Page 89 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

During the afternoon of April Fool’s Day 1941 an armoured boat, with RAF coxswains

aboard, was carrying out manoeuvring tests under the command of Capt. St. John. These

had ended by the time a call was received from the police for the boat to go to the mouth of
the Steenbras River. An open fishing boat had suffered engine failure and was in danger of

being washed onto the rocks by the fresh south-easterly wind that was blowing. The boat
was taken in tow and both vessels returned to Gordon’s Bay harbour.

On one occasion they even had to rescue one of their own men who was off duty at the

time. Mr. F. Scholtz, a 49-year old artisan had volunteered for the Air Force as an air

mechanic. Initially stationed at Germiston Airport, he was subsequently transferred to the
crash boat station at Gordon's Bay. The following extract from the Cape Times describes

the incident.

"Martinus Havenga of the S.A.A.F stationed at Gordons Bay was drowned

yesterday evening when he went out with a soldier Mr. F. Scholtz in a
homemade canoe. The wind was strong and the canoe started shipping water.

Havenga jumped out to swim to the beach but disappeared. His body has not yet
been recovered. Scholtz clung to the canoe and his flashes with a torch were

seen from the Gordons Bay harbour, from where a crash boat went out. One of

the crew J. Plint jumped overboard and brought Scholtz back to the crash boat.
He later said ‘We searched the shore for Havenga all night, but his shark eaten

body was only washed up days later near the caravan park shore."

Jock Plint was later awarded the Humane Society medal.

On 9 December 1941 a Nomad aircraft of 66 Air School crashed into False Bay off

Muizenberg Pavilion after colliding with a Hind 112 during an exercise. The Nomad spun
in from 4,000 ft. killing 2/Lt. J. Donaldson and A/M E. W. J. Reid. The wreckage was

hauled aboard the MV Cannuck which took it to Kalk Bay Harbour accompanied by R3.

(Fig. 3.13).

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