Jack Spencer

WW2 Spitfire Pilot Tribute Page: Jack Spencer

Hi and welcome to this site!

I met Jack last year in Durban. Chris Brown organised this visit.(Thanks Chris!). Jack kindly agreed to be video interviewed and also allowed me to copy his flying log book and other memorabilia. All of these are presented on this web site.

Jack joined the SAAF in May 1941. He finished his training in mid 1943 and was sent to Italy to join SAAF No. 1 fighter squadron. He saw operational service flying Spitfires doing mostly dive-bombing and ground strafing missions. Jack bailed twice from his Spitfire, first time due to engine failure and the second time due to enemy flak. He was then captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW at Stalag Luft III.

After the war Jack had a long and successful career in the ? industry until his retirement in ?.

Thanks Jack 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 Jack in some of his units, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me. Most welcome will be any photographs of No. 1 squadron while Jack 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

January 2013

Military Career

05/05/1941 I.T.W. (Initial Training Wing) Lyttleton, 75 A/S

30/09/1941 A.T.W. (Advanced Training Wing) Lyttleton, 75 A/S

22/11/1941 E.F.T.S. Potchefstroom, 6 A/S, course 5, (Tiger Moths)

06/12/1941 1st solo , 10 hours flying

16/03/1942 S.F.T.S Vereeniging, 22 A/S, course 15, (Hawker Hinds, Harts, Audaxes)

03/06/1942 Commissioned as an officer

03/06/1942 Obtain wings

27/07/1942 26 A/S Pietersburg, med bomber course, Oxfords

21/09/1942 Central Flying School (CFS) Bloemfontein, Instr. course

19/12/1942 Bloemspruit, conversion to Miles Master

13/03/1943 73 OTU, Abu Suier, Egypt, Harvards and Spitfires

06/09/1943 SAAF No. 1 Fighter Squadron, Italy

25/12/1943 Bailed over the sea due to engine failure, rescued.

27/06/1944 Shot down by ack-ack, Bailed, captured by Germans. 170 ops hours flown.

28/06/1944 POW in Germany

27/06/1945 Arrive back in Durban

Video Interview

Thanks to Brent Best for the art work!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW JACK'S FLYING LOG BOOK

CLICK HERE TO VIEW JACK'S WAR STORY

Jack getting his Spitfire! Thanks to his granddaughter Jacquelyn who sent this photograph to me. 12 August 2013.

Barney ? and Jack at 1 squadron in Italy

Jack and Hinton Brown, remembrance day 2009. They were squadron mates during the war and remained close friends all these years. Hinton passed away in 2012.

Memorabilia