Tribute page: WW2 SAAF pilot Don Tilley, DSO, DFC and Bar.
Hi and welcome to this site!
I met Frank Tilley and he kindly allowed me to copy his dad's war memorabilia including photographs and flying log book. Don Tilley was one of the top SAAF achievers of World War Two and this page is a gesture towards his remembrance.
Donald Pax Tilley joined the SAAF in late 1940 to complete his initial pilot training in Rhodesia. After qualification Don was seconded to the RAF and did training in Scotland as a torpedo attack pilot. He was then transferred to RAF No.39 squadron stationed in the Middle East.
It was with this squadron, in 1942-'43, that Don's outstanding skills as an anti-shipping pilot flourished. He was credited with several torpedo strikes that resulted in the damage and destruction of a number of enemy ships. The highlight being Don's torpedo hit in February 1943 on a 10 000 ton Italian fuel tanker that caused it's destruction, depriving Rommel's Afrika Korps of the desperately needed commodity.
Whilst with 39 squadron, Don was promoted twice and ended with the rank of Major. He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross twice for his ship-busting successes.
Don flew shipping strikes with the slow and cumbersome Bristol Beaufort medium bomber. His aircraft was hit on occasions but Don always returned to base safely.
It is said that Don is the record holder (shared) in the RAF for the amount of confirmed torpedo hits on enemy shipping. Pilots seldom survived more than 3 shipping strikes unscathed. Don was lucky and completed 10 strike sorties.
Don returned to South Africa and served in SAAF coastal patrol squadrons.
In mid 1944 he was posted to the Middle East with RAF No.227 squadron, later to become SAAF No.19 squadron, stationed in Italy. 19 Squadron was equipped with rocket firing Beaufighters. Don stayed with 19 squadron until the end of the war. He became their OC in early 1945.
19 Squadron flew mostly ground attack- and ship busting sorties to the Balkans across the Adriatic. At one stage Don was shot down over enemy territory but found refuge with marshal Tito's partisans. He stayed with them for 30 days before he could safely return to the squadron.
Don's most famous achievement with 19 Squadron was the well planned and executed rocket strike on the German mine layer ship, the "Kuckuck". Don planned this raid and with perfect navigation and marksmanship, he and his flight was able to successfully sink this ship at it's mooring in Fiume harbour, Yugoslavia. An immediate DSO was awarded to Don for the "Kuckuck" sinking.
Don flew a total of 40 operations with Beaufighters when the war ended.
After the war Don had a successful career in the aviation insurance industry. He remained active in the Citizen Force squadrons.
Don passed away in 1978.
1941
1945
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 Don, 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
May 2015
A Beaufort in Malta from 39 Squadron, 1943.
Military Career
01/12/1940 RAF Initial Training Wing (I.T.W.), Kumalo, Rhodesia. Ground Training
14/02/1941 RAF No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School (E.F.T.S.), Guinea Fowl, Rhodesia. 50 hours on Tiger Moths
05/03/1941 First solo after 10:15 hours of flying.
31/03/1941 EFTS assessment: Average, recommended for twin engined types
01/04/1941 RAF No. 22 Service Flying Training School (S.F.T.S.), Thornhill, Rhodesia, 100 hours on Oxfords
04/07/1941 SFTS assessment: average
28/07/1941 No.12 Navigation and Reconnaissance War Course, George. Flying Avro Ansons.
17/10/1941 Course assessment: 77.8%
12/12/1941 Bournemouth, England
28/01/1942 No.5 Operational Training Unit (O.T.U.), Chivenor, North Devon, Bombing training, 55 hours Beauforts
13/04/1942 5 OTU assessment: Average, recommended for GR pilot
29/04/1942 Torpedo Training School Abbotsinch, Scotland. Beauforts 23 hours, Bothas 16 hours
25/05/1942 RAF 217 squadron, Leuchars defence station, Scotland
18/06/1942 O.A.D.U. Lyneham, Wiltshire, England
Tiger Moth
Oxford
03/07/1942 RAF NO. 39 SQUADRON OPERATIONAL SERVICE (Beaufort aircraft)
17/07/1942 Torpedo strike 1 - From LG 226 near Alexandria, Egypt: , 6000 ton merchant vessel (MV), no result observed, 1 crew fatally wounded
31/07/1942 Forced landing, LG226, undercarriage unserviceable, belly landing
21/08/1942 Torpedo strike 2 - From Malta: 10500 ton MV, 5 drops of Corfu, Hits observed, ship beached.
