Editing 1 Squadron SAAF (section)

==== Western Desert ====
[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-596-0367-05A, Flugzeug Me 323 Gigant.jpg|thumb|right|SAAF Squadrons intercepted and destroyed 16 of these Me323's on 22 April 1943]]
The squadron arrived in April 1941 and scored its first kill on 16 May when Lt. Talbot shot down a Ju 87. The first large-scale deployment was in support of ''[[Operation Brevity]]'' and later in support of ''[[Operation Battleaxe]]'' when Lt. Talbot – the squadron's highest scoring ace, with 10 kills at that stage – was shot down and killed.<ref>Becker (1991) p.81</ref> By this stage, the squadron was only flying Hurricanes. During ''[[Operation Crusader]]'' the squadron forced down a German Bf109F, capturing it intact – for which they were congratulated by Air Chief Marshal Tedder for capturing the first of this type of aircraft.<ref>Becker (1991) p.85</ref>

By the time of [[Operation Crusader]] the squadron was part of [[No. 258 Wing RAF]], under the direct command of [[Air Headquarters Western Desert]].
[[File:JG959 AX-N.jpg|thumb|right|Spitfire Mk. Vc of 1 Squadron SAAF]]
On 3 July 1942, the squadron was intercepting a German raid on the Alamein area while [[No. 272 Squadron RAF]] was providing them with top cover. The formation came across 15 [[Junkers Ju 87]]s escorted by 7 Bf109s; 274 Sqn attacked the Bf109s whilst 1 Sqn went after the Ju 87s. In what was later to become known as the "1 Squadron Stuka Party" the squadron destroyed 14 Ju 87s, damaged two, and shot down one of the Bf109s for the loss of just one aircraft (Lt Ray Connell, who crash-landed at Burgh-el-Arab after a rear gunner destroyed his oil pump)<ref>1 Sqn SAAF War Diaries</ref> in a forty-five-minute engagement.<ref>Becker (1991) pp.89-91</ref>

During the second Battle of El Alamein, the squadron was tasked with protecting the allied armour in their advance across the start line during the break-out phase, where squadron Hurricanes destroyed a number of [[Junkers Ju 87|Ju 87 Stukas]] during this phase of the battle.<ref>Playfair Vol.IV, (2004) p.68</ref> After the Battle of Alamein, the squadron received Spitfires as replacements for their Hawker Hurricanes.

During April 1943, German transport aircraft were freighting supplies to the beleaguered [[Africa Korps]] in Tunisia after Allied air and sea interdiction had stopped most of their shipborne supplies coming from Italy. On the 22nd, the squadron Spitfires joined by [[Curtiss P-40 variants|Kittyhawks]] from SAAF [[2 Squadron SAAF|2]], [[4 Squadron SAAF|4]] and [[5 Squadron SAAF|5]] Squadrons intercepted 21 huge [[Messerschmitt Me 323|Me323's]] attempting to bring in fuel (each aircraft carried 10 tons of fuel) to Tunisia. They destroyed 16 Me323s and two of their fighter escorts (one [[Macchi C.202|MC.202]] and one [[Reggiane Re.2001|Re.2001]]). After this successful intercept, [[Hermann Göring|Goering]] forbade all transport flights to Africa. The decision was overturned two days later after protests from [[Albert Kesselring|Kesselring]], on condition that all future flights were made by night.<ref>Playfair Vol IV, (2004) p.416</ref>

During the fighting in the Western Desert in 1941 (while operating under the 6 Squadron designation) they acquired their nickname "The Billy Boys" because whenever successful in combat, the South African pilots would shout "''Jou Bielie!''" over the radio (roughly translated into British English as "You clever chap!" and into American English as "You Hoss!").{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}