5 Squadron, South African Air Force. Formed in April 1939 and reformed in May 1941, flying Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and then Mustangs in the Second World War, and Harvards, Impalas and Atlas Cheetahs after it. It served across North Africa and the Mediterranean, from Egypt through to Italy. Disbanded on 2 October 1992 when its Cheetahs were decommissioned.
The Rhodesian Air Force squadron of the same number is a separate unit and has its own record, OrgEntityID 6763.
CORRECTED 25 September 2026. This entity previously carried Branch "Rhodesian" and a description asserting it was Rhodesian Air Force No. 5 Squadron, sourced to Geldenhuys, Rhodesian Air Force Operations. That was wrong: every casualty attached here is South African, almost all with Corps "South African Air Force". The Rhodesian description was matched on the bare squadron number, which South Africa and Rhodesia both used, and the force-split of 27 August 2026 then moved the Rhodesians out to their own entity while the Rhodesian label stayed behind on the South Africans.
| Formation | Type | Relationship | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disbanded air and training squadrons | Category | organic | |
| saaf-oob:saaf-disbanded | |||
| Rhodesian Air Force - Squadrons | Category | organic | |
| rsf-oob:rhodesian-air-force | |||
68 on the roll across 2 Force tags — this organisation name is shared by more than one defence force / era.
| # | Last Name | First Name | Initials | Rank | Force | Regiment | Corps | Date of Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134 | Adams | Henry Douglas | H D | Second Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-02-02 |
| 1202 | Barrett | Warwick D'arcy | W D | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-04-14 |
| 1227 | Bartels | Martinus Johannes | M J | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-04-03 |
| 1456 | Begg | Conrad George | C G | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-12-06 |
| 1580 | Bennee | Peter Westmorland | P W | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-09-09 |
| 2143 | Borland | Ernest Reginald | E R | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-11-03 |
| 2253 | Botha | Louis Cecil | L C | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-06-17 |
| 29563 | Bowden | Rowan Rex | R R | Lieutenant | SADF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1962-02-19 |
| 2839 | Brown | William Hubert Hart | W H H | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-09-01 |
| 3935 | Clarke | Hillary John Ellis | H J E | Major | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-05-01 |
| 4145 | Coetzee | Johannes Christian | J C | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-04-19 |
| 4174 | Coetzer | C J | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-12-01 | |
| 4234 | Coleman | Stanley Victor | S V | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-10-20 |
| 4300 | Colman | Edward Norman | E N | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-09-06 |
| 29860 | Cox | John Harold | J H | Second Lieutenant | SADF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1975-11-10 |
| 30062 | Dickinson | Brian | B | Second Lieutenant | SADF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1958-11-07 |
| 30063 | Dicks | Chester Henry | C H | Warrant Officer II | SADF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1987-07-28 |
| 5692 | Dickson | Aubrey Ellis | A E | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-09-15 |
| 6275 | Duncan | Alan Matheson | A M | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-08-07 |
| 6273 | Duncan | Andrew | A | Major | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-05-31 |
| 6403 | Eaton | Brian John | B J | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-11-21 |
| 6679 | Enslin | Barney Godfrey Smuts | B G S | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-01-23 |
| 6863 | Facer | Aubrey William Sullivan | A W S | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-05-05 |
| 7118 | Filby | Jack Ernest | J E | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-04-24 |
| 7158 | Finlayson | Thomas | T | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-10-02 |
| 7228 | Flack | Roydon Hugh Richard | R H R | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-02-26 |
| 30341 | Fordham | Eric Lionel | E L | Air Sergeant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1955-06-18 |
| 7716 | Frost | John Everitt | J E | Major | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-06-16 |
| 8400 | Goose | William George | W G | Air Mechanic | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-12-26 |
| 9016 | Hall | Ewart Wilfred | E W | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-12-06 |
| 9346 | Hart | Thomas Frederick | T F | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-12-06 |
| 30669 | Hefer | Ian Anthony | I A | Second Lieutenant | SADF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1968-12-06 |
| 9914 | Hilligan | Rex Montgomery | R M | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1943-03-27 |
| 9941 | Hingle | Lewis | L | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-02-25 |
| 9944 | Hinton | Arthur Dale | A D | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-10-26 |
| 10403 | Howitz | Lawrence Olaf | L O | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-02-16 |
| 10746 | Israel | Paul Meye Cilliers | P M C | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-11-16 |
| 11043 | Janse Van Rensburg | Daniel Jacobus | D J | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-01-23 |
| 12015 | Kemsley | Keith Cole | K C | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-11-01 |
| 31038 | Kerr | James McFarlane Wilson | J M W | Major | SADF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1977-08-17 |
| 12801 | Lacey | Dennis Vernon Dohp | D V D | Major | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-08-07 |
| 13608 | Lindbergh | John Victor | J V | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1943-03-26 |
| 13656 | Linsley | Reginald Roesucic | R R | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-11-06 |
| 13796 | Lombard | William Jacobus | W J | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-12-06 |
| 14243 | MacGuire | Peter George | P G | Captain | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-02-04 |
| 31714 | Matthysen | Marthinus Jacobus | M J | Flight Sergeant | SADF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1966-06-05 |
| 17435 | Morgan | Kenneth Colin | K C | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1942-06-17 |
| 17525 | Morrison | Robert Lionel | R L | Major | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-09-13 |
| 17920 | Muir | Percy | P | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1945-04-23 |
| 18109 | Murray | Gavin Christo | G C | Lieutenant | UDF | 5 Squadron | South African Air Force | 1944-10-15 |