Tribute Website: Vic Martin
Hi and welcome to this site!
I met Victor here in Cape Town , he just turned 90. Presented on this page some photographs and also Vic's log book. Thanks Vic for allowing me to copy all of this and for it to be shown here. Many thanks also to Penny Smith (Vic's daughter) for communications and visit arrangements.
Vic joined the SAAF in 1941 and did operational service with No. 2 squadron from 1942 to 1944. During his operational tour he served in North Africa and Italy and was promoted to Captain as a flight commander.
In early 1943 he was shot down on the North African coast and became the first South African to successfully ditch a Kittyhawk in the "drink".
He flew Kittyhawks and later Spitfires and did all kinds of fighter- and fighter-bomber missions. On completion of his operational tour Vic was awarded the DFC and obtained "above average" ratings for fighter and fighter-bomber operations from the wing commander Col. Human.
After his return to South Africa in 1944 a colour blindness problem was diagnosed and he was prevented to participate in further operational service.
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 Vic in his squadron, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me. Most welcome will be any photographs of No. 2 squadron while Vic 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
July 2012
VIDEO
Video on how Vic got shot down
Military career
18/10/1942 No. 6 Air School (Tiger Moths)
18/11/1942 First solo
28/12/1941 No. 22 Air School (Hawker Harts)
10/04/1942 Qualify for wings
07/05/1942 No. 26 Air School (Masters)
06/06/1942 No.3 squadron attached to No.6 sqdn Durban (Harvards and Mohawks)
23/10/1942 No. 53 R.S.U. (Tomahawks and Kittyhawks)
13/11/1942 SAAF No. 2 Fighter squadron
25/02/1943 First operational sortie
29/03/1943 Shot down, ditched Kittyhawk in sea. After 4 hours in the med, picked up by RAF rescue boat. Boat was accidentally strafed by RAF squadron but Vic was not hit.
21/05/1943 Last sortie flown in African campaign.
08/06/1943 First flight in Spitfire
29/10/1943 First Spitfire IX bombing sortie
08/01/1944 Strafed and destroyed a train
09/01/1944 A/C damaged by enemy fire, crash landed
01/05/1944 Last operational flight, successful bombing of enemy observation post
02/05/1944 DFC awarded
27/07/1944 No. 11 OTU
20/08/1944 Last flight
Vic getting his wings 1942
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIC'S LOG BOOK
Taking a bath in the desert
Vic getting a lift somewhere in the desert
Vic on the right
