22 Facts About Sailor Malan

Sailor Malan finished his fighter career in 1941 with twenty-seven destroyed, seven shared destroyed and two unconfirmed, three probables and sixteen damaged.

Sailor Malan was born on 3 October 1910 to an Afrikaner family of Huguenot descent in Wellington, Western Cape.

Sailor Malan joined the South African Training Ship General Botha in 1924 or 1925 as a naval cadet at the age of 14, and on 5 January 1928 engaged as an officer cadet aboard the Landsdown Castle of the Union-Castle Line which later earned him the nickname of "Sailor" amongst his pilot colleagues.

Sailor Malan learned to fly in the de Havilland Tiger Moth at an elementary flying school near Bristol, flying for the first time on 6 January 1936.

Sailor Malan was commissioned as an acting pilot officer on 2 March, completed training by the end of the year, and was sent to join 74 Squadron on 20 December 1936.

Sailor Malan was confirmed as a pilot officer on 6 January 1937.

Sailor Malan was promoted to acting flying officer on 20 May 1938 and promoted to substantive flying officer on 6 July.

Sailor Malan received another promotion to acting flight lieutenant on 2 March 1939, six months before the outbreak of war.

Sailor Malan developed the Ten Rules for Air Fighting for fighter pilots.

At the subsequent court-martial, Sailor Malan denied responsibility for the attack.

Sailor Malan testified for the prosecution against his own pilots stating that Freeborn had been "irresponsible, impetuous, and had not taken proper heed of vital communications".

Hastings was assisted in defending the pilots by Roger Bushell, who, like Sailor Malan, had been born in South Africa.

Sailor Malan himself commented, "thus ended a very successful morning of combat".

On 29 December 1941 Sailor Malan was added to the select list of airmen who had sat for one of Cuthbert Orde's iconic RAF charcoal portraits.

Sailor Malan had the rarer honour of being the subject of a full colour painting by Orde.

On 24 December, Sailor Malan received the Distinguished Service Order, and on 22 July 1941, a bar to the DSO.

Sailor Malan finished his active fighter career in 1941 with 27 kills destroyed, 7 shared destroyed and 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 16 damaged, as one of the highest scoring pilots to have served wholly with Fighter Command during World War II.

Sailor Malan was transferred to the reserve as a squadron leader on 6 January 1942.

Sailor Malan was promoted to temporary wing commander on 1 September 1942 and became station commander at RAF Biggin Hill, receiving a promotion to war substantive wing commander on 1 July 1943.

Sailor Malan maintained his ties to the RAF community however, acting as president of the Royal Air Forces Association's South African Area and becoming a life-member of its Johannesburg Branch.

Sailor Malan died at the age of 52 on 17 September 1963 from Parkinson's disease, at the time a rare and little understood medical condition.

Sailor Malan was not permitted a military funeral and all South African military personnel who attended his funeral were instructed not to wear their uniforms.