Gerneke DFC AM , Rolf Alwin (R A)

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 24 Aug 2026: P/21675 Major Rolf Alwin Gerneke DFC (US) AM (US), Central Flying School Dunnottar, Korean War veteran. Distinguished Flying Cross added to PersonAward. Web research corroboration: as Commandant, Gerneke was Officer Commanding 2 Squadron SAAF (the "Flying Cheetahs") during its Korean War conversion to the F-86 Sabre; with Maj Stan Wells he was one of the first two SAAF pilots to fly the Sabre solo (31 Jan 1953) and flew the type's first SAAF operational sortie (22 Feb 1953). His aircraft (no. 601, ex-USAF 52-4352) was named "Sherdanor II", later "Renkins". Sources: South African Military History Society, samilitaryhistory.org/12/c12junne.html and samilitaryhistory.org/vol043pm.html.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word, and it CONTRADICTED this record's own Branch, "Air Force". Across the roll 787 records carried such a contradiction; judged against Corps and Regiment -- independent of both columns -- the evidence backed Branch 744 times and Unit2 not once. Branch is therefore kept and the contradicting word removed. Nothing is guessed: this man's branch of service is already recorded, and his sub-unit, if any, is simply not known.