Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War D.F.C. and Bar awarded to Major-General C. J. Venter, South African Air Force, late Royal Air Force, a 16-Victory Ace with No. 29 Squadron

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, in its original Pinches case of issue; together with the original 1918 Second Army Field Order announcing the award of the Bar to the D.F.C., his 9 carat gold tipped swagger stick with R.A.F. crests and inscribed with his name, a pair of leather flying gloves and a Royal Flying Corps silk scarf, the first nearly extremely fine £900-1200

D.F.C. London Gazette 3 August 1918: ‘During recent operations this officer shot down five enemy aeroplanes, one of which he followed down to 500 feet, when it was seen to fall. He is a bold and skilful airman.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette: ‘A brilliant patrol leader, who has since last May destroyed eleven enemy machines. In an engagement between six of our machines and nine of the enemy, five of the latter were destroyed, Captain Venter accounting for one. Later on the same day he, in company with three other officers, engaged four Fokkers. In the combat that followed all four enemy machines were destroyed, this officer shooting down one.’

Major-General Christoffel Johannes ‘Boetie’ Venter was born in 1893 and was educated at Middelburg Cape Public School. From 1914 to 1916 he served in the South African Forces, and in 1917 was shipped to England on transfer to the R.F.C. Commissioned Lieutenant in the R.A.F. on 1 April 1918, he was posted to 29 Squadron in France and opened his account as an S.E.5a pilot with kills on 16, 18 and 19 May, each of his opponents being confirmed as ‘Destroyed’. On 2 June he shared in the shooting down of a Type C in the Bailleul-Armentieres area, and was credited with another Out of Control on 6 June, but left no doubt as to the fate of his sixth victim, a Type C, when it was reported: ‘Lt. Venter ... dived on E.A. two-seater over Merville ... fired about 30 rounds - overshot - turned, and then fired about a further 50 rounds at close range. E.A. went into a vertical nose dive. Lt Venter followed it down to under 200 ft, and saw the E.A. about 10 ft. off the ground, still vertical. Lt Venter did a sharp turn, and saw a big burst of flame and smoke immediately at the place where he had seen the E.A. a moment before ...’ By 8 July he had added a further five victories to his total, having accounted for his eleventh kill that same day after during a hectic combat in which he was out numbered and expended all his ammunition. With a Halberstadt added to his total on 19 July, Venter was awarded his first D.F.C in early August. On 12 August he achieved a rare hatrick in S.E.5a D6965 shooting down three Fokker DVII’s, two during a morning dogfight in which an entire hostile patrol was wiped out, and the last, from which the pilot successfully baled out, in the evening.

Next day he was promoted Temporary Captain. On 14 August he shared in the destruction of a Halberstadt with Lieutenant Hoy of 29, bringing his overall total to sixteen. Four days later, however, he was shot down in D6965 near Kemmel, ‘probably by the rear-gunner of a two-seater’, and posted missing. On 17 September he was reported ‘unwounded’ and in ‘good health’, and on 13 December 1918 was ‘repatriated’ to the U.K. In 1922 he became a founder member of the South African Air Force and in 1936, O.C., Witwatersrand Command. In 1939-40 he was O.C., Cape and Cape Fortress Command, and afterwards Director-General of Air Services to 1945. As Major-General, South African Staff Corps, he was appointed a Companion of the Bath (London Gazette 1 January 1944). Subsequently he managed South African Airways and held several important posts in S.A. civil aviation. General Venter died in 1977.