Sevéro-Termoli-San Marco to forestall enemy strafing and bombing of the Allied advance.

On 6th October 1943 Rosy was promoted to Lt. Colonel as Wing Leader 7th Wing, and 7 Wing was informed that, since fighters were no longer in great demand, Spitbombers were about to be delivered. 2 and 4 Sqns were to be armed with fighter-bombers, leaving 1 Sqn to provide top cover.

7 Wing was to have 2 and 4 Squadrons equipped as fighter-bombers, with No. 1 Squadron providing top cover as snappers.

On 10th October enemy forces received orders to take a stand on the Gaeta-Ortona line.

On 13th October both 2 and 4 squadrons received four Spitbombers each carrying two 250lb bombs under each wing, plus a universal carrier in the gun bay. Major Cecil Golding records this view of converting Spitfires from a pure fighter role to adapting them as fighter-bombers: “The Luftwaffe was becoming less and less active and we were fitted with bombs and started dive bombing and strafing which nobody had ever envisaged a Spitfire doing. This amazing aeroplane could do anything.

When 2 x 250 lb bombs were carried under the wings, they sometimes hung up there and didn’t drop off when the pilot pressed the release button so that he had to pull out of a very steep dive with 500 lb of extra weight on the wings at a speed in excess of 400mph. At some point it was all too much and the dihedral of the wings would increase, sometimes by double even triple. But the wings never fell off and the aircraft still flew. The wing shape of the Spit was unique in those days and must have been perfect for the aircraft. On top of which they looked beautiful.”

Fighter-bombers of the Tactical Air Force would fly almost 10,000 sorties in 50 days in October/November 1943, with 7 Wing’s No. 1 Sqn soon to be the only pure fighter squadron in Italy.

On 18th October 7 Wing completed a move to Palata from Gioia. The next day the first experiments in the Tactical Air Force were conducted in rail interdictions with the purpose of cutting as many enemy rail routes as possible at the same time, aiming at key bridges, crossings and specific sections of track. The Ancona area was the initial focus of these efforts. On 24th October 4 Sqn’s Spitfires went out on train-busting missions between Pedaso and Ancona and on the line between Amándola and Porto San Giorgio (where a motor torpedo boat was shot up). On 25th October, since bad weather was stalling the 8th Army advance, 7 Wing occupied itself by making its first foray into Yugoslavia where support of partisans was provided by coastal forces.

At this time the Spitbombers were scheduled to have two extra 20mm Hispano cannons instead of the four .303 Browning machine-guns. With four cannons altogether the aircraft was better suited to ground attack. Th interdiction tactic in 2 and 4 squadrons pretty much stopped all rail traffic, forcing the Germans to use road transport or coastal shipping, which had little chance of survival if they moved in daylight hours.

As 7 Wing bombing and strafing operations developed, and the pilots gained experience and confidence, the Wing became an integral part of the Army’s advance. Small light aircraft were sent up to act as reconnaissance to identify targets for the pilots just ahead of the Allied troops. These brave spotters worked in conjunction with forward observation posts on the ground that was also in direct contact with pilots in the air, directing pilots on to targets so close to Allied front line troops that Allied troops had to take cover as much as the Germans did as 7 Wing dive-bombed and strafed enemy gun emplacements and slit trenches. Noteworthy that there were no reports of friendly fire; 7 Wing pilots never bombed their own troops and earned appreciation from ground commanders in the field thanking them for pinpoint bombing or strafing on particular targets. Great respect is owed to the people manning the Ops and light aircraft. They were regularly under fire during target identification – often staying over the target until they were absolutely certain pilots had got it right, all the while the German ack-ack guns were pumping away.

Despite bad weather at the end of October 1943 upsetting air operations, at the break of day on the 29th Lt.Col. Rosy du Toit led 12 Spitfires of No. 1 Squadron as cover to Kittybombers attacking Kuna in the Neretsjannski Channel between Metkovic and the Peljesac Peninsula. Having already stretched the Spitfire well beyond its original design brief by turning them into Spitbombers, unbeknownst to them they were about to test the plucky craft to its limit. When they entered dense thundercloud about 50 miles from base two aircraft were struck by lightning. One was lost without trace, the other emerged from the cloud out of control, upside down and in a vertical dive. Despite cuts and bruises the pilot manged to pull out of the dive, lost consciousness and when he came to, he was still upside-down and still diving. He managed to pull out and regain control less than 40 yards above the sea! When he returned to base there were speed ripples on the fuselage and wings, his tail plane had been pierced in two places and the covers had been torn away from the gun ports. It was then confirmed that all other pilots also experienced their instruments going awry in the cloud and a number had emerged upside down struggling to control their aircraft. With rain and heavy cloud obscuring Kuna, they continued to patrol west of Korcula Island, which Brig. MacLean had reached from Tito’s HQ at Jajce in the midst of battle between partisans and the enemy.

Heavy rains made it difficult to keep cooking fires going and a visit by a senior SAAF medical officer, Maj R.D. Venn reported symptoms of severe exhaustion among certain 7 Wing pilots.

Bad weather hampered flying on both sides for 8 of the first 19 days of November 1943. This led to the Allies increasingly relying on fighter-bombers for tactical bombing. Their individually aimed ‘surgical strike’ low-level dive-bombing were more efficacious than the high level bombing run by 3 Wing. Fighter bombers could also wheel and turn on any enemy fighters that showed up. This was all in the face of significant increases in the density German anti-aircraft defences which were getting ever thicker, making the low-level attacks by 2 and 4 squadrons much more dangerous. With No. 2 Squadron on its way to Malta for refit, the remaining two squadrons of 7 Wing were kept busier than ever. Reconnaissance of the Yugoslavian coast for shipping involved long hours of lonely flight over the Adriatic, with a give-away shadow of the fighter on the water as the pilot skimmed low-level over the water or being starkly silhouetted against clouds in poorer weather. Nerve wracking!

The 8th Army front determined a range of target zones or the Tactical Air Force in an area roughly demarcated by Boiano, Alfedena, Pópoli, Pescara, Vasto and back to Boiano. No. 4 Squadron Spitfires attacked anti-aircraft positions on the Sangro River valley and the entrance to a railway tunnel a couple of hours before ground battle commenced at Tulfillo as a prelude to V Corps attack across the Trigno. The days following the start of the battle is recorded by the 8th Army as the finest daylight air support of this period. The Tactical Bomber Force and Desert Air Force flew 1,201 sorties, of which 478 were by fighter-bombers.

In the Balkans Tito’s partisans gained fresh impetus with the Italian surrender. The partisans were organised in 26 divisions with some 22,000 men under arms. In support of this resistance, sorties across the Adriatic increasingly featured in SAAF operations – noting that the round trip from the East Coast of Italy to Split Harbour was about 100 miles. German resistance was still in evidence, as they needed to protect vital supply lines down through Skopje into Greece.

No 4 Squadron reputedly took to the fighter-bomber role more readily than no. 2 squadron. An example is a pre-Guy Fawkes display on the 4th November 1943. They finished off a train damaged after an attack by 244 Wing RAF near Avezzano in central Italy. No. 1 Sqn provided top cover, and despite intensive anti-aircraft fire 4 squadron strafed rolling stock; 15 motor vehicles were destroyed, another 22 damaged and 3 shunting engines and 6 railway tracks added to the score. Low-level attacks such as these called for deep reserves of courage from the pilots – controlling the aircraft through dense enemy anti-aircraft fire while aiming the cannons and bombs.

On 4th November records show three SAAF aircraft were holed, but within a day or two the pilots were again in the air destroying vehicles and strafing roads and bridges. Rosy was one of those hit – he was flying a Spit V when his right tailplane was hit by flak and elevator wires damaged, but still allowing him to limp back to base. Wet and bitterly cold weather made maintenance and repair work, rearming and bombing up an exhausting and tortuous task for ground crew.

On 7th November a petrol train was successfully attacked, and another set alight as it was entering a tunnel.

On 13th November 1943 Col. Loftus, O.C. 7 Wing, requested from AOC to be allowed to attack more targets in Yugoslavia to disrupt the enemy. At that time this region was not on the priority list for sorties by Strategic Air Force. A preliminary six-week campaign by the Germans against Partisans in Slovenia in the north and Macedonia in the south was in full swing by 14th November. 4 Squadron engaged with 11 Spitbombers together with 12 Warhawks of 57th US Group to attack a camp a mile south of Metkovic. Despite their best efforts, the pilots could find no sign of the target. Crossing the Peljesac Peninsula, they flew north of the River Neretva met by intense anti-aircraft fire. They attacked railway buildings and destroyed six trucks in a siding. One of their number was shot down and lost at sea, and three other aircraft returned holed.

On the 19th of November 12 Spitbombers of 4 Sqn enjoyed considerable success in attacking the railway between Dubrovnik and Metkovic, strafing a locomotive and six trucks at Zofala. An electric locomotive and six trucks were destroyed at Zofala. A steam engine and trucks carrying 44-gallon drums were destroyed at Ravno. Several transport trucks were set alight and destroyed on roads in the same area.

Bad weather stalled operations on 20th November, but on 21st 7 Wing continued operations, strafing ships and rolling stock at Sibenik and scoring hits on two merchant vessels.

Thus, while No.2 Sqn was away, No.4 sqn was getting all the action in 7 Wing - up to 26 November when they too left for Malta to have the Hispano cannon fitted.

On 28th November a dozen Spitbombers of 2 Sqn re-equipped with four new 20mm cannon on each aircraft, attached rolling stock on the Dubrovnik-Metkovic line and transport on the Dubrovnik-Slano Road east of the railway. The next day at Mostar, low level attacks on the airfield destroyed four aircraft and damaged a further nine, also setting fire to numerous vehicles and taking out two flak sites. In this and sorties in following days several aircraft were shot down, with pilots ending up POW in Stalag Luft III. 2 Sqn was back in force!

The weather briefly improved and flying as re-equipped fighter-bombers for the first time, 2 Squadron put up two formations of 12 aircraft each, led by Wing Leader Lt.-Col. Rosy du Toit, on patrol of the battle area around Fossacasia and Lanciano in support of the Gurkhas and 78th Division’s bridgehead, achieving the goal of inflicting damage on enemy motor transport.

Even though enemy air presence had been limited, the threat was ever-present. On 28th November pilots of 7 Wing tangled with 18 FW190s, with the loss of one of their own, Lt. Oates’ Spitfire crashing in flames.

