Arnold Loubser "Bassie" Basson joined the Air Force in late 1940. He successfully qualified as a fighter pilot in 1941 and was transferred to No. 7 fighter squadron. 7 Squadron moved to North Africa in mid 1942 for operational service. During this time Bassie had an eventful tour and also participated in the Alamein battles where the squadron suffered several losses.
Here the squadron flew Hurricane aircraft in operations such as bomber escorts, bomb line patrols, armed recce's and ground strafing. In late 1942 the squadron obtained the tank-buster Hurricane Mk II-d featuring twin 40 mm canon.
In September 1943 Bassie was part of a detachment to the island of Cos where the Allies attempted to occupy this island under the noses of the enemy. During this time Bassie shot down a German aircraft flying a Spitfire V but was then shot down himself, parachuted to the sea and rescued.
The small Allied force at Cos was quickly overrun by the Germans but Bassie made a daring escape with other pilots on a small fishing boat via Turkey to Cyprus. 7 Squadron lost 6 pilots during this operation.
In his second operational tour, Bassie joined No. 41 fighter squadron in mid 1944. This squadron, stationed in North Africa, did not see much action as it operated in a sector with minimum enemy activity.
Bassie returned to 7 Squadron in late 1944. Now stationed in Italy, the squadron performed a fighter-bomber role flying Spitfire IX's. Many ground targets were dive-bombed and strafed in Italy and also sometimes across the Adriatic into Yugoslavia. Bassie stayed in Italy with 7 squadron until the end of the war.
Bassie flew in total 152 operational sorties in 196 ops hours.
After the war, Bassie
continued his career in the Department of Bantu Administration, becoming
magistrate and eventually Secretary to the Minister of Justice of the
Ovamboland Government in Namibia.
Bassie passed away in 1984.
This is a living web site. Any input and/or participation will be much appreciated regarding additional information, correctness, information from relatives of members who served with Bassie, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me.
If you perhaps have a family member who served as a SAAF fighter pilot during WW2 and you would want to find out more about his war service please contact me, hopefully I can be of some help.
Tinus le Roux
Aug 2017
Bassie with the captured Messerschmitt Bf-109 F
CLICK HERE TO VIEW BASSIE'S PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM
CLICK HERE TO VIEW BASSIE'S LOG BOOK
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SHORT BIO OF BASSIE
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A WRITING ON THE COS OPERATIONS BY MICHAEL SCHOEMAN.
Pupil pilot
Bassie in Cairo with Gus Ground
Return from the Cos disaster: Ray Burl, Bassie, Gus Ground?
Bassie and Molly, 5 March 1949, Pretoria
Jeanne, Bassie, Molly, 1979
Bassie 1980
