Layout Table~~~~11889~11889~~

South Africans Abroad~Exploits of South Africans abroad~~~11889~11890~~

Beaufighter Over the Balkans - Steve Stevens DFC~This is the wartime autobiography of one of South Africa’s most famous pilots. Steve joined the SAAF at the outset of World War II with the desire to become a fighter pilot and to fly in Europe to destroy the Nazi’s ambitions of power. However, he was too good a pilot and having gained his wings was posted to become a flying instructor in his native country. After two years he finally arrived in Europe and joined the RAF’s Balkan Air Force flying rocket-firing Beaufighters in support of the partisans who were endeavouring to evict the Germans from their homelands. He joined No 19 Squadron under the command of the legendary Don Tilley and flew many missions against enemy shipping, gun emplacements and tactical targets in low-level, surprise rocket attacks. After the war he returned to Africa, flying light aircraft in a variety of roles, but when Berlin was blockaded by the USSR he returned to fly DC-3 Dakotas throughout the Berlin Airlift. This is a story told with a compassion that belies the author’s bravery and piloting skills. Throughout the story, his strong Christian belief, as with Leonard Cheshire VC, occasionally surfaces from the heat of battle and narrow escapes from death.
ISBN: 1844154874~~Beaufighter Over the Balkans|ISBN 1844154874|~11889~11894~SAAF~

Eighth Army in Italy 1943-45: The Long Hard Slog - Richard Doherty~Eighth Army, Britain's most famous field army of the twentieth century, landed in Italy in September 1943 and fought continously until the defeat of the Germans in early-May 1945. This book studies the experience of Eighth Army in the Italian campaign, examining how a force accustomed to the open spaces of North Africa adjusted to the difficult terrain of Italy where fighting became much more a matter for the infantry than for the armour. It also compares the qualities of the commanders of Eighth Army in Italy: Montgomery; Leese and, finally, McCreery. The book uses official records at various levels, personal accounts - some never before published - and published material to present a picture of an army that, although defined as British, was one of the war's most cosmopolitan formations. Its soldiers came from the UK, Canada, India, Ireland, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland and South Africa as well as from Palestine - the Jewish Brigade - and from Italy itself.
ISBN: 9781844156375. Hardback~~Eighth Army in Italy 1943-45|ISBN 9781844156375|~11889~11891~eighth army~

In All Weather - Peter Chapman~No. 2 Squadron, South African Air Force served in Korea from late 1950 until late 1953. During that time they saw extensive active service, and were considered a valuable member of the United States Air Forces 18th Fighter Bomber Wing, to which unit they were attached. A number of books and articles have been written about the Squadron and its exploits in Korea, but almost all of these have been from the point of view of the pilots, and operations flown. This book is an attempt to redress that balance. It is the story of some of the men who served so faithfully, and without reward or renown, to see that the aircraft flew, and that the pilots returned safely to base whenever possible. This is the story of the ground crew. A brief history of events leading up to the war, and the war itself, are included, as well as an account of No.2 Squadrons exploits in Korea.
JDPublishing 2006. 141 pages.
Softback - ISBN-13 978-1-920169-16-9
Hardback - ISBN-13 978-1-4116-5430-3~~In All Weather (S/B)|ISBN-13 9781920169169|In All Weather (H/B)|ISBN-13 9781411654303|~11889~11900~No. 2 Squadron, South African Air Force, Korea~

Tunnel-master & Arsonist of the Great War - Tony Bridgland & Ann Morgan~Sir John Norton-Griffiths was one of a breed of adventurer, pioneer, entrepreneur and soldier whose like is very seldom seen. From mining rich seams in South Africa he went on to lead the gallant miners who burrowed deep under enemy lines during the Great War. Always a controversial figure, he died in mysterious circumstances. This is the story of a true maverick, a formidable force and legend wherever he went.
ISBN 0850529956. Hardback~~Tunnel-master & Arsonist of the Great War|ISBN 0850529956|~11889~11887~tunnels, tunnel master, tunnelling~

Warriors of the Sky - Peter Bagshawe~This is a collection of fifty exciting short stories written by pilots of the South African Air Force. The majority concern World War II when, along with other Commonwealth air forces, the SAAF fought alongside the RAF in the war-torn skies over Europe. The book captures the esprit de corps that existed between all the nationalities that fought on the Allied side and creates a splendid record of the many heroic actions in which the Springbok pilots fought. Some of the other stories relate flying in the border wars that South Africa fought in post-war years, often against vastly superior and better equipped communist inspired regimes.
Pen & Sword 2008. ISBN 1844153371, hardback. ~~Warriors of the Sky|ISBN 1844153371|~11889~11902~SAAF, South African Air Force~