27/08/1942 Torpedo strike 3 - From Malta: 6000 ton MV, 1 drop, south west of Crete. Hit, ship burned from stem to stern, halve submerged when leaving.
04/09/1942 Unsuccessful Torpedo strike - From Malta: ship not sighted.
22/09/1942 Torpedo strike 4 - From Malta: 6-7000 ton MVl, 3 drops, near Anti Paxos, hits observed
27/09/1942 Torpedo strike 5, by moonlight: From Malta, 6-7000 ton IMV, 4 drops, hit confirmed.
27/10/1942 Torpedo strike 6, from LG226, fuel cargo ocean barges, 3 drops Tobruk bay, result not seen, aircraft hit by flak from coastal battery.
30/19/1942 DFC awarded
03/11/1942 Unsuccessful torpedo strike, from Gianacilis (Egypt) to Tobruk bay, saw no ships except red cross ships.
22/11/1942 Bombing sortie,
28/11/1942 Unsuccessful torpedo strike, from Malta, Maritimo, saw no ship due to bad weather.
07/12/1942 Unsuccessful torpedo strike, from Malta, Kerkennan, saw no ship
19/12/1942 Force landed near Martuba, Libya
31/12/1942 Force landed at Sidi Bee 05?, Libya
23/01/1943 Torpedo strike 7, from Malta by night, North of Ustica Island, 5000 ton MV, hit confirmed.
25/01/1943 Unsuccessful torpedo strike, from Malta by night, off Sicily, no contact, rain
31/01/1943 Gardening (mine laying) sortie, Trapani
02/02/1943 Night Rover with torpedos, north of Bizerta, no sighting
09/02/1943 Gardening, Trapani,
15/02/1943 Torpedo strike 8 , from Malta by night, ssw from Maritimo, 4 drops, bad weather, results not seen.
17/02/1943 Torpedo rover by night, no sighting.
21/02/1943 Torpedo strike 9, from Malta, 10 000 ton tanker, hit confirmed, hit started a fire, after 3d hit the tanker blew up
26/02/1943 Night torpedo rover, no sighting
17/03/1943 Torpedo strike 10, from Malta, daylight: 10 000 ton tanker, 3 drops, near cape stilo, sunk. Aircraft hit in starboard engine, S/E landing.
09/04/1943 Bar to DFC awarded
Bristol Beaufort
02/05/1943 Returned to South Africa
01/06/1943 Posted to SAAF No.25 Squadron for 3 weeks, Port Elisabeth, Coastal patrol, Venturas
10/07/1943 SAAF No.23 Squadron, Bredasdorp, Darling, Lombasi, coastal patrol, Flying Venturas and Ansons
07/03/1944 Zwartkops Air Station, Pretoria
25 Squadron Ventura
Avro Anson
30/06/1944 RAF No.227 SQUADRON, OPERATIONAL SERVICE, BERCA III landing station, BENGAZI, LIBYA, flying Beaufighters
05/05/1944 OP 1: Attack R.D.F. Installation at Kapsala, Greece.
06/05/1944 OP 2: Sweep. Attacked 2 x Caique fishing boats
07/07/1944 OP 3: Armed recce. Attack 4 x Caiques
09/07/1944 OP 4: Armed recce. Attack Caiques in Vatni and Kalamos (Greece) 1 x 100-150 t Caique damaged, 8 x 80-100t Caiques damaged
11/08/1944 SAAF No.19 SQUADRON, OPERATIONAL SERVICE, BIFERNO, ITALY, flying rocket firing Beaufighters
14/08/1944 OP 1: H.Q. Buildings at DUBROVNIK, serve as anti-flak to 16 sqdn, (20 naval officers killed and 27 injured)
16/08/1944 OP 2: Bombs and canon on motorized transports (32 destroyed, 85 damaged, w workshops destroyed)
21/08/1944 OP 3: Anti-Flak to 39 squadron, ZAKINTHOS Harbour, 3 armed trawlers. A/C was hit in stb nacelle and aileron control servo
28/08/1944 OP 4: Sweep, KEFLINIA, LEKAS, BRINDISI: 1 x 80-100 ton Caique damaged
05/09/1944 OP 5: Strave troops in village, train busting west of BROD, 1 x Loco destroyed and 3 x probable locos destroyed
16/09/1944 OP 6: Rocket attack on gun emplacements at NOVIS, sporadic flak, confirmed 2 destroyed and 2 damaged
20/09/1944 OP 7: Attack barracks with rockets at BANJA LUKA
24/09/1944 OP 8: Rocket attack on 105mm guns at SADENA in support of commandos. probable
26/09/1944 OP 9: Attack coastal ammo dump? on CORFU. hit a coastal gun with 20mm canon.
