ww2

South Africa’s top military medalists

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So, talking Olympics, but in a military context, who are South Africa’s greatest medalists?

Unfortunately we have to separate this into two sub categories as the National Party in 1948 decided that anyone fighting for the Allies under the banner of the “South African Union” was somehow “British” (so too their medals – the “Commonwealth” bit to these decorations mattered not a jot to the Nats) and anyone fighting for the ‘White’ Apartheid Republic they brought about in 1961 was somehow more “South African” – and they created a whole new set of medals in paramount to the “British and Commonwealth” ones – declaring these as “foreign” medals – which meant a simple peacetime SADF ’Skiet medal” (shooting proficiency medal) would be more senior than a Commonwealth decoration for wartime gallantry.

Naturally this caused a lot of distress for our WW1 and WW2 veterans at the time, some refusing to allow basic service medals to precede their hard earned combat medals – and it also caused lots of confusion. True, the Nationalists had to change them as South Africa was kicked out/left the British Commonwealth, no choice – but they did not have be sinister and give paramountcy over the Commonwealth medals.

Adding to this confusion is the current ANC dispensation who took the position in 2003 that medals awarded by the Apartheid Republic were for “Aparthied soldiers” and they created a whole new set to replace them for SANDF soldiers of a “democratic” South Africa – one thing they did right is they did not make them “paramount” to the SADF medals which maintain seniority (which the Nats did not do). To say this is a messy subject would be an understatement.

We also need to understand who is the South African with the “most” medals – like an Olympian who has won the most medals of any category – Gold, Silver or Bronze as opposed to the South African who has won the most “highest” medals for gallantry- again like an Olympian who has won the most “gold” medals.

Now to announce the winners:

The winner of the “most” medals i.e. the most decorated South African of the “Union” period is ….. Field Marshal Jan Smuts – here’s his rack:

Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts OM,CH,DTD,ED,PC,KC,FRS

  • Order of Merit (OM) – British and Commonwealth (WW2)
  • Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) – British and Commonwealth (WW1)
  • Dekoratie voor trouwe Dienst (DTD) – ZAR Republic (Boer War 2)
  • Efficiency Decoration (ED) – South Africa (Interwar and WW2)
  • Privy Council (PC) – British and Commonwealth
  • King’s Counsel (KC) – a legal appointment post nominal
  • Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS)
  • Bencher of the Middle Temple – a legal appointment
  • South African Republic and OFS War Medal – ZAR Republic (Boer War 2)
  • 1914/15 Star (WW1)
  • British War Medal 1914 – 1918 (WW1)
  • Victory Medal (WW1)
  • General Service Medal
  • King George V’s Jubilee Medal – 1935
  • King George VI’s Coronation Medal – 1937
  • 1939 – 1945 Star (WW2)
  • Africa Star (WW2)
  • Italy Star (WW2)
  • France and Germany Star (WW2)
  • Defence Medal 1939 – 1945 (WW2)
  • War Medal 1939 – 1945 (WW2)
  • Africa Service Medal 1939 – 1945 (WW2)
  • Order of Merit (U.S.A.)
  • EAME Campaign Medal – U.S.A.(WW2)
  • Order of the Tower and Sword for Valour, Loyalty and Merit (Portugal)
  • Grootkruis van die Orde van de Nederlandsche Leeuw – Netherlands (WW2)
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of Mohamed Ali (Egypt)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer – Greece (WW2)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Léopold II – Belgium (WW2)
  • Croix de guerre – Belgium (WW1)
  • Légion d’honneur Croix de Commandeur – France (WW1)
  • La Grand Croix de l’Ordre de L’Etoile Africane Ster – Belgium (WW2)
  • King Christian X Frihedsmedaille ‘Pro Dania’ – Denmark (WW2)
  • Aristion Andrias Gold Cross – Greece (WW2)
  • Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts
  • Woodrow Wilson Peace Medal1

36 Total

Smuts is unique in the sense that his two Boer War Republican medals pre-date his Union medals.

Field Marshal Jan Smuts and ribbons

The winner of the “highest” medals i.e. the highest decorated South African of the “Union” period is …. Captain Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor – here is his rack:

Captain Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor VC,DSO,MC&Bar,DFC

Captain Beauchamp-Proctor
  • Victoria Cross (WW1)
  • Distinguished Service Order (WW1)
  • Military Cross and Bar (WW1)
  • Distinguished Flying Cross (WW1)
  • 1914 – 1915 Star (WW1)
  • British War Medal (WW1)
  • The Victory Medal (WW1)

Captain Beauchamp-Proctor is not unique in the sense that all his highest medals were earned whilst fighting in British military constructs as a South African Union citizen – which was perfectly acceptable then.

The South African winner of the “most decorated” South African in the “South African Republic” SADF period is ….. General Bob Rogers – here is his rack:

General Bob Rogers SSA, SM, MMM, DSO, DFC&Bar

General Bob Rogers
  • Star of South Africa (SSA) (South Africa)
  • Southern Cross Medal (SM) (South Africa)
  • Military Merit Medal (MMM) (South Africa)
  • Korea Medal (South Africa)
  • Pro Patria Medal (South Africa)
  • Good Service Medal, Gold (30 Years – South Africa)
  • Good Service Medal, Silver (20 Years – South Africa)
  • Union Medal (South Africa)
  • Distinguished Service Order (DSO) (WW2)
  • Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar (DFC and Bar) (WW2)
  • 1939–45 Star (WW2)
  • Africa Star (WW2)
  • Italy Star (WW2)
  • War Medal 1939–1945 – Mentioned in Dispatches (WW2)
  • Africa Service Medal (WW2)
  • Distinguished Flying Cross (USA)*
  • Air Medal Bronze with Oak Leaf Cluster (USA)*
  • Order of Military Merit (Korea) (Chungmu cordon) with Gold Star
  • United Nations Service Medal for Korea
  • Korean War Service Medal
  • Grand Star of Military Merit (Chile)
  • Army PUC Presidential Unit Citation (USA)*

*American awards issued to 2 SAAF Squadron members under their command in the Korean War.2

23 Total

Note: General Rogers’ medal set are a combination of SADF (Republican) and UDF (Union) medals and decorations, and like Smuts some foreign ones too.

