No. 3 (S.A.) Wing

3 Wing SAAF
Douglas Boston light bomber of 24 Squadron, 3 (SA) Wing: 1943
Active	1939 to 1945
Country	South Africa
Branch	South African Air Force
Role	Light Bomber Wing
Commanders
Commander	Col. H.G. Wilmot (28 Aug 1941 - )^[1]
Commander	Col H.J. Martin ( - May 1943)^[2]
Commander	Col. J.T. Durant (28 April 1943 - )^[2]

No. 3 (S.A.) Wing was a South African Air Force commanded formation during World War II that served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. It was formed on 28 August 1941 and initially consisted of Royal Air Force and South African Air Force squadrons under South African command, known as No. 261 Medium Bomber Wing but became a fully fledged South African formation on 23 September 1942 when No. 55 Squadron RAF and No. 223 Squadron RAF were transferred from 3 (S.A.) Wing to No. 232 Wing RAF and it became known as No. 3 (South Africa) Wing.^[3] This left 12, 21 and 24 Squadrons SAAF as its assigned units.^{[lower-alpha 1]}^[4]

History

A 3 (SA) Wing Boston taking off in the Western Desert, 1942

It was designated as a light bomber wing and its squadrons flew Boston Mk IIIs and Marauder Mk II bombers in North Africa until 1943. The Wing was assigned a company of infantry for ground protection which was initially provided by South African forces and by a Free French company as from end April 1942.^[5]

Organisation and Squadrons

No. 3 (S.A.) Wing organisation: Western Desert: 1941 - 1943
Date	Assigned Squadrons	Commander	Higher formation
28 August 1941	12 Squadron SAAF, 21 Squadron SAAF, 24 Squadron SAAF, No. 55 Squadron RAF and No. 223 Squadron RAF	Col. H.G. Wilmot
11 November 1941 ^[6]	12 Squadron SAAF, 21 Squadron SAAF, 24 Squadron SAAF, No. 11 Squadron RAF	Col. H.G. Wilmot	AHQ, Western Desert

Notes

↑ Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore proposed the formation of the first South African Air force Wing and later, perhaps a SAAF Group within the RAF organisational structure. Such a Group however never came into existence and although the SAAF fielded two operational wings in North Africa, they were never deployed as a group or as an independent air force.^[4]

References

↑ Brown, James Ambrose (1974). Eagles Strike: The Campaigns of the South African Air Force in Egypt, Cyrenaica, Libya, Tunisia, Tripolitania and Madagascar: 1941 - 1943. Cape Town: Purnell. p. 66.
1 2 Brown (1974) p. 401
↑ Brown (1974) p. 66-67
1 2 Brown (1974), pp. 14
↑ Brown (1974) p.135
↑ Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni (2012). A history of the Mediterranean Air War: 1940-1945. Volume 1: North Africa: June 1940-January 1942. London: Grub Street. p. 293. ISBN 9781908117076.

South African Air Force

Leadership	Chiefs of the Air Force Sergeants Major of the Air Force

Active squadrons	2 15 16 17 19 21 22 28 35 41 44

Training and development units	68 Air School 80 Air Navigation School 85 Combat Flying School 87 Helicopter Flying School Central Flying School Test Flight and Development Centre South African Air Force College

Formation aerobatic teams	Silver Falcons

Territorial reserve squadrons	101 102 104 105 106 107 108 110 111

Disbanded air and training squadrons	1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 18 20 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 40 42 43 50 60 103 109 112 114 86 Multi-Engine Flying School 88 Maritime Training School 89 Combat Flying School

Disbanded air defence squadrons	120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129

WW2 Wings of the SAAF	2 3 5 7 21 24 25

Bases	AFB Bloemspruit AFB Durban AFB Hoedspruit AFB Langebaanweg AFB Makhado AFB Overberg AFB Swartkop AFB Waterkloof AFB Ysterplaat AFS Port Elizabeth

List of training areas of the South African Air Force	Roodewaal Bombing Range Ditholo Training Area TAB Upington Vastrap Weapons Area

Equipment	List of current and historical SAAF aircraft List of weapon systems of the South African Air Force

History	History of the South African Air Force List of obsolete weapon systems of the South African Air Force South African Air Force Memorial South African Air Force Museum Military history of South Africa SAAF squadron identification codes

Official website: www.af.mil.za

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