Somali CA-28 Bunjil T.41

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Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-28 Bunjil T.41
a/c #04, 6 Squadron, Somali Air Force
Galkayo, Somalia, July 1964



The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation's (CAC) CA-28 Bunjil replaced the de Havilland Australia Vampire T.35 as the RAAF's jet trainer from the late 1950s. Designed as a companion to its successful CAC-25 Winjeel piston-engined trainer, the Bunjil would go on to form the basis of the export-only CA-31 Strikemaster via the pressurised CA-29 Bunjil T.5. Several versions of the CA-28 were built, including the Bunjil T.4, which was exported as the Bunjil T.41 trainer and light attack aircraft to Burma, Ceylon, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Somalia. Armed with two .30 cal Browning machine guns and capable of carrying rockets and bombs on four underwing hardpoints, the T.41 was a useful light strike, armed FAC and COIN aircraft.




Following the British Revolution of 1950, Somalia was administered by the Commonwealth of Nations under a UN Mandate, achieving formal independence on 1 July, 1960. Evolving from the Somalia Air Wing (established in 1952) and the Somalia Air Corps (established in 1957), the Somali Air Force (SAF) was proclaimed on 1 September 1960. Initially equipped with Winjeel trainers and a variety of observation, liaison and transport aircraft (including Cessna Bird Dogs, de Havilland Canada Beavers and Otters and Douglas Dakotas), the government announced its intention to add "jet trainers and light combat aircraft" to the SAF's inventory in 1962. These were deemed necessary for internal "airspace and territorial policing" duties, to act as a "deterrent to potential foreign aggressors" and to "establish the SAF as an active contributor to the Commonwealth's support for UN military actions against the Red threat." Equipping the Central Flying School's 5 Squadron, the SAF received its first batch of 4 Bunjil T.41s in April 1963, these being delivered in an eye-catching glossy white and blue livery. A further 15 T.41s were inducted into service between June and December 1963, all assigned to 6 Squadron and wearing a camouflage scheme of buff, brown and green with pale grey undersurface.




The arrival of the camouflaged Bunjils to a combat-coded squadron was timely. Somalia always had its own struggle with domestic separatist movements, especially in the north, in the region of the former Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somalia). However, the idea of Somalia extended beyond its official borders and included the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In 1963, the Oromo and Somali population of Ogaden, seeking unity with Somali, began a revolt against the Ethiopian government. This was supported by the Somali government, leading to Ethiopian threats of an invasion to create a security zone on the Somali side of their mutual border. The Ethiopian government made good on its warnings in July 1964, mounting a series of cross-border air raids and incursions into Somalia to assault guerilla bases, occupy villages and interdict supply lines. This placed the SAF's 6 Squadron at the forefront of Somali defences against the invaders.




From their base at Mogadishu, and from forward-deployed detachments at Galkayo, the pilots of 6 Squadron launched attacks on Etiopian positions and supply columns on both sides of the border. In addition to their internal Browning machine guns, they were armed with US 250 lb Mk81 general-purpose bombs and LAU-32 rocket pods. Among the unit's pilots were 2 Pakistani Air Force officers and 2 RAAF officers on secondment, plus 3 ex-RAF officers and a New Zealander under contract. There were 4 combat qualified Somali pilots. The Bunjils sometimes operated with Bird Dog FACs and were often protected within Somali airspace by the Pakistani Air Force's Canadair Sabre 6s of 8 Squadron, which flew QRA and top cover from Mogadishu under Commonwealth auspices.



The 1964 conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia lasted 24 days before a UN ceasefire was arranged. No Bunjils were shot down, nor were any 6 Squadron pilots injured, although two airframes received damage from groundfire and had to be repaired.

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Looks good 

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