Lt EG Catton

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

Many of the first 32 SAAF pilots seconded for RAF service in Britain who sailed from Cape Town on the “SS Strathnaver and arrived in Glasgow in early December 1941 had been on an early “Empire Air Training Scheme” course and experienced the SAAF’s illogical insistence that they be awarded RAF wings, rank, uniforms before remustering as SAAF pilots prior to secondment. That group included A Bartlemann, BR Bennetts, PH Bosch, GB Callaghan, EG Catton, RJ Clements, NA Freeman, WD Forsmann, C Heydenrich, AE Hounsom, AV Johnson, KC Kuhlman, AD Morum, CV Nissen, FO Noome, WR Roberts, AC Rowe, CC Steyn, ET Strever, CJO Swales and DP Tilley. Bosch, Freeman, Morum Steyn, Noome and Nissen did not survive the war, Heydenrich, Clements and Kuhlman became “POW’s”.

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

The February 5th 1943 “Supplement” to the “London Gazette” included decoration award announcements to fourteen South African Air Force airmen included eleven “Distinguished Flying Cross” awards and three “Distinguished Flying Medals”. Four “Distinguished Flying Cross” recipients, Major’s CJO Swales, JRR Wells and Lieutenants EG Catton and HW Marchant were serving on RAF squadrons. Swales, Wells and Marchant were fighter pilots respectively serving on No’s 185, 274 and 208 squadrons.

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

Catton, having completed his first tour of operations flying shipping reconnaissance, strikes and anti-submarine patrols out of Malta in No 221 Squadron Maritime Command torpedo armed Wellingtons pilot was by then being rested as Chief Flying Instructor Middle East Torpedo Training School at RAF Shallufa in Egypt.