WW2 SAAF Spitfire pilot tribute web page: Peter During
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 Peter in his squadron, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me. Most welcome will be any photographs of No. 10 and 7 squadrons while Peter 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
Feb 2013
VIDEO
MILITARY CAREER
13/07/1942 No.75 Air School, Lyttleton: ground training, training with armoured cars
12/06/1943 No.3 Air School, Wonderboom: Elementary flying Training, Tiger Moths
31/08/1943 No.23 Air School, Waterkloof: Advanced Flying Training, Harvards
06/01/1944 Qualify for wings
06/01/1944 Promoted to 2nd leutenant
29/01/1944 No.11 OTU, Zwartkops, P-40 Kittyhawk
19/02/1944 No.11 OTU, Isipingo, P-40 Kittyhawk
12/03/1944 No.11 OTU, Waterkloof, P-40 Kittyhawk
01/04/1944 MAF
25/04/1944 SAAF Base camp Almazi: transfer camp
28/04/1944 No.73 OTU Abu Suier: Spitfire Mk. I
20/05/1944 Base camp Almazi
10/06/1944 SAAF No. 10 sqdn, Aleppo Syria
24/06/1944 No.10 sqdn, Idku (Egypt)
13/07/1944 No.10 sqdn, Mersa Matruh
30/07/1944 No.10 sqdn, Idku
14/09/1944 No.10 sqdn, Savoia, (Libya)
14/12/1944 Perugia
10/01/1945 SAAF No.7 sqdn, Forli, Italy
01/03/1945 Ravenna
Early April 1945 Shot down, POW
Five days later Returned to 7 sqdn
17/05/1945 Udine
TRAINING
Wings parade, Waterkloof,
Wings parade day: Peter 3d from left 2nd row.
11 OTU Isipingo, Kittyhawks
11 OTU,
Kittyhawk, 11 OTU
NO. 10 SQUADRON
Damaged Spitfire IX
Peter
High altitude Spitfire IX's SHF
Squadron mate
Lauri, George Segalla, Peter
No. 7 Squadron
Peter flew operational sorties with Spitfire IX aircraft on mainly strafing and dive-bombing kind of missions.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES 1945
Peter was shot down by members of a Herman Goering anti aircraft division. He crash landed and was captured. Some of his captors had to escort Peter to the rear. During this time Peter convince his captors to become his prisoners and he will give them all a good recommendation to allied POW authorities. At one stage they were accommodated at a farm house where civilians gave them food and wine. This set of photographs was taken here with the one German's camera. You can see that Peter is holding the Mp-40 machine pistol and they all seem to be friends by now. Before Peter handed his prisoners over to Canadian troops the German gave his camera to Peter and the photographs were developed after the war.
The camera of the one German that was given to Peter and is still in Peter's possession.