Many engine hours were saved by now having fighter cover only over the target area to save rendezvous complexity. To this end 7 Wing were now supplied with six Spitfire VIIIs for daily weather reconnaissance over target areas to save bombers more flying hours. Always on the lookout for opportunities, on 29th November, more than 180 miles from base, they were strafing motor transport at Rieti.

Gen Montgomery’s next step was to cross the Moro River, and the 8th Army paused to organise the advance. Little did he know that his troops would only gain some 14 miles between 28th November and the end of the year. Even this progress would not have been achieved were it not for solid support from fighter-bombers and bombers, whilst at the same time as supporting the 8thArmy, continued to carry the air war to the Balkans.

By the end of November, the roles in 7 Wing had gelled into a well-functioning whole. No. 1 Sqn continued in its fighter role, but when called upon Nos. 2 and 4 Squadrons now could call upon considerable firepower with their four cannon each. With two 250lb bombs under their wings, and with 1 Sqn as top cover, they proved their worth in both strafing and bombing. Despite the weather hampering flying days, their record of 638 operational sorties in November bears witness to their effectiveness, with four aircraft and 82 trucks and engines destroyed in the month.

At Palata, 7 Wing received news that would take pilots from the delights of dancing with nurses of 91st General Hospital on return from sorties with pre-Christmas news that the entire Wing was to transfer immediately to Trigno with its 1,100-meter pierced steel runway only some 30 yards wide. Compounding this difficulty there were insufficient parking bays, and the airfield was awash in a sea of mud.

Nonetheless the Wing eventually came together in Trigno a couple of days before Christmas (complete with turkeys!). The next day they were back flying sorties.

A total of 14 weather reconnaissance were flown by 7 Wing during December. Flying over the Adriatic on a typical December day, for an hour or more there would be nothing to see but billowing cloud or the foamy sea below, and through the mists ethereal peaks beyond Split, Sibenik and Zadar in Croatia. With only their own skills to rely on for navigation, these long, blind flights were a significant strain on pilots.

7 Wing continued sorties in Italy as well as putting in numerous sorties across the Adriatic. Christmas 1943 was reportedly a riotous celebration with the Adjutant-General, Maj-Gen Len Beyers and Brig Hingeston as their guests.

A gale and deluge together with high seas whipped up by the wind flooded 7 Wing’s camp on New Year. The steel runway was under water eliminating any chance of take-off. Tents were flattened, trucks and trailers bogged down and sunk into a sea of mud and sand. Orderly records were soaked, and aircraft were axle deep in water. Salvage was the order of the day for the next few days!

As soon as they had cleared up, on the 3rd January, 24 aircraft of 2 and 4 Squadrons turned their attention to the priority of disrupting the rail links to Rome, where the enemy were still clinging on and fighting desperately. The Spitbombers strafed and bombed enemy transport in the Pesscina-Celano sector to the east of Rome, where both the railway and road climb through mountainous terrain with vehicles, trucks and railway buildings damaged. Enemy aircraft were a rare sight, and 7 Wing even enlisted the help of the BBC to give advance notice of their missions in an attempt to entice German fighters off the ground. Armed reconnaissance, attacks on enemy transport links and bombing patrols remained the order of the day for 7 Wing.

By the time the Italian campaign saw in the New Year in 1944, the SAAF had truly come of age. Indeed, the SAAF played that significant a role in the Allied air operations over Italy allowing the Allies to begin to withdraw RAF aircrews for deployment in support of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. By this stage the SAAF consisted of 35 operational squadrons with 33 types of aircraft, and a total of 9,049 officers and other ranks in strength (including WAAF and attached civilians).

Rosy was awarded a Bar to DFC (F.O. 3287; The London Gazette 4 January 1944 Supplement:36319 Page:162)

In January 1944 O.C. 7 Wing, Col. Loftus went on leave and Lt.Col. S.F. du Toit was appointed as Acting O.C. 7 Wing.

At the start of 1944 No. 1 Sqn escorted Gen. Montgomery’s Dakota over the Sangro to Termoli at the start of his trip to take tactical command under Gen. Eisenhower for the planned Normandy invasion.

January also saw the landing of 50,000 men and 5,000 vehicles at Anzio to break the Gustav line. By nightfall on 21st January, as the Anzio convoys were heading for the beaches, Strategic Air Force and Tactical Bomber Force had dropped 1,914 tonnes of bombs on airfields and 4,092 tonnes of bombs on rail targets and disabled German long-range air reconnaissance from Perugia. No enemy aircraft spotted the assault force whilst at sea – it was a good six hours after the landing that a lone Bf109 reported the landing.

7 Wing was engaged in anti-shipping strikes in the Hvarski Channel between the islands of Hvar and Brac in Yugoslavia, strafing vessels in Igrani harbour, and returning to Italy to continue disrupting trains and destroying numerous locomotives.

German response to Anzio was swift and fierce, in contrast to tardy Allied exploitation of their surprise advantage.

Enemy reinforces were rushed in from the Adriatic sector and 7 Wing were active attacking transport on the mountain roads the Rieti and Avezzano as well as 15-20 tanks and carriers heading to Celano. 2 Sqn attacked a two-locomotive train of ten trucks transporting motor vehicles. One of the locomotives blew up and soon the whole train was gutted. For good measure a motor vehicle and five armoured cars in a convoy were also damaged. Further success followed, with two dark moments when 2 Sqn’s pet monkey Jacko, known as the best early warning system in any squadron, died. Jacko had been with the squadron since Abyssinia. Bad news followed bad news as 4 Sqn lost their dog, Nicko (also known as Prang), run over on the beach. He had been with them since he was a puppy in the desert and had accompanied them through Tunisia and Sicily.

7 Wing were active in the Anzio landings as 8 Spitbombers, ten pilots and 27 ground crew with 2 Dakotas left for Naples to provide direct support to the beachhead.

With Allied shipping off Anzio nervous of enemy attack, 1 Sqn kept up the search for enemy warships. They located a camouflaged vessel which had been reported to be between Sibenik and Zara. With six Spitbombers the vessel was repeatedly strafed through pom-pom shells fired from the vessel and intense anti-aircraft fire from the signal station at Zara. By the time they were done a cloud of steam was rising from amidships and the vessel was on fire. Five hours after they landed RAF 450 Sqn Kittybombers were directed to the target and were surprised that the vessel offered no resistance, and upon their return 450 Sqn congratulated the SAAF Squadron on their splendid performance.

The pilots of 4 Sqn who stayed on the 8th Army front had more to do than the detachment supporting Anzio. As well as escorting 21 Sqn Baltimore bombing Sulmona marshalling yards, they continued their regime of strafing enemy vehicles trying to move reinforcements to halt the Allied advance, attacking transport and setting fire to tank trucks. All this was flying through eight heavy and one light flak battalions that the Luftwaffe had deployed to reinforce German army artillery.

During January 7 Wing squadrons is recorded as destroying 138 motor vehicles, 3 tanks, 4 armoured vehicles, 4 railway locomotives and 28 trucks, immobilised a warship and listed numerous ‘probables’ also. Six aircraft had been lost, with three pilots returning safely. The vehicles destroyed by 7 Wing accounted for 22% of all vehicles accounted for by Desert Air force fighter squadrons.

Although the Allied air forces dropped 12,500 tons of bombs on enemy airfields and communications between 22nd January and 15th February 1944, it did not prevent the Germans launching fierce counterattacks. It was a narrow margin of superiority for the Allied forces, and despite having the upper hand the forces at Anzio were not yet able to break out. During these operations the Spitfire squadrons in Italy flew an enormous number of ground-attack sorties against pin-point targets such as railway and road bridges, with considerable success. There was always a good deal of flak, and losses were heavy. Some of the squadrons were now equipped with three marks of Spitfire – Mk V, Mk VIII and Mk IX. Production of the Mk VIII had started in 1943 and 1,658 were built, mainly for Italy and the Far East.

By mid-February, Col. Loftus was back from leave and resumed control of 7 Wing, which crossed the Apennines to support the US Fifth Army. On 30th January its Spitfighters escorted 215 Fortresses and Liberators which dropped 29,000 fragmentation bombs on four enemy airfields, causing much damage to Kesselring’s air force assemble to intercept Allied bombers operating from Foggia for long range Allied raids into Austria and Southern Germany.

During March 1944 the focus was to paralyse enemy communications and Operation Strangle dropped 19,460 tons of bombs on the road and rail networks. A follow-on operation, Diadem, dropped a further 51,500 tons of bombs causing severe damage to the rail networks. Despite the heavy bombing, the enemy managed to repair rapidly and efficiently, and though the supply to the German front was slowed, the flow never ceased.

On the 4th June 1944 the Allied forces entered Rome. Within two weeks, the Allied invasion of Normandy brought about a profound change in Italy for air operations. Luftwaffe forces were hastily redeployed to North-Western Europe from Italy leaving only three Staffeln of Me109s for reconnaissance and 100 assorted fighters and three Staffeln of night bombers.

In support of the Allied Advance into Northern Italy that followed the capture of Rome, the Allied Tactical Air Force flew and average of 1,000 sorties daily, with roads, railways and supply dumps the main objective.

Despite this weight of air power, Field Marshall Alexander (the Allied Commander) had lost seven divisions to take part in the invasion of Normandy, whilst Generalfeldmarscahll Kesselring had been reinforced by eight divisions. In addition, in August 7 Wing SAAF supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of the French Riviera.

Whist the initial push in Italy was going on, Rosy was in Haifa attending an officer’s training course. His record shows 900 flying hours by this time.

RAF Staff College Haifa - Feb ‘44 to July ‘44.

A signal from SAAF HQ Cairo to RAF RTO Cairo main Station dated 28th January 1944 requested that Lt.Colonel S F du Toit travel on “today’s train to Palestine, since late arrival at the College will cause considerable inconvenience to the Authorities there.”

