discussion Like grangfarther like grandson

[Guest]

I was always told by my family on my mom's side that my grandfarther worked on aircraft for the south african AF in north africa and Itali during WW2.


I never really knew him (died when I was about 5) but it always interested me.


I have been searcing and it seems I can get hold of his enlisting letters to teh SAAF as a carpenter in 1940 allong with his medals.


I am not yet sure if he was an aircraft carpemter, but if he was that would be most interesting as it is exactly what I do for a living almost 70 odd years later....the only one in our family to do so.


I want to make a nice model of a SAAF plane he might have maintained if I can find out more info with the docs and medals as a display base.


I have learned that memories of family members fade and they die out, so I will have to make a start with tihs soon. My family on my farther's side gave me history and a medal of my 2 "afrikaans" great grandfarthers who both served with the Boer army during the Anglo Boer war, IIRC both or atleast 1 were sent to St Helena after the war.


And so history gets lost is we don't save it.


Theuns

 

[papa 695]

A great idea Theuns, and I hope you can get all the information you need. Looking forward to the build whatever it is.

 

[Guest]

Well , as a carpenter it would have had to be something like Avro Ansons or similar "wood" planes the SAAF operated in the african desert, I am still reserching to see what Sqn he was at.

 

[Guest]

I found this info on his enlistment dock quite interesting.....basically tha same job as me


"


a. ****** Sgt Simpson, H.J. SAAF


(Date of Birth : ** February 1911)


b. Ex-Volunteer's ID Book :


i. Date of Assumption of Full Time Service : 1st July 1940


ii. Date of Discharge : 13th August 1945


iii. Address : ***** Street, Rietfontein, Pretoria.


c. Artisan Certificate of Service :


i. ******** Sgt Simpson, HJ.


ii. Trade : Fitter II (A)


iii. Corps : SAAF


iv. Description :


Must have knowledge of carpenter joints, carpenter tools, glues, knots and splices, construction and repair of wing tips, ribs and spars, fabric, plywood, painting, etc, etc."


With this job discription I think he must habe worked on most SAAF planes, especially needing to know fabric.


This makes the selection of building a model a little easier


Theuns