Page 9 - SAFFER 07

Veterans Tales

A plaque on the Memorial reads: “Erect-
ed by the South African Air Force and
the Air Force Association. In remem-
brance of all who offered up their lives in
peace and in war”.

The ceremony on September 1st 1963
was a magnificent success and was
attended by some 5000 people whose
number included a long list of dignitar-
ies. Mr Jim Fouchè, Minister of Defence,
attended, as did Air Force representatives
from neighbouring countries. These in-
cluded the Chief of Air Staff of the Royal
Rhodesian Air Force, Vice Air Marshal
AM Bentley, and the Chiefs of the Por-
tuguese Air Forces in Mozambique and ument, with continuous upgrades and On 5 May 2002, the Chief of the Nation-
Angola, Gen MPM de Barros and Gen JB development. The surrounding gardens al Defence Force, Gen S Nyanda, SSA,
Paiva. has grown significantly over the years and DMG, MMS, MMM unveiled this addi-
the access roads and parking areas were tion to the SAAF Memorial during the
The State President, Mr CR Swart, was changed to ease the flow of traffic during Air Force Memorial Day of that year.
the principal guest and conducted the Memorial Days.
unveiling. The whole occasion was me- The Air Force Memorial site is open
ticulously planned and conducted as was With the end of Apartheid in 1994 and from 09h00 to 15h00, Monday to Sunday
usual by the SA Air Force. The public was the subsequent amalgamation of the except Good Friday and Christmas Day.
entertained to tea following the ceremo- various Air Forces into the new SA Air Entrance is free.
ny. Force, the memorial was found not to be
representative of the relevant history, as Bibliography:
The passage of time has not always been it did not include all groups. To this end Bell, RF - An account of the Development
kind to the Memorial in spite of the use a Commemorative Stone with an Eternal and Erection of the Bays Hill Memorial
of good materials. From a cost point Flame was designed and built in the cen- as also the earlier Memorial at Waterkloof
of view there was limitation on certain tre of the main entrance walkway to the Air Station, and the Establishment of the
external materials, for instance, the use of SAAF Memorial. It lists the forces that SAAF Roll of Honour, 2002
slate instead of granite for the access pav- became the new SA Air Force as: Jooste, Louise, Directorate Documenta-
ing and terrazzo instead of granite for the tion Services: SA National Defence Force,
surrounds to the three pools. The slate Azanian Peoples Liberation Army, Bo- Die Geskiedenis van die Lugmag-Geden-
paving had in due course to be replaced. phuthatswana Air Force, Ciskei Defence kteken, 1994
The terrazzo finish around the pools also Force Air Wing, Mkontho We Sizwe, SA De Klerk, D, Cmdt (SAAF) & Leach, M,
had to be replaced in later years and was Air Force, Transkei Defence Force Air Capt (SAAF), Militaria, 16/1 of 1986
done by covering the previous work with Wing, Venda Defence Force Air Wing SA Architectural Record, September,
pre-cast terrazzo units. The roof lights 1963 - SAAFA Archives, NEC, Pretoria
over the central memorial hall required The Commemorative Stone is situated
attention to avoid leaking and special in the centre of the main walkway from Ed’s Note: Thanks again to Philip Weyers
aluminium framing and lead sheeting the parking area to the Memorial, giving for his help with the article and photos.
achieved this. due prominence to the memory of the Thanks also to Dr Stefaan Bouwer for
“Unknown Airman”. photos used here and on other pages of
The SAAF Memorial is a living mon- the magazine
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