List of British Commonwealth Air Training Plan facilities in Southern Rhodesia


This article contains a list of the Southern Rhodesian facilities forming part of Joint Air Training Scheme which was a major programme for training South African Air Force, Royal Air Force and Allied air crews during World War II. However, RAF Training units would still be based in this country until a decade after the war had finished
A war-time Elementary Flying Training School gave a recruit 50 hours of basic aviation instruction on a simple trainer like the Tiger Moth. Pilots who showed promise went on to training at a Service Flying Training School. The Service Flying Training School provided advanced training for pilots, including fighter and multi-engined aircraft. Other trainees went on to different specialties, such as wireless, navigation or bombing and air gunnery.

During WW II

These are the units that formed the Rhodesia Air Training Group.
Unit Name/No.BaseMajor types of aircraftRoleOpenedDisbandedComments
No. 25Belvedere, SalisburyTiger Moth, Cornell & HarvardEFTS24 May 194016 November 1945
No. 20Cranborne, SalisburyHarvard 1, 2, 2a, 3 and OxfordSFTS10 July 19407 September 1945
No. 27Induna, BulawayoTiger Moth & CornellEFTS28 January 194021 September 1945
No. 23Heany, BulawayoOxfordSFTS8 July 194130 September 1945
No. 21Kumalo, BulawayoOxfordSFTS8 October 194018 May 1945
Sauerdale, BulawayoTiger MothEFTSPlanned, but base found to be unsuitable
No. 26Guinea Fowl, GweloTiger Moth & CornellEFTSAugust 194014 August 1945
No. 22Thornhill, GweloHarvard 1, 2, 2a, 3SFTS25 March 194130 September 1945
No. 24 Bombing, Gunnery and NavigationMoffat, GweloBattle, Oxford and AnsonBGTS12 May 194313 April 1945
No. 24 Combined Air Observation SchoolMoffat, GweloBattle, Oxford and AnsonBGTS3 August 194112 May 1943Split into 24 BGTS & 29 EANS
No. 29 Elementary Navigation SchoolMoffat, GweloBattle, Oxford and AnsonANS12 May 194313 April 1945
No. 28Mount HampdenTiger Moth, Cornell & HarvardEFTS1 April 194130 October 1945Motto: Pana Maziñana ano Bururuka - Here Fledglings Take Wing
No. 31CranborneHarvard ARU1 August 1941
No. 32HeanyHarvard ARU1 August 1941
Rhodesian Central Flying SchoolNortonAll types used in GroupCFS3 Sep 194120 May 1942Renamed 33 FIS
No. 33NortonAll types used in GroupFIS20 May 19429 May 1944Renamed CFS
Central Flying School NortonAll types used in GroupCFS9 May 19449 October 1945
Communications FlightBelvedereTiger Moths, Cornells & HarvardsComms Flt14 May 19401 January 1946SRAF unit

Training aircraft

Unit Name/No.BaseMajor types of aircraftRoleOpenedDisbandedComments
No. 4RAF HeanyTiger Moth, Harvard, Anson & ChipmunkFTS1 February 194726 January 1954
No. 5RAF ThornhillTiger Moth, Harvard & AnsonFTS23 April 19474 January 1948Renamed 3 ANS
No. 5RAF ThornhillTiger Moth & ChipmunkFTS22 January 195130 December 1953Reformed, later reabsorbing 3 ANS
No. 3RAF ThornhillAnsonANS5 January 194828 September 1951
No. 394RAF HeanyMU1 September 194731 March 1954
No. 395RAF BulawayoMU1 September 194731 March 1954
RATG Communications SquadronRAF KumaloAnsons, Chipmunks & HarvardsComms1 September 194731 March 1954

Training aircraft