South Africa Patch Sqn SAAF South African Air Force b 28 Squadron Dakota 1950s

SAAF 28 Squadron Dakota Patch South African Air Force Transport and VIP 1950s Embroidered on wool cream paper back 84mm by 111mm three and one half inches by four and seven sixteenth inches Free Shipping

SAAF 28 Squadron Dakota Patch South African Air Force

History 1943 – 2013

Motto: – Portamus – We Carry – SAAF 28 Squadron Dakota

28 Squadron was formed with Anson aircraft on the 1 June 1943 at SAAF Base Depot Almaza Cairo Egypt from personnel of 34 and 35 Maritime
Reconnaissance Flights as the first air transport squadron of SAAF. The Squadron operating under RAFs 216 Group was split into two Flights with A Flight at Castel Benito in Italy and B Flight at Ras-el-Ma in Morocco. Wellingtons and Dakotas joined the fleet in August 1943. The squadron operated detachments in Sicily and Algeria to provide transport support to allied forces in North Africa the islands of the Western Mediterranean Italy and France and by April 1944 the Squadron had a fleet of 30 Dakotas and 14 Ansons. At the end of the war in Europe the squadron brought the Flights and Detachments together to consolidate operations at Maison Blanche Air Force Base Algeria. In September 1945 28 squadron relocated to Swartkop AFB South Africa and added Rapides and a single York aircraft to the fleet. The Squadron operated the Cairo to Pretoria Springbok Shuttle with Dakotas ferrying South African troops back to South Africa from North Africa and Europe until completed in early 1946.

The Squadron continued internal transport tasking occasional overseas flights and VIP transport for which VIP Flight received Venturas and Dakotas fitted out with improved accommodation. The Squadron sent two contingents to fly RAF aircraft in the Berlin Airlift and carried out 2500
sorties with 8333 tons transported from 22 September 1948 to 25 September 1949. In 1949 the Squadron received Devons for the VIP fleet and the York was relinquished in 1952. Herons were received in 1955 and a Viscount was acquired in 1958 when the Dakotas could no longer be used to transport VIPs to Europe.

In early January 1963 28 Squadron crews flew seven new C-130B Hercules from the USA to Waterkloof AFB the Squadrons new home. It left its Dakotas behind at Swartkop to join 44 Squadron. In February 1968 28 Squadron VIP flight was given Squadron status and reconstituted as 21 Squadron taking the Viscount with it. In August 1969 air transport capability was expanded with the introduction of nine C 160Z Transall aircraft. During the 1970s and 1980s the Squadron distinguished itself in numerous SADF operations in Namibia and Southern Angola including Operations Modular Hooper and Packer where the Squadron flew numerous sorties from Rundu to Mavinga in Southern Angola which contributed largely to
the successes of the SADF missions with nineteen Squadron members awarded Southern Cross Medals for their contributions to these operations.

The Squadrons fleet of C-160Z Transall aircraft were retired in 1993 and the Squadrons task changed with the emphasis placed on peacetime roles such as humanitarian support missions into Southern Africa providing support after the genocide in Burundi and Rwanda various search and rescue and flood relief flights were also conducted in Angola Namibia Mozambique Reunion and Zimbabwe. Three ex-USN C-130F aircraft were acquired in 1996 with a further two ex-USAF C-130B in 1998. The F models were flown for a short period before being retired. The nine C-130B Hercules have all having been upgraded to C-130BZ configuration.

This patch dates from the 1950s