4 Squadron SAAF was a South African Air Force squadron which served during World War II. It was resurrected in 1951 and remained active until 1958. Its final period of active service was from 1961 to 1991. Its final aircraft were Impala Mk IIs and it was based at Lanseria Airport at the time of final disbandment.

Establishment and deployment

The squadron was initially equipped with Hawker Hartbees, Hawker Fury and Wapitis when it was first formed in April 1939 in Durban. It was disbanded soon thereafter (December 1939) and resurrected at AFB Waterkloof on 24 March 1941 flying Hurricanes. Operational training took place in Kenya and soon the squadron was responsible for protection against possible Italian attacks from Somaliland. While in Kenya the squadron received a number of Curtiss Mohawks which had been taken over from French orders.

World War II

On 1 September 1941 the squadron began to move to Egypt and converted to Tomahawks. Its first combat patrol came on 12 November, early in Operation Crusader as a fighter-bomber squadron and the squadron remained in Egypt to take part in all of the desert battles from Operation Crusader to El Alamein. The squadron also supported the advance into Tunisia as well as the invasions of Sicily and Italy. The Kittyhawks were replaced by Spitfires in July 1943, and in August the squadron moved onto Sicily and to the Italian mainland in September from where it concentrated on ground attack missions until the end of hostilities. 4 Squadron remained in Italy for two months after the end of the war and on 12 July its personnel began returning to South Africa. The squadron was disbanded in October 1945.

Post World War II

4 Squadron was Reformed in January 1951 at AFB Waterkloof as the Active Citizen Force element of 1 Squadron with Harvards and Spitfires until once again disbanded in October 1958. On 1 November 1961, the squadron was reformed at Swartkop, flying Harvards and in August 1972 the first Impalas were received.

The squadron moved from Swartkop to Waterkloof and then to Lanseria Airport where it received Impala Mk II's. It saw numerous deployments to South West Africa to Mpacha and Rundu airfields. Home base remained Lanseria until disbanded in September 1991.