FLYING IN A DARK TUNNEL The story of Captain Jan Jo Joubert, Springbok pilot and hero of the Berlin Airlift and the Korean War Jan Abraham Joubert was born in the house the President Kruger, in Church Street West, Pretoria on 1 October 1925. His mother was a girl Fourie - a niece of Jopie Fourie, the 1914 Boer rebel from the farm Wildebeesthoek, northwest of Pretoria. His father was Francois Joubert, a grandson of the First Anglo-Boer War General, Frans Joubert, the hero of the battle of Bronkhortspruit. Frans Joubert was the brother of General Piet Joubert, the supreme commander of the Boer forces during the Second Anglo-Boer War. General Frans Joubert Francois Joubert was a farmer and the young Jan Joubert initially went to the farm school at Vissershoek northwest of Pretoria, close to the then small town of Brits. He started his high school career at the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria. His father then sold the farm and moved to a new farm on the Springbok flats in the Waterberg district. His last two school years were at the High School Nylstroom. On completion of his school career he helped his father on the farm, but the Second World War was in full swing and the young Jo wanted to be part of it. He applied to the South African Air Force in 1943 and his application was accepted. In those years the SA Air Force were still using Tiger Moths as training aircraft and the training base was at Wonderboom, just north of Pretoria. Jo had a natural aptitude for flying and after only six flying hours he was allowed to go solo. At the end of the course he was the only student able to fly solo at night. From Wonder boom, Jo was sent for further training at Standerton. Here he learned to fly Harvards. By the end of 1944 he completed his training and received his wings as a pilot in the South African Air Force.
Although he could fly by now, his training was not completed by far. He had to qualify as a fighter pilot. For this he was sent to Waterkloof Air Force Base to the Air Force s OTU Operation Training Unit. He completed his training as fighter pilot but with his completion of the course, the war also came to an end. It was a true disappointment. He tried hard to become part of the war in the east, but South Africa s participation in the war was something of the past. For Jo to go to war was something that had to wait. It was only with the outbreak of the Korean War, that he was given the chance to make his dream come true. He was stationed at 2 Squadron at Waterkloof. With the war at an end the SA Air Force had many pilots and the Air Force decided to send him to Langebaan, near Cape Town to be trained as a navigator. On completion of the navigation course he returned to 2 Squadron. At Waterkloof he is now also trained in air armament. All these courses would help him in future and he would reap the benefit of his hard work when eventually in a combat zone. The South African contingent on the way to West Germany. This photograph was taken in England. Jo Joubert is sitting on the far right of the picture, behind the chairs. As a result of the Second World War, Germany was split into four sectors. The British, French, Americans and Russians would all control a sector. Berlin was similarly divided into four. By 1948 the three western allies already had united their sectors, but the Russians with their communist ideology never had any intention to hand over their sector to become part of a united, free and democratic Germany. When the western allies further decided to introduce a new
German monetary system (the Deutsch Mark), the Russians decided to force the west into submission by cutting off Berlin from the rest of the world. In June 1948 the communists initiated a total blockade of West Berlin, cutting off all transport into the city. The situation soon became critical as West Berlin was dependant on the importation of necessary goods from outside. The west reacted by sending in aircraft to alleviate the plight of the people of West Berlin. The operation soon became known as the Berlin Airlift. During the 1940 and 1950 s South Africa was active in world affairs, and also fiercely anticommunist. With the inception of the Air bridge immediately offered a squadron of the SA Air Force to assist in the operation. With great speed the initial contingent of 30 men were dispatched to London. The South Africans would be involved till the day the operation was called to an end. The first deployment was for six months and when they had to be replaced, Jo as a man of action, organized himself into the group. The 30 men consisted of 10 crews each consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot/navigator and a crew-chief/radio operator The South Africans were issued with DC-3 s from the Royal Air Force, but operated as the contingent from the SA Air Force. Jo was sent as co-pilot and navigator. The rest of the three-man crew was Lt. Tom Condon and radio operator Ted Benson. The South Africans, as part of the commonwealth resorted under the overall command of the Royal Air Force, and as such, flew with the British in their sector. The RAF was stationed at Lubbock. From Lubbock they had to fly in a south-eastern direction to Berlin. They offloaded the freight at Gatow Airport. They then had to fly directly west to Celle situated in the free zone and then back north to Lubeck. The operation took place around the clock and day and night the operation continued unabated.
