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By Allan
Jackson - 29 May 2006
My informant
Reg Laybutt contacted me as the result of an article I had
contributed to our ratepayers' magazine Metrobeat. Reg told
me that his father had served with 35 Squadron SAAF, which
was initially based in Durban and flew flying boats from the
bay. He told me that his father had sent him a number of photos
as souvenirs when he was a boy, and he very kindly offered
to let me see them. The pictures turned out to be very high
quality views of the squadron's aircraft and a number of other
very interesting bits and pieces.
I have
descibed elsewhere on this site
how 35 SQN originated as as 262 Squadron RAF, which was posted
to Durban in 1942 to fly anti-submarine patrols in their American
PBY Catalinas. Lebbeus Laybutt arrived at 35 SQN in 1946 or
1947, after serving with No. 1 Fighter Squadron SAAF, in North
Africa, Egypt and Palestine. We can't date the pictures with
any certainty because some show PBY Catalinas, which had probably
all been phased out by the time he arrived, and a Seafire
is pictured, which was probably scrap long before. What I
think probably happened is that Lebbeus, who served as Sergeant
Major in charge of safety equipment, probably found some of
the pictures lying around the unit and sent them to his son.
The pictures of the Sunderland aircraft may well have been
taken during his time at the unit.
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Lebbeus
Reginald Laybutt
The
picture was taken while he was a corporal in WWII sometime
during his service with No. 1 Fighter Squadron SAAF.
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A
launch tows a 262 SQN / 35 SQN PBY Catalina. Note:
The launch is marked RAF 430 which may mean the picture
was taken before the Squadron became 35 SQN SAAF in
1945; or, then again, it may not.
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Click image to view enlargement
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A
262 SQN / 35 SQN PBY Catalina on patrol.
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A
rescue launch belonging to No 8 Motor Boat Section SAAF
which was based in Durban from 1942 and tasked with
rescuing airmen who had forced landings at sea. More
details about the unit here.
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Click image to view enlargement
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A
35 SQN SAAF Sunderland flies above the Point in Durban
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A
35 SQN Sunderland lies moored at the base at Congella.
The aircraft's name painted on her nose is 'Little Zulu
Lulu'. There is a launch carrying some personnel in
the foreground.
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Click image to view enlargement
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A
dramatic picture of a 35 SQN Sunderland taking off from
Durban Bay. The quality of the image is unfortunately
quite poor because the original was a postcard.
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Click image to view enlargement
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Nice
aerial views of Durban.
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Click images to view enlargements
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One
very interesting picture which was included in those
sent to Reg Laybutt was this one, left, of what I first
thought was a Spitfire. I am indebted to Alan Taylor
of the SAAF Museum who provided some information about
the aircraft. The first thing he told me was that the
aircraft is, in fact, a Seafire MkII C of 834 Squadron
of the Fleet Air Arm. The Seafire is a variant of the
Spitfire adapted for naval use. LR 702 arrived in Durban
on 21 March 1943 aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Battler,
along with 5 other II Cs.
The
carrier had completed a stint in the Far East and the
picture shows the aircraft with the blue and white roundels
of South East Asia Command and 834 SQN's 'Z' markings.
The Seafires were apparently flown off the carrier and
based at Stamford Hill Aerodrome and, later, at Isipingo,
while the ship was refurbished and replenished. HMS
Battler was re-equipped with Grumman Wildcats beore
she left Durban and the Seafires remained behind, most
likely to be used for training.
It
is not known where the picture was taken but I have
the feeling that it must have been on the Natal Coast
somewhere. LR702 suffered a heavy landing in Durban
on 23 February 1944, while being flown by Lt D.A.E.Holbrook.
The damage was later judged to be too severe to fix
and, late in 1944, she was retired from service and
probably used for spares.
My
regular informant Frank Beeton provided the information
that LR702 is featured in Ron Belling's magnificent
book A Portrait of Military Aviation in South Africa.
Belling was one of South Africa's foremost aviation
artists and the book contains a collection of his paintings
of military aircraft. It is a really great book and
a 'must have' for anyone interested in the subject of
early South African aviation.
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Ron
Belling's book above, left, and the page with the painting
of LR 702 and HMS Battler off Durban.
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