| 25 Squadron | |
|---|---|
 SAAF and RAF crews of 25 Squadron SAAF gather by their Martin Marauders at Biferno, Italy as part of the Balkan Air force | |
| Active | July 1942-July 1945 Jan 1951-Nov 1953 Feb 1968-Oct 1990 |
| Country |  |
| Branch | South African Air Force |
| Role | Maritime Patrol & Tactical Bomber (WWII) Medium Transport (post WWII) |
| Motto | "Adiuvamus" (We Help)[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Identification Code | P 1944-1945[2] |
| 25 Squadron Insignia |  |
25 Squadron was a maritime patrol and later medium bomber squadron of theSouth African Air Force duringWorld War II. It was re-constituted twice between 1951 and 1990 as a medium transport squadron and was finally disbanded in October 1990.
The squadron was formed from 33 Flight at St Albans in Port Elizabeth on 1 July 1942 and was deployed as a torpedo bomber / coastal reconnaissance squadron patrolling the South African coast flying agedAvro Ansons as part ofCoastal Command SAAF.[3] The Ansons were gradually replaced and on 12 September 1942 the firstLockheed Ventura Mk I was received and by end 1942 the squadron was only operating Venturas in coastal operations.[4] The first operational deployment was that ofOperation Volley, where Venturas from23 and 25 Squadrons were deployed to intercept German blockade runners together withHMSSirius andHMSPhoebe in a 400-mile coastal belt off Agulhas between 15 and 21 September 1942.[5]
The German submarineU-504 had been attacking Allied shipping off Cape Agulhas from October 1942 and the squadron was deployed to search for the submarine together withHMSExpress and HMSCatterick – unsuccessful patrols failed to prevent the sinking ofSSEmpire Chaucer,SSCity of Johannesburg and US Liberty shipAnne Hutchinson (which broke in two) – the squadron did however succeed in escorting the bow portion ofAnne Hutchinson under tow of the South African minesweeperHMSASDavid Haigh back to port in Port Elizabeth.[6]
In May 1944 the squadron was moved to the Mediterranean with the sea party sailing from Durban on the 13 May for Port Tewfik en route to Pomigliano in Italy and the first five aircraft leftAFB Swartkop on the 2 June. By September the squadron was operating from Campomarino landing ground at Biferno.[7] It was planned that the squadron and its Venturas would be used for anti-submarine patrols but by the time it reached the Mediterranean, there was no longer any need for additional anti-submarine squadrons and it was subsequently assigned as part of theBalkan Air Force.[2]
The squadron commenced operations in the Balkans on 30 August 1944 and was converted toMartin B-26 Marauder IIIs on 20 November 1944 flying tactical bombing missions in support ofTito partisans in Yugoslavia. The squadron operated from Pomigliano d'Arco in Italy and remained part of the Balkan Air Force until the end of the war, when it was moved back to the Union of South Africa and disbanded on 15 July 1945.[2]
On 1 January 1951, the squadron was re-constituted and equipped withDouglas C-47 Dakotas taken over from the Citizen Force21 Squadron and operated on a part-time basis until the unit was re-numbered as44 Squadron on 13 November 1953. It was again re-established atAFB Ysterplaat in February 1968[1] and re-equipped with C-47s until October 1990 when it was disbanded for the last time.[8]
Media related to25 Squadron SAAF at Wikimedia Commons