REVIEWS
South African Airpower Vol 1
Seeds of Flight and Pioneer Aviators
Author: Vernon Vice
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ISBN: 9781067239725
Reviewed By: Dean Wingrin
The history of air power in South Africa is often told from the moment the South African Air Force (SAAF) was formally established in 1920. Far less attention is paid to the operational foundations that preceded that milestone. In this respect, South African Air ower – Volume 1 performs an essential and long-overdue task: it traces the origins of South African military aviation back to the earliest global endeavours toward flight and follows these developments through to the threshold of the SAAF’s birth.
The origins of this ambitious series lie in Vernon Vice’s South African Military Air Power through the 20th & 21st Century, more widely known as the SAAF Daily Ops Diary, compiled in the mid-2000s. What began as a structured record steadily expanded as new material emerged, sources were revisited, and connections were drawn between individuals, events and broader international developments. Hundreds of hours of dedicated research have culminated in the present volume, the first of a planned series examining the evolution of air power in South Africa and its role within the wider international environment.
This volume demonstrates how South African military aviation emerged from early experimentation and wartime necessity. From balloon operations during the Anglo-Boer War, through the formation of the South African Aviation Corps during the First World War, and the distinguished service of South African pilots with British flying units in Africa and Europe, a clear thread of experience and capability began to take shape. These early milestones were stepping stones that forged a tradition of doctrine and skill. Guided by General Jan Smuts’ vision for air power, they paved the way for the creation of an independent air force in 1920.
This work is not a conventional narrative history. Instead, it adopts a reference-driven format derived from the author’s earlier research, allowing the reader to locate information with ease while still maintaining continuity and flow. In doing so, it brings together a remarkable breadth of material: early pioneers, forgotten incidents, operational data and statistical detail that might otherwise have remained scattered or lost to time. For researchers and historians, this approach offers both depth and accessibility.
As an author and researcher, myself, I am acutely aware of the personal cost such a project entails. Undertaking a work of this scope requires not only intellectual commitment, but also significant sacrifices of time and family life. Vern’s perseverance and attention to detail are evident throughout this volume, and the result is a valuable contribution to South African military aviation history.
SA Airpower: Seeds of Flight and Pioneer Aviators South African Air Power – Volume 1 lays the groundwork for the volumes that will follow, covering the formal establishment of the SAAF in 1920, the inter-war years, activities during and post the Second World War, the Bush War and beyond. This opening volume sets a high standard, and I look forward with keen anticipation to the continuation of this series, which promises to become an essential reference work for anyone interested in the development of South African air power.
