19 Squadron SAAF is a current

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

of the

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

operating as a transport/utility

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

squadron. It was formed in 1939 as part of the Air Force airways Wing, flying transport aircraft but was disbanded after a few months. It was re-formed from

No. 227 Squadron RAF No. 227 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that formed as bomber unit in World War I and World War II. History Formation and World War I No. 227 Squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 as a day bomber unit and operated former RNAS Capro ...

in 1944 and disbanded again after the end of World War II. It was again re-established in 1970 as a helicopter squadron – a role which it still performs today.

History

19 Squadron was formed on 1 September 1939 together with 17 Squadron. It formed part of the Airways Wing at Swartkop Air Station flying ex-South African Airways Junkers Ju 52/3m's but was disbanded on 1 December the same year. The squadron did not participate in the Second World War until 12 August 1944 when 227 Squadron RAF was renumbered as 19 Squadron SAAF at Biferno in Italy. The squadron was deployed flying Beaufighters and was involved in operations in Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia until it was disbanded on 10 July 1945 after the end of the war. On 1 March 1970 a Flight of 17 Squadron was transformed into 19 Squadron and equipped with SA330 Pumas at AFB Swartkop with A Flight flying from Swartkop and B Flight operating from

AFB Durban AFB Durban is an airbase of the South African Air Force, located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The runway is shared with the (now defunct) Durban International Airport (since September 1956). The airbase is at the northern end of t ...

for a period of time. "A" Flight was moved to

AFB Louis Trichardt Air Force Base Makhado , formerly Air Force Base Louis Trichardt, is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is the SAAF's northernmost base, situated at Louis Trichardt near the border with Zimbabwe, as well as being its most modern, and ...

on 1 January 1991, with the rest of the squadron moving on 1 January 1992 flying

Aérospatiale Alouette III The Aérospatiale Alouette III (, ''Lark''; company designations SA 316 and SA 319) is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by France, French aircraft company Sud Aviation. During its production life, it proved to be a relatively p ...

's. The squadron moved to

AFB Hoedspruit Air Force Base Hoedspruit is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In the late 1990s an unused portion of the base was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport. It wa ...

on 1 January 2004 where it is currently based. 19 Squadron became the first squadron to be equipped with the Oryx helicopter in early 1994.History of the SA 330 in South African service
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Aircraft

References

Notes

{{SAAF navbox Squadrons of the South African Air Force Military units and formations established in 1939 1939 establishments in South Africa