Rosy enrolled in Course 11 at RAF Haifa Staff School (Feb 1944 to May 1944) and graduated with a grading “B”. Rosy followed Lt. Col. ‘Flap’ Stableford who attended the prior course 9 at the college. Flap’s son Brian kindly shared with me the background to this from his dad’s book, as follows:

“In December 1943 General Smuts met Winston Churchill in Cairo on the latter’s way to Teheran for an Allied summit. The meeting between Churchill and Smuts was attended by the British Chiefs of Staff and the South African CGS General Pierre van Ryneveld and supporting staff. The latter was Brigadier D.S. Hingeston (commonly known as Peter) who was the SAAF Liaison Officer in Cairo and he pointed out that while the SAAF had provided 10 of the 32 Allied Squadrons in the Middle East, they had no representation of the higher formations at Group Headquarters, e.g., Desert Air Force Headquarters. The RAF Chief of Air Staff, Marshall of the Air Force Portal agreed that this resulted in the SAAF not benefiting from the higher ranks in these formations and said that if the SAAF could provide Staff qualified officers, they would be appointed to appropriate posts in RAF formations.”

Thus, senior SAAF officers attended the college starting with Maj LB Pearce in Course 8; Lt. Col PE Stableford, Lt. Col. AC Bosman and Maj RL Morrison on Course 9; Majors SE Featherstone and DB Haupfleisch on Course 10 and Col SF du Toit and Lt. Col. AAD McKellar on Course 11. Rosy was the only officer to achieve a grading “B”, others graded “C” except for Lt. Col. AAD McKellar graded as “D”.

SHC Gray, Group Captain Commanding R.A.F. Wing M.E. Staff College noted in his remarks of the 25-year-old Rosy: “An extremely pleasant personality. Has shown great keenness and enthusiasm throughout the Course. He has considerable experience as a fighter pilot with No. 1 Tactical Air Force. With experience should make a sound and reliable staff officer”.

Rosy Left Palestine via Cairo on 17th May 1944 arriving at ZAS 20th May.

MAAF (Mediterranean Allied Air Forces) Command on 13 June 1944 asked the SAAF to establish and man immediately a new defensive fighter wing HQ to embrace No. 3 Squadron, No. 11 Squadron and No. 41 Squadron. By 22nd June the request had been approved. Newly promoted Col "Rosy" du Toit opened the new office for the Wing in the SAAF Headquarters building in Bari on 16 July 1944.

In July Rosy left ZAS for Cairo having been appointed O.C. 8 Fighter Wing and promoted for full Colonel at the ripe old age of twenty-five! He was also transferred to the Staff Corps (V) from SAAF. He was apparently the youngest SAAF officer at the time to be appointed as Officer Commanding of a Wing.

No. 8 Wing SAAF was formed on 25 July 1944 to serve in Italy, the Balkans and the Mediterranean Theatre and consisted of Royal Air Force and South African Air Force squadrons under South African Command.

Together with the maintenance and supply units, SAAF personnel in Italy at that time consisted of 17,271 officers and men. By the end of 1944 the last great offensive of the Italian Campaign was about to kick off.

Fourth Operational Tour – Aug ‘44 – End of War

The occupation of Rome was a turning point in the campaign in Italy, breaking the logjam that had halted the Allied advance. At the end of June 1944 No. 3 Sqn was still in Savoia in Africa.Also, at the end of June, No. 11 Sqn (which had been disbanded after the East African Campaign) was reformed under Maj. C.J. Laubscher. 11 Sqn moved to Idku, taking over 9 Sqn stores and equipment, to undergo intensive conversion training to Spitfires. Whilst this was going on the new Wing that had been rumoured started to take shape. On the 5th July the powers that be allocated a number as 8 Wing SAAF. Signals between HQ, MAAF, MACAF and Pretoria followed one another in quick succession, and on the 12th July Lt. Col S.F. du Toit was nominated to command the wing. Special Dakotas flew essential personnel directly to Italy.

Rosy was promoted to Colonel and opened his office in the SAAF HQ building in Bari on the 16th July. HQ 8 Wing with control of Nos. 3 and 11 Squadrons and also RAF 87 and 185 Squadrons, was already moving to Perugia. Lt.Col “Snowy” Moodie was appointed Sweep leader of the new Wing, and on 25th July it came under admin control of the Desert Air Force.

No. 11 Squadron finished training at Idku by the end of August 1944 and found out they would be flying Kittyhawks, and not Spitfires. The squadron embarked at Port Said and Alexandria 11th September, reaching Taranto five days later. By 26th September they were converting to Kittyhawks at Perugia prior to moving to Borghetto to join up with their new Wing.

No. 3 Squadron had spent 8 months at Savoia in Libya. (Also known by the Germans as Cyrene airfield (a.k.a. Cirene, Safsaf, As Safsaf, El Abragh) in Cyrenaica (Libya) 40 miles W of Derna, 8 miles S of Apollonia, 6 miles SE of the town of Cyrene; known by SAAF as Savoia as it is immediately south of the Italian Libya settlement “Luigi di Savoia” on the Derna-Cyrene road). On 15th July they flew 15 aircraft for the last time to hand them over to No. 9 Squadron. They embarked at Alexandria and arrived at Taranto 1st August.

[As an aside, 3 Squadron has a colourful history. No. 3 Squadron prided itself on pressing home its strafing attacks during an attack on Jimma aerodrome, slightly more than a month after the Diredawa raid in the Abyssinian campaign in 1941, Lieutenant “Gugu” Howitson performed the unlikely feat of sending two enemy aircraft up in flames by strafing them through the open doors of a hangar. Flying both Hurricanes and Gladiator Mk Is, and for a short time Curtiss Mohawk lVs, No. 3 Squadron fought all the way through Somaliland and Abyssinia, and by the end of 1941 had destroyed just over 100 Italian aircraft, two dozen in aerial combat and the rest by strafing. During this time one of No. 3 Squadron's pilots, Captain J. E. Jack Frost, carried out one of the SAAF's most famous wartime exploits by shooting down five Italian aircraft in one dogfight, for which he was awarded an immediate DFC. Jack Frost later took part in an even more famous `stunt' when he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire while strafing Diredawa airfield. Frost landed on a satellite strip, where his friend Lieutenant R. H. C. Kershaw landed and picked him up. Bob Kershaw was awarded an immediate DSO, the SAAF's first in World War II.]

On 24th June 1944, flush with the delight at finally breaking through the Gothic line, Field-Marshall Jan Smuts, addressing South Africa troops in Italy postulated that the end of the war was possible by Autumn 1944. High-ranking officers in the RAF HQ had foretold the cessation of hostilities against the Germans by October. This would remain but a hope, unfulfilled.

Nonetheless by the end of September the Allied armies in Italy, with powerful air support had overcome the Gothic line everywhere except for in the far west. Feldmarschall Kesselring was holding out fiercely in the hope that winter would delay the Allied advance and gain the Germans some respite. Meanwhile, ignorant of the German determination that was to ensue, with the spirit of optimism that prevailed in higher echelons of Allied Command, focus was on switching efforts to the Far East and on how to cope with the post-war situation in Europe.

With the borders between Italy and France closed to the Germans, the rail links to the north through the Po valley was the only route open to the Germans for reinforcements and supplies (other than routes through Switzerland). In October 1944 some 53 trains a day were traversing the Po valley route. Hitting these transport links hard, as a priority, could draw more than 10,000 enemy troops from the front in reconstruction,repair and defensive activities.

It was in this context that Rosy was tasked with putting together 8 Wing - made up of:

• No. 3 SAAF Sqn OC Cecil Golding
• No. 11 SAAF Sqn OC Colin Sinclair

• - 87 Squadron RAF OC Geoff Garton and
• 185 Squadron RAF OC Michael “Chris” Christopherson

This was the only SAAF Wing in the war which contained RAF squadrons. 8 Wing also absorbed No. 53 (RAF) RSU (Repair and Salvage Unit).

The HQ machine was grinding away whilst the Wing was waiting to see when they could get going again. As the end of August approached a decision regarding the location of 8 Wing was still to be made by Rosy’s superiors. A considerable amount of reorganisation was in train across the SAAF squadrons in the theatre. With 13,077 SAAF and attached officers and other ranks, plus 522 WAAF and SAAF seconded personnel, SAAF HQ bore a complex and heavy responsibility.

All specialist officers of 8 Wing were attached to 7 Wing to gain practical experience. Lt.Col. Moodie and Lt.Col. Bosman test-flew the Spitfire XV (a Seafire with some features of the Mark XII and with a Griffon engine) but found it unsuitable for the role envisaged for 8 Wing. Thus in August 1944 the decision was finally made and No. 3 Squadron was re-equipped with Spitfire IXs.

8 Wing HQ now left Foiano for Borghetto on 10th September, where RAF 87 and 185 Squadrons joined them on 16th September and began operations the next day. With the landing area unusable for six days they only managed half a dozen sorties, mainly against army gun emplacements. A week later No. 3 Squadron arrived from Bari having completed their dive-bombing training with 7 Wing. With No. 11 Squadron still to join 8 Wing, Rosy was told that 11 Sqn would be equipped with Kittybombers – presenting an additional challenge with stores and maintenance with differing aircraft types.

So, by the time September drew to a close SAAF had two fighter-bomber Wings operating in Europe for the very first time, and dreams that the end of the war was at hand was receding by the day with increasingly fierce resistance by the Germans.

8 Wing moved to Fano around this time. Fano Airfield was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a temporary wartime airfield with a hard earth and pierced steel planking (PSP) runway and parking apron. With few or no permanent structures, tents were used for ground support operations and personnel billeting. More challenges for the fledgling 8 Wing as a harsh winter approached. Bitterly cold wet mornings had turned the airfield into a muddy bog, well-nigh eliminating any opportunity to engage with the enemy. No. 3 Sqn, for example, had been weather-bound at Borghetto, and when they did try to get to Fano they became waterlogged in a cloudburst only 24 miles from Borghetto, battling to pitch camp. Rain had rendered the very busy Fano Airfield totally unserviceable on 3rd October, but the 4th October dawned bright and clear and 87 Sqn resumed operations as 3 Sqn arrived from Borghetto. Rain had turned the whole Fano area into a sea of mud. Shale had to be dumped in mess tents and kitchens and on carparks and pathways.

With atrocious weather continuing unabated, pilots had to contain their frustration until 13th October when operations could resume.

8th Army under General McCreery initiated a new offensive against the enemy with No. 3 Sqn setting out on its first bombing operation as part of 8 Wing. The Spitbombers targeted and hit the rail line both north and south of the bridge at La Postorella, between Alfonsine and Argenta.

