[1] The unit was formed in 1945 as 42 AOP Flight, flying Austers under command of an officer of the SA Artillery and was the only army aviation unit flying for South African forces during World War II.

[1] At the end of the war, 42 AOP Flight and their Auster aircraft were shipped back to South Africa and were based at Potchefstroom, home of the SA artillery.

[1] 42 Squadron and their Bosboks were deployed to Angola in the 70s to the 80s during the South African Border War to serve as artillery spotters and target markers using smoke rockets.

[6]: 132 During Operation Protea, at the battle of Xangongo, Captain Danie Laubscher of 42 Squadron was awarded the Honoris Crux decoration for bravery.

He dive bombed the target firing one smoke rocket directly into the gun position but the Mirages were out of ordnance and fuel.

In 1994, the squadron received a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 from the Bophuthatswana Defence Force, in 1999 it was transferred to the South African Police Service.