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GOLDING, Douglas William

Stats:

rank: Maj
status: survived
airforce: SAAF    (no: 103112V )
born: 1919-04-09 Durban South Africa

added by: Justin
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Bio / Text:

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Distinguished Flying Cross
Golding joined the South African Air Force in 1940 and joined 3 Squadron SAAF flying Mohawks but in 1941 he moved to 4 Squadron SAAF in the Western Desert, flying Tomahawks. In April 1942 he returned to South Africa, flying anti submarine patrols off Durban with 10 Squadron SAAF.

He was awarded a DFC in 1942. As per London Gazette dated 7 April 1942.
On his first encounter with the enemy this officer was surprised and engaged by German fighters. He evaded their attacks, but a Messerschmitt 109 collided with his aircraft and cut two feet off the tailpiece. The control wires to the port aileron were jammed and there was a deep gash in his main plane. The Messerschmitt went down out of control. Lieutenant Golding, however, succeeded in flying his damaged fighter back to base, 70 miles away. He has since destroyed four enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of three more.

In October 1942 he was posted to 4 Squadron, becoming a flight commander in November 1942. He became Commanding Officer of the squadron in June 1943. The squadron converted to Spitfire Mk V's in July 1943. In October 1943 he was evacuated with malaria. On his recovery he was part of a Army/Air training team at Middle East Command until he went to Italy to command 73 Squadron in the Balkans until February 1945.

After a recurrence of his malaria, he returned to South Africa and was demobilised in 1946.

Squadrons:

Squadrons add
AirforceSqdrnDate
SAAF 3 squadron S.A.A.F 1940-01-01
SAAF 4 squadron 1941-01-01
SAAF 10 squadron 1942-04-01
SAAF 4 squadron 1942-10-01
RAF 73 squadron 1944-08-01

Aircraft:

Aircraftadd
SerialNoteDate
MA751 Pratice formation 1944-08-17
MA383 Pratice formation flying. 1944-08-18
MA485 Pratice flying 1944-08-23
JF560 Air test 1944-08-24
MA514 Local flying 1944-08-25
MA514 Practice flying 1944-08-26
MA514 Pratice formation 1944-08-28
MA514 Practice flying 1944-08-29
MA507 From base to Taranto 1944-08-31
MA507 From Taranto to base 1944-08-31
Practice formation flying 1944-09-06
MJ116 Pratice formation flying 1944-09-07
Pratice battle formation 1944-09-08
ML245 To Bari 1944-09-09
ML425 From Bari 1944-09-09
From Foggia main to Canne 1944-09-12
MH607 From Biferno to base. 1944-09-14
MH607 Sweep Zagres area. On landing ground saw 5 aircraft but poor visibility prevented identification & attack. 1944-09-14
Cannon test spitfire MA325 as written in log books 1944-09-16
MH607 From base to Falconara to refuel 1944-09-17
MH607 Patrol Ljubljana area. Saw many aircraft on landing ground. Returned to Falconara 1944-09-17
MH607 Falconara to base 1944-09-17
MH607 From base to Falconara 1944-09-18
MH607 Sweep Ljueljana aerodrome. Low level attack 12 aircraft destroyed. Loco blew up. Sgt Clark & w/o Evan failed to return. 1944-09-18
MH607 From Falconara to base 1944-09-18
MH607 Sweep over Yugo destroyed 2 loco's. W/O Rowe forced to land believed safe 1944-09-23
PT668 Sweep Banja Luka area Okučani two loco's attacked both blew up. Several amounted vehicles attacked some damaged 1944-10-04
PT681 Sweep Banja Luka area. West Rajić loco attacked flak car each side of loco observed, intense fire encountered, attack broken off after damage to loco. 1944-10-05
MJ629 Patrol Zagreb landfall at Šibenik coming out of Šibenik flak encountered. Sgt Shearer forced to bale out east of Zirje. Seen safe in dinghy 1944-10-05
PT668 Sweep Yugoslavia destroyed 5 M.T 1944-10-23
MJ629 Recce over Yugoslavia - failed owing to bad weather 1944-10-25
MJ629 Nothing added to log 1944-12-02
MJ629 Sweep over southern Yugoslavia no targets seen 1944-12-03
PT668 Returned early owing to bad weather 1944-12-06
Half Squadron moving to Athens tomorrow. 1944-12-07
PT618 Straffing misson at Shifi hill 1944-12-10
MK444 Sweep straffed E.L.A.S slit trenches 1944-12-11
PT498 Sweep straffed Lycabettus hill in Athens 1944-12-11
PT498 Straffed E.L.A.S slit trenches Lofus filopappou 1944-12-13
PT498 Straffed Lofos Kastella area in Athens 1944-12-14
MJ629 Bombing & straffing slit trenches in a quarry near Athens. Bombing hits observed 1944-12-15
PT498 Straffing & set fire to E.L.A.S buildings in Athens 1944-12-17
MJ629 Search for captured R.A.F personal also staffed M.G positions 1944-12-19
PT618 Kifissia to search for R.A.F p.o.w's 1944-12-19
MJ835 Escort to Beaufighters straffing M.T's etc at A.H.Q 1944-12-20
PT618 Escorted Beaufighters attacking Averoof prison. 2 prison wings demolished 1944-12-21
MJ992 Escort to Beaufighters 1944-12-22
MA620 Straffed slit trenchers and building in Athens 1944-12-24
MA464 Straffig building no visible results 1944-12-28
MA464 Straffing buildings in built up areas of Athens. No movements seen. 1944-12-31
PT681 Patrol bomb line north of Athens destroyed 4 M.T & damaged 2 1945-01-03
PT498 Escort to rocket carrying Beaufigters 1945-01-03
Sweep of Athens bomb line. Destroyed 2 M.T 1945-01-05
MA620 Sweep of Athens destroyed 6 M.T 1945-01-05
PT497 Recce of Athens 7 M.T destroyed 2 damaged 1945-01-05
PT498 Sweep of Athens destroyed 2 M.T 1945-01-06
MJ629 Patrol of armoured column in Athens, no claims. 1945-01-09
PT498 Recce for E.L.A.S. gun positions, nothing seen 1945-01-11
PT498 Recce for E.L.A.S. gun positions, nothing seen 1945-01-11
MJ629 Pratice flying 1945-01-24
MJ629 Practice flying 1945-01-25
PT671 Sweep railroad Dubica to Novska in yugoslavia. F/Lt Ball crash landed near Sanski Most. Now back at base 1945-02-06
Major D.W Golding after commanding the Squadron for 8 months, left to return to S.A.A.F 1945-02-10

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