Crews flew every 25 hours. If you flew today 12 o clock, it would be 1 o clock tomorrow and 2 o clock the day after that etc. A flight took around three hours to complete. Crews flew for 20 flights and then had 10 days rest. Jo flew 115 flights before returning to South Africa.. The flights were dangerous with very little room for any form of navigational error. Just outside the corridors Russian fighters were ready to shoot down any stray aircraft. Although no South African crew or aircraft were lost during the year of the operation, it was always nerve wracking with the aggressive Russians always within sight and always within arm s length. To fly at night, Jo would later describe as flying in a long dark tunnel.. And it was not only the Russians causing the danger. The North European winter made flying conditions extremely hazardous. Bad weather and poor visibility was at the order of the day. Then there were the aircraft; even the best machines are prone to technical difficulties. Members of the first change-over of the Berlin Airlift at a DC-3- Dakota- Lt. Jo Joubert standing on the step. This photo was also taken in England during the pre-training. One morning, on 9 July 1949, during a flight in the early morning hours, Jo, Ted Benson and Lt. Condon were under way from Lubeck to Gatow Airport in Berlin. During the flight in, the DC-3 encountered serious vibrations in one of the engines. So serious was the problem that the engine was switched off. The weather was very bad with rain, thunder and changing air pressure. The aircraft carried 63 bags of coal, each weighing around 50kg. The bad weather made
conventional navigation just about impossible. The aircraft s radar showed the flight path too far to the left to approach the runway. There was also not enough height with the heavy load to reattempt another approach. The situation was critical. It was then that commander Lt. Tom Conlon made the critical decision. In his earphones Jo heard: Joey, now you must throw out coal like you have never before! With the aircraft dangerously low, Jo and Ted Benson set to the task. Each of them grabbed a sack of coal and set off to the side door. At the door Jo dispatched the bags out the door in the dark of the early morning. They then rushed to the back and each brought back another sack. But it was going to slow. The young Joubert was not known as Spiere (Muscles) for nothing. When they came back, Jo brought back two sacks and so it continued until it was finished. Within six minutes they emptied the aircraft of 63 bags of coal, a total of nearly 3 tons were dumped into the dark over Berlin.. But cleaning out the freight through the door was not all plain sailing. It touched on being chaotic. With the last three bags out of the door, the aircraft was within seconds of the runway. With all the strength Jo had left, he burst into the cockpit and fell between the two seats of the pilot and co-pilot, exhausted. Conlon was so focussed that he did not even notice it. As Jo came to his senses, Conlon shouted: Gear, Joey, gear. With his nose no more than 15cm away from the landing gear lever it was not to difficult to find. Jo pulled the lever to the off position, climbed into his seat and strapped in, and seconds later the DC-3 landed safely. With the aircraft safely parked, the first people to welcome them were the South African commander Major Jan Blaauw and his adjutant Duncan Ralston. Blaauw was genuinely concerned about his crews. DC-3 s busy off loading freight at Gatow Airport The results of getting rid of the coal were clearly visible. Jo only had one shoe on. The other one was later found on the aircraft. He lost it during the rush and fall to get to the controls in time. Furthermore, he and Ted Benson were both pitch black. They went to the wash rooms. Here a large Afro-American looked them up and down and asked: Where are you from?. From Africa, Jo answered him. While standing next to the American at the urinals the American looks at him and says: You are white! How come you are not black
all over!? You son of a gun, it must be African magic! It would not be the last time that the paths of white South Africans and black Americans would cross.. The coal incident did not go by unnoticed and the Royal Air Force s Air Commander Merer, would make special mention of Joe and the other two in a letter dated 20 Augustus 1949, to Group Captain Biggar, Commander of the Royal Air Force station at Lubeck. The story was also reported in the SA Air Force magazine, Ad Astra. The incident is also mentioned in The candy bombers which was later published. One of the bags fell in the front garden of British General Brian Robertson. He personally thanked the RAF for the air delivery of the coal which was very scarce. To thank them, all the living members of the Air Lift were invited as guests to the festivities when East and West Germany were united in1989. With the 60th commemoration of the Air Lift in 2008, The SA Air Force heralded the surviving members. Of the 12 survivors then, only 3 are still living in 2012. Jo Joubert, Albie Geutze and Des Grace. The communist blockade ended in 1949. Everything was flown into West Berlin for a year. The communist blockade at the end was no more than an irritation. The first confrontation of the Cold War was won by the West. It was only the beginning within a few months a bloody military confrontation would start in Korea. The American ambassador in South Africa, Waldemarch J. Gallman, handing a DFC with bar to Jo Joubert for bravery during the Korean War in 1952. Jo won seven medals for bravery. The South Africans were part of the American 18 th Fighter-Bomber Wing, and therefore qualified for American decorations and medals.
