South Africa Patch Sqn SAAF South African Air Force b 40 Squadron Harvard 70s

SAAF Patch South African Air Force 40 Squadron Patch Badge Harvard Flying Training CFS Dunnottar 1970s Embroidered on wool grey compressed stiffener back 98mm by 82mm three and seven eighth inches by three and one quarter inches.

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History 1940 – 2013

Motto: – Exercitui Oculus – Eyes of the Army

40 Squadron was formed at Waterkloof AFB in May 1940 as an Army Co-op Squadron equipped with Hawker Hartbees and relocated to Wadjir Kenya in June 1940 to support 1 South African Division against Italian Forces in East Africa. The Squadron undertook Tactical Reconnaissance Armed Recce and Photo Recce using hand held cameras. The squadron was disbanded at Neghelli in Ethiopia at the end of May 1941 and its sixteen Hawker Hartbees aircraft were handed over to 41 Squadron at Yavello on 2 June 1941.

The Squadron was reactivated in South Africa in September 1941 and sent without aircraft to Burg-el-Arab Egypt joining the Desert Air Force receiving Hurricane Mk.Is and became fully operational in March 1942 for Tactical Reconnaissance and Photo Recce in support of 8 Army. The Squadrons advance landing grounds were overrun during the German offensive in June 1942 and once the offensive was held the Squadron converted to Hurricane Mk.IIs taking part in the Second Battle of El Alamein and the rapid advance with the Advance Flight moving base 12 times and the main squadron base 6 times in one month. As 8 Army advanced through Libya into Tunisia the Squadron continued with Tac Recce and Photo Recce converting to Spitfire Vb clipped wing aircraft at the end of February 1943.

In June 1943 two of the Squadrons Flights deployed to Inqa airfield Malta for operations in preparation for the invasion of Sicily and moved to a Sicilian landing-ground for Tac Recce and assisted HMS Roberts in bombarding roads inland. In August 1943 the Squadron began long range recce of the toe of Italy and the Italian coast and carried out further Naval Artillery shoots with HMS Rodney and HMS Nelson. In September 1943 the Squadron re-equipped with Spitfire IX clipped-wing aircraft in North Africa deploying a Flight for operations in Italy. In April 1944 the Squadron reunited to operate in support of Fifth Army and a detachment went to Corsica for Naval Artillery.Recce shoots as part of the invasion of Elba and in July 1944 Fleet Air Arm pilots were attached to the Squadron for training as Fighter Reconnaissance pilots in preparation for the invasion of the South of France. In December 1944 a Detachment went to the Balkan Air Force to operate in Greece against ELAS in the Greek Civil War. On 9 May 1945 the German Armies in Italy surrendered and the Squadron continued to operate throughout the mopping up operations in Northern Italy and Austria moving to Moderndorf Austria where on 20 October 1945 the Squadron deactivated handing over all aircraft and equipment to the
RAFs 225 Squadron.

40 Squadron was reformed in 1953 as an Active Citizen Force Squadron at Rand Airport Germiston equipped with Harvards for flying training. The Squadron relocated to Central Flying School Dunnottar in 1965 and in August 1982 re-equipped with Impala aircraft and moved to Waterkloof AFB. The Squadron was disbanded on 29 April 1985.

This patch dates from the 1970s