Hi and welcome to this site;
I have met Dave Hastie thanks to Stewart “Bomb” Finney who was a fellow SAAF 1 squadron pal back in 1943/44.
Dave was so kind as to let me video interview him at his house in Pretoria on 12 January 2012. This web site then is to present the videos, photographs and Dave’s flying log book. Photographs of fellow 1 sqdn pilots are also shown on this site.
Dave Joined the SAAF in 1941 and went “up north” in 1942 after extensive flight training. While in North Africa he received further operational training. At that time there were very few “vacancies” at the fighter squadrons and Dave did non-operational duties for a while.
He joined No.1 SAAF squadron in 1943 and saw operational service in Africa, Sicily and Italy. During this time the enemy activity regarding fighter opposition was minimal but Dave managed to shoot down a German Fw 190.
Dave returned to the Union and did mainly flight testing of repaired aircraft at Waterkloof AFB.
After the war Dave had a long career in accounting until his retirement in 1988
This is a living web site. Any input and/or participation will be much appreciated regarding additional information, correctness, information from relatives of members who served with Dave in his squadron, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me. Most welcome will be any photographs of 1 squadron while Dave was with them.
If you have a family member who served as a SAAF fighter pilot during ww2 and you want to find out more about his war service please contact me and maybe I can be of assistance.
Tinus le Roux
February 2012Dave at his 90th birthday with his "Halcyon", January 2013. | Italy 1944 |
Military Career 01/10/1941 No. 75 Air School, ground training 31/01/1942 No. 5 Air School, Witbank, 59 hours on Tiger Moths 27/03/1942 No. 25 Air School, Standerton, 110 hours on Miles Master II 04/09/1942 Wings awarded 16/12/1942 No. 71 O.T.U. 09/03/1943 No. 1 M.E.T.S. 31/03/1943 No. 59 R.S.U. 20/04/1943 No. 1 SAAF sqdn 03/09/1943 Bailed from burning Spitfire 19/03/1944 Shot down a Fw 190 09/04/1944 Return to Union 17/04/1944 MAF Depot 01/06/1944 No 11 O.T.U. Waterkloof (test pilot) 17/07/1945 MAF Depot 20/07/1945 No. 11 O.T.U. Waterkloof 03/09/1945 SA Military College 22/10/1945 A.F.S Congella |
One of the aircraft that Dave flew in Italy 1944.
Dave with Dick Richards. Note the two swastika "kill" marks and the 1 squadron marking.
Dave and Shiela's wedding on ? at ?. From left to right: Dave's brother Neville, Dave's mother Dorothy (Molly) Jones, Dave, Shiela, Shiela's mom Ethel Howard, and Shiela's best friend Ruth Swanson.
Dave's Spitfire named "Halcyon" meaning "happy days" named after his mother's kindergarten.
Dave in front of his Spitfire AX-T
Dave and Dicky Richards