View Single Post
  #1  
Old 01-09-20, 04:19 PM
irish's Avatar
irish irish is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Illinois USA
Posts: 1,996
Default South African Air Force Korean War

Here is a 3 medal bar to a South African Airman who had served in the Korean War 1950-1953. The note that accompanied the medals mention him serving with the 2nd Sqd SAAF... the "Flying Cheetahs"..

The South African Volunteers Medal and the UN Korean Medal are both named to him... E23014 J.H. Venter. the Korean issued medal on the end is not named

The Flying Cheetahs had started the war flying F-51D Mustangs. By late war they had converted to F-86 Sabre Jets to better compete with the MIG's that had entered the conflict....By war's end the the Cheetahs had flown 12,067 sorties... 34 SAAF pilots had made the ultimate sacrifice as well 2 ground crew.

This trio of medals popped up at an estate sale not far from my home. The individual had a number of United Nations items and was a quiet collector not really knowing him even living as close as I did..

Any additional information and input on the medals is welcomed
Jack




__________________
"We must make our mistakes quickly"
Major General George Alan Vasey CB, CBE, DSO and Bar
New Guinea 1942
Reply With Quote