These photographs originate from the private albums of ww2 SAAF fighter pilot Colin Sinclair. It was kindly made available by him. I scanned and placed the photographs on this web site in order to share these gems to enthusiasts and the wider public. Please respect the copy rights of these photographs and contact me to obtain the necessary permission if you want to duplicate some of this material in other web sites or printed matter.
Thanks
Tinus le Roux
Jan 2012
1) 24 Air School A.T.S. (Advanced Training Squadron) Dunnottar. Yuri Maree confirmed this to be the very first course at Dunnottar.
Familiar future SAAF pilots:
Seated extreme left: Harry Gaynor (killed 1944)
Seated with red ring: Pupil Pilot Dane, killed in a Miles Master accident 18/10/1941
Middle row: 2nd from left: Colin Sinclair
Middle row: 3d from left: Andre Rossouw ?
Middle row 4th from left: Ernie Jorie
Middle row 5th from left: Eddie Thrash
Middle row 7th from left: Reg Baker (killed 1942)
Middle row: 8th from left: Bob Peel
Middle row 9th from left: Harold Smith (killed 1943)
Middle row 10th from left: Les Marshall (killed 1942)
Middle row 7th from left: Barry Haynes
Back row 2nd from left: Charlie Hewitson
Back row 8th from left: George O'Farrell
Back row second from right: Jeff Lanham (killed 1943)
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3) Colin centre
Harold Smith left
4) 2xSAAF Ju-52's, Lockheed Loadstar in front.
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11) Ernest Jory, Colin
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26) Tom Phillips, Harold Smith
27) Harry Gaynor, Colin
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31) Bill Rabie in mirror with Colin's box camera
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33) Reg "Ginger" Baker's field grave made by the Germans. Reg died of wounds while in captivity. Colin took this picture of the grave to give to Reg's parents but he did not do it because of difference of date on the grave with the official SAAF notice given to the parents of Reg.
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40) Ernest Jory, Barry Haynes, Harold Williams (POW), Harold Smith
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43) Eddie Thrash, Harold Smith
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45) Hannes Faure's plane ser. 199 accidental burning
46) Same plane,
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64) At Alexandria beach in Stanley Bay
65) Bf110
66) Colin, ?,Bill Rabie, Charlie Hewitson
67) Walrus air/sea rescue
68) Macchi MC-202. Note tail badge was removed for souvenir
69) Beaufighter (early type?)
70) 1sqdn's captured bf-109, second one.
71) Same 109 after being hard landed by Finney because one wheel folded in on landing. See bent prop blades.
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80) SM-76
81) Eddie Thrash, Harold Smith
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90) H Smith and Bob Peel
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93) Colin said that this Egyptian barber had a wall mount with a picture of Montgomery on and Rommel on the back side!
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95) LtR: ?,Bill Rabie,?,Colin. Charlie
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97) Colin's Spit being hit by a 20mm shell in the engine
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99) 92 sqdn Spitfire being hit by a 20mm shell
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110) Sent by Harry Gaynor. Soon after this Christmas harry was KIA
111) Bill Rabie was killed in an accident while at 10 sqdn.
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115) Final victory fly past all air units in Italy
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117) Escape gear, pips, Italian notes
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123) Letter from star RAF ww2 pilot: Neville Duke. Colin was tent mates while in 92 sqdn.
124) Dec 2012
