6 Squadron
	Motto:	Pasop
	Meaning:	Beware

Thanks to a wartime organizational quirk, this part-time SAAF squadron can claim to be an `ancestor' of No. 1 Squadron, the oldest unit in the air force and its senior by many years. No. 6 Squadron was formed as a `shadow' fighter unit but was equipped with Westland Wapiti Ills at Cape Town in April 1939, becoming operational in September of that year. Its first duties after the outbreak of war consisted of flying anti-submarine coastal patrols from the city's Youngsfield airfield but the aircraft soon became unserviceable.

In February 1940 the unit ceased to exist as such when it was moved to Waterkloof air base and renumbered to No. 1 Squadron, but on February 26, 1942, a new No. 6 Squadron was formed at Swartkop air base and equipped with Curtiss Mohawk Vs. Within two months, however, the new squadron was hurriedly moved to Groutville, near Stanger, because of a Japanese  invasion scare.

The threat did not materialize, and in August the squadron was moved to Eerste River in the Cape Province, where a variety  of obsolete aircraft - Wapitis, Fairey Battles and Hawker Furies - were taken on strength. On July 31, 1943, the Japanese invasion scare having finally subsided, No. 6 Squadron was disbanded, and was not heard of again until it was re-formed as a part-time Active Citizen  Force unit on July 5,1952, based in Port Elizabeth and flying Harvards. It lasted till 1959 before being disbanded as an economy measure, but in May 1961 it was re-formed, still flying Harvards.  From 1973 to 1976 the squadron also operated a lone Cessna 185, but since March 1975 it has been flying Impala Mk Is.

The squadron later moved to AFB Port Elizabeth and equipped with the 'Impala' Mk1. The sqdn was disbanded during March 1985. All 'Impala' Mk1s were transferred to either 8 sqdn or 85 CFS.

• Info from Aircraft of the SAAF, H. Potgieter, W. Steenkamp
• Additional A. Dyason.