02 October 1964 South African Air Force Harvard IIA

• The picture is original and not ‘touched up’. The ‘Pongos’ (Army types) were on a route march from Langebaan (Air Force base about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Cape Town) by the sea to Saldanha.”(This picture was taken on October 2nd, 1964).

The first Harvards arrived in South Africa in October 1942 for use by the Joint Air Training Scheme schools. By July 1944, 633 Harvard Mk IIA and III aircraft had been shipped to South Africa, with 555 surviving in October 1945 (379 MkIIAs and 176 Mk IIIs).

As the Harvards had been supplied on lend-leaseby the US, 300 were shipped back to the UK from 1946, with the remainder being purchased by South Africa.

65 AT-6Ds (7634 to 7698) and 30 T-6Gs (7699 to 7728) were purchased from the USA during 1952-1956.