05/10/1944 OP 10: Anti Shipping sweep: ZARA to TRIESTE
09/10/1944 OP 11: Crash and ditched on sweep take-off.
11/10/1944 OP 12: to BJELOVAR, returned bad weather
12/10/1944 OP 13: O.P. and Billets at ELBASAN
16/10/1944 OP 14: Monastry and tanks at TOMISLANGRAD. 1 x tank on fire. 20mm on tank and MT.
18/10/1944 OP 15: BJELOVAR, returned, bad weather.
20/10/1944 OP 16: Attack H.Q. in BJELOVAR with rockets and 20 mm. Hits
24/10/1944 OP 17: Rocket attack on KRIS siding, strafed trucks and cavalry. Port engine on fire. Belly landed in Bacuga area, Yugoslavia.
Stayed with Partisan forces for one month
02/12/1944 OP 18: Rocket attack on barracks at BJELOVAR, salvo in "priority" building
03/12/1944 OP 19: Attack gun emplacenents at LUSSINO island.
06/12/1944 OP 20: Attack GRACAC in support of Partisans
15/12/1944 OP 21: Rocket attack on M.T. in "POD" pocket
17/12/1944 OP 22: Rocket attack gun emplacements LUSSINO island.
18/12/1944 OP 23: Attack on armed trawler in KHARLO BAG, confirmed sunk
26/12/1944 OP 24: KHARLOVAC, unsuccessful, target not visible in cloud. S/E landing
03/01/1945 OP 25: Attack Marshalling yards at KHARLOVAC, 300+ ??, large explosion
24/02/1945 OP 26: Rocket attack on 4200 ton minelayer "Kuckuck" in FIUME, hits confirmed, ship SUNK
13/03/1945 OP 27: Attack marshalling yards at KARLOVAC, petrol fires led to explosions blocking all through lines
17/03/1945 OP 28: Attack gun positions RAB
20/03/1945 OP 29: Attack castle occupied by A.O.C. Balkans at CERNIK. a General killed, Capt, Dixon crashed
01/04/1945 OP 30: Attack a strong point east of Sarajevo
05/04/1945 OP 31: Attack a pontoon bridge at BOS GRADISKA. Cut in 2 places, hits confirmed, floated away
09/04/1945 OP 32: Attack town of ST LUCIA, fire started
16/04/1945 OP 33: Attack town of ZOLLA
18/04/1945 OP 34: Attack town of JASTRE BASKO
21/04/1945 OP 35: Attack remains of bridge at BOS GRADISKA
27/04/1945 OP 36: ZOLLA, aborted due to weather
22/05/1945 DSO awarded
01/01/1946 Mentioned in Dispatches awarded
A 19 squadron Beaufighter
VIDEO: How the Kuckuck was sunk as told by Lt. Steve Stevens DFC
TRAINING 1940-1942
Rhodesia 1940-1941
Navigation and reconnaissance course in George, 1941
UK 1942
5 OTU Chivenor 1942
Four South Africans together on course: Heydenrich, ?, Ted Strever, Don
RAF No.39 SQUADRON 1942- 1943
Don with his crew and their Beaufort: "Doug, Cobber, Self and Eve"
Don left in front
Malta: loading an aerial torpedo into a 39 Squadron Beaufort.
Ship hit by a torpedo
On the occasion of awarding the Distinguished Flying Cross, 15/10/1942. Don fourth from the right.
Torpedo strike
39 Squadron Beaufort with crews
RAF No.227 Squadron and SAAF No.19 Squadron 1944- 1945
SAAF 19 squadron Beaufighter.
November 1944, meeting the Air Vice Marshall Lord Portal, Chief of the RAF.
Don as OC of the squadron with his adjutant , Frank Veich
Biferno, Italy, home of SAAF No.19 Squadron
19 Squadron ops room, Biferno.
Attack on barracks at Bjelovar
Attack on pontoon bridge
Attack on a building in Dubrovnic
SINKING OF THE "KUCKUCK" 24/02/1945, FIUME, YUGUSLAVIA
"Kuckuck" 1945
SAAF No.19 Squadron War Diary report on the sinking of the "Kuckuck"
Location of Fiume in Yugoslavia
Don's aircraft attacking the "Kuckuck" with a salvo of 6 solid shot armour piercing rockets.