The winner of the “highest decorated” South African in the SADF “Republic” period is …. Major Arthur Walker – here is his rack:

Major Murray Walker

Major Murray Walker HCG&Bar, SM

  • Honoris Crux (Gold and Bar) – South Africa
  • Southern Cross Medal – South Africa
  • Pro Patria Medal – South Africa
  • Southern African Medal – South Africa
  • General Service Medal – South Africa
  • Good Service Medal Bronze – South Africa
  • Zimbabwean Independence Medal 1980 – Zimbabwe
  • General Service Medal – Rhodesia
  • United Nations Medal (Mozambique – United Nations)

Major Walker is unique in that won the Honoris Crux Gold (HCG) twice – the only South African to have a “Bar” to a HCG.

Overall Winning Medalists

So, of these four great medalists – who are the winners of the “most” and the “highest” given the grade and total sweep of the medals on offer – the answer:

Field Marshal Jan Smuts is the overall winner of the “most decorated South African”.

Simply because he has more decorations and medals (36) than Bob Rogers (23).

Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor is the overall winner of the “highest decorated South African”.

Simply because he has a Victoria Cross (VC) and his raft of decorations for gallantry serve to qualify it further – his DSO, two MC and DFC, putting him ahead of the other South African VC recipients – the highest gallantry award for the SADF was the “diamond” Honoris Crux (HCD), it was meant to be on the same level as a VC (albeit not the same as the VC is a stand alone, there is graded degree of bravery as there is with a HC set)- and nobody ever received a “diamond” Honoris Crux (HCD) in any event, it was never awarded, and no one ever will, it has been discontinued.

Of the new SANDF “Highest” decoration is the Nkwe ya Gauta – Golden Leopard – it replaced the Gold Honoris Crux (HCG) and like the HC set it is part of graded gallantry decorations going up in importance and there is no “diamond” Leopard – whereas the Victoria Cross is still a stand alone decoration and has no equivalent – so Beauchamp-Proctor still remains the “highest” decorated – and will remain such well into our living memory. So far there have been 3 recipients of the Nkwe ya Gauta – Golden Leopard – all of them posthumous.

Proccy – bravest of the brave

Please note this is not meant to degrade any one over the other – all four of these men are great South Africans.

Written and Researched by Peter Dickens

  1. Jan Smuts by his son Jan Smuts, Heinemann and Cassell, 1952 – awards list ↩︎
  2. Bob Rogers – his personal story as told by Roger Williams ↩︎

The world’s first air hijack

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So, here’s an interesting “first” for South Africa, we are the first nation who can hold up the very first aircraft hijacker as our own. Now, it’s not what you think, he’s not your deranged Islamic extremist or strait forward nut-job hijacking some or other commercial airliner … he’s a South African Air Force pilot and the aircraft he hijacked was a military aircraft belonging to the Axis forces during World War 2. His name was Lt. Colonel Edward Theodore Strever, South African Air Force (SAAF) No. 217 Squadron, or just plain “Ted” and both he, and his deeds are the stuff of legend, here’s his hijack story:

The Attack

During the war, Ted Strever, then a SAAF Lieutenant, found himself seconded to the Royal Air Force (RAF) flying a RAF 217 Squadron Bristol Beaufort twin-engined torpedo bomber L9820 and based at Luqa airfield in the isle of Malta. On 28th July 1942, 217 Squadron was engaged in attacking Italian Merchant shipping off Southern Greece. On that day Lt. Edward “Ted” Strever (SAAF) is captaining his Bristol Beaufort with a motley crew, his navigator is Pilot Officer William Dunsmore, Royal Air Force (RAF), from Liverpool. Sergeant John Wilkinson is his wireless operator, Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) from Auckland and Sergeant Alexander Brown is his Air gunner, also Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) from Timaru. 

RAF 217 Squadron Bristol Beauforts

They spot a 12,000 ton Italian cargo ship escorted by two destroyers, targeting the cargo ship they go into a torpedo run, intense enemy defensive fire sees Ted Strever’s wingman go down, but Strever is able to get his torpedo away. His torpedo slams into the side of the target in a direct hit, eventually sinking the vessel. However in passing over the target Ted’s Bristol Beaufort is shot up, taking damage to both engines. The stricken bomber is forced into a water crash-landing, the crew all survive and in the 90 seconds it takes the Bristol Beaufort takes to sink, they all manage to scramble into an inflatable dingy.

Taken Prisoner

Not long after scrambling into their dingy after the crash Ted and his crew were picked up by an Axis sea plane – an Italian CANT Z506B ‘Airone’ (Heron), a maritime reconnaissance plane and bomber, it has 3 engines, a crew of 4 and floats – it puts down near the dingy and Ted and his crew are hauled aboard. The Italian crew make the Allied crew Prisoners of War – and kindly give them some brandy and cigarettes to smooth their ordeal of the attack and crash. They are then flown to a small harbour on the island of Corfu. Taken to a nearly camp, the Italians continue to treat them well and they are fed a meal of steak, tomatoes and wine – more cigarettes and given comfortable beds.

The next day after having eggs for breakfast the Italian’s informed the captured Allied crewmen they will be taken to Taranto in Italy, here they would spend the rest of the war as prisoners – they immediately begin to conspire as to escaping. A few hours later they are back at the small harbour, and back in the same aircraft that had rescued them the day before – the CANT Z506B ‘Airone’ – with the same 4 Italian aircrew, only this time there is an extra armed guard – a corporal.

CANT Z506B ‘Airone’

The seaplane took off and set a westwards course, after a short time, the Allied crew talking softly amongst themselves, hatched a hasty escape plan. They are about to make history with the very first “skyjacking”.

