Here a summary of events as was recorded in the squadron war diaries.
The squadron commander (OC) for the first battle period was Lt. Col. Ed Biden and for the second battle period Lt. Col. Murray Gardner.
The squadron consisted of 3 flights: A, B and C flights, each lead by a flight commander with the rank of captain. The administration contingent was large and consisted of staff from various air force and army units.
The squadron used two landing grounds simultaneously (LG's) during the operations phases: a) Forward landing ground "ALG" close to the front. b) Base landing ground "BLG" that is situated at a safe distance from the front. The flights were continuously being rotated between the two LG's.
The events of No.40 SAAF squadron while Michael was with them can be grouped in four phases:
1) Sept 1941-Jan 1942 Training, equipping and staffing, base camp at Burg-El-Arab in Egypt
2) Feb 1942- July 42 Campaign in Lybia, retreat to Alamein Line, stayed at various LG's
3) August 42 -October 42 Regroup in Egypt at Wadi Natrune, Al-Fridan and LG-201
4) October 42 - February 43 Advance from Alamein through Lybia into Cyrenaica, stayed at various LG's
In the first battle period the sqdn flew ancient Hurricanes Mk 1 and Tomahawks. In the second battle period they flew Hurricanes Mk 2 and Tomahawks. Just after Michael left the squadron it was equipped with Spitfires.
Two kinds of reconnaissance missions were usually flown: photograph- (photo/r) and tactical reconnaissance (tac/r)
Reconnaissance flights were flown usually in pairs with the "weaver" flying behind the reconnaissance plane. Sometimes single aircraft flights were used.
Nomenclature:
LG : Landing Ground
POW : Prisoner of War
OC : Officer Commanding
AA : Anti Aircraft
A/C : Aircraft
U/S : Unservicable
KIFA : Killed in Flying Accident
RTU : Returned to Union
KIA : Killed in Action
OTU : Operational Training Unit
Summary of SAAF No. 40 squadron war diary beginning of operations February 1942
19/02/42 move from Burg-El-Arab to LG-117 near Maarten Bagush and Fuka
02/03/42 Capt Blaauw with 6 pilots left for Sidi Aziz as attacment to RAF 208 sqdn. (Cobbledick, Foulds, Nel, Waugh, Mitchell,Stott)
05/03/42 First Tomahawks arrive
17/03/42 C flight left for El Adem (Tiny Nel, Mellor, Acutt, Kleynhans, Ross, Mitchell, Nel, Foulds)
18/03/42 sqdn move to Sidi-Azeiz (via Sidi Barrani, Sollum, and Capuzzo)
21/03/42 Doug Mellor missing, POW
23/03/42 Lt Ross's aircraft hit in tail by AA, returned to base, A/C unservicable
23/03/42 Lt Kleynhans RTU under arrest
28/03/42 Lt Flekser force landed near Tobruk, Lt Ross's prop was holed by AA
31/03/42 B flight (Blaauw, Stott, Gouws, Nicol, Macdonald, Borain, van Niekerk, Lazerus, F Acutt) releived C flight at El Adem
31/03/42 Current stats: 19 x Hurricane mk 1, 2 x Tomahawks used but 2 x AC lost.
01/04/42 Jack Webb hit by AA and force landed, walked and found 1 SA div, AC destroyed, lift back to base
06/04/42 Jimmy Egner got shot down and became POW. The sqdn was warned of enemy AC in tac/r area. Pilots very unhappy about these events.
09/04/42 Gamat Gouws shot down and became POW.
09/04/42 Jannie Blaauw force landed due to engine trouble, AC retrieved
09/04/42 Attack by Bf-109's at El Adem LG, bombs dropped, 1 Cape Corps wounded, 1 RA gunner KIA
10/04/42 Capt Ed Biden promoted to Lt Col.