October continued with continued patrols, missions against enemy held buildings, gun pits, smoke mortars (Nebelwerfres) and other defensive positions – and with the hopes of the end of hostilities, pamphlet drops. In addition, there was intense activity on the Florence-Bologna road through the Futa Pass where South Africa ground forces of 6th Armoured encountered some of their toughest fighting, also bombing to the east around Imola and Luciano. Support was provided by 8 Wing to the 8th Army as it battled to break through to the Po valley around Rimini, Ravenna, Ferrara area.

Within 4 miles of Bologna on the right flank Allied troops were coming to the realisation that hopes of an early victory were receding, as fierce fighting continued.

Between 16th and 21st October the airfield at Fano was unserviceable and it was the turn of 87 Sqn RAF to fly under operational control of 7 Wing to gain dive-bombing experience.

Gales and torrential rains again washed out the airfield at Fano on 26th and 27th October. Messes were flooded, and the area resembled a series of dams. Rising rivers brought ground operations to a standstill and both 185 Sqn RAF and 3 Sqn SAAF had to be moved to a site away from the worst flooding.

No 11 Squadron was still flying from Perugia when on 30th October a formation of six of their Kittybombers took out a stores dump at Finale nell’Emilia. By the end of the next day they had completed three missions, two of which were against the railway bridge at Castenaso over the River Idice east of Bologna.

Despite the appalling conditions, morale reportedly remained high and limited operations continued as the weather permitted. Flying was nixed due to bad weather for 14 days in October, and 11 other days were lost due to construction etc. at Fano. A frustrating start for the new Wing, with only 6 flying days possible in the month of October. They still managed 563 sorties totalling 613.8 flying hours without loss.

The Wing looked forward eagerly to a move to a new landing ground at Bellaria (a summer beach resort up the coast from Rimini).

Most of 8 Wing’s operations in Italy into the latter part of 1944 were primarily strafing sorties and by the end of the shooting in Europe, No. 3 Squadron had racked up 2 300 sorties in Italy for the loss of two pilots killed and three missing - its record being 54 sorties in one day.

Rosy received notice on 1st November to prepare to move to Florence on 6th November to support 5th US Army (which was to include the 6th South Africa Armoured Division – a division which resonates in our family; my Uncle Jean Coetzee served with the ILH Kimberley Regiment as a photographer and was shot and killed during autumn the campaign on 13th January and was buried in Castaglione de Pepoli). Having received his orders, Rosy flew to visit 11 Sqn at Perugia and then proceeded to the airfield at Florence, where he had been designated as the future commander of the airfield. One can only imagine the mounting disappointment when the extent of this new ‘opportunity’ became apparent to him. Due to extremely heavy traffic (most of which was not operational) he was unable to land for over an hour. Upon landing, it became clear that most of the area was underwater, and the landing area was under a foot of mud everywhere except for a 1,100-yard concrete landing strip. The airport was pretty much operationally useless – it would be almost impossible to taxi a Spitfire, and even more so for Kittybombers with a 500 lb bomb under each wing. There were not even any hard standings. Rosy’s gloom at the challenge that faced him at Florence was somewhat dispelled with news that after his departure from Perugia, No. 11 Squadron had got to work and scored seven hits on a food and clothing dump.

Only on 11th November did the weather allow Nos. 3, 87, 185 Squadrons and 8 Wing HQ to get on the road from Fano to Florence, connecting with 11 Sqn and headed up from Perugia on November 12 after a bitterly cold night. The convoy moved on together through snowy mountain roads arriving in Florence at night to take over billets previously occupied by 324 Wing. The position was hardly ideal. The walk to the officers’ mess was about half a mile through the slush, and the airfield itself was six miles away!

XXII Tactical Air Command had appointed Rosy Commander at Florence Airfield (now Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport). It was expected that the Wing would be fully operational and would be flying by 17th November. As a parting gift, on the last day at Fano, the three squadrons there flew 110 sorties on 19 missions before flying to their new Florence base. These included armed reconnaissance ahead of the 8th Army advance, missions against enemy held buildings, gun pits, smoke mortars (Nebelwerfres) and other defensive positions. 11 Sqn was left operating out of Perugia due to the “shocking overcrowding at Florence”.

Thus, the rest of 8 Wing aircraft landed safely at Florence on 17th November despite the poor weather, and 8 Wing were now operating from Sesto Fiorentino.

The next day operations began, mainly deep inside enemy lines on the 5th US Army front as they tried to push west of Bologna and break through over the Apennines. Targets included ammo dumps between Budrio and Bologna, railway links between Bologna, Modena and Sassuola, and further north a fuel transfer point near Pontelagoscuro on the River Po. The road bridge at Sassuola was hit also whilst targeting the railway bridge over the Secchia River.

On 19th November 185 Sqn RAF attempted to bomb six dual-purpose guns at Punta Bianca but were thwarted by bad weather. Engineers laying down new pierced steel decking to improve the airfield limited operations on the 20th, exacerbated by a Liberator landing and damaging its undercarriage on the landing strip, blocking access. The next day 3 Sqn managed to plant a bomb on the precise target area at Punta Bianca, neutralising the gun emplacement there. Later in the month a divisional command post southeast of Bologna was destroyed at Pizzocalvo with pin-point accurate placement of two 500 lb bombs.

Thus 8 Wing soon came to grips with their situation and operations resumed in the familiar pattern supporting US 5th Army, though in a new and much larger area, ranging from Bologna to La Spezia.

November ended with 11 Sqn aircraft still operating out of Perugia, 125 miles from the rest of the Wing. Losses across the wing were two aircraft lost and sadly one pilot.

On the 2nd December Rosy attended a farewell party for Brig W.H. Hingeston, who was extremely well respected with heads of all Officers Commanding attending.

The snow line by now continued to come lower down, pretty much stalling ground operations in December. Tactical Air Command XXII (and hence also 8 Wing) continued with their efforts to disrupt rail networks out of Italy northwards, and also maintain a stranglehold on transport communications in the Po Valley to prevent reinforcements reaching the front line.

Throughout December, 8 Wing worked an area west of a line from north to south from Bologna to Firenzuola, just north of Florence, at times ranging close to La Spezia. Rosy and his senior officer went to inspect a prospective new base at Pontedera (between Florence and Pisa). They discovered a need for hard-standing – aircraft would not be able to move until hard-standing could be provided for aircraft and transport, especially considering the prior experience with inclement weather!

Whilst based there, Cecil Golding recalls how he came to be O.C of No. 3 Sqn as follows:
“A chain of circumstances had resulted in me becoming CO of the Squadron. Joe Dunning, who was CO, became ill and had to go home quite suddenly so I was made acting CO until Noel Wildsmith arrived to take over. “Wildy” (as he was known) had a great war record and had been in the thick of things from the beginning but he was obviously ill when he arrived and after a day or two, he was hospitalised and sent away. Rosy then called me to his trailer, looked at me, and tossed two crowns at me. I had no idea this was coming so stupidly asked what I must do with them. I then realised I’d been made CO of the squadron.”

With five months to go to the end of hostilities in Italy, flying went on without let-up to keep the push on the Germans, and they kept on fighting fiercely even though they were on the retreat. 8 Wing operations continued as before, flying missions and providing Close Air Support (CAS)* earning written thanks from Air Support Control on 14th December for “excellent support” for attacks on gun positions and infantry strongpoints near Imola, on the edge of their area of operation.

*Close Air Support (CAS) is action by aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of the ground forces. The Rover system used pairings of air controllers and army liaison officers at the front, able to switch communications seamlessly from one brigade to another – hence Rover. Incoming strike aircraft arrived with pre-briefed targets, which they would strike 20 minutes after arriving on station only if the Rovers had not directed them to another more pressing target. Rovers might call on artillery to mark targets with smoke shells, or they might direct the fighters to map grid coordinates, or they might resort to a description of prominent terrain features as guidance.

A fortified house was bombed, as was the railway bridge over the Panaro near Modena – one of a multitude of hits against the San Felice-Modena-Bologna line and the Parma-Reggio nell’Emillia line, which provided the main communications link behind the enemy lines on the front. The next day fuel storage dumps beyond Parma were set alight by 8 Wing Spitbombers, as were two trains in Parma station with precision bombing, followed up with further strafing damage. Snow fell more heavily just before Christmas and 3 Sqn, returning blue with cold from a mission, were heartened by a message from the 1st Guards Brigade expressing admiration and appreciation for “the best air support we have ever had”. Achieving such success through the month without loss was an excellent early Christmas gift.

A new type of mission or 3 Sqn on Boxing Day required escorting Dakotas on supply dropping – but the Daks failed to arrive at the endezvous! Beyond that, normal operations assumed unabated – hitting bridges near Piazza and Camporgiano and further east where 11 Sqn planted a 500 lb bomb in the middle of the road and rail bridge at S. Giacomo, successfully slicing the link between Bologna and S. Giovanni. Intense anti-aircraft fire was experienced as Germans tried to cover repair work from previous strikes.

German repair of rail links was so astonishingly effective that by Christmas Day traffic was again flowing through the major marshalling yard in Verona across the Brenner Pass to Germany. An urgent priority was to maintain strikes on these links to prevent German troops and supplies being withdrawn and transferred to the western front in Europe with the Ardennes Campaign. Thus, the air support was critical in two ways – strangling the enemy’s efforts in Italy and preventing any attempt to support other fronts outside of Italy.

After Christmas 1944, during a very cold winter, 8 Wing moved to Pontedera, near Pisa, and flew alongside Americans. It did not take the Wing and its squadrons much time to settle in and the warmth and comfort of permanent quarters after enduring rain, snow and cold in the tents outside Florence.

All four of Rosy’s 8 Wing squadrons were now operating from the same airfield for the first time. Weather was still against flying, allowing only 14 full flying days and ten partial flying days. During January about half of their missions were in close support of 5th Army, alongside increasing pressure in cutting enemy transport communications links. Dakotas providing supplies to Italian Partisans were escorted from New Year’s Day onwards. Here is where Rosy’s exploits intersected with my Oom Jean and the 7th Field Regiment, SA Artillery as part of 6 SA Armoured Division locked in combat in the Monte Sole area south of Bologna, where my Oom Jean was killed in January 1945.

The Wing continued to score success in taking out rail links and bridges, and even taking out some shipping at Santa Margherita. Snow made identifying targets a challenge, with locomotives, tracks and gun positions blanketed in white. Many of these positions were bombed but could not be positively identified.