The Escape

Sergeant Wilkinson (RNZAF) leans forward and punches the Arione’s wireless operator hard in the face, he leaps over the failing body and over-powers the armed guard, taking his pistol and passing it to Lt. Ted Strever (SAAF). Pilot Officer Dunsmore (RAF) and Sergeant Brown (RNAF), tackle the aircraft’s engineer. The commotion alerts the two pilots, one draws his pistol and the other fumbles with a sub machine gun, however in trying to recover control of the aircraft the pistol is knocked from the pilot’s hand by his colleague. Ted Strever advances on the pilots using the corporal as a human shield and then disarms the pilots – the Italians are then tied up using their own belts. The aircraft is now in the hands of Ted and his crew and Ted takes over the controls – it’s all a little too much for the Italian corporal, not used to flying and in all the excitement he becomes violently air-sick.

More problems rear their heads, Ted Strever is unfamiliar with this aircraft type, cannot understand the fuel situation and had no maps. So, they untie the Italian co-pilot, put him in the pilot’s seat and at gun-point instruct him to fly the aircraft to Malta.

Next was the problem of flying an enemy Italian aircraft into Allied controlled airspace around Malta. On approaching Malta they are intercepted by 3 RAF Spitfires from No. 603 Squadron, the Spitfires immediately pounce on the Arione and start shooting it up. P/O Dunsmore frantically tries to wave the deadly attack off by leaning out and waving his white vest out a window – but to no avail. The Arione, now full of holes and badly shot up, makes an immediate sea landing. The Allied crew climb on top of the wings and start frantically waving the Spitfires off – the target neutralised the Spitfires break the attack. The British then dispatch a RAF ‘crash-boat’, a high speed Air Sea Rescue Launch HSL 107, from Kalafrana to pick the aircrew and tow the sea-plane in.

Astonished to see four Allied aircrew in the enemy plane a member of the RAF crash boat team tasked with towing them to St Paul’s Bay is reported to have said

“We thought it was old Mussolini coming to give himself up!” 

RAF ‘Crash Boat’

Feeling a little guilty that the Italian’s had treated them so nicely when they were their POW’s, the Allied crew offered their apologies for not having any wine or brandy on them – but they promised them they would re-pay the compliment. One of the Italian crew, in rather good spirits realising that the war was finally over for him then produced a bottle of wine from his suitcase, which was promptly and very happily shared amongst both the air-crews.

Recognition

William Dunsmore was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), John Wilkinson and Alexander Brown as NCO’s eared the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM). All survived the war.

Ted Strever also received a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for this action. He died in Haenertsburg, South Africa in 1997 at the age of 77. This was only one instant in what was a very highly colourful and brave career in the Air Force. His daughter Gail Strever-Morkel published a book on his life, called ‘On Laughter-Silvered Wings: The Story of Lt. Col. E.T (Ted) Strever D.F.C’ and it well worth a read should anyone get their hands on a copy or order an electronic copy.

A short documentary was recently made by Mark Felton Productions and is on YouTube, here’s the link:

One thing is certain, they sure don’t make airmen like this anymore. A unique, brave and distinctively South African legacy.

Written and Researched by Peter Dickens

References

On Laughter-Silvered Wings: The Story of Lt. Col. E.T (Ted) Strever D.F.C By Gail Strever-Morkel. Published 2013.

PB Lucas (editor): Wings of War – Published 1983

The Reader’s Digest Illustrated Story of World War 2, vol.I.

The London Gazette dated Friday 4th September, 1942, regarding the award of the DFC. 

Related Work:

The Great Escape The Great Escape … was led by a South African!

When the SAAF went to Warsaw, we Remember – 1st August 1944

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Take a few minutes out of your day today to remember the 1st August 1944 and watch “The Men Who Went to Warsaw”: The Warsaw Uprising Airlift 1944 – a short dramatisation and interviews of the brave South African men who actually went on this mission.

Produced by Tinus le Roux as a non commercial historical archive, this film and others he has produced, all aim to capture the stories of South African Airmen in WW2 before they are lost.

70 Years ago, 13 August 1944; the first South African Air Force Liberators took off on a suicidal mission to Warsaw. This was the start of arguably one of the most daring and tragic series of missions ever flown by heavy bombers as they had to fly at night only 450 feet high at landing speed over the enemy infested city.

Watch and learn their story.

South African D-Day Hero: Tommy Thomas MC

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Today we profile another one of those South African heroes who served with the Royal Navy Commandos on D Day and who went on to win a Military Cross for Bravery – Lieutenant D.C. “Tommy” Thomas MC from Maclear in the Transkei.

12074843_501711933331877_2278790879846881223_nHis most painful recollection of D-Day was the stormy passage he and his contingent had to undergo in crossing the Channel in their landing craft.The seas were running high, and hardly a man escaped sea sickness. They landed in the second wave at first light, their boat receiving a direct hit as they approached the shore, half-a-dozen men being killed, and Thomas found himself up to his neck in water after having jumped form the landing craft as it struck the beach.

The Commandos, having “dumped” their steel helmets, promptly donned their green berets as they went ashore, it being “more comfortable”.  They had a specific job to do which was to connect up as soon as possible with the paratroops who had dropped further inland, and encountered fire, but “did not wait to deal with the resistance at the coast, pushing inland instead with all speed”.

28947594_1680931308655261_7193057698211176449_o

Royal Marine Commandos attached to 3rd Division move inland from Sword Beach on the Normandy coast, 6 June 1944.

It was “tough going through the minefields but they got there”. “And were the paratroops glad to see us!” remarked Lt. Thomas, who further remarked that for the next few days none of them knew much of what was happening, and could not be sure whether the invasion was a success or not.

All they knew was “that in their own sector on the left flank of the beach-head they were kept hard at it”, and the toughening they had had in advance was to prove more than useful.

