The South African Air Force (SAAF) adopted the use of squadron codes from the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.
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.
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).Flintham (2008), pp. 165
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 In general, when an aircraft was lost or withdrawn from use, its call sign was applied to its replacement or another aircraft.
World War II
CodeSquadronTypePeriod FromPeriod ToTheaterNotesAX1 SquadronHurricane Mk IApril 1942November 1942Mediterranean / Middle EastAX1 Squadron Hurricane Mk IIcSeptember 1942November 1942Mediterranean / Middle East AX1 Squadron Spitfire Mk VcNovember 1942April 1943Mediterranean / Middle East AX1 Squadron Spitfire Mk VIII August 1943June 1945Mediterranean / Middle East AX1 Squadron Spitfire Mk IX c August 1943October 1943Mediterranean / Middle East AX11 Operational Training Unit Hurricane Mk II 19431944South Africa: TrainingA Flight 11 OCTU: "AX" on a square yellow background DB2 Squadron Kittyhawk Mk I, IaApril 1942June 1943Mediterranean / Middle East Maj. D.B. Hauptfleisch (OC 2 Sqn) flew Kittyhawk Mk. I with personal code DBH 1942–1943Flintham (2008), p. 229 DB2 Squadron Kittyhawk Mk IIIJune 1943Junly 1943Mediterranean / Middle East DB2 Squadron Spitfire Mk VcJune 1943March 1944Mediterranean / Middle East DB2 Squadron Spitfire Mk IXFebruary 1944July 1945Mediterranean / Middle East DHL 19431944ItalyPersonal code of Col. D.H. Loftus, OC 7 Wing SAAF, KittyhawkFlintham (2008), p. 230 DT 19431944ItalyPersonal code of Maj. S.F. du Toit, 7 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. VIII DT19451945ItalyPersonal code of Lt. Col. S.F. du Toit, OC 8 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. VIII CA3 Squadron Spitfire Mk IXFebruary 1944October 1945Mediterranean / Middle East Maj. C.A. Golding (OC 3 Sqn) flew Spitfire IX with personal code CAG 1944-1945Flintham (2008), p. 229 DX4 Squadron Tomahawk Mk. IIFeb 1942Jun 1942Mediterranean / Middle East KJ4 Squadron Tomahawk Mk. IIbc Nov 1941Jan 1942Mediterranean / Middle East KJ4 Squadron Kittyhawk Mk's I, Ia, IIIJun 1941Jul 1943Mediterranean / Middle East KJ4 Squadron Spitfire Mk. VJul 1943May 1944Italy KJ4 Squadron Spitfire Mk. IXMay 1944Jul 1945Italy KK31 Squadron B-24 Liberator 19441945Italy GL5 Squadron Tomahawk Mk IIOct 1941Jan 1943Mediterranean / Middle East GL5 Squadron Kittyhawk Mk Ia19431943Mediterranean / Middle East GL5 Squadron Kittyhawk Mk III, Mk IVJan 1943Sep 1944Italy GL5 Squadron Mustang Mk III, Mk IVSep 1944Oct 1945Italy GL11 Operational Training Unit Hurricane Mk. II19431945South Africa: Training B Flight JEP19451945ItalyPersonal code of Maj. J.E. Pearson, 8 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. IXFlintham (2008), p. 233 JH19451945ItalyPersonal code of Lt. Col. J Human, OC 7 Wing SAAF, Spitfire Mk. IXFlintham (2008), p. 234 ND11 Squadron Kittyhawk Mk. IVOct 1944Aug 1945Italy ND11 Squadron Spitfire Mk. IXAug 1945Oct 1945Italy OZ24 Squadron Boston Mk. III19411942Mediterranean / Middle East P12 Squadron Douglas Boston III March 1942December 1943Mediterranean / Middle East P25 Squadron Martin Marauder III October 1944July 1945Mediterranean / Italy ?26 SquadronVickers Wellington Mk X & XI May 1943May 1945West Africa / Gold Coast(Ghana) A12 SquadronMartin Maryland II January 1944December 1944Mediterranean / Italy V12 SquadronMartin Maryland III August 1945November 1945Mediterranean / Italy B30 Squadron Martin Marauder IIIAugust 1944September 1945Mediterranean / Italy TA2 Squadron Tomahawk Mk. II19411942Mediterranean / Middle East TJ7 Squadron Spitfire Mk. IX19441945Mediterranean / Middle East VL12 Squadron Boston Mk. III19421942Mediterranean / Middle East WR40 Squadron Hurricane Mk's. I, IIJan 1942Aug 1942 Mediterranean / Middle East WR40 Squadron Spitfire Mk. VFeb 1943Jun 1943Mediterranean / Middle East Lt Col R.R. Rogers, OC 40 Sqn flew with personal serial code RR, 1943, Spitfire Mk. IXFlintham (2008), p. 237 WR40 Squadron Spitfire Mk. IXJun 1943Oct 1945Italy Maj T. Cook, OC 40 Sqn flew with personal serial code TC, 1944, Spitfire Mk. IX ZP15 Squadron Blenheim Mk. V 19421943Mediterranean / Middle East
Post war use of wartime code system
CodeSquadronTypePeriod FromPeriod ToTheaterNotesDHL19461946South AfricaPersonal code of Col. D.H. Loftus, OC 7 Wing SAAF Spitfire Mk. VIIIAX1 Squadron Spitfire LF.919461949South Africa AX1 Squadron Vampire FB.519491951South Africa DB2 Squadron Spitfire LF.919461948South Africa JS60 Squadron Dakota Mk. III, IV19461950South Africa JS60 Squadron Spitfire LF.9 (PR)19461950South Africa JS60 Squadron Ventura Mk. II19461950South Africa JS60 Squadron Mosquito PR 1619461950South Africa LB21 Squadron Ventura Mk. II19471951South Africa MS17 Squadron Ventura Mk. V19471958South Africa MT22 SquadronFlintham (2008), pp. 198 Ventura Mk. V 19541960South Africa OD28 Squadron Dakota Mk. III, IV19461955South Africa OP42 Squadron Auster AOPS19531957South Africa OZ24 Squadron Ventura II19481948South Africa PH27 Squadron South AfricaCode allocated but not used. RB35 Squadron Sunderland GR.519451947South Africa RB35 Squadron Anson floatplane19461946South Africa ST25 Squadron South AfricaCode allocated but not used. VL12 Squadron Anson19461950South Africa
References