A group of very dedicated friends, known as the Friends of the SAAF Museum in Ysterplaat, are guiding visitors to the museum and to the No 4 hangar on the base.
They get no pay as their reward is seeing that the SAAF’s history is preserved and the joy on the faces of visitors.
“We all share different key functions such as working on the aircraft, cleaning the museum, aircraft and hangars, selling eats and drinks, T-shirts, caps and badges and doing the braaiing on the base.
“We are about 30 members signed up from 2002 to the present and are all volunteers that have to raise money to do restorations and buy paint and equipment,” says Norman Larsen, photographer and vice-chairman of the SAAF Museum. Larsen is also an Honorary Associate Arachnologist at the Iziko South African Natural History Museum.
“Having to raise money ourselves for restorations we therefore appeal for donations to assist us as this is the only money we raise. Our oldest aircraft is a Dakota rolled off the production line in early 1944.
“We have recently rescued several vehicles that, in time, will also be restored.
“The aircraft can be seen at the SAAF Museum in Ysterplaat on Saturday mornings.
“Like all museums, the interest and excitement of viewing old and interesting displays boggles the mind. One just has to observe the pleasure on the faces of visitors, young and old, male and female when they visit the SAAF Museum or Iziko Museum in Cape Town,” he says.
The SAAF Museum opened in 1987 and is situated behind the plinth mounted Aermacchi MB-326M Impala MK.1 531. The museum is currently being renovated but visitors are welcome on Saturdays when three tours are offered.
“There is also a library, the Tunnel for lectures and a 1920 hangar, the first and original hangar at Ysterplaat. This hangar houses a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura GR5 6447, De Havilland Vampire FB5 208, a 40 mm Bofor anti-aircraft gun as well as a Marmon Herrington armoured car. There are various aircraft engines including a Junkers Jumo 004 B-1 turbojet used in the Messerschmitt Me.262.
“The rest of the museum aircraft is stored in hangar No 4 on the base with the Avro Shackleton MR Mk 3 1722 at the entrance. The first Avro Shackleton MR Mk3 arrived at AFB Waterkloof in Pretoria from Britain in 1957 and was retired in 1984. Avro Shackleton Mk3 J1716, call-sign ‘Pelican 16’, was rebuilt and while on its way to an air show in Britain crashed in the Sahara. WO1 Henry ‘Pottie’ James Potgieter, an aircraft fitter, decided to rebuild 1722 with WO1 Buks Bronkhorst and various other willing hands,” he says.
Potgieter sadly passed away on Thursday 22 August.
“Potties Private Bomber” flew again at various air shows until 24 September 2006 and is now the only airworthy Shackleton Mk3 but, unfortunately, the crew is way beyond retirement.
“We are fortunate that interest has not waned and 1722 P ‘Pelican 22’ can be seen at AFB Ysterplaat. Other aircraft are a Dassault Mirage F1 CZ 213, Dassault Mirage IIIR2Z 857, Canadair CL-13B Sabre Mk.6B 372 painted in Korean War livery to represent a North American F-86 Sabre 601 ‘Sherdanor II’ that the SAAF used at that time.
“Included are an Aermacchi MB-326M Impala Mk.1 460, Piaggio P-166S Albatross 896, North American AT-6C Harvard Mk 4 7293, Aerospatiale SA-316B Alouette III 611, Aerospatiale SA-321G Super Frelon 314, Westland Wasp HAS Mk.1 93, Westland Whirlwind HAS22 WV224 ex Royal Navy.
“The Blackburn Buccaneer S Mk.50 416 is currently in the process of restoration and is nearing completion.
“The museum has a SARO Mk 3 airborne lifeboat that is being restored that was carried under the belly of the Shackleton to rescue pilots or people lost at sea,” says Larsen.
The museum has a variety of snacks and drinks, T-shirts, cap badges etc. Anyone interested in helping to work on the aircraft, guide visitors or run the shop on Saturday mornings are welcome to join the Friends of Ysterplaat Museum. For more visit the Friends of the SAAF Museum, Ysterplaat Facebook site or contact Norman Larsen on 083 698 1943.