According to plan, they kept on the move all the time -”frigging about” as it was called in Commando terminology, snatching some much-needed sleep in slit-trenches during the day, while at night they were patrols or raids to be carried out. It was while returning from one of these ”nocturnal excursions” that Lieutenant Thomas shared with his sergeant and another man “the benefit of a German hand-grenade”, and was to later return to England with several “little shrapnel souvenirs still in his leg”, but otherwise was “none the worse for wear”.

Commenting on how the Normandy landings compared to his time in North Africa, Lt. Thomas was to say that “it was worse”, elaborating that “for one thing, in the Desert, you could see whom you were fighting, but in Normandy most of the time you couldn’t.”

Lt. Thomas was also to add that he was wondering how he would “be able to settle down on the family farm in the Maclear district of the Transkei after all this excitement”.

Military_CrossLt Thomas won the Military Cross (MC) for his actions in World War 2.  A significant decoration, it is awarded for gallantry in combat. The MC is granted in recognition of “an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land to all members, of any rank in Our Armed Forces”.

The unfortunate truth is that it was highly likely that his participation in D Day ultimately killed him years later. After the war but he developed an alcohol dependency problem whilst suffering with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), very sick he eventually shot himself when he was also diagnosed with cancer. A real tragedy and the end of a fine South African hero, close family and fiends described him as an AMAZING man, brave, humble and very caring.

People who knew him well said he was never the same after the war, and today we honour his extreme sacrifice and we will remember him.

Related Links and Work of South Africans during D Day:

Albie Gotze “This bastard is going to kill me”; Albie Götze’s Legion d’Honneur

Lyle Mckay South African bravery on D Day, Capt. Lyle McKay.

Cecil Bircher South African D Day Hero: Lt. Cecil Bircher MC

Anthony Large South African D Day hero: Anthony Large BEM

Royston Turnball Supreme South African heroism on Omaha Beach, Lt. Royston Turnbull DSC

Posted by Peter Dickens. Reference – Two South African “Royal Marine” Commandos and the D-Day Landings, June 1944 By Ross Dix-Peek.

Photo of Tommy courtesy and copyright of his old girlfriend – Mrs A Mason (from Mrs Mason’s personal album), with grateful thanks.

The Red Oath

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Pride in “Rooi Lussies”(red tabs), worn by most, branded “Rooi Luisies” (Red Lice) by some.

At the start of World War 2, the South African armed forces were woefully understrength having only 3,500 permanent force members and 14,000 volunteers in citizen force regiments and rifle associations (Active Citizen Force). General Jan Smuts needed to increase these numbers dramatically, and he did not want to institute conscription to do so, the call to fight would be based on volunteerism. The idea was to initiate a Oath declaring the free willing and voluntary nature South Africans felt in going to war against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and eventually Imperial Japan. The success of this call for volunteerism is staggering – in the end a total of 342,792 South Africans volunteered to participate in World War 2.

Also of that statistic nearly one quarter of the total ‘white’ adult population at the time volunteered for service, consider what Smuts had achieved, the Nationalists were unable to raise anywhere near these numbers in 1966 to their cause and had to implement forced conscription for the SADF.

The ‘Red Oath’ or ‘Service Oath’ was taken by all these volunteers when joining the South African Union Defence Force (UDF) from 1939, it was a Service Oath to legally enable the Union to send soldiers outside the borders of South Africa (soldiers in the UDF were only legally obliged to protect South Africa itself if it were invaded). The oath read:

“That I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George VI and his heirs and successors according to law … That I will perform to the best of my ability the duties assigned to me as a volunteer member of the Union Defence Forces … That I will serve anywhere for the duration of the present war and for a period of six months thereafter unless otherwise legally discharged.”

This manifested itself in ‘red epaulettes’ issued to all service-personal who ‘volunteered’ to serve in the armed forces during the war and took the ‘Red Oath’. Sensitive to sympathetic political feelings many Afrikaners had towards Germany, by implementing the oath the Smuts government gave the opportunity for permanent force members sympathetic to Germany to remain in the Union’s forces, and not go to war against them – they just didn’t get to wear the red tabs.

The original ‘red’ oath specified service anywhere in “Africa” and was called the ‘Africa Service Oath’ (ASO), it was changed to the ‘General Service Oath’ (GSO) once the Axis Forces in North Africa were defeated so that volunteers could be used in the European theatre and the word “Africa” was changed to “anywhere”. Those who did not want to fight in Europe and who had taken the ‘Africa’ oath only were returned to the Union.

A handful of permanent force UDF members did not take either red oath, some felt inevitably ‘singled out’ by not wearing the tabs (and in some cases resigned), whilst others took pride in their political convictions and wore their ‘clean’ epaulettes, sans the red strip with pride.

Images: Pride in the Red tabs and Let’s Go South Africa, showing proudly the tabs propaganda posters.

This WW2 South African propaganda poster, promoting the ‘Red Oath’ and the special volunteer epaulette flash worn by all who took the oath and volunteered for service during World War 2 was designed to swing opinion in the Afrikaans community where the wearing of the red flash was seen as an oath to the British and viewed by some as betrayal. In these sections of the Afrikaans community they where called ‘Rooi Luisies’ (Red Lice) instead of ‘Rooi Lussies” (Red Tabs), as a means of degrading those who volunteered.

Image: British (left) and South African (right) uniforms from the Italy Campaign during WW2, note the red tabs on the epaulettes.

Of interest is the ‘Africa Service Medal’ awarded to all who served in South African Forces during the Second World War, the ‘red tab’ in this medal’s ribbon is symbolic of the The Red Oath taken and the tabs worn.

The ‘Erasmus Reforms’ to the defence force was implemented by FC Erasmus after the Afrikaner Nationalists came to power in 1948. Deemed more necessary when the Nationalists converted the South African Union’s Defence Force to that of the Republic’s Defence Force in 1961 and these reforms would see the idea of the ‘red’ oaths to the British royal family as the symbolic head of South Africa and red tabs removed. Some citizen force regiments however carried on with the tradition as a historical nod to their participation in the Second World War on their step out uniforms, the Cape Town Highlanders a case in point.

