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P51 Mustang from the South African Air Force


montie

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A pic of a P51 Mustang languishing in a hanger on the Swartkops Air Force base.

No names have to date been recorded on the aircraft during the period November 1950 to January 1952 and available evidence therefore suggests that the practice of applying personal names to the Mustangs was only introduced during February 1952 (following the appointment of T/Cmdt R. A. Clifton as Officer Commanding). Mustangs 308 and 325 had similar styles of lettering, suggesting that both names were applied by the same painter and may have been among the very first to be named.

(Note: names in bold have been confirmed by photographic evidence while those in italics have been recorded in documentation but not yet confirmed by means of photographs).

 

308 OKEY GEFFIN

318 SHY TALK

325 PATSY DAWN

326 PAPASAN, THERESA

334 PEANUTS, GAY JANE II, BUGS

343 HAZEL

348 LILIAN SANDRA (port side), GRIZZLY (starboard side)

360 ROSALIE

361 MISS MARUNOUCHI

366 SEXY

367 MY BOY, LADY ELIZABETH, THORIUM

369 MY BOY

377 MAUREENS JOY

378 SPADE II

379 SPITE II, JEAN

381 CONNIE

382 SONOP

383 MAMMY

384 CLINKS-CLINKS

385 BONNIE, BONNIE PAM

387 JOY

388 ANNE, AMONDIE

389 JOYCE

390 SANDRA-ANNA, MONKEY II

393 MARIE, IMP VII

395 SHERDANOR

 

Okey Geffin was a Springbok Rugby prop. In a test against Scotland in November 1951 he scored seven of nine tries – the highest score achieved in a test by the Springboks at the time.

Patsy (Patricia) and Dawn were the daughters of the Technical Warrant Officer WO1 Frank Willard, who headed the team that rebuilt Mustang 325.

601 A SHERDANOR II, named by Cmdt. R. A. Gerneke – January 1953, renamed RENKINS by 2Lt. L. L. Wilmans - June 1953

602 J IMP VIII, named by Maj. J. S. Wells – January 1953

603 B MISS CLOUDYEYES (believed applied only on port side), named by Capt. A. D. Lawrenson – January 1953, MY MARY allocated to Lt. B. K. Ross for painting on starboard side but not applied, renamed RUTH II by Lt. I. A. Holshausen - May 1953

604 K BEVKENEVE, named by Capt. J. F. Nortje – January 1953, renamed BLACK DICK by 2Lt. H. H. Ludick

605 C SHARONNE, named by Capt. E. A. C. Pienaar – January 1953, renamed NAUGHTY NELLY by Lt. M. C. Botha – May 1953

606 L LITTLE PHYLLIS, named by Capt. J. J. Kruger – January 1953, renamed TOMTIT, by 2Lt. G. Thom – May 1953, renamed LADY SWIFT by 2Lt. J. H. Robberts - August 1953

607 D JUST JOAN, named by Lt. I. J. Gow – February 1953

608 M MONKEY III, named by Lt. R. L. van Rooyen – January 1953

609 E MALOBOLA, named by Lt. J. de Wet – January 1953

610 N GLOW WORM, renamed CARLYNEVE by Lt. W. J. Geeringh - May 1953

611 F DANNY BOY, named by Lt. N. A. Stocks – February 1953, renamed UNJUST BRUNO, by 2Lt. P. J. Visser - June 1953

612 O STARDUST, named by 2Lt. L. A. Dixon – January 1953

613 G PRECIOUS POEKSIE, named by 2Lt. A. V. Mather – February 1953

614 P BELLE STARRE allocated but not applied. VIOLA, named by Lt. J. G. de Wet – January 1953, renamed VALERIE by 2Lt. M. D. Gedye – May 1953

615 H HLASELANI allocated for Lt. H. G. Holtzhausen but not applied. KEVRIC, named by Lt. J. J. Koekemoer – February 1953

616 Q LADY OF LORETTE, named by Lt. J. R. Morris – January 1953

617 I HELEN, named by 2Lt. W. Grobler - February 1953

618 R GAY JANE III, named by 2Lt. A. S. Rae – January 1953

619 M MONKEY IV, named by Lt. R. L. van Rooyen, renamed BOKKIE by 2Lt.J. H. Coetzee – May 1953

620 H KEVRIC II, named by Lt. J. J. Koekemoer – May 1953

621 G BEVKENEVE, named by Capt. J. F. Nortje

622 Q LADY OF LORETTE, named by Capt. J. R. Morris - August 1953

 

Patsy Dawn in the Swartkops hanger.jpg

 

P51 Mustang Patsy Dawn.jpg

 

Just before flight.jpg

 

Mustangs 2 Squadron Korea 1952.jpg

Edited by montie
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