South African Air Force squadron identification codes

Supermarine Spitfires with squadron code DB, denoting 2 Squadron SAAF

The South African Air Force (SAAF) adopted the use of squadron codes from the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

Further information: List of RAF squadron codes

The SAAF continued to use these codes after the war, with the final use of the wartime code system on a 22 Squadron PV-1 Ventura in 1960.[1]

Aircraft deployed for the East African Campaign did not carry any squadron codes—these were first introduced when the SAAF deployed to North Africa in 1942. Squadron codes were assigned by the RAF from a theater annex to SD110. Aircraft used in South Africa did not carry squadron codes, except for aircraft of the 11 OTU which carried the squadron codes of their parent squadrons (1 and 2 Squadron SAAF).[2]

Historically, the codes were usually two alphabetic characters, painted on the rear fuselage next to the roundel. These formed a suffix or prefix to the call sign of each aircraft (on the other side of the roundel) which was usually a single letter (e. g. "G for George"). In general, when an aircraft was lost or withdrawn from use, its call sign was applied to its replacement or another aircraft.[3]

## World War II

Code  | Squadron  | Type  | Period From  | Period To  | Theater  | Notes

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AX | 1 Squadron[2] | Hurricane Mk I  | April 1942  | November 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
AX | 1 Squadron[2] | Hurricane Mk IIc  | September 1942  | November 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
AX | 1 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk Vc  | November 1942  | April 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
AX | 1 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk VIII  | August 1943  | June 1945  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
AX | 1 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk IX  | c August 1943  | October 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
AX | 11 Operational Training Unit[2] | Hurricane Mk II  | 1943  | 1944  | South Africa: Training  | A Flight 11 OCTU: "AX" on a square yellow background
DB | 2 Squadron[2] | Kittyhawk Mk I, Ia  | April 1942  | June 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  | Maj. D.B. Hauptfleisch (OC 2 Sqn) flew Kittyhawk Mk. I with personal code DBH 1942–1943[4]
DB | 2 Squadron[2] | Kittyhawk Mk III  | June 1943  | Junly 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
DB | 2 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk Vc  | June 1943  | March 1944  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
DB | 2 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk IX  | February 1944  | July 1945  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
DHL |  |  | 1943  | 1944  | Italy  | Personal code of Col. D.H. Loftus, OC 7 Wing SAAF, Kittyhawk[5]
DT |  |  | 1943  | 1944  | Italy  | Personal code of Maj. S.F. du Toit, 7 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. VIII[5]
DT |  |  | 1945  | 1945  | Italy  | Personal code of Lt. Col. S.F. du Toit, OC 8 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. VIII[5]
CA | 3 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk IX  | February 1944  | October 1945  | Mediterranean / Middle East  | Maj. C.A. Golding (OC 3 Sqn) flew Spitfire IX with personal code CAG 1944-1945[4]
DX | 4 Squadron[2] | Tomahawk Mk. II  | Feb 1942  | Jun 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
KJ | 4 Squadron[2] | Tomahawk Mk. IIb  | c Nov 1941  | Jan 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
KJ | 4 Squadron[2] | Kittyhawk Mk's I, Ia, III  | Jun 1941  | Jul 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
KJ | 4 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk. V  | Jul 1943  | May 1944  | Italy  |
KJ | 4 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk. IX  | May 1944  | Jul 1945  | Italy  |
KK | 31 Squadron  | B-24 Liberator  | 1944  | 1945  | Italy  |
GL | 5 Squadron[2] | Tomahawk Mk II  | Oct 1941  | Jan 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
GL | 5 Squadron[2] | Kittyhawk Mk Ia  | 1943  | 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
GL | 5 Squadron[2] | Kittyhawk Mk III, Mk IV  | Jan 1943  | Sep 1944  | Italy  |
GL | 5 Squadron[2] | Mustang Mk III, Mk IV  | Sep 1944  | Oct 1945  | Italy  |
GL | 11 Operational Training Unit[2] | Hurricane Mk. II  | 1943  | 1945  | South Africa: Training  | B Flight
JEP |  |  | 1945  | 1945  | Italy  | Personal code of Maj. J.E. Pearson, 8 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. IX[6]
JH |  |  | 1945  | 1945  | Italy  | Personal code of Lt. Col. J Human, OC 7 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. IX[7]
ND | 11 Squadron[2] | Kittyhawk Mk. IV  | Oct 1944  | Aug 1945  | Italy  |
ND | 11 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk. IX  | Aug 1945  | Oct 1945  | Italy  |
OZ | 24 Squadron[2] | Boston Mk. III  | 1941  | 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
P | 12 Squadron[8] | Douglas Boston III  | March 1942  | December 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
P | 25 Squadron[9] | Martin Marauder III  | October 1944  | July 1945  | Mediterranean / Italy  |
? | 26 Squadron[10][11] | Vickers Wellington Mk X & XI  | May 1943  | May 1945  | West Africa / Gold Coast(Ghana)  |
A | 12 Squadron[8] | Martin Maryland II  | January 1944  | December 1944  | Mediterranean / Italy  |
V | 12 Squadron[8] | Martin Maryland III  | August 1945  | November 1945  | Mediterranean / Italy  |
B | 30 Squadron[12] | Martin Marauder III  | August 1944  | September 1945  | Mediterranean / Italy  |
TA | 2 Squadron[2] | Tomahawk Mk. II  | 1941  | 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
TJ | 7 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk. IX  | 1944  | 1945  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
VL | 12 Squadron[2] | Boston Mk. III  | 1942  | 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
WR | 40 Squadron[2] | Hurricane Mk's. I, II  | Jan 1942  | Aug 1942  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |
WR | 40 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk. V  | Feb 1943  | Jun 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  | Lt Col R.R. Rogers, OC 40 Sqn flew with personal serial code RR, 1943, Spitfire Mk. IX[13]
WR | 40 Squadron[2] | Spitfire Mk. IX  | Jun 1943  | Oct 1945  | Italy  | Maj T. Cook, OC 40 Sqn flew with personal serial code TC, 1944, Spitfire Mk. IX[13]
ZP | 15 Squadron[2] | Blenheim Mk. V  | 1942  | 1943  | Mediterranean / Middle East  |