Written and Researched by Peter Dickens

References:

The Smuts Government Justification of Emergency Regulations and the impact thereof on The Ossewabrandwag (1939-1945) by Anna La Grange

The Springbok Record – published by the South African Legion

The first German General to surrender his forces in WW2 – surrendered to the South Africans

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Nugget of South African military history, the very first German General to formally surrender his forces to the Allies during the Second World War – surrendered to the South African forces in the North African theatre of operations.

Generalleutenant Artur Schmidt was the first German General to formally surrender to a Allied General which was General De Villiers (Commissioner of the South African Police) and Commander of the South African 2nd Infantry Division.

As part of General Rommel’s skillful retreat in December 1941 to the El Aghelia – Marda strongpoint in Libya, key defensive actions where set up at Sollum, Halfaya Pass and Bardia. On 30 December 1941, South African troops supported by a heavy air, sea and land bombardment began their attack on Bardia. A counterattack on the city’s perimeter slowed the advance, but supported by tanks the South Africans launched their final assault on 02 January 1942 to take the city. Seen here on that day is General Schmidt formally surrendering himself and the Italian and German forces under his command to the South Africans.

Ironically the South African 2nd Infantry Division would themselves all become captured at the Fall of Tobruk by Rommel’s German Afrika Korps and other Axis forces on 21 June 1942.

Screen Shot 2016-01-17 at 14.14.16Note the identification patch of the South African 2nd Infantry Division on the person standing on the far right of the image.

Not to be confused with the “capture” of Generalleutnant Johann von Ravenstein a couple of months earlier by New Zealand soldiers.   There is a big difference between a formal surrender of forces to an opposing force, than simply been randomly ‘captured’ driving around in a staff car and taking a wrong turn as General von Ravenstein was. General von Ravenstein did not “surrender” himself nor did he surrender any German forces.

Ironically General von Ravesnstien served the first part of his POW life in South Africa before been shipped of to Canada.

Written and researched by Peter Dickens. Thank you to Sandy Evan Haynes for the background information and to Marc Norman for the image.

The worst maritime loss off Durban’s coast; The sinking of the SS Nova Scotia

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This rare colour image of U Boat 177 is at the heart of one of the worst maritime losses off South Africa’s coast during WW2 – this is the story of the sinking of the troopship SS Nova Scotia just off Durban by U177.  An “own goal” really as the SS Nova Scotia was returning with fellow Axis Force “Prisoner of War” Italian servicemen.

crew uboat watchout guard tropical binocular2

Rare original colour image of German submariners on the coning tower of U-177 conducting a watch.

During the Second World War, Durban was the embarkation and disembarkation port, first for the East African and Abyssinian campaigns and later for those in the Middle East and Italy. A large military hospital operated at Springfield and hospital ships plied between the port and the theatres of war in the north.

One such ship was the 6 796 ton SS Nova Scotia, belonging to the Furness Withy Group which had been converted into a troop carrier, operating mainly between Durban and ports along the African east Coast all the way up to the Suez. She carried troops from Durban to the “North” and on the return passage carrier Italian Prisoners of War (POW) to South Africa.

Nova-Scotia

SS Nova Scotia

SS Nova Scotia sailed from Massawa, in Italian East Africa (modern day Eritrea), on 15 November 1942 carrying 765 Italian POW’s, 134 British and South African guards and 118 crew.

Just after 06:00 on 28 November 1942 the Commander of U-boat 177, Kapitanleutnant Gysae, apparently sighted smoke from the SS Nova Scotia off the Zululand coast of Natal. Just after 09:00 U177 fired three torpedoes which struck the SS Nova Scotia who sank within 7 minutes. It appears that only 1 lifeboat was successfully launched leaving the rest of the survivors clinging to bits of the wreck.

U177 surfaced to establish the identity of the ship that they sank, but was unable to do so due to the chaotic situation. Two survivors were taken aboard for intelligence. German U-boat Command did inform the Portuguese authorities of the sinking of the SS Nova Scotia. As a result of this, the Alfonso de Albuquerque out of Lourenco Marques reached the scene of the sinking on 29 November 1942 and managed to rescue 190 survivors. Another survivor was picked up by a Destroyer three days later while a fortunate Italian POW floated ashore at Mtunzini two weeks after the incident.

Many of the casualties were washed ashore on the Natal (Kwazulu-Natal) beaches. 118 of the Italian POW’s were buried in a common grave in the Hilary Cemetery, Durban. Three crosses initially marked the grave, but in 1982, using a donation from the survivors of the SS Nova Scotia still living in Mozambique a new memorial was erected. This comprised a circular tomb topped by a broken stele rising from the waves inscribed with the words “To the memory of the Sons of Italy who were overcome by the ocean in the sinking of the S/S ‘Nova Scotia’ XXVIII-XI-MCMXLII The survivors sheltered in Mozambique”.

Since then the 118 casualties from the “SS Nova Scotia” have been exhumed from the Hilary Cemetery and along with the remains of the 35 Italian POW’s who died in the Natal Province are now buried in the grounds of the “Master Divinae Gratiae” Church, Epworth Road, Mkondeni, Pietermaritzburg. The church was built by Italian POW’s in 1944 and is today a South African National Monument.

The only woman to survive the ordeal was Alda Ignisti (later Lady Taylor) who, along with her daughter Valcheria, was on her way to Durban having been stranded in in Italian East Africa (modern day Eritrea) following the death of her husband.

U-177 also met with a watery grave – on 6 February 1944, she was sunk in the Atlantic west of Ascension Island, in position 10°35′S 23°15′W Coordinates: 10°35′S 23°15′W, by depth charges dropped by a PB4Y aircraft from US Navy Squadron VB-107. 50 men were lost; 15 survived, they were picked up by USS Omaha.

Similar to the sinking of the SS NOVA SCOTIA, here is U 177 again – however this time the ship shown sinking in the photo is the American ship MS ALICE F. PALMER – sunk by U-177 south of Madagasgar off the east coast of Africa on the 10th of July 1943.

