Formed as No 1 Survey Flight in Nairobi in December 1940 to operate in Italian East Africa, by 1941 the squadron operated as part of the Desert Air Force, operating Martin Marylands. In May 1943, the squadron moved to San Severo in Italy. To prepare for the European campaign, 60 Squadron, by now equipped with Mosquitoes, carried out detailed large-scale photographic surveys of parts of Sicily and other Axis held areas, eventually ranging over the Alps and deep into Germany. In 1944, the Squadron obtained the first photographic evidence of Nazi death camps at Auschwitz. With the cessation of hostilities, the squadron assisted the RAF in a photo survey of Greece. The squadron was officially withdrawn from operations on 22 August 1945 when it returned to Swartkop. On arrival in South Africa, they continued to operate the Mosquito and Ventura aircraft from Bloemfontein until disbanding in November 1950. On 16 July 1986, 60 Squadron re-formed at Waterkloof with the Boeing 707 in the air-to-air refuelling, transport and Electronic Warfare roles. The last operational Boeing 707 flight was flown on 10 July 2007.
398 sorties (total combined with sortie series SA/60).