Cecil Golding recalls that three American Red Cross nurses would be waiting for pilots returning back safely from Ops, offering them hot coffee and doughnuts. One of these ladies was Jinx Cole, and the spark of love was ignited between her and the 26-year-old Col Rosy du Toit – which would lead to their wedding after the war in 1946 at the Presbyterian Church in Kensington, London.

The US 5th Army was not particularly active during February, yet 8 Wing flew more sorties and more hours than during weather-bound January – 1,368 in the month with 110 sorties in one day on 20th February. This was 448 hours more than 7 Wing. Efforts included support of 92nd US Division’s objective to improve positions in the Serchio valley. Later attention switched to mountainous terrain west of Highway 64 where on the 18th February the 6th SA Armoured Division went into action alongside the US 10th Mountain Division.

All 8 Wing squadrons acted as escorts to C47s and B25s on supply-dropping mission in the month alongside weather reconnaissance and other regular activities.

The Wing was operating strongly throughout February, scoring successes against refineries, ammo dumps, Fascist command posts, locomotive repair shops, transport vehicles, bridges and fuel dumps. Cab-rank* missions directed by Rover Joe were continued every day through to the end of February with intense attacks on the Montese area earning praise and thanks from the Assistant Commanding general of the American Support Division.

*Cab-rank operations was a new form of close air support introduced by the Allies in Italy during the winter 1943-1944: formations of patrolling fighter-bombers were maintained over the front lines to be called down upon targets by liaison officers embedded with the forward elements of the Army. This command-and-control system was referred to as “Rover Joe” or “Rover Paddy”, after the radio call sign of the ground controllers. The forward air control team, which usually consisted of a combat-experienced pilot and an Army officer, positioned itself overlooking the front line. Infantrymen encountering resistance that required air support radioed the Rover unit, which passed the request to the fighter control centre. If a request was approved, the Rover unit contacted designated aircraft on station and the forward air controller identified and pin-pointed the target to the circling pilots, which then dropped their 250lb or 500lb bombs on the targets, sometimes just a few hundred yards ahead of the advancing Allied ground troops. After the bomb dive, the pilots would pull-up, turn around and roar back down onto the target to make low-level strafing runs at any vehicles or anti-aircraft gun emplacements that were left intact.

During March, 8 Wing squadrons enjoyed relief from the weather, being earthbound by weather for only four days, and full-scale operations were possible for 22 days. As a result, 8 Wing put in 1,857 sorties totalling 2,465.5 flying hours for the months – reflecting solid progression in flying for the new Wing in first three months of 1945.

Army targets were not as frequent in the month in the 5th US Army sector, but enemy headquarters, occupied areas, oil and fuel plants, road and rail bridges were a steady focus of attention for the fighter-bombers. Early in March all four squadrons took out the Parma sugar refinery. In mid-March a successful attack on the command post of 114th German Jaeger Division, which held the area south of Modena, took out the radio station occupied buildings.

An attack on Montecenere on the Moden-Abetone road set fire to buildings occupied by General-leutnant Freiherr Eccard von Gablenz, commanding the German 232nd Infantry Division. Bombing runs were reported to have hit his billet in near-by Pavullo nel Frigano, burying the officer beneath the debris.

8 Wing went on to score a major success against the oil depots at Salso Maggiore over the last few days of March starting a fire and with return visits causing a huge explosion. This last week in March, despite bad weather hampering operations at times, saw the total destruction of power houses at the Cento Pozzi near Tabbiano, and also destring the condenser building at Valezza plant.

The month ended with another concentrated Wing effort on the fuel storage depot at Fedenza, and setting a tank repair building alight near Bazzano. Strafing missions north-east of Vergato had the army report direct hits on six buildings.

These successes in March were not without cost with several pilots missing after baling out.

In spite of bitter fighting, April 1945 saw the opposing ground forces still pretty evenly matched. Orders from Hitler were for German forces to stand firm against the Allies. The Allied forces were planning a concentrated pincer to encircle German forces south of the River Po. A focussed push north towards Verona would bring about the planned isolation of all enemy troops still in North-western Italy.

Spring sunshine, dry ground and clear skies boded well for the plans. By staggering the ground assaults of 5th and 8th Armies, each could enjoy the air support of some 258 squadrons with about 4,000 aircraft.

8 Wing continued the same focus as in March and took out gas plants at Monticelli and Firenzuola on 3rd and 4th April, losing an aircraft in doing so. The same fate befell an ammunitions factory a few days later after a successful attack.

This last great air offensive was launched on 9th April 1945 against seventeen Axis divisions on the Appenine-Senio line. This final air assault in Italy, launched on 9 April 1945, was spearheaded by fighter-bombers of 7 and 8 Wings, 5 Squadron, medium bombers of No 3 Wing and the Army co-operation Squadron. Liberators of No 2 wing and Baltimores of 15 Squadron operated by night. Defences, command HQs and command posts as well as troop concentrations and gun positions at German strongpoints were targeted.

More than 1,700 heavy, medium and fighter bombers dropped 2,000 tons of bombs on enemy positions. This massive air attack was interspersed with artillery barrage, which was lifted for four minutes intervals to allow fighter bombers to take out enemy strongpoints. (7/23 Medium Regiment was active as part of 6th Armoured. Another family connection as my older brother Boet was to become OC of 7 Medium some 30 years on, reestablishing the regiment in 1974.)

8 Wing sent 39 aircraft against enemy positions across the Senio at Lugo. The targets were left devastated beneath clouds of smoke and dust.

On the following day the line began to crumble under the Eighth Army assault. On the 10th April fighter-bombers of 8 Wing again crossed the Apennines and supported the 8th Army by neutralising German HQs. Lugo was then taken, and the ground forces could continue their advance. Close coordination between air and ground supported intense action along the Senio, fighter bombers supported by heavy bombers.

LEarly on 14th April conditions allowed the 5th Army to launch its attack with full air support from 8 Wing. By 08:45 fighter-bombers were blasting the Monte Figna area in the Piedmont north of Genoa, followed by a 35-minute artillery preparation laid down as preparation for the ground assault by US 10th Mountain Division. This meant 8 Wing had to switch everything to targets in the battle area. Attacks were made on pre-briefed targets or under Rover control, and armed aerial reconnaissance flight were stepped up. By the close of play on 14th April no sign of any gun pits were to be seen – three direct hits were seen to have caused a large explosion.

That night 11 US Corps opened their assault. In 30 minutes 75,000 shells were fired into German positions as 6th South African Armoured Division and 88th US Division attacked. In support, observation posts and enemy defences on the Monte Sole side were bombed by 8 Wing followed by continued aerial support of the SA Division the next day, as the South Africans exploited their spectacular success at Monte Sole and Monte Caprara (see my South African Artillery 7 Medium Regiment notes for a ground perspective).The two arms of the pincer were set to pierce enemy defences.

8 Wing continued to bomb targets ahead of the ground forces’ advance. Enemy forces had now been ordered to withdraw to the Po. After the long struggle, Polish troops occupied the centre of Bologna. 6th South African Armoured Brigade as a result bypassed the city to push through San Giovanni and Finale to link up with the 8th Army at Bondeno and hence close the pincer. On the Italian front the German forces were now in headlong retreat. However, the German order for withdrawal to allow troops to be redeployed on other fronts came too late. The Fuhrer expected “the utmost steadfastness” as late as the 17th April. With the 6th SA Armoured Division, as part of the US 5th Army, linking up with the British 8th Army, German forces in Northwest Italy were encircled. US troops occupied Verona and Italian Partisans rose up and took control back in Milan and Venice. The XIII and V Corps were racing for the Adige. During the days that followed the countryside became littered with smashed and abandoned enemy vehicles, guns and equipment. Bombing continued to take out fuel and ammo dumps and northern rail links.

It appeared that order was crumbling, and the enemy was in headlong withdrawal, with tanks, armoured vehicles, motorcycles, motorised and horse-drawn transport vying for space with troops and clogging all north-bound roads and lanes. The enemy were pulling back so rapidly that 8 Wing Spitbombers often found themselves out of range of any meaningful target.

The Germans were desperately holding out in the Ferrara area to try and offer cover for the withdrawal of troops and transport. Fighter-bombers continued with sorties to take out enemy strong-points, tanks and gun positions, while also performing armed reconnaissance. Still operating from Pontedera, 8 Wing was fully operational for 17 days in April, after which the Wing moved to Bologna on 25th April. The Wing at that stage had only 57 serviceable aircraft across its four squadrons. Despite this and adverse weather conditions its Spitfires and Kittyhawks flew a record 2,128 sorties totalling 2,875.4 hours. Their top score was managing an astonishing 190 sorties on 23rd April. In these conditions, to keep up with the speed of enemy withdrawal and increase their range, the Spitbombers swapped to carrying belly tanks instead of bombs, focussing their efforts on their “excellent standard of strafing” in support of ground forces. The squadrons of 8 Wing destroyed numerous vehicles, key buildings, barges, along the River Po from Parma and Piacenze, flying through heavy flak.

This excellent record was stalled however, when the Wing moved to Bologna, with rain washing out flying for 24 hours. Fortuitous timing as on 24th April the German representatives signed an instrument of unconditional surrender in Italy in the Palace at Caserta.

On the last day of April, with the rout of the enemy having left German forces totally disorganised, 8 Wing and its squadrons moved to Villafranca, south-west of Verona.

On the afternoon of the same day Hitler was reported to have committed suicide in his Berlin bunker.

Extensive cloud cover made flying difficult for 8 Wing in May as they continued visual reconnaissance of the roads across the Italian-Austrian border and leading up to Innsbruck in Austria. In Italy, efforts continued to pass on the news of the unconditional surrender to all enemy headquarter posts, with General Alexander waiting for German Commanders in the field to signal their acceptance of defeat. The death of the Fuhrer helped, as it released them from an oath of allegiance to him. In the formal surrender by Feldmarschall Kesselring as Supreme Commander agreed capitulation of the German force in Italy at 4:40 AM on the 2nd May 1945. Churchill announced the surrender of all German forces in Europe on 8th May 1945.

This brought an end to the pursuit which had taken the SAAF squadrons from Abyssinia, El Alamein through Libya, Tunisia and Sicily to the Mediterranean, the Alps, and Balkans. In this latter action they were active across Austria and Southern Germany whilst engaging with Tito's Partisan operation in Yugoslavia.