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Information source –  Charles Ross, additional research by Peter Dickens. The colour photo of U-177 is from the personal album of Burkhard Heusinger Von Waldegg who was the first watch officer of U-177 – Lt. Robert Gysae the commander of U-177 stands on the right hand side – note the Knights Cross.

Sailor Malan; in his own words!

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Sailor Malan – a true South African WW2 flying ace and national hero “in his own words” – and here is a very rare recorded interview with him.

This is a fantastic historical record of a personal interview with the great WW2 South African fighter ace Adolph “Sailor” Malan, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar.

Note in this recording, clearly taken as a public relations exercise to install confidence in the British public in the Royal Air Force and it’s pilots by the public broadcaster (there were a series of these interviews involving other pilots).  Because of this, Sailor Malan comes across as a little over-confident and quite flippant.  Its intentional and designed to make killing Germans sterile and combat adventurous.

He also adopts a very plummy British ‘officers’ accent so common to the tone and manner of speaking of this particular officer class during the war, both in Britain and in the Commonwealth.  His ‘flat vowel’ South African accent sneaks in here and there, but in all Malan was a very well-educated and travelled man and his command of the English language was exemplary (as was his command of Afrikaans).

Also noteworthy is Sailor Malan’s WW2 era cultural expressions, delivery and sayings which were so typical to Allied Air Force officers at the time – terms like:

“Hun” – meaning Germans – a derogatory term insinuating barbarism dating to the First World War.
“Squirt” – meaning a short burst of gun or cannon fire.
“Jerry” – meaning Germans – a derogatory term pertinent to the Second World War.
“Pumping Lead” – meaning a high rate of machine gun or cannon fire ‘pumped’ into the enemy to kill him
“Tally Ho” – a British fox-hunting term meaning to spot a target and call to action.
“Cut yourself a slice of cake” – a favourite term used by Sailor Malan (and other pilots) meaning to get into the fight and have a piece of the action.

Related work on Sailor Malan:

Sailor Malan’s role in the Battle of Britain and the Torch Commando: Sailor Malan; Fighter Ace & Freedom Fighter!

Sailor Malan’s Ten Rules of Air Combat: ‘Ten of my rules for air fighting’ – Sailor Malan

The Torch Commando – footage and history: The Torch Commando led South Africa’s first mass anti-apartheid protests, NOT the ANC!

Researched and written by Peter Dickens

Reference: YouTube.  Painting by Derrick Dickens, copyright Peter Dickens.  Photograph copyright – Imperial War Museum

A Beaufighter, a Bible and a Badge

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55908_146382762236864_626950629_oHaving known Lt. Steve Stevens DFC, I remain in total awe of his generation.  I met him in Wothing in England and Steve was 96 years young bed-ridden, in pain and weak – but he was no less the man, and this famous featured image of him firing rockets from his South African Air Force (SAAF) Beaufighter during WW2 says everything about him as a fighter pilot, but he was also a devout Christian who pioneered missionary aviation, leading a rich and interesting life.  This is a little of his very remarkable story.

Steve Stevens was born on 27th August 1919 in Amesbury, Dorset. His father George was gassed in Salonica during WW1 and was sent to a special medical facility in Aberdeen for mustard gas victims, and he met and married Dora, one of the VAD’s.

Steve’s father was not expected to live past 40. However, in typical Stevens fashion George Alexander Stevens took no notice of this pronouncement and his health improved enough for him to take up a new assignment in the British Army of Occupation in Germany. The family was billeted in a huge house complete with stables, and young Steve was delighted to be placed in the care of a beautiful young fraulien. Steve adored her, and from her learned to speak German better than he could speak English.

However, George’s health deteriorated and after the family was moved around from Switzerland (where Steve became proficient in skiing, jumping and skating), Italy and Ireland on various Army assignments, on medical advice it was agreed that George Stevens’ lungs would not survive the wet European climate, it was recommended that he was to be invalided out of the army and moved to somewhere nice and warm and dry.

So it was that the family left for a life on a farm in South Africa in November 1929. George’s health improved, but Steve’s mother Dora suddenly fell ill and died of a brain tumour when Steve was only 14.

When World War 2 broke out Steve was at the Bible Institute of South Africa. With the decision to close the college for the duration, some of the students joined the Ministry, and Steve joined the South African Air Force (SAAF). Steve was convinced that the prayers offered three times a day by his father and stepmother would keep him safe during the war. Steve joined the SAAF as a trainee air photographer, but soon re-mustered as aircrew.

Steve Stevens cr.jpg.opt854x383o0,0s854x383

A Beaufighter

During the War Steve flew air strikes over Yugoslavia with SAAF 19 Squadron, based at Biferno in Italy. These strikes included the daring raid on the occupied walled town of Zuzenberk. The image of Steve firing his rockets is one of the two iconic Beaufighter images of the war. It is astonishing to realise that Steve could accurately hit a target as small as a 44 gallon fuel barrel with his rockets.  In Steve’s words;

“This photograph is widely recognised as one of the most famous Beaufighter air- strike photo of WWII. It shows my plane attacking the Nazi-held medieval walled town of Zuzenberk, Yugoslavia.  The attack by the South African Air Force resulted in the Yugoslav Partisans recapturing their town that very day.”   

10419987_398890630280675_310774668078404600_nAnd this is the photograph, the SAAF Bristol Beaufighter TF Mark X of No. 16 Squadron South African Air Force seen in the image is been flown by Lt Steve Stevens as he releases its rocket projectiles at an enemy target in the town of Zuzemberk.

The photograph was taken by Lt. Schonveld flying just behind Lt. Stevens (SAAF 19 squadron) who’s Beaufighter is in view while attacking a target in Zuzemberk Feb 1945. Schonveld was a keen photographer and positioned his aircraft in a perfect position behind Stevens to capture this epic shot with the nose camera, but he flew a bit too close and ended with dents in his wings from spent 20mm shell cases from Steve’s aircraft.