Perfect hits just below the water line. Don's aircraft banking away.
Don's gun camera photograph
Lt. Steve Stevens' attack, hits were observed above the waterline. Splashes from Don's salvo strikes are visible.
War-time reconnaissance photograph showing mole 7 in Fiume harbour.
Fiume today, now called Rijeka in Croatia. Mole 7 is indicated
Reconstruction of the attack showing the position of the ship and the aircraft attack vector. The war-time photograph is imposed on the Google image.
Modern Rijeka: Google Earth
Crews that participated in the "Kuckuck" attack: Capt. R F Dickson, F/O G T Craven, Lt. Col. Tilley, Capt. A Geater, Lt. G R Widdicombe, F/O F G Brace (Stevens and Bartlett not present)
SAAF No.19 squadron War Diary sortie report.
Information supplied by Jurica Vucetic on the "Kuckuck". Feb 2016
The building was start on 1st July 1942 as a ship No. 223 in shipyard Cantieri navali del Quarnero Fiume in town Fiume in Italy for Italian company Tirrenia in Tunisia. The first 4 ships of that class - POETI class - (VINCENZO MONTI, ALESSANDRO MANZONI, ALFREDO ORIANI and GABRIELE D` ANNUNZIO) was ended in year 1942. and other 3 ships (NICOLO TOMMASEO, VITTORIO ALFERI and GIACOMO LEOPARDI) in year 1943. In june 1943. VITTORIO LOCCHI was launched but it was not fully equiped when German army enter in town of Fiume on 10th Semptember 1943. The Germans was not interested in that ship because it was unfinished and in shipyard were more war ship to finish. In try to find in my doucments when Germans start to convert Locchi in minelayer ship but I did not find the date. But that was probably in second half of year 1944. In War Diary of German Adriatic Admiral for date 6th November 1944 the ship still has a name "Vittorio Locchi" and I can read that the ship must be put in use. It is probably beacuse the day before minelayer ship "Kiebitz" was sunked in port of Fiume.
The first planed armament on "Kuckuck" was 2x76 mm AA guns and 4x 20 mm Breda AA guns. Also ship would take a 200 mines. I also find that the later planed armament were 3x105 AA guns, 10x37 mm AA guns, 19x20 mm guns and 6x86 mm AA rocket launcrs. The ship would take a 290 EMC mines.
The first probe sailing of "Kuckuck" was on 15th February 1945. All was fine and ship returned for final works. But on the next day Allies bombers attack shipyard with bombs and
bomb directly hit a ship in stern and the ship rudder was destroyed. That is why it must stay in shipyard for more days. The ship AA arrmamnet was take out from ship and put arounf shipyard for AA defence. Now we know why ship did not had AA guns on 24th February 1945.
On 17th February 1945 bombers again attack the shipayrd and the port of Fiume, but "Kuckuck" was not damadged hardly. Almost every day after that the town of Fiume was under attack from air.
On 24th February 1945 the ship was atacked by SAAF. It was hit and the fire started. On 14.33 h te ship turn over and sunked on 23 m deepth near pier. Because of the sloping terrain and sea current the ship was slipped in the middle of the shipyard.
After the war, diving crew started to dig out the ship in April 1949. On 29th May 1949 the ship was almost all out of water but it`s suddenly sliped again on the bottom. But finally the ship was raissed out on 4th June 1949. It was converted into merchant ship and o 1st May 1951 it was given to company Jugoslavenska linijska plovidba with name Ucka. In year 1968 it was sold to company Losinjska plovidba. On 6th January 1978 the ship run aground near port of Tripoly in Libia. It was refloat fast but the old ship was damadged to much so it was scraped in March 1978.
Poeti class:
Lenght: 116,9 m
Beam: 15,2 m
Depth (full): 6,39 m
Gross tonnage: 3162 GRT
Displacement: 4570 T (max)
Speed: 14 kts / 17 kts max
Engine: 2 Ansaldo 8-cylinder 2-stroke diesels with 4375 hp
Armament: 1x120 mm gun and 7x20 mm Breda AA guns
1st photo - refloating of the ship
2nd photo - as Ucka
Position of the sunken ship
Raising of the ship 1949
Refurbished Kuckuck with new name Ucka
Ucka