Hawker Hart in S Rhodesia?

[galgos]

This photograph is in my father's album from the time he spent in S Rhodesia 1943 - 45.  There is no clue in the album precisely where and when he took the picture but he attended 28 EFTS Mt Hampden, 20 SFTS Cranborne, 33 FIS Norton and 24 BG&NS Moffat, so possibly any of those airfields.  The only serial numbers that I can see appear to be "332" on the rear fuselage and "53" (?) just aft of the cockpit.  Any thoughts or information would be appreciated.

 

 

[rossm]

Having consulted The Mushroom book on the Hart family I think the code and serial indicate a machine originally delivered to the South African Air Force and used for training. To quote from the section on South Africa, "The Harts started to arrive from April 1940 onwards. They were allocated the serials 301-500 and 2041-2069. Again they mostly served with 2FTS until late 1944"

 

There is a photo of an SAAF Audax in a similar scheme, code 55, "possibly with 2FTS at Kimberly".

 

There were 5 Harts delivered to the Rhodesian AF at Cranborne in 1937 but the book is vague as to their fate and the serials given e.g SR-2 later 102, don't seem to tie up with your photo.

 

That's my "best guess".

[Seahawk]

Ross' info on SAAF Hart and Hart variant serial numbers agrees with what Dave Becker, SAAF guru, says in Yellow Wings: The Story of the Joint Air Training Scheme in World War 2.

 

As regards the units you list, following info is from RAF Flying Training and Support Units by Ray Sturtivant et al:

 

28 EFTS (Southern Rhodesia): Officially 1/4/41 officially formed at MOUNT HAMPDEN (some 12 miles from SALISBURY), disbanded 30/10/45.  Aircraft listed as on strength are Tiger Moth, Cornell II and various Harvard marks.  No info on codes.

 

20 SFTS, Rhodesia Air Training Group (RATG): formed 10/7/40 at CRANBORNE, disbanded xx/4/46.  Aircraft listed as on strength are mainly Harvards including N7027 coded 69 but among the support aircraft are listed a number of SAAF aircraft, including Hart 105, Gauntlet 152 and Rapide 203 (no codes given).

 

33 Flying Instructors School.  Formed 20/5/42 ex Rhodesian Central Flying School, moved to NORTON 2/11/42.  Redesignated Central Flying School (Southern Rhodesia) 9/5/44.  Aircraft listed as on strength in cluding various marks of Oxford and Harvard, a Tiger Moth and a Cornell.

 

24 BG&NS renamed from 24 Combined Air Observers School, RATG 12/5/43, disbanded 13/4/45.  Aircraft listed as on strength are an Oxford, Anson, Battle TT and several Haravrds.

 

So  the limited indications (type of aircraft, fact it's a SAAF aircraft in an RAF unit, code presentation) are that, of the units you list, this is most likely an aircraft of 20 SFTS at CRANBORNE, one of its satellites or Landing Grounds.  Of course it could equally well be a visiting aircraft from another unit!

 

Hope this helps.

 

[Seahawk]

On 12/12/2021 at 9:42 AM, rossm said:

Having consulted The Mushroom book on the Hart family I think the code and serial indicate a machine originally delivered to the South African Air Force and used for training. To quote from the section on South Africa, "The Harts started to arrive from April 1940 onwards. They were allocated the serials 301-500 and 2041-2069.

 

On 12/12/2021 at 10:53 AM, Seahawk said:

Ross' info on SAAF Hart and Hart variant serial numbers agrees with what Dave Becker, SAAF guru, says in Yellow Wings: The Story of the Joint Air Training Scheme in World War 2.

....

 

20 SFTS, Rhodesia Air Training Group (RATG): formed 10/7/40 at CRANBORNE, disbanded xx/4/46.  Aircraft listed as on strength are mainly Harvards including N7027 coded 69 but among the support aircraft are listed a number of SAAF aircraft, including Hart 105, Gauntlet 152 and Rapide 203 (no codes given).

 

 

The more eagle-eyed of our readers will have noticed that 105 is not actually a valid serial for a SAAF Hart.  No, but Dave Becker says that a batch of SAAF Hind trainers were numbered in a batch running from 101 to 200 and illustrates that with a photo of 115 (coded, he says, 52 but I can't actually see it!) without offering a unit attribution.   So I'm assuming that "Hart 105" is a minor misident for a Hind trainer.

[rossm]

3 hours ago, Seahawk said:

 

 

The more eagle-eyed of our readers will have noticed that 105 is not actually a valid serial for a SAAF Hart.  No, but Dave Becker says that a batch of SAAF Hind trainers were numbered in a batch running from 101 to 200 and illustrates that with a photo of 115 (coded, he says, 52 but I can't actually see it!) without offering a unit attribution.   So I'm assuming that "Hart 105" is a minor misident for a Hind trainer.

 

It "could" be one of the original 5 Harts supplied to Rhodesia if they all got renumbered as per the example in the Mushroom book - SR-2 to 102 - and survived that long. It's an alternative explanation but I've no idea if it's a better one. The Mushroom book also quotes SAAF Hinds numbered 101-199.

[galgos]

Thank you gentlemen for your thoughts, they are very much appreciated.  I’ve also been in contact with Dave Newnham who is an authority on the RATG having written articles and completed a great deal of research on its aircraft; he’s not able to positively identify the Hart as being a part of the Group and suggests it’s more than likely to be a visiting SAAF aircraft. Sadly Dad is no longer around to be able to ask.