WAR IN THE EAST FIGHTER PILOT IN KOREA North Korea at the end of 1950,with the support of Chinese and Russian communists, invaded South Korea. The United Nations are asked to send troops to South Korea to guard against the northern aggression. Once more the South African government reacts quickly and promised a fighter squadron. 2 Squadron are mobilized and leave from Durban on a Dutch ship, the Tsisidanie. One of the first pilots on the ship is Lt. Jo Joubert. The ship s destination is Yokohama in Japan and the voyage takes 40 days and 40 nights, just the Biblical ark of old. When the South Africans arrived the Americans arranged a military band to make them feel welcome. When you come from Africa you have to be black, they thought, and arranged a military band consisting entirely of black members. When the South Africans disembarked from the ship there was not one black person among them. Red faces on both sides. The band did not let it faze them and gave their best. With their arrival in Japan the South Africans were issued with American P51-Mustang-D S. This photo was taken at K10 in southern South Korea. They would later operate from K-16 near Seoul. The South Africans were an independent squadron attached to the American 18 th Fighter- Bomber Wing. The South Africans were issued with American Mustangs and the technical personnel quickly painted the South African Springbok emblem as well as the orange, white and blue of the South African flag on the planes. The initial fighter training was completed at
Johnson Air Base in Japan. The base was used in the Second World War by the Japanese to train their kamikaze pilots. The South Africans launched their first attacks in Korea early in December 1950. One small piece of the Korean peninsula was not yet occupied by the communists and it is from here, from a base called K10 (K for Korea) that they start their operations. The cold and snow is a totally new flying experience. But there is no better taskmaster than necessity, and they quickly adapt to the new surroundings. The commander of 2 Squadron, his second in command and four flight commanders were all excellent fighter pilots from the Second World War and through their capable and effective leadership it did not take long before the South Africans could show the Americans that they were capable of doing the job. The South Africans quickly made a name for themselves as dedicated, fearless and brave pilots. By the end of the war 34 of the 287 South African members who served in Korea had paid with their lives. A South African Mustang ready to take to the air. A flight consisted out of four planes. Good airmanship, leadership and dedication would lead to Jo Joubert being promoted as a flight commander, before more experienced pilots, after only 35 flights. I was there to make war and to make sure my people survived. This meant than I would not have many friends in certain circles. The South Africans were mainly deployed as ground support and in air bombardment roles. By the 35th flight Joe is promoted as commander of A-Flight. Although he had less experience than
the other three pilots, the commander Cmdt SV Theron, decided to promote him as the new leader. Joubert was not necessarily there to make friends or to be popular. He was there to make war and to make sure his men went home alive. He quickly not only had the respect of his own flight but also the rest of the squadron and their American allies. Saturday, 23 June 1951 was a day with bad weather, low clouds and thunder storms. It was only the third time that Jo was commander of A-flight. By the time they were in the air, there was just one other flight in the air in the whole of Korea. Everyone was grounded as a result of the bad weather but they were on their way to North Korea to attack a site. They could not turn around. The weather was so bad that they had to keep the Mustangs under the cloud cover at about 1 000 feet. When they passed the line to the north over the American line, the 5th Air Force Operational HQ contacted them and asked Jo if he would go and provide support for American forces on the ground. The request was strange. Usually they were ordered to go, this was the first time they were asked. There was never any doubt. The flight were given the coordinates which was about 40 km away. The situation on the ground was bad. The North Koreans and Chinese had broken through the lines of the First Division of the US Marines, on high ground north of the Han River, near Koksu-ri. An American Mosquito plane, now also in the air, had already marked the spot with smoke. It was a network of trenches with hundreds of attacking enemy soldiers. The American defending new lines, were only a short distance away. With the low clouds it was a risky undertaking. It would be easy to confuse the target because they could drop their bombs short on the American lines. That could not happen. With stuttering machine guns and bombs the planes dived towards the target. The planes attacked four times. Their attacks were so accurate that some American soldiers stood up in their positions and cheered. Later one of the American soldiers Private First Class James Megnin, would send a letter to the Flying Cheetahs. One of his paragraphs reads: It was when we saw four silvery streaks plummet from the skies above with guns blazing. It was so wondrous a sight we completely forgot our whereabouts or line and just stood up in our foxholes and cheered. When the clouds sank to 300 feet more attacks were not possible. A-Flight was totally lost and each one tried to get back to base on his own. Jo flew down a valley until he found the road which he followed all the way back until he found the base. On returning to the Air Force base the Intelligence officer of the American 8th Army called him. He asked Jo who the flight leader was and that the Commander of the 8th Army has asked him to give him his personal thanks and congratulations. The enemy was not only driven from the position but the high ground could be retaken. About 500 enemy soldiers died in the attack. The Hall of Fame does not possess any greater men than those who flew that day for the United Nations PFC James P. Megnin. For his leadership and bravery during the Ridge Line attack Captain Jan Abraham Joubert was given the American Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation reads: He has brought great credit on himself, his unit and the South African Air Force.