10/04/42 Lt "Van" van Niekerk shot down and killed
13/04/42 2 x German Bf-109 attacks on El Adem LG, 1 AC damaged
15/04/42 Lt Andrew's AC hit by AA, landed safely
16/04/42 Lt Ross shot down on tac/r sortie and killed.
17/04/42 Lt "Gert" Lazarus overboost a Tomahawk, A/C became U/S.
Lt Macdonald retracted U/C before airborne, A/C became U/S.
21/04/42 Lt Nicol had engine failure, belly landed
23/04/42 Cobbledick promoted to act capt
26/04/42 Lt Booth shot down (Tomahawk) by 109's and crashed, died on way to hospital, buried by Free French at Bir Hacheim.
27/04/42 Lt Grimes and Lt de Gale report for duty
28/04/42 A flight (Capt Cobbledick) relieve B flight at El Adem
02/05/42 Lt Welchman made an accident with a Tomahawk as the U/C folded on landing
04/05/42 Lt Heald force landed at Gumbut, U/C collapsed
Lt Cook and Lt van der Riet reported for duty.
06/05/42 Jan Blaauw force landed and walked to Sidi Azeiz LG next day
07/05/42 Lt Webb and Lt Sturgeon shot down 2 x MC-202's, one each.
08/05/42 Lt Foulds A/C badly damaged by AA
09/05/42 Jack Webb force landed in Enemy area, walked and picked up by friendly armoured car,
10/05/42 Jack Webb walked into camp, 3d time
Natie Flekser shot down, POW
"Cobbles" Cobbledick shot down and killed
13/05/42 Peter Andrew promoted to A Capt
14/05/42 Lt Acutt force landed but OK.
15/05/42 Lt Heald's A/C hit and damaged by AA
Lt Freemantle reported for duty
23/05/42 Col Biden claimed MC-202 probable
25/05/42 Lt Nicol shot down and killed
Lt's C M Beath, R Macdowall and P Wegemoed reported for duty.
27/05/42 Lt Grimes was hit by AA over Sidi Rezegh and force landed at Gambut.
Sidi Azeiz LG bombed for first time
28/05/42 Lt Webb claim Bf-109 shot down probable
El Adem LG bombed, strafed and shelled
Lt Mitchell force landed at Gambut
Lt de Gale swung on landing
29/05/42 El Adem LG bombed and strafed
31/05/42 El Adem LG bombed, strafed
01/06/42 El Adem LG attacked, 30 bombs dropped, no casualties, 1 Tomahawk damaged
Capt Blaauw leave 40 sqdn
Lt Boraine left 40 sqdn for ? fighter squadron because he is "temperamentally not suited for tac/r duty"
Azeiz LG heavily bombed at night
02/06/42 Azeiz LG bombed and accidently shelled by friendly 3.7 inch AA guns from Capuzzo, AA officer came down to apologize.
03/06/42 Azeiz LG bombed
04/06/42 Azeiz LG bombed
El Adem LG bombed
05/06/42 Lt van der Riet attacked by a Bf-109 while on Photo/r. Got wounded and nursed the damaged A/C home. The 109 followed and shot him down in flames at 50 feet near the drome. He crashed but escaped with severe burn wounds. Evacuated to Tobruk hospital.
One 20 mm shell from the a Bf-109 struck the officer's mess and the occupants received a fright.
Azeiz LG bombed
06/06/42 El Adem detatchment moved to Gubbi in Tobruk area, enemy was to close to El Adem and his gun flashes were observed.
Lt Freemantle crashed a Tomahawk when one wheel came off on landing, unhurt.
09/06/42 Lt R W B Acutt's A/C damaged by AA fire.
11/06/42 Lt Mitchell fainted in his A/C at high altitude but recovered at 500 feet
12/06/42 Lt de Gale belly landed at Tobruk LG, unhurt, A/C written off
Mc-202 shot down by Bofors AA near Tobruk LG
13/06/42 A Flight (Capt Andrew) took over from ? Flight at Tobruk detachment.
