Sailor Malan

Adolph Malan
Group Captain Sailor Malan c. 1945
Nickname(s)	Sailor
Born	(1910-10-03)3 October 1910 Wellington, Cape Province, Union of South Africa
Died	17 September 1963(1963-09-17) (aged 52) Kimberley, Cape Province, South Africa
Buried	West End Cemetery, Kimberley
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Navy Royal Air Force
Years of service	1932–1946
Rank	Group Captain
Commands	No. 145 (Free French) Fighter Wing No. 19 Wing RAF No. 74 Squadron RAF
Battles / wars	Second World War Battle of Barking Creek Battle of Dunkirk Battle of Britain Operation Overlord
Awards	Distinguished Service Order & Bar Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Croix de guerre (Belgium) War Cross (Czechoslovakia) Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre (France)

Adolph Gysbert Malan, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar (3 October 1910 – 17 September 1963), better known as Sailor Malan, was a South African fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Air Force (RAF) who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain.^[1] He finished his fighter career in 1941 with twenty-seven destroyed, seven shared destroyed and two unconfirmed, three probables and sixteen damaged. At the time he was the RAF's leading ace, and one of the highest scoring pilots to have served wholly with RAF Fighter Command during the Second World War.

After the war, Malan returned to South Africa. In the 1950s Malan became leader of the Torch Commando, a liberal anti-authoritarian organization that opposed the introduction of the apartheid system.^[2]