After 100 operational flights Jo Joubert was sent back home. Of all the South Africans who flew in Korea only four would reach this number of flights; Jo Joubert, Jan Blaauw and Gus Marshall with Mustangs and later also a Lt. Grobler with a Sabre. An amount of 75 flights were standard for South African pilots, although the Americans did 100. Not long after that Jo was back in the clouds above Korea. SUAN 8 MAY 1952 From December 1951 to June 1952 Jo completed further service in Korea. C-Flight, of which Jo was the commander, was scheduled to fly with a formation of 6 and attack a supply depot. The target was situated in a loop formed by a river in the form of a butterfly. The area was known as butterfly bend. It was very well protected by enemy anti-aircraft guns. If you had to attack a target there your pants were shaking long before your arrival. Captain Joubert had to place the pilots for the attack. The Commander Cmdt Dick Clifton s name was written on the board first, then Jo s names as second in command and after that the positions of the rest of the flight. It was Jo s idea to guard the commander and bring him back home safely. While in the flight briefing Cmdt Clifton said that the target should be attacked from north to south because the previous attack was from south to north and that the anti-aircraft guns and the Migs would know this and plan for it. Capt Joubert did not agree. The flight took to the air successfully and launched the attack. The plan was flawless. When they ascended after the successful bombardment, there were suddenly a horde of Migs. They were everywhere. Jo screamed over the radio: Break right. It was clear that number 6, Lt. Taylor had been shot and white smoke streamed from his aircraft. The smoke was from the cooling fluid on the warm engine. The American Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaves clasp. The highest honour bestowed by the American Air Force to a pilot.
The first priority was to get the formation together. While they were trying to get into their formation it was clear that Taylor s aircraft was losing height and then it disappeared into the distance. Number 5 could also not be found. When they regroup Cmdt Clifton falls into position 1 and the other two into positions 2 and 3. When they were breaking away from the target Jo positioned himself above the flight to try and guard against Mig attacks from above. That was also precisely what happened. When he looked behind him there were Migs above to the left and right of him. The tactics of the Migs were to dive with great speed from high above a Mustang and to start firing on it from about 300 metres. Jo was aware of this tactic and kept his line until the Mig was about 300m away and then he swung sharply to the right. The other Mig was still on his tail. He pulled the collective back sharply and the nose of the aircraft rises above the sights of the Mig. Meanwhile a third Mig came up behind Number 2. His air brakes were on to ensure that he did not shoot past the slower Mustangs. The Mig s deadly 30mm bullets rained past number 3 of Mc Lauglin and the aircraft of the commander. Rain, snow. Low clouds and bad weather was an every day occurance in Koreas. It was during a ground support attack in such weather that American soldiers stood up in their trenches and cheered Jo and his flight. The Hall of Fame does not possess any greater men than those who flew that day for the United Nations. This photo was taken at the K14 base. Jo said over the radio: Leader they are shooting at you! You must do something or they will shoot you down! Meanwhile the first two Migs trained their sights on Jo again. Once again he side steps then and a third time. It was chaotic and fast. Clifton screamed move sharp left! The one Mig shot past right into the machine gun of number 3, Lt. Hans Enslin. He fired a long burst at the Mig. The Mig lifted its flaps, pulled power and disappeared, damaged, into the distance.