Lt Sturgeon's A/C was hit in the fuel tank by a Breda shell, A/C returned
New pilots reported for duty; Lts. Rose, Clive le Roux, C G Orpen, J J O Kavanagh
14/06/42 Tobruk detachment evacuated to the 40 sqdn base camp at Sidi Azeiz LG. Lt's Sturgeon, Waugh and Andrew stayed at Tobruk together with a few mechs.
14/06/42 Lt Jackson crash landed a Tomahawk, unhurt
Sidi Azeiz camp given notice to be on stand-by for short notice evacuation.
15/06/42 Lt Waugh wounded in legs by AA shell hit in the cockpit in Tobruk vicinity. He brought the A/C back, was taken to Tobruk hospital.
15/06/42 Sidi Azeiz evacuated and the sqdn convoy camped at Bir Shefferzen on the way to LG 103
Lt Welchman, Lazarus and Cohen crash landed due to U/S aircraft.
One Hurricane was abandoned and destroyed by the army.
16/06/42 The squadron convoy reached and camped at Sidi Barrani
17/06/42 The sqdn convoy reached their destination, LG 103
Capt Thomson rejoined
18/06/42 an A.L.G. established west near the wire
Thomson was Killed with a flying accident; engine cut after take-off, he turn, spun and crashed.This was his first flight in a Tomahawk, happened in front of squadron staff.
19/06/42 Thomson buried at Maaten Busch
Only 3 pilots stayed at the ALG at LG155
21/06/42 The 3 pilots returned to LG 103 from LG155 as it will be overrun by the Germans soon.
Received news of the fall of Tobruk
25/06/42 LG 103 bombed
Party of mechanics sent to Azeiz reported missing
26/06/42 sqdn convoy move out of LG 103
27/06/42 sqdn convoy arrives at LG 100
28/06/42 ALG moved from LG155 to LG104, 30 miles east.
29/06/42 Jack Heald struck a Bedford? loaded with ? that exploded while taking off in misty conditions and Jack was killed. Happened at LG 104
ALG moved to LG 39
30/06/42 Sqdn moved east to RAF base Heliopolis
02/07/42 Lt's C W Lambon, R T Nicholson, R H van der Poel reported for duty
06/07/42 Lt Jackson hit by AA fire, force landed, POW.
Lt Foulds promoted to acting Capt.
Capt Andrew RTU
10/07/42 Lt Lambon A/C hit by shell in cockpit, force landed, uninjured
Lt Macdowall transferred to SAAF base on medical grounds
Lt Lazarus transferred to the Union for compassionate reasons
11/07/42 Lt Kavanagh force landed due to engine trouble.
12/07/42 squadron moved west to LG 100
17/07/42 Capt Blaauw returned from East Africa
19/07/42 Lt F E Black reported for duty
Jack Webb immediate DFC awarded
21/07/42 Lt Rose force landed, engine trouble.
22/07/42 40 sqdn stopped with operational duties to be re-grouped
Lt's G LLoyd and R D Steinbach reported for duty
R W B Acutt promoted to Captain
29/07/42 Withdrew from operations move to Wadi Natrune
August 42 Move to Qassasin
Squadron moved to Al Fridan
Received Hurricanes mk 2
20/08/42 Capt J Orr transferred to squadron
28/08/42 Lt Col Murray Gardner returned as new OC
03/09/42 Lt Col Ed Biden finished his tour as OC
08/09/42 Murray Gardner collided with his first flight in a Tomahawk with an Egyptian truck on landing, driver killed.
14/09/42 C Flight moved to LG 201 as advance party
15/09/42 Squadron moved to LG 201
September much training with 10 Corps
26/09/42 Jan Blaauw promoted to Major and transferred to 7 sqdn as OC
DFC's awarded to Jannie Blaauw and Tiny Nel
01/10/42 Peter Campbell returned to the squadron
05/10/42 Johnny Human gave lectures on air tactics
Lt Freemantle had accident with A/C while taxi; cat 2 damage
12/10/42 Maj Tiny Nel returned and promoted to sqdn 2 IC
14/10/42 Lt's A E Brokensha, J H P Miles and M H C Shepherd
20/10/42 ALG moved to LG 39, main part of squadron, near Burg-El-Arab
21/10/42 Jack Webb promoted to Captain
23/10/42 Opening attack of Alamein battle barrage watched by sqdn members
24/10/42 Squadron re-entres operations.
