KITS 05/2022

JF519, No. 1 Squadron SAAF, Trigno, Italy, June 1944

No. 1 Squadron SAAF was established in February

1940 by renaming of the No. 6 Squadron SAAF armed

with Hawker Hurricane and Fury aircraft. In the mid

of the year 1940 the pilots of this unit joined the fights above North Africa. At the turn of 1942 and 1943

the squadron received Spitfires and flew them in the

fights under the African sun. These fights were fo-

llowed by the use of these aircraft above Malta and

Sicily. The wartime presence of the squadron finished

in Italy. After WWII, the squadron remained active,

first with Spitfires, Vampire, Sabre and Impala and

then, in April 1975, the squadron was rearmed with

French Mirage F.1. The squadron was disbanded on

November 25, 1997, at the Hoedspruit Base.

The Mk.VIII Spitfires used by No. 1 Squadron SAAF above Italy had a Day Fighter Camouflage Scheme. The

upper surfaces were painted in Ocean Grey and Dark

Green; the undersides with Medium Sea Grey colour.

The wing tips of Spitfires of this squadron were painted red.

JF630, F/O L. Cronin, No. 81 Squadron, Palel, India, March 1944

According to the interview with Larry Cronin the

squadron A/C retained their desert colours. The pilot maintains that his aircraft still had its extended

wingtips when he gained his victories. In November

1943, No. 81 Squadron RAF, withdrew from Sicily to

Egypt where they re-equipped with Spitfire Mk.VIII

aircraft. Cronin recalls that all these aircraft were

in the JF serial range and had extended wingtips

and standard rudders. Photos of aircraft in this

serial batch showing this configuration support

his comments. Most sources state that the aircraft

were re-camouflaged in Dark Earth, Dark Green and

Sea Grey Medium when they arrived in India. The

comments in those sources appear to be based on

an order issued by RAF Headquarters, New Delhi. The

date of the order is April, 1944, some three months

after No. 81 Squadron's arrival in the theatre, and

a month after the only known photos of Cronin's aircraft were taken.

JF364, No. 32 Squadron, Foggia, Italy, early 1944

The high altitude fighter camouflage scheme adorned

this Spitfire as well. In accordance with regulations,

red-blue cockades were painted on the fuselage and

May 2022

upper sides of the wings. No national insignia was

applied on the bottom of the wings. A photo of this

aircraft shows that the GZ code letters did not adhere

to regulations on the right side of the fuselage. The

aircraft was equipped with extended wingtips.

INFO Eduard

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