## Post war use of wartime code system

Code  | Squadron  | Type  | Period From  | Period To  | Theater  | Notes

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DHL |  |  | 1946  | 1946  | South Africa  | Personal code of Col. D.H. Loftus, OC 7 Wing SAAF Spitfire Mk. VIII[5]
AX | 1 Squadron[1] | Spitfire LF.9  | 1946  | 1949  | South Africa  |
AX | 1 Squadron[1] | Vampire FB.5  | 1949  | 1951  | South Africa  |
DB | 2 Squadron[1] | Spitfire LF.9  | 1946  | 1948  | South Africa  |
JS | 60 Squadron[1] | Dakota Mk. III, IV  | 1946  | 1950  | South Africa  |
JS | 60 Squadron[1] | Spitfire LF.9 (PR)  | 1946  | 1950  | South Africa  |
JS | 60 Squadron[1] | Ventura Mk. II  | 1946  | 1950  | South Africa  |
JS | 60 Squadron[1] | Mosquito PR 16  | 1946  | 1950  | South Africa  |
LB | 21 Squadron[1] | Ventura Mk. II  | 1947  | 1951  | South Africa  |
MS | 17 Squadron[1] | Ventura Mk. V  | 1947  | 1958  | South Africa  |
MT | 22 Squadron[14] | Ventura Mk. V  | 1954  | 1960  | South Africa  |
OD | 28 Squadron[14] | Dakota Mk. III, IV  | 1946  | 1955  | South Africa  |
OP | 42 Squadron[14] | Auster AOPS  | 1953  | 1957  | South Africa  |
OZ | 24 Squadron[14] | Ventura II  | 1948  | 1948  | South Africa  |
PH | 27 Squadron[14] |  |  |  | South Africa  | Code allocated but not used.
RB | 35 Squadron[14] | Sunderland GR.5  | 1945  | 1947  | South Africa  |
RB | 35 Squadron[14] | Anson floatplane  | 1946  | 1946  | South Africa  |
ST | 25 Squadron[14] |  |  |  | South Africa  | Code allocated but not used.
VL | 12 Squadron[14] | Anson  | 1946  | 1950  | South Africa  |

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Flintham, V; Tomas, A (2008). Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force unit codes since 1938. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Aviation. pp. 165. ISBN 9781844156917.
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 Flintham (2008), pp. 165
3. ↑ Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF (1st ed.). Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. pp. 294–303. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Flintham (2008), p. 229
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Flintham (2008), p. 230
6. ↑ Flintham (2008), p. 233
7. ↑ Flintham (2008), p. 234
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "History of War". No. 12 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War. http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/SAAF/12_wwII.html.
9. ↑ "History of War". No. 25 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War. http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/SAAF/25_wwII.html.
10. ↑ "History of War". No. 26 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War. http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/SAAF/26_wwII.html.
11. ↑ "26 Sqn Unofficial Site". No. 26 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War. http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/bd000006/.
12. ↑ "History of War". No. 30 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War. http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/SAAF/30_wwII.html.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Flintham (2008), p. 237
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 Flintham (2008), pp. 198

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