“When the first scent of war and adventure reached the Union, hundreds of South Africans began to pack their bags. There followed a minor great trek to Britain, where many of them joined the Royal Air Force.”
Arthur L Gavshon 1941.
Arthur L Gavshon’s “Flight for Freedom” published in 1941, essentially about the South African Air Force, identified 35 South Africans serving in RAF. He could not have foreseen that 16 of those airmen would not survive the war, and although at least 120 South Africans in RAF blues had lost their lives when his book was published, his description of the “many” who “joined the Royal Air Force” appears to have been anecdotal as no single reference identifies South Africans who served in the RAF during the Second World War. However, prompted by the Old Edwardian Society’s January 1945 “Roll of Honour” and a comprehensive “List of Old Edwardians on Active Service”, sourcing information from South Africa’s traditional boy’s schools seemed the logical starting point.
Most schools were very helpful but access to relevant material more than 70 years after the War proved the exception. However, Lt Commander WM Bisset’s early 1990’s research proved invaluable, dispelled any notion that sourcing information from schools was an original idea but necessitated a wider net of sources including, “Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War”, a similar Fighter Command publication , rafweb.org casualty lists, medal awards, SAAF researcher Michael Schoeman, old press cuttings and contact with individuals in various parts of the world enabling a database of more than 1 900 names including seconded SAAF airmen, South African born Rhodesians and Rhodesians educated at South African schools and universities.
From “Tracing African Wings”, chapter 2 of Jon Eagar's book. About the book.