An interesting tale is how Capt. Jack Parsonson joined 8 Wing at the end of the war after his release from Stalag Luft 3 PoW camp. Rosy wrote a tribute for him in Peter Bagshaw’s book “Warriors of the Sky”, recalling that Jack was involved in the Great Escape, but while waiting for his turn to enter the famous tunnel, the project was discovered by the Germans and Jack did not get further than his cell. In doing so he avoided being shot like the other escapees who thought they had made it.

Rosy continued his tribute that he discovered Capt Pasonson was to be repatriated to South Africa via Rome. Rosy recalls that General Frank Theron agreed that Jack could be disembarked in Rome. 8 Wing’s B25 flew him to Campoformido (just outside Udine where 8 Wing was based at the time) - one can but imagine the reunion that followed! Rosy braced himself that he would encounter a psychologically disturbed person in need of care and readjustment. On the contrary Jack wanted to get right back and fly and was burning to be considered for flying duty against the Japanese. (This was before the nuclear devastation, and most pilots believed that their next engagement would be against Japan.) Rosy recommended that Jack Parsonson fill the vacant post of Wing Co Flying in 7 Wing. The AOC, DAF, Air Vice-Marshall ‘Pussy’ Foster and SAAF HQ concurred and promoted Jack with an additional pip to his crown.

Text reads “Remember the Desert Capaign? These “types” do because they were all in the Desert and are now back together in Italy leading South Africa’s new fighter-bomber wing which is comprised of Kittybomberbers and Spitbombers. In the Wing, which is commanded by Colonel S.F. du Toit, D.F.C.and Bar, are two well known R.A.F squadrons, commanded by Squadron-Leader M.V. Christopherson of Norwich, and Squadron-Leader G.W. Garton, D.F.C. of Leicester; and two S.A.A.F. squadrons commanded by Major Charles Laubscher of Benoni, and Major Cecil Golding of Cape Town. In the sketch above will be recognised by a number of men, mostly pilots, who have made a big name in the S.A.A.F. and who are still doing a good job against the German in territory very different from the desert. For some weeks now the Wing has been on loan from the Desert Air Force to 22 Tactical Air Command, which is an American Command looking after the job of disrupting the enemy on the Fifth Army side of the Italian war. Apart from normal tactical work the wing has been specialising in close support work for the ground forces and has done a large number of missions inside the German “Flak Ring” which is concentrated around the sticky Bologna area.

Cecil Golding recalls that Rosy, Jinx, Jack and Cecil periodically enojoyed outings exploring, going as far afield as Klagenfurt in Austria, and east to the Yugoslav border.

Whilst based at Udine SAAF 8 Wing had one last task to perform – a victory fly-past by the Desert Air Force over the airfield at Campoformido, which signalled the end of SAAF association with DAF. It was a great fly-past of ten Wings comprising 43 Squadrons and over 500 aircraft. Of these 43 squadrons in the famous Desert Air Force, 13 were South African.

The line up of the Desert Air Force at the end of the war is enlightening and gives a good indication of the very large part the SAAF played in the air war during 1939–1945. Of the 10 wings, three were SAAF, one was United States and six were RAF. Of the 43 Squadrons, 13 were SAAF, three were United States, three were Australian, one was Canadian, one was Polish and 22 were RAF.

Of the 43 Squadrons, 16 were commanded by South Africans (3 seconded to RAF) and of course the three SAAF Wings were commanded by South African colonels – Snowy Moodie, Rosy Du Toit and Jack Mossop. The Squadron COs were Weingartz, Odendaal, Rogers, Gasson, Brunton, Brebner, Lipawsky, Finney, Taylor, Coull, Ord, Margo, Viney, Clarke, Golding and Laubscher.

Members of the SAAF had set up a superb record during the war. Decorations awarded included one Victoria Cross, one Companion of the Bath, nine CBE’s, 35 DSO’s, 26 OBE’s, 63 MBE’s, 429 DFC’s, 88 AFC’s, 5 MC’s, two George Medals, five King’s Medals for Bravery, two MM’s, 23 DFM’s, 13 AFM’s and 36 BEM’s.

On 30th October 1945 8 Wing went back to Egypt to be disbanded.

Remarkable as Rosy’s grandfather was Kommandant DJ can Graan who fought under General Smuts in the Second Boer War, and Rosy’s Mum (my Ouma) was in the Irene concentration camp as a wee lass. (More on the Smuts family connection below.)

Rosy looked to be the youngest officer in the SAAF to command a fighter wing in operations at the age of 25. He was decorated with CBE, DFC and Bar, US DFC and served in Abyssinia, North Africa from EL Alamein to Tunis and in the Italian campaign with 7 Wing and 8 Wing

Rosy was seconded to the Demob Directorate in in February 1946 was appointed as Officer-in-Charge of the London Demobilisations office. (Service record P1/8103/1). Rosy was moved by air to the UK and arrived 6th March 1946.

Rosy was also awarded the American DFC (Signal FP 11917).

On 19th December 1946 Rosy and Jinx embarked S.S. Umgeni at the Port of Tilbury for South Africa, arriving in South Africa on 3rd January 1947. Rosy was attached to A.G. 3 Section G.H.Q. Pretoria in March 1947. His service record shows he was on leave 30th October 1947 to 6th December 1947. The next entry is Rosy leaving South Africa to the USA from Durban on 10th March 1948 on the “Marine Runner” and appointed as Military Attaché in Washington – his formal post from March 1948 through to January 1949.

Rosy attended course at Air Tactical School Tyndall Field, Florida USA for 4 months commencing 5th May 1948, followed by a Basic Airborne Course at Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia USA for two further months commencing September 1948 according to his service record P1/8103/3.

Rosy’s aim in attached in the course in Florida appears to be to assess the relevance to SAAF officers. The course in Florida included subjects such as Polar navigation, Jet Propulsion and Rocket Experimentation in addition to training on responsibilities of an officer. Rosy’ conclusion in his final report was as follows: “In regard to future attendance of S.A.A.F. Officers, this Course, by virtues of its aim will be of benefit to those who fall in the same category as the U.S.A.F. candidates, viz. that they should be Officers who have not had experience of command or in administration.”

The objective of the Fort Benning course was to train and qualify men as paratroops. The school had a weekly intake of 280 students, of which on average only 150 graduated. Rosy notes “Although I was one of only two Officers on this course, there are usually more, and they are required to do the Course together with the G.I.s and do not retain any privileges of rank whilst on the Course.” Rosy goes on to advise: “In order to minimise casualties in jump training, great stress is laid on physical fitness. Throughout the Course a major portion of the time is spent on progressively raising the standard of fitness of students by vigorous exercise. Exits from 34-foot Mock-up towers, resembling aircraft fuselages, are taught, as well as techniques of landing by parachute. Descents from 250-foot towers (controlled and free) are practiced and packing of your own parachute is done, before finally doing 5 qualifying live jumps.” Rosy concludes with: “This course is strenuous physically, and though interesting, its application and value to an Air Force Officer is doubtful.”
Signed S.F.du Toit 2 Squadron S.A.A.F. , A.F.S. Waterkloof.

After this Rosy was attached to the USAF for a period of six months “for the purpose of studying training and employment of Fighter Aircraft in Fighter Squadrons” according to his service record.

Returning to South Africa, Rosy disembarked from the “Robin Tuxford” in Cape Town on 5th January 1949. On 10th January 1949 Rosy resumed duty with the S.A.A.F. and was posted to No.2 Squadron Waterkloof Air Station as station commander.

The change of government in 1948 with the Nationalist Party victory saw a drive to eliminate any aspects of what was construed to be ‘too British’ and to curtail the advancement of anyone not in harmony with the new regime, and indeed to airbrush out much of this brave era of the South African contribution to WW II history under the leadership of General Smuts.

With the change in government in South Africa and the Nationalist Party winning by the narrowest of majorities under D.F. Malan’s “apartheid” ticket, the purging of people seen to be loyal to the previous government began. This included replacing revered senior officers like Deputy Chief of Staff Evered Poole. The new Minister of Defence, F.C. Erasmus, acted quickly following his party's election in May 1948. In June, the rank of Deputy Chief of the General Staff was abolished, and Army Intelligence Chief was sacked and a large number of military records destroyed to mask the fascist sympathies of the incumbent governments leaders during the war.

Actions such as these and subsequent disillusionment with the National Party politics saw the loss of a large number of officers and soldiers from the South Africa Defence Force. Like Rosy, my Pa also resigned from the Army and, having been frustrated by being blocked in his attempt to restart his teaching career by BB and OBW political forces in the Transvaal (despite the local school selecting him as headmaster) he eventually left for the private sector and took up a post as the Head of Afrikaans Department at Michaelhouse in Natal, and became an active campaigner against fascism for the Torch Commando in Northern Natal.

Uncle Rosy also saw the writing on the wall and called quits. Rosy submitted his resignation letter dated 12th June 1950 with the paragraph “I am willing to be transferred to the Special Reserve of Flying Officers” Thus he officially resigned from the S.A.A.F. Permanent Force on 16th June 1950 according to his service record, and a letter dated 17th July 1950 from Brigadier Joubert states “Approval is given for your transfer to the S.A. Air Force Special Reserve with the substantive rank of Colonel with seniority in effect from 17th June 1949”. Rosy’s forwarding address at the time as Lavonia Sugar Estate, P.O Chaka’s Kraal.

Rosy’s record shows a total of 1075 operational hours flying.

The next letter on his service record file reflects that as of 18th April 1954 Rosy’s address was to be c/o Sena Sugar Estates Ltd. LUABO, Zambesi River, Via Beira – Caia, Portuguese East Africa. Rosy has requested approval to leave South Africa “for an indefinite period, but I do not intend to relinquish my South African citizenship and therefore do not submit a formal resignation of my commission. I will submit annual reports as required by the Department.”. A letter from Adjutant General Hollenbach grants approval for leave of absence from South Africa.

Sena Sugar Estates Ltd., at that time a British-owned company that was granted a large land sub concession from the Zambezia Company, had estates and a cattle ranch near Luabo and Marromeu in the Zambezi River delta also operated a copra plantation near Chinde, and a forestry concession. By the mid-1960s it was the largest firm in Mozambique, with more than 10,000 employees. The company was centred in Sena and built sugar refineries nearby on the lower Zambezi River.

