Operation #Savannah 1975, this rare photograph taken deep into Angola of a SADF #Eland-90 Armoured Car of Combat Group Foxbat at the Re-Supply point at the abandoned Clinic at Santa Comba. Note the 25 pounder field gun in the background, also note the strikingAngolan landscape south of the country’s capital Luanda.

On 14 October, the South…Read More

Uncommon to see aerial operational photographs like this one of The Border War in South West Africa/Namibia. Here a South African Air Force #Impala MK II is on bush patrol – and demonstrating exactly what it entailed – low and fast flight – seen here performing a low level, high speed tight turn over the flat terrain of Ovamboland.

Picture and…Read More

Operation #Modular October 5 1987. When the SADF captured this Soviet #SA-8 missile launcher it caused an international stir with the “Western Powers” and the USA in particular taking a very keen interest to know its capability and secrets.

At the height of the cold war nobody in the “west” had been close to one of these, it was a Soviet “Top…Read More

#Cessna 185D Serial No. 745 (c/no 0964), ex N1585F and later ZS-EGH, was delivered to the South African Air Force on 08 December 1965.

On 19 February 1988, 65km North East of Opuwa in the Kaokaveld, all was not going well for the Pilot Lieutenant N.J. Ras from 84 Light Aircraft Flying School when the aircraft engine failed and he was left with…Read More

Border War. Iconic photograph taken by the late great Herman Potgieter of a South African Air Force #C47 Dakota from 44 Squadron, taking off opposite a defence bunker near the runway threshold at #Eenhana, South West Africa/Namibia.

Copyright: Herman Potgieter

#61Mech – Charlie Squadron – sitting on a destroyed Russian #T-55 tank – this is the image that is on the dust cover of Dave Mannall’s new book ‘Battle on the #Lomba 1987″ which will be launched tomorrow, and we thought it would be nice to share the foreword of the book written by General de Vries

“Let us go in to action with Charlie S…Read More

Vlamgat – the term the South African Air Force personnel affectionally called their Mirage fighter jets. Vlamgat means ‘flaming arse’ in direct translation – and for good reason.

Here two Mirage III D2Zs, numbers 843 and 849 at the weapons camp in #Langebaanweg in 1985 – one of which is having a ‘wet start’ – where excess fuel in the combustion…Read More

South West Africa/Namibia border 1987, #61Mech Infantry Battalion Group and Charlie Squadron is joyriding in a SADF #Ratel IFV .. picture says a thousand words. Some say, the driver is still getting an oppie .. all we know is he’s called the Stig!

32 Battalion – controversial to this day – yes, but the fact still remains – it is considered to be one of the best fighting battalions the South African Army has ever fielded in battle and of that there is no doubt. This powerful and iconic image of Peter Williams from 32 Battalion is testament to it’s fighting nature.

32 Battalion was pivotal…Read More

Stunning picture of a low flying South African Air Force #Puma helicopter somewhere over Ovamboland during the Bush War. A common and very welcome sight to any SADF veteran who served on the South West Africa/Namibia and Angola border. Copyright and big thank you to Etienne Terblanche for sharing this photo

Natural hazards faced by South African armour during the Border War. Crew of an #Eland-90 armoured car at work freeing their vehicle, after it bogged down in a flooded shona (flood plain) during the annual rainy season in Owamboland – South West Africa/Namiba.

Photo acknowledgement : Chris van der Walt, caption thanks to David Benedict Kiley

Tragic day during the Border War, this is the bombed out SADF #Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier that signifies one of the heaviest days for the SADF.

On the 27th June 1988, a combined Angolan FAPLA-Cuban force launched an unexpected ground attack against the Calueque Water Scheme SADF positions, close to the South West Africa/Namibia and Angola…Read More