Hi and welcome to this site;
While doing video interviews with surviving ww2 SAAF fighter pilots and subsequent research on their whereabouts, I made contact with Harry Freeman. He was a Spitfire pilots who served with 1 squadron in Italy during the latter part of the war. Harry kindly agreed to be video interviewed while telling some of his war stories.
The purpose of this site is to present these video interviews. Also presented here is the flight log book of Harry, photographs of fellow pilots and other related historical information.
Harry flying again at 90! Harry's children gave him this very special 90th birthday gift October 2012: a flip in a Tiger Moth that he also flew as a pupil pilot 70 years ago. (thanks Beverly for these pics)
Harry joined the SAAF in 1941 at the age of 18. He did the usual ground and flight training courses to be qualified as a pilot in September 1942. He was sent to North Africa in early 1943 as stand-by pilot for the combat fighter squadrons. By this time the Allied Air Forces had the upper hand over the Luftwaffe and fortunately the SAAF pilot casualties became less with subsequent few replacement opportunities.
While not being placed in a fighter squadron, Butch was posted to various units for advanced fighter training in the Middle East.
Eventually he was transferred to 1 squadron, flying Spitfires on mainly escourts, ground bombing and -strafing missions. During this time he was twice severely wounded and both these instances returned the aircraft to base safely. For this he was awarded the DFC.
After the war Harry left the SAAF and worked in the insurance sector until his retirement in 1992.
This is a living web site. Any input and/or participation will be much appreciated regarding additional information, correctness, information from relatives of members who served with Harry in his squadron, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me. Most welcome will be any photographs of 1 squadron while Harry was with them.
If you have a family member who served as a SAAF fighter pilot during ww2 and you want to find out more about his war service please contact me and maybe I can be of assistance.
Tinus le Roux
February 2012
Military service
06/07/1941 No. 75 Air School Lyttleton
01/02/1942 No. 1 Air School Baragwanath (55 hours on Tiger Moths and Hornets)
25/03/1942 No. 25 Air School Standerton (88 hours on Miles Master)
27/11/1942 Getting wings
03/02/1943 71 OTU Carthago
13/03/1943 Various SAAF and RAF units in Middle East
23/10/1943 1 Sqdn SAAF, operational service (Spitfires 8 and 9)
26/12/1943 Gunnery School El Ballah
07/02/1944 1 Sqdn SAAF, operational service (Spitfires 8 and 9)
20/04/1944 Attacked by USAAF fighters, wounded, hospitalized
16/08/1944 Hit by enemy 40mm anti-aircraft fire, wounded, hospitalized
02/02/1945 No. 25 Air School
16/03/1945 Middle East, No’s 3 and 5 F.U., RAF
??/??/1945 DFC awarded
27/06/1945 1 Sqdn SAAF, flying Mustangs, prepare for operational service Far East
29/11/1945 Demobilized
1942
1945
Harry (R) with Colin Shaw at Trigno in Italy. Photograph from Bomb Finney's collection.
Standing L-R Lts Kritzinger, Anthony, Werner, Golding, Freeman Sitting Lt Shaw, Capt Wayberne,Lt MacWilliams, Schoen, Roy, Mitchell,Langton, Keyser,Boyd
Harry next to Cecil Golding, photograph from Hinton Brown collection.
Wings parade; November 1942, Standerton
Harry and Margaret after the war
Wedding on 11 March 1950
