Nongqai — Police & Defence History Magazine

Category:1939 - 1945 2nd WW / 1939 - 1945 Tweede Wêreldoorlog Clear all

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1939 - 1945 2nd WW

Murder: Const. Gold

The Murder of Const LG Gold (South African Police Brigade) in German POW Camp by the Germans

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

WW2:SARP (Nongqai Vol 17 No 4)

The role and duties of the South African Railways Police during the Second World War

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

The Spotty Dog Roadhouse in Retreat, Cape Town, is a whimsical and much‑loved landmark whose origins trace back to 1937–1938, when musician Ralph Barnes and his wife Enid created South Africa’s first dog‑shaped roadside restaurant. Designed with the help of an architect and built in secrecy, the two‑storey white dog with black spots quickly became a popular stop between Wynberg and Muizenberg, serving simple roadhouse fare and attracting families, sailors, and local farm communities. Its hollow cement‑and‑wire head, later the subject of wartime spy rumours, added to its mystique, while decades of pranks, repairs, and weather damage shaped its evolving appearance. After Ralph’s death in 1947, Enid managed the business until selling it in 1963. The original structure deteriorated and was nearly destroyed in 1972 when a runaway lorry crashed into it, leaving only memories and fragments cherished by local children. In 1988, Andrew Louw of Cape Concrete built a smaller ferro‑cement replica as a nostalgic tribute, later joined briefly by a “puppy” statue. Today, the 2.5‑metre replica still stands outside BUCO on Honeywell Road as a non‑functional but iconic symbol of local heritage. Maintained by Louw’s daughter, it remains a beloved reminder of Cape Town’s quirky roadside history, complete with enduring legends of wartime espionage.

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

Spotted Dog and the German Espionage Networks in Cape Town (1938–1945)

The iconic Spotty Dog roadhouse in Retreat/Tokai, Cape Town, has for decades been at the centre of a persistent local wartime rumour: that the building was used by German spies during the Second World War to monitor troop movements at the nearby military base (today Pollsmoor).

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

The story of Captain Kinnery, S.A.A.F.

Captain John Frederick “Jack” Kinnery (1918–1944), born in London and raised in Johannesburg, trained as a surveyor before enlisting in the South African Air Force in 1940. Rising through the ranks from air gunner to pilot, he served in North Africa with No.15 Squadron, enduring malaria before returning to flying duties. Promoted to temporary captain in 1943, he was seconded to the RAF, completing night fighter training and joining No.29 Squadron in late 1944. On 2 December 1944, while piloting a Mosquito Mk XIII on an intruder mission over the Netherlands, his aircraft crashed into the IJsselmeer, leaving his navigator, F/O John Derek Morgan, missing without a grave. Kinnery was later confirmed killed in action and now rests at Oostergaarde Cemetery, Harderwijk. Honoured with multiple campaign medals, his memory endures through annual remembrance ceremonies at Harderwijk, organized since 2017 and now led by the foundation We Will Remember. These commemorations, attended by international representatives, students, and veterans, affirm the enduring duty to remember the sacrifices of Allied airmen. Captain Kinnery’s story embodies courage, service, and the collective commitment to keep alive the names of those who gave their lives for freedom.

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

Second World War: South Atlantic: Torpedoed Merchant ship SS Jeremiah Wadsworth

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

World War2: Grave Stone: No SAP198028 Constable JK Roberts (SAP Brigade): Cracow, Poland.

Historic Photo: World War2: Grave Stone: No SAP198028 Constable JK Roberts (SAP Brigade): Cracow, Poland.

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

FREDERIK JACOBUS WAGENAAR GELDENHUIS (MM) (MMM) (MID) – WO (UNION DEFENCE FORCE, SA POLICE & SADF – RET) FJW Geldenhuis—Oom Fred: A Tribute to a Quiet Hero

RSM Frederik Jacobus Wagenaar Geldenhuis (MM) (MMM) (MID) – WO (Union Defence Force, SA Police & SADF – Ret) FJW Geldenhuis—Oom Fred: A Tribute to a Quiet Hero of the Second World War - he also fought in the SA "Bush War".

1939 - 1945 2nd WW

Constable B Cele: South African Ww2 Veteran (union Defence Force)

I share this story to honour Constable Bekinkosi Cele’s loyalty. He trusted me, and we had a strong bond. He once told me he had served as a stretcher bearer “up north,” and that during the fall of Tobruk, the Germans never captured him—he escaped through the hlatini (bush, in isiZulu), hid, and later rejoined the British Army.