de Havilland Vampire. Part Three. Rhodesian users

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter aircraft designed and developed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company which was operated by many forces all around the globe. One of its main users in Africa was, together with South Africa, Rhodesia.

The Southern Rhodesian Air Force (SRAF) still operated the Supermarine Spitfire F.22 in 1952, so in order to modernize their fighter fleet, they ordered 16 Vampire FB.Mk.9 (the tropicalized variant of the FB.5 fighter-bomber powered by a Goblin 3 engine) and 16 Vampire T.11 trainers to be delivered the following year. The fighters were delivered between December 1953 and August 1954 and the trainers were delivered later, with the last one in October 1955. 

The ferry flight from RAF Benson (Oxfordshire) took 17 hours and a distance of over 5.500 miles (8.851 km) in 11 stages with stops every two or three stages. During the turbulent process of that African country, the SRAF became the Rhodesian Air Force and shortly afterwards the 'Royal' prefix was added, becoming the Royal Rhodesian Air Force (RRAF) causing many Vampires to receive new serials. 

Royal Rhodesian Air Force No.1 Squadron's Vampires FB.Mk.9 flew to RAF Khormaksar (British Protectorate of Aden) in August 1958 to fly alongside Royal Air Force's (RAF) de Havilland Venom FB.Mk.4 of No.8 Squadron to gain operational experience on strikes against rebel positions. Later, in November 1965, after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, Vampires were employed against guerrillas coming from Angola, Mozambique and Zambia. Some few Vampires were lost to ground fire during this period. The South African Air Force (SAAF) provided four FB.52, 13 FB.Mk.9 and 19 T.55 plus spare parts to the Rhodesian Air Force during 1969, in order to sustain the RRAF's ground attack capability against a common enemy. 
In 1970 Rhodesia became a republic, so the 'Royal' prefix was dropped and the Vampires were gradually replaced by the Hawker Hunter, so some were flew back to South Africa, others were sold to Australia and some few remained to serve in the Air Force of Zimbabwe, one of the heirs of the original RRAF.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire