SAAF No 1 Squadron

 Aircrew SAAF 1Sqn during a hunting expedition at Agordat Eritrea IWM CM742

Photo: Leading pilots of No. 1 Squadron SAAF pose for a group photograph in the back of a lorry, during a hunting expedition at Agordat, Eritrea. Left to right: Captain A Duncan, Captain A W Driver, Lieutenant R Pare, Major L A Wilmot (Commanding Officer) and Captain B J L "Piggy" Boyle. Duncan achieved four victories during the East African campaign, Driver became the most successful Commonwealth fighter pilot in East Africa with ten victories, Pare and Boyle scored five victories each and Wilmot scored one victory and one shared victory before he was shot down over Makale on 23 February 1941 and imprisoned.

Source: IWM CM 742 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211934

SAAF No 2 Squadron

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB SAAF 2Sqn TAU force landed North Africa 01

SAAF No 4 Squadron

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB SAAF 4Sqn DXU force landed North Africa 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB SAAF 4Sqn DXU force landed North Africa 02

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB SAAF 4Sqn KJM force landed Egyptian desert mid 1942 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB SAAF 4Sqn KJX taxiing Egyptian desert mid 1942 NARA 01

SAAF No 5 Squadron

 Aircrew SAAF 5Sqn pilot Johnny Human 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB SAAF 5Sqn GLP AN420 being overhauled Western Desert NARA 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk SAAF 5Sqn GLF Johnny Human AM401 Egypt 1942 0A

Profile 00: Tomahawk llB SAAF 5Sqn GL-F flown by Capt Johnny Human AM401 LG 121 Egypt March 1942. No 5 Sqn SAAF had begun operations in early March 1942, and on the evening at the 11 th one of its patrols encountered enemy bombers. Two Ju88s were shot down and two others damaged, one of the latter by future ace Capt D W 'Johnny' Human, who was flying this aircraft (which had previously served with No 2 Sqn SAAF) when he made his first accredited claim. He left the squadron four days later for No 2 Sqn SAAF. AM401 did not survive long, being shot down on a sweep on 3 June.

 Curtiss Tomahawk MkIIB SAAF 5Sqn RC Hirst at LG 121 Egypt IWM CM2513

Photo: Curtiss Tomahawk Mark IIB (named "Chaka") of No. 5 Squadron SAAF, piloted by Lieutenant R C Hirst, on the ground at LG 121, Egypt. From this landing ground east of Sidi Barrani, the Squadron flew its first operational sorties in March 1942, being responsible for the air defence of Egypt between Mersa Matruh and Sollum, and for the protection of convoys resupplying Tobruk.

Source: Imperial War Museum IWM CM 2513 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211983

 Curtiss Tomahawk MkIIB SAAF 5Sqn Lt R Pare in his Shirley III at LG 121 Egypt IWM CM2515

Photo: Lieutenant R Pare of No. 5 Squadron SAAF, sitting in the cockpit of his Curtis Tomahawk "Shirley III" at LG 121, Egypt. Pare joined the South African Permanent Force and attended the Military College as a Cadet. He was commissioned in the SAAF in April 1940 and posted to No. 1 Squadron SAAF, seeing action over East Africa until April 1941. After a period as an instructor in the Union, he joined 5 Squadron in December 1941. He was promoted commander of 'B' Flight on 31 May 1942, but was shot down and killed by Oberleutnant Hans-Joachim Marseille of I/JG27 near Bir Hacheim on 3 June, just after scoring his sixth victory.

Source: Imperial War Museum IWM CM 2515 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211936

SAAF No 40 Squadron

 Curtiss Tomahawk SAAF 40Sqn WRH operated at Burg el Arab as an Advanced Maintenance Unit 1941 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk SAAF 40Sqn WRH operated at Burg el Arab as an Advanced Maintenance Unit 1941 02

 Curtiss Tomahawk SAAF 40Sqn WRH operated at Burg el Arab as an Advanced Maintenance Unit 1941 03