- 24 Squadron SAAF
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24 Squadron 
Blackburn Buccaneer as flown by 24 Sqn at the time of disbandingActive 5 March 1941-6 November 1945
??-March 1991Country 
Branch South African Air Force Role Bomber/Strike Squadron Garrison/HQ AFB Waterkloof when disbanded. Motto Per Noctem Per Diem Through Night, Through Day[1] 24 Squadron SAAF is a disbanded squadron of the South African Air Force. Its last role was as an attack aircraft squadron. The squadron was first formed on 5 March 1941 by renumbering 14 Squadron SAAF in Egypt.
- Aircraft flown: A-22 Maryland, Boston, Marauder Mk II, Marauder Mk III, B-34 Ventura. Last aircraft flown was the Blackburn Buccaneer.
- Last base: AFB Waterkloof, Pretoria
World War II
In 1941 No.14 squadron SAAF and its Maryland bombers were moved from Kenya to Egypt, renumbered as No.24 squadron and operated alongside No. 39 Squadron RAF as daytime tactical bomber units carrying out bombing sorties on Mediterranean targets. 24 squadron was later in the year re-equipped with Bostons.[2]
In Dec, 1943 the squadron was relocated to Algeria and re-equipped with the B-26 Marauders and in 1944 flew to a new base at Pescara, Italy, later advancing to Jesi, Italy.[3]
At the end of the war the squadron used its Marauders as transport aircraft, before moving to Egypt in October 1945 and disbanding on 6 November 1945.[3]
The Buccaneer entered SAAF service in 1965. SAAF Buccaneers saw active service during the Border War in South-West Africa, notably at Cassinga in 1978. They flew over Angola and Namibia in the 1970s and 1980s, and attacked SWAPO guerrilla camps with rockets and bombs.[4]
The squadron was disbanded in March 1991.
References
- ^ "South African Air Force (Unofficial)". 24 Squadron. http://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/squadrons/29/24-squadron.
- ^ "No. 24 Squadron (SAAF): Second World War". http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/SAAF/24_wwII.html. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ a b "The Martin B26 Marauder in South African Service, By Roger Best". http://www.b26.com/page/south_african_air_force_saaf.htm. Retrieved 23 September 2010].
- ^ Goebel, Greg (1 Dec 2009). "The Blackburn Buccaneer". http://www.vectorsite.net/avbucc.html. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
Further reading
- 'The South African Bush War,' Warplane No. 5 (Orbis partwork, c.1985)
Active Squadrons 
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 CollegeReserve Squadrons 101 · 102 · 104 · 105 · 106 · 107 · 108 · 110 · 111Disbanded Squadrons Bases AFB Bloemspruit · AFB Durban · AFB Hoedspruit · AFB Langebaanweg · AFB Makhado · AFB Overberg · AFB Swartkop · AFB Waterkloof · AFB YsterplaatRelated Categories:- Squadrons of the South African Air Force
- Military units and formations established in 1941
- Military units and formations disestablished in 1991
- South African military stubs
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