Take the time to watch this short video interview of Steve Stevens by Tinus Le Roux, as to how this photograph was taken. It is as insightful as it is fascinating.

Copyright Tinus Le Roux

This photograph is historically well-known and has been published in many writings. It shows the aircraft, fired rockets and target simultaneously in a perfect balanced setting, indeed very rare.

Luckily for all of us, we get to preserve unique insight as both SAAF 16 and 19 Squadrons had unofficially mounted F.24 camera’s in the nose of their Beaufighters which took photographs during their attacks so that reconnaissance  aircraft did not have to over fly later to asses the battle damage.

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In another raid Steve also photographed Major Tilley attacking the armed German warship SS Kuckuck as Tilley’s number two. It was a desperate sortie which Steve and his fellow pilots fully expected to be a suicide mission. The rockets holed the target under the waterline. The pilots had been briefed by the Partisans that they would face the fire from 140 anti-aircraft guns. Remarkably all four planes returned safely.

Tinus Le Roux interviewed Steve Stevens to capture this attack on the SS Kuckuck, his short video is fascinating, a capture of a man and a time that is truly remarkable, take the time to watch it (many thanks to Tinus for bringing this experience to us)

Copyright: Tinus Le Roux

A Bible

Lt Steve Stevens DFC had a very remarkable life, deeply God-fearing, religion was a very central pillar in all of it.

After the war ended, in 1946, as liaison officer between the South African Air Force and the Royal Air Force in Khartoum, Sudan Steve saw how badly the Christian missionaries needed a plane, not only just to spread the word of Christ, but also to get aid (medicines, foodstuffs and equipment) to remote communities.  He joined the MAF, the ‘Mission Aviation Fellowship’ – a group of pilots dedicated to Christian missionary becoming MAF’s first operational pilot to be based in Sudan in 1950.

Early-WingsIn Sudan, Steve flew a de Havilland Rapide – an eight-seater twin-engine wood and fabric covered biplane – not best suited for flying in Africa, but the best MAF could find and afford at that juncture. Over time, more and more airstrips were hacked out of jungle, bush, desert and grasslands, and Steve began to fly to other places where no planes had ever been before.

At the end of 1951, Steve experienced some problems with his vision, diagnosed as a detached retina and he lost the sight in one eye.  He was grounded , however Steve still felt that his call was still to aviation missionary work so he and his family moved to the UK. He re-established MAF’s UK HQ and worked tirelessly to raise financial, staff and prayer support for the ministry.

29351857_2114964225399231_7455946665119351885_oIn 1970, after more than twenty years of service to the MAF cause, Steve and his wife Kay moved on to become early members of the National Festival of Light, forerunner of today’s CARE organisation. Steve later became Executive Director of Australian Festival of Light.

A Badge 

Steve Stevens remained a great advocate and supporter of  veterans associations, the MAF and his Christian charities and institutions, throughout his life and was active in his backing all of them until age and frailty forced him to slow down a little, but not entirely, Steve even continued to use the internet and podcasting Christian messaging from his frail care bed.  He also actively ran his own website to sell his work and outreach his messages, he became an avid author of all his adventures,  his book on his time in the war called “Beaufighter over the Balkans” is a welcome addition to anyones library.

12274761_1701525626743095_268284195502034384_nI met Steve Stevens, when the South African Legion of Military Veterans initiated an outreach to him to see if there was anything we could do to help him as a frail care WW2 veteran in his 90’s, I was astounded when he replied that he was at peace with himself and how could he help the Legion instead.  Steve then kindly donated signed copies of his books to the Legion so that we could fundraise for other initiatives.  Cameron Kinnear and I visited him at his home in England and awarded him a lifetime honoury membership of the South African Legion, and we pinned his SA Legion ‘veterans badge’ on his lapel.

Steve passed away in June 2016 and is survived by his children – Merle, Pam, Coleen and Tim – in addition to his grandchildren.  His veterans badge was given back to the SA Legion by his family and, as means of keeping people like Steve in living memory his badge was loaned to me to wear.

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This was an extraordinary man you can easily attribute words and values which would describe him as ‘noble’, ‘selfless’, ‘adventurous’, ‘brave’, ‘humble’ and most importantly a man with a solid backbone, unwavering in his belief and demonstrating that rare value of spiritual self actualisation ‘completely at peace with himself and the world’.

This man was cut from a very different cloth to the rest of us mortals, and it is with the greatest pride that I wear his veterans badge and an even bigger privilege that I am allowed to carry his memory.

Capt. Peter Dickens (Retired)

Written by Peter Dickens. Image Copyright: Imperial War Museum. Information Tinus Le Roux and Sandy Evan Haynes.  Thanks to Cameron Kinnear for the extraction from his visit with Steve Stevens. Video (SA Legion UK stories: South African Legion UK and EU), “SAAF Beaufighters attack a German Ship – WW2 Pilot Steve Stevens DFC” Produced and Directed by Tinus Le Roux, copyright Tinus Le Roux. “How one of WW2’s greatest rocket air strike photographs was taken: Steve Stevens DFC” Produced and Directed by Tinus Le Roux, copyright Tinus Le Roux.

When “nuggets” of history make a BIG difference

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Sometimes you get a surprise that leaves you speechless. This is when you realise that your dedication to military veterans actually makes a difference.  This is a mail I received and I’ve added the original post below.

Letter from Chris Crossley

Hi Peter,
Just another story for you! This post you put up on the Legions page has some amazing history which you wouldn’t know about but I am happy to share with you to show my gratitude for these “nuggets” of info you share with us.

My wife, Tracy, was an adopted child who after 35 years found her birth parents. Wonderful people they turned out to be and we are building a relationship with them that is priceless. As things go, curiosity led us to find out about family history and Tracy’s birth Dad told us about an uncle of his that was lost during the war. He was in the SAN and went down with “some” ship somewhere. He was married at the time and his wife, on hearing the news that her husband was lost at sea (MIA) never gave up on the hope of his return to Durban because he was never seen and not confirmed deceased. Because of this, she never remarried and passed away many years later, remaining faithful to her husband. Her husband was Roland Redman who served with the SA Navy volunteers on the HMS Dorchester that your story includes. His name is included in the Role of Honour for the Dorchester.

