Post World War II De Havilland Vampire T11 (DH-115) Formerly of the Rhodesian/Zimbabwe Air Force. The RAF remained until 1954, indirectly assisting Rhodesian aviation, and many airmen returned with young families as settlers. Rhodesian airmen suffered 20 percent fatalities, becoming emblematic of a "nation in arms" ideal that peppered settler nationalism and erupted fully in the 1960s. Rhodesians fought in many of the theatres of World War II, including future prime minister Ian Smith who, after being shot down over Italy behind enemy lines, was able to avoid capture and return to Allied lines. 266 Squadron RAF were also assigned the name "(Rhodesia)" because of the large number of Rhodesian airmen and crew in these units. On 1 June 1941, the Southern Rhodesian Women's Auxiliary Air Services came into being. 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron Royal Air ForceĬommunications Squadron, Southern Rhodesian Staff Corps This squadron, initially equipped with Hawker Harts, participated in the East African campaign against the Italians.Īir Section, 1st Battalion Rhodesia Regiment –Īir Section, Southern Rhodesia Defence Force The SRAF was absorbed into the RAF proper in April 1940 and redesignated No. Southern Rhodesia's textile, metallurgy, chemical and food processing industries expanded rapidly. The Rhodesian Air Training Group (RATG) installed aviation infrastructure, trained 10,000 Commonwealth and Allied airmen 1940–45 (seven percent of the total) and provided the stimulus for manufacturing that had been lacking in the 1920s and 1930s. Southern Rhodesian Prime Minister Godfrey Huggins (1933–53) recognised an opportunity not just to aid Britain and the Allies, but also to boost the domestic economy. Harris was frustrated by delays launching Commonwealth Air Training Plan stations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. By January 1940, with Britain at war with Germany, Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris was desperate for trained aircrew and turned for help to Southern Rhodesia (where Harris had enlisted in 1914). The ex-RANA aircraft formed the Communication Squadron, which operated internal services within Southern Rhodesia, plus services to South Africa and Mozambique. In 1939, the Southern Rhodesia government amalgamated the SRAF with the civilian airline Rhodesia and Nyasaland Airways (RANA). On 19 September 1939, two weeks after the United Kingdom declared war against Germany, the Air Unit officially became the Southern Rhodesia Air Force ( SRAF), and Air Unit flights become Number 1 Squadron SRAF. The reservists were called up early August 1939 and were posted to Kenya by 28 August. Its first pilots were awarded their flying wings on. When the internationally recognised country of Zimbabwe came into being in 1980, the RhAF became the Air Force of Zimbabwe.įormed in 1935 under the name Southern Rhodesia Staff Corps Air Unit as a territorial unit, the first regular servicemen with the unit went to Britain for ground crew training in 1936. Named the Royal Rhodesian Air Force ( RRAF) from 1954, the "Royal" prefix was dropped in 1970 when Rhodesia declared itself a republic – the official abbreviation changed appropriately. The Rhodesian Air Force ( RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury (now Harare) which represented several entities under various names between 19: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was the air arm of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland between 1953 and 31 December 1963 of Southern Rhodesia once again from 1 January 1964 and of the unrecognised nation of Rhodesia following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain on 11 November 1965.
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