Issue No 21 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN 89
We’d had the most wonderful time at Roberts
Heights and it was very difficult to say goodbye
and thank you with sufficient sincerity. Before
we left, Sandy gave me the assegai shield he had
picked up from a native who had been killed in
tribal warfare, and of which I am very proud.
I should also like to place on record the
technical work which was done for us. We
had been troubled with cracking oil tanks
and breaking tailstrut fittings. The advice of
Warrant Officer McQueen in charge of the SAAF
workshops was asked. On seeing the damage
he immediately thought of a remedy and within
three days had rendered all four Victorias fully
serviceable, and we experienced no trouble for
the rest of the cruise. They must have thought
we were inefficient, arriving two days behind
schedule with our aeroplanes falling to pieces.
We flew over the aerodrome and waved
goodbye to the gaily coloured crowd which
had assembled on the tarmac to see us depart.
We avoided the city as we left because several
formations of SAAF machines were flying
around to welcome Prince George, who arrived
at 1000hr. At 1210hr we landed at Pietersburg.
Goodbye to the Union
The next day, March 15, we set off for Bulawayo
at 0740hr and arrived some three hours later,
having crossed the Limpopo and said goodbye
to the Union. We were met by our friends from
the club and issued with a programme of events.
We spent the afternoon inspecting the aeroplanes
and then went for a bathe. Bulawayo possesses
the finest swimming bath in Africa, 60yd long by
30yd wide, equipped with first-class apparatus
and surrounded by about two acres of well-kept
lawns and terraces.
The next day we had a busy morning taking
up men of the Rhodesian police force, and on
the morning of the 17th we took up 165 officers
and men of the 2nd Battalion of the Rhodesian
Regiment and landed them on the Northern end
of the aerodrome, where they made an attack on
an imaginary hostile village. Then the Faireys of
No 45 Sqn gave exhibitions of message-picking-
up and formation flying, ending with two IIIFs
performing a mock combat with Fg Off Shannon
in his Victoria, which was “shot down in flames”
unfortunately.
The following day was Sunday, so a further
demonstration of Army co-operation was given
for the benefit of those people who had been
unable to see the previous day’s displays. In the
afternoon we were all, officers and men, invited
to a picnic by the Mayor. A fleet of about 50 cars
set off for the World’s View in Matopos. The
drive took us through a beautifully wooded
valley about 30 miles [50km] into the hills, past
prehistoric caves and granite boulders as bigABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT An improvised walking advertisement for a party to be held in honour of the
RAF tourists at Broken Hill in Northern Rhodesia on the way down to Pretoria; the author in the front seat of the
SAAF Airco D.H.9 flown by Lt Sandenburg — “Sandy”; and the author’s picture of Pretoria’s Union Buildings.