None of the wider family have ever known what happened to him and the facts and details of his service were not known by the surviving family members either. This last Saturday evening, I was talking to my wife’s birth Dad when he recounted the scant details he had of his uncle. I went on line and found your article and shared it with him on fb. Well he was overcome by this information as well as other members of his family and now for the first time in seventy odd years the facts of Uncle Roland, his service and his sacrifice are now known and cherished by his family left behind.

As an historian, I am sure this story will be something that you can cherish as your post has made a huge difference to some wonderful people! Thank you.

Chris Crossley

This is the original post Chris is referring to which I placed on The South African Legion’s Facebook page:

The Article – The sinking of the HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire.

This is a image of the HMS Cornwall under attack just prior to her sinking, it was taken by the Japanese attack aircraft. A number of South African Navy personnel were lost with this ship whilst seconded to the Royal Navy during World War 2, as well as on the HMS Dorsetshire in the same attack.

As Simon’s Town was a Royal Navy base, men volunteering for the “South African Naval Forces” (SANF) to fight in World War 2 where either allocated to Royal Navy ships (titled HMS – His Majesty’s Ship) or on South African Navy ships (tilted HMSAS – His Majesty’s South African Ship), therefore whenever a large Royal Navy ship was lost during the war it is almost guaranteed that a number of South African Naval Personnel (SANF) were lost with it.

On 4 April, the Japanese carrier fleet was spotted and the two cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire set out for Addu Atoll in pursuit of the Japanese. On 5 April 1942, the two cruisers were sighted by a spotter plane from the Japanese cruiser Tone about 200 miles (370 km) southwest of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

As part of the engagement known as the Easter Sunday Raid, a wave of dive bombers led by Lieutenant Commander Egusa took off from Japanese carriers to attack Cornwall and Dorsetshire, 320 km (170 nmi; 200 mi) southwest of Ceylon, and sank the two ships.

British and Allied losses were 424 men killed; 1,122 survivors spent thirty hours in the water before being rescued by HMS Enterprise and two destroyers.

Total South African (SANF) losses on the HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire were as follows (MPK means “missing presumed killed”):

HMS Cornwall

BATES, John S, Stoker 2c, 68924 (SANF), MPK
BESWETHERICK, Hedley C, Ordinary Seaman RNVR, 86671 (SANF), MPK
BOTES, John S, Stoker 2c RNVR, 68924 (SANF), MPK
COMMERFORD, Noel P, Able Seaman RNVR, 66493 (SANF), MPK
CRAWFORD, Cecil E, Act/Engine Room Artificer 4c RNVR, 67922 (SANF), MPK
DU PREEZ, Charles P H, Able Seaman, 68175 (SANF), MPK
DUTTON, Charles C, Stoker 2c RNVR, 68949 (SANF), MPK
HANSLO, Raymond F, Able Seaman RNVR, 68295 (SANF), MPK
KEITH, Kenneth I B, Able Seaman RNVR, 66742 (SANF), MPK
KENYON, Graeme A B, Able Seaman RNVR, 68002 (SANF), MPK
KIRSTEN, Monty G W, Able Seaman RNVR, 68917 (SANF), MPK
LAW, Edward, Act/Engine Room Artificer 4c RNVR, 66760 (SANF), MPK
MCDAVID, William K, Stoker 2c RNVR, 69138 (SANF), MPK
MITCHELL, William A, Stoker 1c RNVR, 68796 (SANF), MPK
SPENCE, Noel W, Ordinary Seaman RNVR, 68732 (SANF), MPK
SQUIRES, John E, Ordinary Seaman RNVR, 68728 (SANF), MPK
STEPHEN, Eric B, Ordinary Seaman RNVR, 68861 (SANF), MPK
SWANN, Lawrence T, Stoker 1c RNVR, 68710 (SANF), MPK
THORPE, Maurice, Stoker 2c RNVR, 69140 (SANF), MPK
VERSFELD, Peter H S, Able Seaman RNVR, 68859 (SANF), MPK
VINK, Benjamin F, Ordinary Seaman RNVR, 68860 (SANF), MPK
WILLSON, Gerald F, Stoker 2c RNVR, 69006 (SANF), MPK
WRIGHT, Thomas H, Able Seaman RNVR, 68039 (SANF), MPK

HMS Dorsetshire

BELL, Douglas S, Ty/Act/Leading Stoker, 67243 (SANF), MPK
BRUCE, Alexander M, Stoker 2c, 67907 (SANF), MPK
EVENPOEL, Albert, Stoker 2c, 67909 (SANF), MPK
GEFFEN, Sender, Stoker 1c, 68035 (SANF), MPK
HOWE, Horace G, Ordinary Seaman RNVR, 68680 (SANF), MPK
KENDRICK, George, Stoker 2c, 67910 (SANF), MPK
MCINTYRE, Norman G, Able Seaman, 67446 (SANF), MPK
MCLELLAN, Robert, Ordinary Telegraphist, 67897 (SANF), MPK
MORROW, Douglas E, Able Seaman, 67989 (SANF), MPK
ORTON, Charles P, Able Seaman, 68009 (SANF), MPK
REDMAN, Roland A, Leading Stoker, 67406 (SANF), MPK
SCOTT, William J, Able Seaman, 68007 (SANF), MPK
SEVEL, Harry, Stoker 1c, 68100 (SANF), MPK
WILLETT, Amos A S, Stoker 1c, 67240 (SANF), MPK
WILLIAMSON, Walter N, Able Seaman, 67803 (SANF), MPK

Lest we forget the trememdous sacrifice of our countrymen in this world war for liberation.

Article by Peter Dickens