04/11/42 Capt Jack Webb got shot down by AA near Tel-El-Eisa. He force landed in a mine field setting off a mine. His body was found by the Durham Light Infantry regt and he was buried next to his aircraft..
Mike Welchman made acting Flight commander
06/10/42 ALG Sqdn moved to LG 104
07/10/42 LG 104 bombed at night
ALG Sqdn move to Maaten Bagush
08/19/42 BLG move from LG 39 to Bagush
09/11/42 Peter Campbell claimed damage to a Ju-87
09/11/42 van der Poel engaged Bf-109's for 25 minutes as his no.1 could do the tac.r; DFC recommended
sqdn move from Maaten Bagush to LG 07
10/11/42 Chris Beith shot down and taken POW in Sollum area.
Steinbach claimed a probable shot down EA
11/11/42 ALG sqdn moved to LG 2, Sidi Barrani
BLG moved to LG 7
12/11/42 ALG move to Sidi Azeiz
14/11/42 BLG moved to El Adem
16/11/42 ALGmove to Martuba 3
17/11/42 ALG move to Martuba 2
Lt's Hodgson and Aronson joined the sqdn
18/11/42 Lt's Black and Campbell's A/C's pitched over due to soft spots on the taxi path
22/11/42 ALG move to Tmimi 2
25/11/42 Peter Campbell shot down by AA Mersa Brega - Agheila area.
26/11/42 Lt Freemantle shot down near Agheila by Bf-109's, belly landed, walked 12 miles, picked up by own forces and returned to base.
26/11/42 Lt LLoyd had a fight with Bf-109's in the Agheila area protecting his shot down mate Lt Freemantle. A/C damaged but returned safely with completed tac/r info.
27/11/42 ALG move from Tmimi to Magrum
29/11/42 First tac/r with Spitfire escourt of RAF 92 sqdn.
30/11/42 BLG move from El Adem to Tmimi 2
ALG at Magrum bombed
10/12/42 ALG move to Nogra
13/12/42 Lt Shepherd shot down and wounded in the foot. Crash landed and walked a far way, picked up bu friendly forces and sent to hospital.
BLG moved from Tmimi to Belinia
Belinia Bombed by Ju-88's
18/12/42 ALG move to Marble Arch
20/12/42 Lt Welgemoed flew to Cairo and returned with six dozen whiskey's and 80 gallons of brandy in the long range tanks
28/12/42 Pilots leave the sqdn: Stott, Ross
30/12/42 New pilots arrive: Lt's D I G Gibson, H B Gibson, A F Wilby, E G Isles
ALG move to Alem El Gsina
BLG move to Marble Arch
09/01/43 ALG moved to Hamraiet
12/01/43 v d Poel and Welgemoed's aircraft slightly damaged by AA fire
13/01/43 Lt Visscher report for duty
18/01/43 ALC moved to Sedada
19/01/43 Lt Black shot down, force landed, returned to squadron 22/01/42
ALC moved to Darragh West
Lt " Brokie" Brokensha KIA
21/01/43 BLG moved to Tamet
24/01/43 ALG move to Castel Benito
25/01/43 Visscher killed in flying accident near Buerat, buried next to his burnt out plane
26/01/43 Lt van der Poel shot down, returned to sqdn on 30/01/42
03/02/43 BLG moved to Gasr Garabuli
06/02/43 Lt Clive le Roux shot down by AA, returned next day to sqdn
09/02/43 Lt's Cook and Welgemoed promoted to Captains
Foulds transferred to 74 OTU
Welchman and Acutt RTU