The last service record entry (after a questionnaire for Reserve Officers was sent out and returned) reflects an address of Triangle Estates, Private Bag 8, Fort Victoria, Southern Rhodesia. The first sugar-processing mill in Zimbabwe was opened at Triangle on 11 September 1939. Numerous problems followed, which saw the Government taking over the company in 1944. In 1954 a South African company, the Natal Syndicate, purchased Triangle. I did a little crude research and this blog entry not only gives a good insight into Triangle Estates at the time but is also an interesting look into the commercial politics in play between the sugar magnates in Natal at the time my father was Headmaster at Umhlali Government School. (I recall my father being offered the Hullet’s beach House at Salt Rock for my Pa’s convalescence from a heart attack around 1960’ish).

http://thestoryoftriangle.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/part-2-triangle-after-macdougall.html

I believe that Rosy was a Field manager with Triangle Estates for a relatively short period, when he was appointed general manager of Chirundu Sugar Estates, a Tate & Lyle holding in Southern Rhodesia. Rosy resigned in 1962 due to Jinx’s deteriorating health. The climate at Chirundu was very hot, especially just before the rains. When it rained, it was nearly always a deluge and the humidity rose sky high. There was not a large number of people working there with driving to Lusaka to do shopping the norm. All the roads in the estate were dirt roads (sand and soil) up to the main tarmac road which went over the bridge to Zambia to the right, or south to Salisbury. There were a few houses in which the staff lived with all the windows in the houses having mesh guards to try and keep the mosquitos out, as malaria was rampant there. Rosy was to remember Chirundu when he was struck down with malaria years later, whilst working in New Mexico.

Rosy went farming at Banket near Salisbury, where sadly Jinx passed away in 1964. Her ashes were interred in the Garden of Remembrance in Banket.

In 1968 Rosy married his second wife, Norma, and over the next 16 years developed a viable cattle proposition from virgin land.

Following political deterioration in Rhodesia, Rosy decided to leave for the USA without being able to take any funds with him, leaving his home and a couple of decades of investment in sweat equity behind “with 350 Rhodesian Dollars in his pocket”. Rosy arrived in New Mexico in 1973 (aged 59) and, having no capital, and few qualifications except these above, took a job as a cowboy ‘riding the range’. Fourteen months later he was appointed as the General Manger of a 56,000 Ha ranch near Cimarron, NM. Whilst in New Mexico he divorced Norma. Also whilst in the USA, Rosy became very ill and the local hospital was mystified as to the cause. Rosy however recognised the signs as the illness developed and told the medics that he believed it was malaria. Blood tests confirmed this and treatment could follow. Chirundu malarial dampness had come back to visit!

In 1983 Rosy returned to South Africa and could enjoy a reunion with his fellow pilots from WWII and from Course 382G – enjoying a 50-year anniversary get together in a multi-day celebration in 1988. By this time Rosy was happily married to Doreen (DD), formerly Stableford (Lt.-Gen. George Brink’s daughter), enjoying a blessed time together up to his passing in 2009.

May he RIP.

General Smuts was born in May 1870 on Bo Plaas (Bovenplaas) which was part of the Smuts farm "Ongegund" in the Swartland (a stone’s throw from Knolfontein and Pulpit Rock).

My Mum’s Grandmother on her paternal; side was Anna Catherina Smit. Her father (My Mum’s great grandfather) was Hendrik Jacobus Smit, born 1811 on Kleinvlei in the Swartland who married Gertruida Anna Smuts. Hendrik died on the Smuts farm Ongegund in 1902.

There is the start of the family connection. The Du Toit and Smuts families stayed close.

The bonds were to extend to both sides of our family.

My Mother’s grandfather on her maternal side was DJ van Graan. He served in both Boer Wars, and in the second Boer War was field cornet under General Smuts. Here is an excerpt from the published Smuts papers, vol 1 page 361:

Thus it was that Genl Smuts had connections on both sides of our family. My Ouma and Oupa (also SF du Toit as was the custom) courted on the "voorstoep" of Doornfontein, the Smuts farm at Irene where an "opsitkers" would be lit and the couple would be chaperoned. This was prior to 1915, and the house would still have been 'new' to the young Smuts family. (Interesting aside - General Smuts bought, for £300, the wood-and-iron building that previously had served as the officers' mess. It is believed that the building was originally prefabricated in Britain, taken to India by the British Army and later the army shipped it as an officers' mess to South Africa. Now, once again the building was dismantled. It was brought to Pretoria by rail, and thence to the farm Doornkloof by ox wagon, where it was re-erected at the substantial cost of £1000 in 1909. General Smuts was at sea at the time, on the way to England as a member of the National Convention delegation for the formation of the Union of South Africa, when Isie Smuts moved into the house on 10 July 1909.)

The area must have raised mixed emotions in my Ouma Stira as this is where she was imprisoned in a concentration camp (she was captured at an aunt Momsen's farm near Potchefstroom, where she was sent with measles to avoid infecting her siblings (Ouma had 12 of them!) Her Mother (my great grandma) escaped the 'Khakis' and with kids in tow on an ox-cart and followed her husband DJ van Graan and the Smuts commando for the rest of the war, evading capture, but that is another story!

Official Service record summary

Senior Certificate 1937
Attended Course 382G P.F Cadets 1/5/1937-6/9/1939
Enrolled Pupil Pilot no. 23168 TATS 1/4/37
Seconded from TATS from 1/5/1938 - Cadet SAPF 2/5/38-5/9/39
Attended continuous training ZAS 5/7/37 – 3/8/37
Attended continuous training ZAS 18/1/38 – 1/2/38
Qualified course 382G – 7th in order of merit
Appointed 2/Lt (on probation) general duties branch SSAPF 6/9/39
Confirmed in his appointment 6/9/39
Posted to SAAF for duty at CFS Roberts Heights (Voortrekkerhoogte) 7/9/39
Qualified for SAAF Flying Badge “Wings” 16/9/1939
Posted to 4 (B/F) Squadron SAAF 19/9/39
Posted to CFS 28/10/39
Reported for duty Waterkloof Air Station from SAAF Camp 6/11/39

Attached to SA Military College from 7/1/40 – 29/1/40
Qualified Q2 in course 519M Anti-Gas 8 to 27/1/1940
Posted from 11(B) Sqdn to A&AOS 14/4/40
Posted from AAS to 41 Sqdn 17/10/40
F/O Arm. No. 41 Sqn SAAF – Arrive East Africa 12/11/1940
Abyssinia Oct. 1940 to Jan 1942 Flight Commander 41 Sqn. SAAF (Hawker Hartebeest)
To be T/Capt whilst filling a Captain’s post in SAAF 4/8/41
To be Substantive Lt retaining the rank of T Captain whilst filling Capt.’s post 6/9/41
Posted to MAFD 19/12/1941 embarked JU52/661 at Nairobi for ZAS 19/12/1941
Deplaned ZAS 22/12/1941 (ER 371)
Arrived Union by air at ZAS 22/12/41

Western Desert June 1942 - July 1943 Sqn. Commander 4 Sqn. SAAF (Kittyhawk)
To be T/Major whilst employed as Officer Commanding 4 Sqn. SAAF 3/9/1942
Promoted Substantive Captain in the GD Branch retaining the rank of T/Major 1/12/42

Posted to MAFD ex North 30/7/1943
Posted to SAAF Base Depot from MAFD 29/9/1943
Appointed Sweep Leader, 7 Wing, from SAAF Base Depot and to be T/ Lt. Colonel whilst holding the appointment 6/10/1943
Italy 6 October 1943 – 22 Jan 1944 Wing Leader 7th Wing SAAF (Spitfires)
January 1944 O.C. 7 Wing, Col. Loftus went on leave and Lt.Col. S.F. du Toit was appointed as acting O.C. 7 Wing.
Qualified No. 11 War Course Haifa Staff School (RAF Wing) 31/1/1944 – 27/5/1944 Grading B
Posted to MAFD from SAAF Base Depot 17/5/1944 ex M.E.
Arrived by air at ZAS 20/5/1944

Qualified for transfer to the SA Staff Corps (P.F.) and exempted from the examination for promotion to Major in that Corps w.e.f. 1/6/1945
Posted from MAFD SAAF to M.E. 18/7/44
Left by air from ZAS for Cairo 18/7/1944
Appointed Officer Commanding 8 Fighter Wing and to be T/ Colonel whilst holding this appointment 18/7/1944
From MAFD to SAAF BD 18/7/1944
From SAAF BD to Adv. T.C. 22/7/44
From Adv. T.C. to 8 Wing 25/7/44

Rosy’s record of postings

Rosy’s service record

Glossary

S.A.A.F. – South African Air Force

Z.A.S. – Zwartkop Air Station, some 2 miles east of Roberts Heights (later Voortrekkerhoogte)

S.B.D. - SAAF Base Depot

MAAF - Mediterranean Allied Air Forces; the major Allied air force command

MACAF - Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force

M.A.F.D. - SAAF Mobile Air Force Depot

M.E. – Middle East

U.D.F – Union Defence Force (Union of South Africa)

Obituaries

Stef arranged for the obituaries below in the London Times and The Telegraph to mark the passing of his uncle - an exceptional pilot and leader of men.

THE TIMES - From The Times April 7, 2009

• Colonel S. F. ‘Rosy’ du Toit: South African Air Force officer*

Colonel S. F. “Rosy” du Toit was one of that resolute band of South African Air Force pilots who made such a remarkable contribution first to the air campaign against the Italians in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1941 and thereafter, with ever increasing effectiveness, in the Western Desert and Italy right to the end of the Second World War.

The SAAF was flung into action over the unutterably hostile terrain of Ethiopia in 1941 as part of a motley contingent of (mostly obsolete) aircraft rushed up from South Africa to bases in Kenya and then Somalia, after Mussolini had entered the war against Britain and France in the summer of 1940.

The SAAF subsequently went on to distinguished itself in fighter and fighter-bomber operations against Axis forces with the Desert Air Force in North Africa where du Toit commanded a squadron. He became a wing leader in 1944, commanding 8 Wing in operations in Italy from August 1944 as it supported both British and US forces in the drive northwards to the Austrian frontier.

By the end of the war he had been awarded two DFCs, had been appointed CBE and was awarded the US Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in operations in support of the US 5th Army in Northern Italy.

