By: David Rilley-Harris, Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (DNMMH)

The Sailor Malan Hall at the DITSONG: National Museum of Military History.
(Picture: DITSONG: National Museum of Military History).

Adolph Gysbert Malan, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar
(Picture: Imperial War Museum).

Adolph “Sailor” Malan was a South African who became the second most successful South African fighter pilot of the Second World War. After engaging in combat in 1939, 1940, and 1941, he was for a time the leading Ace fighting for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Adolph Malan’s hatred for his namesake reflected his hatred for authoritarianism and fascism in general, which led to his severe disappointment when Apartheid was introduced in South Africa in 1948. When the first rung of Apartheid laws began being passed in the early 1950s, Sailor Malan embarked on a journey that would establish him as one of the most prominent early anti-Apartheid activists.

Born in 1910 in Wellington in South Africa’s Cape Province (now Western Cape), Sailor Malan was a descendant of French Huguenot’s who had fled the oppression of French Protestants. His early life on a Paardeberg farm would be revisited in his later years when he settled on a farm near Kimberley. He was educated at Wellington Public School and began his working life at the age of fourteen or fifteen in the mid-1920s as a Naval Cadet on the South African Training Ship General Botha. He became an Officer Cadet in 1928 aboard the Landsdown Castle, an Acting Sub-Lieutenant in 1932 in the Royal Naval Reserve, and he was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in 1935. That same year, the RAF began expanding its pilot corps and he applied. The expansion plan had lifted the maximum age of new applicants to 25, so at the age of 25, Malan was jumping at an unexpected opportunity. It was in the Air Force where he acquired the ironically fitting nickname “Sailor”.  

Sailor Malan was trained in a de Havilland Tiger Moth which he flew for the first time in 1936. He was commissioned as an Acting Pilot Officer and completed training within a few months. His flying instructors identified Sailor Malan as an exceptional pilot, and he was able to join 74 “Tiger” squadron by the end of 1936 a month before being confirmed as a Pilot Officer in January 1937. He was promoted to Acting Flying Officer in May 1938 and Substantive Flying Officer in July 1938. Six months before the Second World War began, Sailor Malan was made Acting Flight Lieutenant.

Sailor Malan’s 74 Squadron Spitfire now displayed in the Chicago Science Museum.
(Picture: www.warriorsofthesky.co.za).

When war broke out, Malan’s 74 Squadron was considered the most combat worthy squadron and was ready to respond to any threats when Britain declared war. Three days after Britain entered the war, Malan found himself leading his squadron into what would become known as the Battle of Barking Creek. It was an unfortunate start to the war. Due to early technological failings, Malan was leading his squadron to attack the RAF’s own Hurricanes of 56 Squadron which had been misidentified as attacking enemy aircraft. 56 Squadron had themselves been scrambled to intercept another misidentified friendly aircraft. Two reserve Hurricanes took off to join 56 Squadron and they were themselves misidentified as enemy aircraft. The fearfully aggressive 74 Squadron was moving to stop them. Two pilots from Sailor Malan’s squadron successfully destroyed the two RAF Hurricanes, resulting in the death of one pilot, Pilot Officer Hulton-Harrop. The obligatory court-martial was not a dignified affair with Sailor Malan being accused of lying when he threw his two pilots under the bus. The incident prompted the RAF to address deficiencies in the detection of enemy aircraft. With those deficiencies probably being most to blame, it is no surprise that the court ruled the incident to be an unfortunate error and acquitted both the pilots.

Between 26 May and 4 June 1940, the Battle of Dunkirk saw British and other Allied soldiers desperately evacuating Europe through the port of Dunkirk. The fierce air battle saw Sailor Malan destroy five enemy aircraft earning him the title of ace for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). His citation reads, “During May 1940, this officer has led his flight, and on certain occasions his squadron, on ten offensive patrols in Northern France. He has personally shot down two enemy aircraft, and probably, three others. Flight Lieutenant Malan has displayed great skill, courage and relentless determination in his attacks upon the enemy”. Less than a month later, German bombers were dispatched to the Thames estuary in the early hours of the morning on 18 June 1940. Searchlights were capturing the bombers to assist the anti-aircraft fire. Sailor Malan took to the skies alone and moved on a German Heinkel He III bomber which was caught in a searchlight at 8 000ft. He got so close to the bomber that he almost collided with it, but he managed to shoot it out of the sky. Returning to base Sailor Malan noticed another Heinkel He III caught in a searchlight at 12 000ft. He approached the target with more caution than during the first attack and neatly knocked it out of the sky. Shooting down two Heinkel HE III bombers at night without a night fighter had never been tried before. On 6 July 1940 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant.

A Heinkel He III dropping bombs over Poland, September 1939.
(Picture: Wikipedia).

As the battle of Britain got underway Sailor Malan was given command of 74 Squadron with a promotion to Acting Squadron Leader on 8 August 1940. 11 August 1940 would become known as “Sailor’s August the Eleventh”. Responding to repetitive raids throughout the day, 74 Squadron shot down 38 aircraft and Sailor Malan received a bar to his DFC on 13 August 1940. His victories continued to mount as the Wing Commander for the Biggin Hill airbase which saw Sailor Malan awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in December 1940 and a bar to his DSO in July 1941. In August 1941, Sailor Malan was rested from his active fighter career having mounted 27 kills, 7 shared kills, 2 unconfirmed kills, 3 probable kills, and 16 enemy aircraft damaged. The remainder of Sailor Malan’s war record includes regular promotions and a lecture tour to the USA where he espoused his ten rules of air fighting. These principles have had a lasting impact on air combat training worldwide.

Sailor Malan’s ten rules for air fighting.
(Picture: Imperial War Museum).

The USA visit began in secrecy as Sailor Malan was part of a contingent sent to help prepare American pilots for the possibility of entering the war. During war games with American pilots, Malan revealed is aggressive style achieving the simulated defeat of 12 opposing aircraft in under 5 minutes. Malan believed that it was more effective to cripple an enemy plane and injure its pilot or crew, as this would damage enemy morale.

Sailor Malan resigned his commission in 1946 with the rank of Group Captain and returned to South Africa to become a personal and political assistant to Harry Oppenheimer. Malan’s steadfast hatred for fascism and authoritarianism did not waver as South Africa fell into the Apartheid period. His discipline, integrity, and leadership saw him become the president of the anti-Apartheid Torch Commando movement. However, his health was deteriorating. Sailor Malan was dying of Parkinson’s disease which was not a well understood illness at the time. Despite rest on his Kimberley farm and seeking treatment locally and abroad Sailor Malan succumbed to Parkinson’s disease at Kimberley Hospital in 1963 at the age of 52. In disregard of his extraordinary military service, and in response to his effective leadership of the Torch Commandos, Sailor Malan was refused a military burial. South African military personnel in attendance were instructed not to wear their uniforms, and the South African Air Force did not pay him tribute. In his final contribution, the Sailor Malan Memorial Fund raised thousands of pounds in his name to provide bursaries for students at the University of the Witwatersrand, specifically for the study of Parkinson’s Disease.

Sailor Malan’s decorations.
(Picture: DITSONG: National Museum of Military History).