After this the Migs pulled back to their base north of the Yalu. At K-16 Jo climbed out of the aircraft and saw the ground. He had never been more glad to be standing on solid ground. At K16 they also found Lt.Vin Koen, number 5. He had landed safely. It was then that I said to myself: Pants be still, your owner is not scared. Not that I was scared of meeting the Migs again, even though I had to say again: Pants be still. - Jo Joubert RESPECT IS EARNED In Korea things worked like this. If there were Americans, they were always in charge. Until one day. On about the 30th flight of his second tour of Korea Jo s flight was flying with some Americans also four aircraft on their way to attack a target in North Korea. With bad visibility, the American Major in charge of the flight got lost. They were dangerously near to the Yalu River and the chances of Migs in the air could not be ignored. Tegnicians were an intergral part of the Korean war. Without their help the aircraft were stranded. Jo Joubert s knowledge of weaponry would come in handy. Knowing that the American was lost, Jo knew from his training as navigator exactly where they were. With a firm Target 65 miles, two o clock he told the flight where they were going. With a short You take over the American Major handed the flight of 8 aircraft to Jo and Jo took over with: A-Flight two o clock go. The attack was a success and nothing was said about it again. Until a few days later when the American Major approached Jo and said: Thank you for helping me the other day. Jo s answer was: You would have done the same for me. Shortly after that the Americans asked the South African to lead three other armadas. Jo Joubert lead flights of 100 aircraft twice. The only South African ever given this honour. Both attacks were successful and all aircraft returned safely to base.
Jo Joubert later wrote: It is a weird sight to see 100 aircraft taking to the air every 15 seconds. Each air craft took their positions after each other on the runway and prepared to go. Then there was a guy, like on an aircraft carrier, which would bring his hands together above his head and down to show the pilots to release their air brakes and begin their ascent. The leader flew in a big circle around the base and waited for each of the 25 flights of four to join him. It could take as long as 30 minutes for everyone to get his place in the formation on the way to the target. He writes: If you stood on the ground looking at all this it was as if the whole earth rumbled with the sound of the engines and the hair in the back of your neck stood on end. A colour photo of South African Mustangs at K10. Korea was the first war where the South African involvement was captured in colour.. A few weeks later Jo flew his last flight. On going home his oak leaves were decorated with 175 instead of the usual 75. The American Operational Commander of the 18th Bomber Wing (of which the South Africans were part) said goodbye to Jo by taking off his own wings and giving them to Jo. It is a symbol of the greatest respect for a pilot. Jo still wears the Americans wings (May 2012). FROM AIR FORCE TO AIR SERVICE Jo was not finished with war. His heart yearned for Korea. He was ready to go back for a third tour. One of his friends, Nic van Zyl, however, made an appointment for him to join the SA Air Service. He goes to the interview but mentions to the panel that he is on his way back to Korea. He is not really interested. When he arrives back at Langebaan he is finalising he request to go back to Korea when he gets a call to come and see the commander in his office. You are starting at the SA Air Service on Monday says the commander. I told them I m not interested. I m a fighter pilot, answers Jo.
Well you re not going to Korea you have been transferred to the Air Service. This was the early 50 s and sinister forces were also at work. However, he would have a long a fruitful career in the SA Air Service. He received 12 months training to fly Comets. The first jet fuelled 4-engine passenger aircraft of the SAA. After that he flew nearly every aircraft in the SAA. He also flew to Australia once a month for years. When the jumbo jets, the Boeing 747 s came in 1972, he was the pilot to fly them. He flew the flagship of the SAA, the 747 for 10 years. The Comet, first jet propelled aircraft of the SAA. After completing his flying career, he decides to retire on a small farm near Bronkhorstspruit. However, he bought more than he thought. The ground is rich is clay and essential for pottery. Now he is a businessman and owner of his own mine. At the time of writing this article Jan Jo Joubert was 87 years old and he wrote the information for this article by hand and attached all copies and substantiating documents. Leon Bezuidenhout Pretoria 8 May 2012
Jo Joubert, DFC with bar and Air Medal and 4 Bars, veteran of the Berlin airlift and Korea (taken during an interview with the Korean media, 2010)
Sources The information in this article was obtained from conversations with Jo Joubert during 2012. Following on the conversations, Jo offered me written accounts on several of the incidents he previously described. He further supplied a number of documents, letters, newspaper clippings and various other documents substantiating his accounts. Photos: Unfortunately none of the original photographers are known, but the photos used are available from the public domain. We will gladly like to credit the relevant holder of any copyright. Leon Bezuidenhout