Stephanus Francois du Toit was born in Zeerust, Transvaal, in 1919. In 1938 he enlisted in the South African Air Force and was commissioned in the following year. He acquired his nickname “Rosy” from the wartime term for a yellow duster used to polish leather and brass. He was always so immaculately turned out that his colleagues in training teased him that he carried one in his pocket to administer a last-minute buff-up to his kit before inspections. Shortly before the war he was stationed at Waterkloof Air Station with No2 Squadron, still flying biplane Hawker Fury fighter-bombers.

After the Italians invaded British Somaliland in August 1940, he was transferred to the newly formed 41 Squadron flying the Hawker Hartebees — a general-purpose development of the Hart bomber developed especially for the SAAF. No 41 was first sent to a base at Mogadishu in Italian Somaliland, which was occupied by the British in 1941. During the counter-offensive against the Italians in the Horn of Africa in 1941 du Toit and his squadron took part in strafing, bombing, artillery spotting and reconnaissance operations and he was mentioned in dispatches.

After Italian resistance in the Horn of Africa ceased in November 1941, he was posted for a second tour of operations to the Western Desert where, having been promoted to major, he commanded a squadron of P40 Kittyhawks in 1942-43. In the intense air-to-air and ground-attack fighting that took place in the desert as the fortunes of the Axis and British and Commonwealth forces swayed to and fro, du Toit and his fellow pilots were at the heart of an assault that took a terrible toll of Rommel’s supply lines. On April 5, 1943, he was part of a 7 Wing sortie that shot down 31 of the massive six-engined Me323 Gigant transports, carrying fuel which, as he recorded, “burst into flames on impact with the water, giving the impression that the sea was alight”.

He was awarded his first DFC in June 1943.

His next tour was in Italy where he commanded 4 Squadron, flying cannon-armed ground-attack Spitfires before being promoted to sweep leader of 7 Wing in October 1943. For his leadership and skill in these operations he received a Bar to his DFC.

After six months at the RAF Staff College Haifa as a colonel he was back on operations for a remarkable fourth tour in August 1944, this time commanding 8 Wing SAAF, which consisted of four Spitfire (Spit-bomber) squadrons. Operating in support of the US 5th Army under the aegis of XXII Tactical Air Command USAAF as the Allied advance pushed northwards, 8 Wing took part in a relentless pursuit and with 7 Wing spearheaded the final air assault on German forces on April 9, 1945. By the time the Germans surrendered in northern Italy on May 2, du Toit had been part, almost continuously, of a process that had taken the SAAF from El Alamein through Tunis to Sicily and Italy and thence to the Alps. After the end of the war his unit was based at Moderndorf in Austria. He had also been in action in Yugoslavia, knocking out German airfields in support of Tito’s partisans, for which he was awarded the US Distinguished Flying Cross and presented with the insignia of the CBE by King George VI at Buckingham Palace. Although there was something of a surfeit of senior officers at the end of the war, du Toit was able to remain in the SAAF and went to the US on an officer exchange programme.

He also held an appointment as a station commander, before being demobbed in 1948. It was the year of the victory of the National Party in the general election in South Africa, and marked a drive in the forces to curtail the advancement of those who had served with the Allies and were deemed “too British”, as well as anyone not in harmony with the new Government’s racial policies.

Over the next 20 years he farmed near the Mozambique border, and in what was then Rhodesia, and spent several years in the 1970s and 1980s ranching in New Mexico.

In the 1980s he returned to the Cape where he lived in retirement. Du Toit was three times married: his first wife, an American nurse whom he had met while in Italy predeceased him; his second marriage was dissolved; his third wife, Doreen, survives him. He had no children.

Colonel Stephanus F. “Rosy” du Toit, CBE, DFC and Bar, US DFC, wartime fighter and fighter-bomber pilot, was born on January 28, 1919. He died on February 13, 2009, aged 90

From The Telegraph 2nd April 2009

Colonel "Rosy" du Toit, who has died aged 90, was one of South Africa's outstanding wartime fighter pilots and leaders; he fought in Abyssinia, the North African desert and in Italy, ending the war with his Spitfire Wing in Austria.

02 Apr 2009

In October 1943, with the Allied armies becoming established in southern Italy, du Toit was appointed deputy leader of No 7 (SAAF) Wing. His three squadrons of RAF and SAAF Spitfires were engaged in ground-attack operations in support of Montgomery's Eighth Army in Italy and the partisans in Yugoslavia.

During November that year du Toit led his squadrons on an audacious attack against an enemy landing ground in Yugoslavia. Four enemy aircraft were destroyed, others were damaged, and enemy gun positions were eliminated. He was awarded an immediate Bar to an earlier DFC, the citation commending him for his "gallant leadership, great skill and courage".

Colonel Du Toit continued to lead the Wing throughout the harsh winter, strafing and bombing enemy gun emplacements and motor transports as General Montgomery attacked the Gustav Line. In July 1944, at the age of 26, he was promoted to colonel and took command of No 8 (SAAF) Wing, with four Spitfire squadrons.

The Germans had withdrawn north of Rome to the Gothic Line, and the Allies launched a major operation to attack their lines of communication. Flying in support of the US Fifth Army, du Toit led his Spitfires in strafing road and rail targets and dive-bombing bridges to cut off the enemy's supplies.

On April 9 1945 the Allies launched their final offensive, and 8 (SAAF) Wing was in the forefront of the attacks. By the time of the German capitulation on May 2, du Toit and his squadrons were close to the Austrian border, and a few weeks later they moved to Modendorf, where they became the first South African unit to be stationed in pre-war German-occupied territory. Du Toit was awarded an American DFC and appointed CBE, a rare distinction for such a young officer.

The son of a headmaster, Stephanus Francois du Toit was born on January 28 1919 at Groot Marico, Western Transvaal, and educated at Helpmekaar School, Johannesburg. Whilst studying Engineering at Witwatersrand University in 1937, he enrolled as a pupil pilot with the Transvaal air training scheme, then transferred to the South African Military College at Roberts Heights, where he trained as a pilot. It was at this time that he acquired his nickname "Rosy" – he always kept his uniform immaculate and carried with him at all times a yellow duster (a Rosy), to give a final polish to his buttons and leather webbing.

Du Toit was commissioned into the South African Air Force on September 6 1939, the day South Africa declared war on Germany. He joined No 41 Squadron, flying the Hartebeest biplane aircraft, initially on coastal patrols but then in direct support of South African ground forces throughout the little-known campaigns against Italy's East African empire.

During an operational flight near the Kenyan border, the engine of du Toit's aircraft failed and he made a forced landing in a remote area. He set fire to his aircraft and spent the next few days walking through the bush, evading the local tribesmen who were intent on relieving him of his rifle. As the ground forces advanced into Abyssinia and Eritrea, du Toit flew many sorties, strafing and bombing enemy positions. In August 1941 he landed behind enemy lines to pick up a fellow pilot who had been shot down.

During the major offensive against Gondar, du Toit's aircraft was hit by ground fire and set alight. He managed to clear the area before making a crash-landing on a road before returning on foot with the assistance of Ethiopian patriots. During the intense fighting over the next two months, he had to make two more emergency landings after his aircraft had been set on fire. The Italian forces surrendered at the end of November, and the East African campaign was over. Du Toit was mentioned in despatches.

The squadron moved to North Africa to become part of the Desert Air Force in the campaigns against the Axis forces. In July 1942 he joined No 4 (SAAF) Squadron, flying the Kittyhawk fighter bomber, and in September was promoted to major to command the squadron. Du Toit led from the front, and for the next 12 months he was in constant action.

During the fierce fighting around Alam el Halfa in September 1942 he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109. In October he led his squadron to a notable victory when it intercepted a large force of Stuka dive-bombers with a heavy fighter escort. Two-thirds of the Stukas were shot down, one by du Toit. In a later attack against an enemy landing ground, his squadron destroyed enemy transports, and du Toit silenced two anti-tank posts with his cannons.

During an assault on the enemy airfield at Gambut on November 11 du Toit shot down a Bf 109 before being engaged in a 30-minute running battle with five enemy fighters. When they ran out of ammunition, he escaped and landed with his aircraft out of fuel and sporting several bullet holes.

As the Eighth Army advanced, he and his squadron moved forward in the desert providing support. He once attacked a tank and saw it topple off a cliff. On April 22 1943 he provided top cover for other squadrons from his Wing as they shot down 24 giant Messerschmitt Me 323s into the sea as they made a last desperate effort to resupply Rommel's army with fuel. He described it as "terrific carnage, as the aircraft crashed and burst into flames. It was as if the sea was on fire."

In June 1943 du Toit was awarded a DFC and rested.

Du Toit resigned from the SAAF in 1950, having become disillusioned with the new National Government's restructuring of the armed forces, which he felt disadvantaged the country's minorities. He worked in the sugar industry until 1962, when he established a farm near Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia. Over the next 16 years he developed a first-class cattle farm, but in 1973, concerned about the deteriorating political situation, he decided to emigrate to the United States.

Initially he worked as a ranch hand in New Mexico, but soon rose to become general manager of a 60-hectare ranch. In 1983 he returned to South Africa, where he pursued his passion for climbing and walking in the Western Cape. Rosy du Toit died on February 13. He married his first wife, Jean (Jinx), an American army nurse, in London in 1946. She died in 1964, and his second marriage ended in divorce. He is survived by his third wife, Doreen, whom he married in 1984.

Summary of sources

https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=South%20African%20Air%20Force%20squadron%20identification%20codes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Air_Force_squadron_identification_codes#cite_ref-Flintham230_5-0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Air_Force

http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/SAAF/11_wwII.html

No. 3 Squadron SAAF moved to Italy (July 1944), serving with No.8 (SAAF) Wing for a short period. Once the Spitfire IXs had arrived the squadron began flying ground-attack missions, and it continued to perform this role until the end of the war. No.3 Squadron (S.A.A.F.) remained in Italy until September 1945, when it was moved back to Egypt, where in the following month it was disbanded.
August 1944: Bari (Italy)
August-September 1944: Foiano
September-October 1944: Borghetto
October-November 1944: Fano
November 1944-January 1945: Peretola
January-April 1945: Pontedera
April-May 1945: Villafranca

Stef Coetzee Family history research and first hand accounts from family members

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