Date of birth:

November 28th, 1912 (Dundee, South Africa)

Date of death:

December 17th, 1973 (Durban, South Africa)

Nationality:

Rhodesian (1923-1980, British Colony)

At the outbreak of World War Two George Buchanan was employed by the Zambesi Saw Mills Comp. in Livingstone, North-Rhodesia. Here he applied for a job with the RAF and was accepted in early 1940. April 1940 he left for England to start his flight training. May 25th, 1940, he joined the RAF as Aircraftman 2nd Class (AC2) and was marked down as eligible for training as pilot, observer and officer. Meantime he was posted to 3 Initial Training Wing (ITW) for his basic training. August 20th, 1940, after having been promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC), he was transferred to 14 Elementary Flying Trainig School (EFTS) at Elmdon, Birmingham. Here he received flight training on the De Havilland Tiger Moth. October 7th, 1940 he was posted to 8 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for advanced training on the Miles Master. He received his wings January 8th, 1941.

January 17th, as Pilot Officer, he reported to 55 Operational Training Unit (OTU) for training on the Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 and remained there until March 7th, 1941. He received his first operational posting on March 19th in 260 Squadron at Drem, Scotland, flying the Hurricane Mk. 1. Until April 28th, 1941, he mostly flew convoy patrols. May 4th he was transferred to 266 (Rhodesian) Squadron at Wittering, East Midlands; flying the Supermarine Spitfire until August 27th. That day he reported to 41 Squadron, Tangmere Wing, flying the Spitfire Mk. Vb. February 8th, 1942 he left on board a Sunderland flying boat for Malta by way of Gibraltar and February 21st joined 249 Squadron at Takali airbase. Here, George Buchanan flew Hurricanes Mk. II and subsequently Spitfires Mk. Vb until March 6th 1942. While in Malta Buchanan scored 8.5 kills. With the half kill he had scored with 41 Sq., he raised his tally to 9. He remained with 249 Sq. until May 22nd, 1942.

May 22nd, 1942, Buchanan was transferred to 61 OTU for a period of rest, starting as an instructor on July 8th and remained there until March 27th, 1943. January 15th, saw him promoted to Flight Lieutenant and posted as Flight Commander. Between April 8th and May 20th , 1943 he was posted to 41 Group. It is not clear with which unit he flew but he acted primarily as a test pilot. Later on he returned to 61 OTU and subsequently was transferred to 2 Personnel Dispatch Center, Air Ministry Test and Evaluation, remaining until August 15th, 1943. Between August 16th and June 5th ,1944, he visited the United States with a delegation of the RAF. It is unknown to what purpose this visit was made and what had been done in the US.

June 6th, Buchanan returned to England to 1 Personnel Dispatch Center at West Kirby and June 27th went to HQ Fighter Command to wait for his next posting. July 12th he ended up at 2 Flying Instructor School at Motrose, Scotland where he attended 51 Flying Instructor Course until September 20th. Between September 30th, 1944 and April 26th, 1945, George Buchanan stayed with 9 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit at Teeling/Dundee, Scotland as Acting Flight Commander and Flying Instructor. Between May 3rd, 1945 and September 26th, he served with 10 Air Gunnery School.

July 6th, 1946, George Buchanan left operational service. Together with his wife and daughter he returned to Rhodesia and settled as landowner/farmer and breeder of cattle. 1968, he quit farming and moved to Zambia, where his wife May was secretary to Zambia Safaris. May had been recruited by Ron Kidson and Keith Rouse ex Kalomo to do their secretarial work but George was slowly deteriorating from Dementia and left shortly after Mary Counsell replaced May as secretary in October 1969. They moved to Durban SA and not long afterwards he died.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

No. 8 Flying Training School, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

January 8th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Unit:

No. 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

June 5th, 1942

Citation:
"This officer has displayed great determination in his encounters with rading aircraft. One day, in April 1942, he shot down a Junkers 87 and damaged another in a single combat. Having expended all his ammunition, he carried out a series of feint attacks on Messerschmitt 109s and drove them away from some of his comrades who were coming in to land their aircraft."

The London Gazette dated 5th June 1942.
Presented on 17th November 1942 at Buckingham Palace.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Peter Jones
• - Murgrave, B., George Buchanan D.F.C.
  - Rhodesiana Archives
  - Mary Counsell