Dave Dent

  WW2 Marauder Bomber Pilot Tribute Page: Dave Dent

Hi and welcome to this site!

I met Dave in April this year at his home in Kimberley. Thanks to Lawrie Shuttleworth who gave me Dave's contact detail. Dave kindly agreed to be video interviewed and also allowed me to copy his photographs, flying log book and other memorabilia. All of these are presented on this web site.


Dave in 1944  standing at a B-26 Marauder

 In Kimberley, April 2013

 

 

David Galt Dent  joined the SAAF in August 1942 and qualified as a pilot in 1944. He finished his bomber pilot operational training in mid 1944 and was sent to SAAF No. 12 squadron in Italy. The squadron flew B-26 Martin Marauder aircraft. After a very successful and eventful combat tour  of  72  operational sorties Dave returned to the Union. During this tour Dave was awarded an immediate DFC.  

After the war Dave became involved with business and had a long and successful career in the food trade industry. 

Thanks Dave for allowing me to video interview you and to copy all your war documents. 

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 Dave in 12 squadron, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me. Most welcome will be any photographs of No. 12 squadron while Dave was with them.

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

May 2013

 

MILITARY SERVICE


28/08/1942    75 Air School

29/05/1943    7 Air School, Kroonstad,  75 h on Tiger Moths

14/06/1943    First Solo

04/09/1943    21 Air School, Kimberley, 159 h on Oxfords

29/01/1944    Obtain wings

29/01/1944    Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant

20/03/1944    70 OTU Shandur, Egypt, 63 h on B-26c Marauder

30/06/1944    SAAF No. 12 Bomber squadron, Pescara Italy

21/08/1944    Raid on Ravenna; Starboard engine and tail holed

29/08/1944    First operational sortie as first pilot, raid on gun positions, Pesaro

04/09/1944    Aircraft holed by AA on two raids

09/09/1944    Aircraft holed at several places, A/C sent to RSU

11/12/1944    Engine failure, emergency landing with one engine

27/01/1945    A/C holed by AA on raid to Castel Franco

03/03/1945    Raid on Conegliano M/Yds; attacked by FW-190 and Bf-109's. Formation broken. Dave bombed the target alone. EA continued attacking Dave's A/C, damaging rudder control and fuel pump and both engines. Emergency landing on fighter aerodrome Cervia. Gunner wounded and Dave slightly wounded. 

06/03/1945    DFC awarded

10/04/1945    Last operational sortie (OP.71)

18/06/1945    27 Air School Bloemfontein

26/09/1945    Demobilised

  

Dave on wings parade day January 1944

 

After the war 1945 



VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH DAVE ON 13 April 2013


 


CLICK HERE TO VIEW DAVE'S FLYING  LOG BOOK 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW  SAAF MARAUDER PHOTOGRAPHS


PHOTOGRAPHS 


Dave with a Marauder at 70 OTU Shandur, Egypt.

 

Red Cross Cafe Restaurant, Rome. LtR:  Lt. Hastie, Dave, American B-26 pilot, Lt Bridgen,  American B-26 pilot


Airfield at 

 

 

 

 Dec 1944


 Dec 1944


 Dec 1944


3 March 1945; Dave's aircraft "N" Nemises after the successful emergency landing  at a RAF fighter base.


 

 

 

 

 

 

DOCUMENTS


 DFC London Gazette


 From :the book "Eagles victorious"


From the book " Theirs is the Glory"

 

12 squadron war diary 3/3/1945

 

From 12 squadron war diary: operation report 344


 PAGE VISITS SINCE 4/10/2013

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