Major General JT Durrant “Jimmy”

The First Ten Months

Numbed by the sinking of HMS “Glorious”, Caesar Barraud Hull was recuperating from his Norway injuries when his “Distinguished Flying Cross” award, accompanied by a descriptive citation, was announced in “The London Gazette” on June 21st.,Five years old when his family moved to South Africa Rhodesian born Hull was educated at St John’s College in Johannesburg where he was a contemporary of SAAF airman James Durrant.

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

SAAF historian Michael Schoeman identified over 600 SAAF airmen who served on an estimated 150 RAF Fighter, Bomber, Coastal and Transport Command Squadrons and other RAF units between 1940 and 1945. More than half were fighter pilots, a small group served on Ferry and other Special Duty squadrons as well as non-operational personnel, the most senior being Major General JT Durrant CB DFC.

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

Approximately 1 900 American Consolidated Liberators were deployed in Coastal Command, Bomber and Transport squadrons. The SAAF’s No’s 31 and 34 Liberator squadrons joined No 205 Group RAF in Italy in June 1944 and on August 3rd Brigadier JT Durrant CB DFC, assumed command of the Group whose sorties involved many hours of daylight time over enemy territory with high odds of being attacked before reaching targets especially when their defences enjoyed full moon advantages.

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

In a 1990 Postscript to Peter Bagshawe’s “ Warriors of the Sky”, Major General Durrant referred to his recent Warsaw visit, “ I was saddened when visiting the numerous South African war graves resulting from the calamitous supply drop to the ‘Polish Home Army’ during 1944”, adding “ I did my best to persuade Air Vice Marshal John Slessor and Mr Winston Churchill that the operation would mean a heavy loss of aircrew and aircraft in return for little gain.”

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

Whether Prime Minister Churchill’s remarks “…. the missions must go on if only to boost the morale of the inhabitants of Warsaw…. You of course are correct from the military point of view, but from the political aspect you must carry on. Good morning,” were addressed to Durrant or Slessor differs according to source but at least 100 airmen from No’s 31, 34 and 178 Squadrons did not return from Warsaw in the five weeks between August 14th and September 22nd. A young No 31 squadron pilot 2nd Lt RCW Burgess earned an immediate DSO on the 14th for his actions after the aircraft’s captain inexplicably baled out over Warsaw and he was able to make a successful forced landing in Russian held territory

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

A “politically motivated mission that in the end had no chance of success”, did not however affect 32-year-old JT Durrant’s later appointment as Air Officer Commanding RAF No 231 Heavy Bomber Group, the youngest Allied Forces Major-General.

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

Brigadier JT Durrant (right) had felt No 205 Group’s loss after his meeting with Churchill and, a few days before this 23rd August 1943 photograph was taken at RAF Amendola in Italy. The No 31 Squadron Consolidated Liberator aircrew to his left include Major Gerard Greindl DFC, a Belgian serving in the SAAF, Sgt James Tumelty an RAF Gunner and SAAF Wireless Operator Warrant Officer John Maclachlan.

SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons

Having commissioned in the SAAF in 1934, Brigadier JT Durrant CB DFC, dropped rank as was post war practice and became SAAF Director General in 1946. Nationalist Party-political intrusion and attitudes towards English speakers with war service had however caused several SAAF resignations when he resigned in 1952, but he maintained the dignity of office and full military honours were accorded to his funeral 38 years later.