‘Face the Attack: The Three Battles of Sailor Malan’, is a 6 episode podcast series, with ongoing bonus content and updates, about the life and times of Adolph Gysbert ‘Sailor’ Malan,

In the last world war of the 20th century, a farm boy from the rugged bushland of South Africa took to the bloody skies over Europe during World War Two and made history. Considered 'the greatest fighter pilot', embraced as a ‘hero’ and ‘King of the Few’ by the embattled island of Britain and its King, but considered a traitor by many in his own country. Born in 1910 in Wellington, South Africa, Group Captain A.G. ‘Sailor” Malan would fight three battles in his life.

The first would end in victory against Germany in the skies over England and Europe. The second would end in defeat as he took on South Africa's apartheid government. The third would end in death as Parkinson's Disease cut short a full, promising, yet humble life at only 52.

He would be denied a military funeral in his home country, be vilified by his own government for his opposition to them, and only be acknowledged in South Africa three decades after apartheid had come to an end and sixty years after his death.

One of Sailor Malan's 10 Rules of Air Fighting was ‘to always turn and face the attack'. For him, this was not only true in a dogfight, it was true whenever injustice or adversity confronted you in life. 20+ years in the making, this series covers the remarkable life of man celebrated and mythologized by many, but ostracised and forgotten by the country of his birth. 

The series includes:

First-person interviews with respected historians and experts, family members, friends & fellow airmen.

Archival sound clips, film material, letters, and official records from South African and UK archives and museums.

Considered the ‘greatest fighter pilot of them all, and ’ the ‘King of the Few’, he was a man with a keen sense of justice, fairness and deep humility about his role in many pivotal moments in the world and his own country’s history. He would only be recognised in South Africa 60 decades after his death.

The creators of the podcast would like to thank the McGregor Museum for introducing us to Yvonne Malan, who not only allowed us to quote extensively from her Sailor Malan memorial lecture given in Kimberley and Simon’s town in 2023, but also introduced us to the majority of the participants for the one-on-one interviews in the podcast. Thank you to everyone who gave their time, insights and participation.

Protea Rose Originals is Cliff Thompson and Nic Fieldsend.

Narrated/written by Cliff Thompson, produced/engineered by Nick Fieldsend with additional sound design by Ben Creelman.

Notes:

Copyright 2024. Protea Rose Originals Inc. Licenses obtained for use.Unauthorized biography.

With thanks to IWM, The National Archives (UK), McGregor Museum Kimberley, Getty Images, Associated Press, Alamy, Doug Tidy, Artlist.

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