1.
Namibia
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Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south, although it does not border Zimbabwe, a part of less than 200 metres of the Zambezi River separates the two countries. Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek, and it is a state of the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, the African Union. The dry lands of Namibia were inhabited since early times by the San, Damara, since about the 14th century, immigrating Bantu peoples arrived as part of the Bantu expansion. Since then the Bantu groups in total, known as the Ovambo people, have dominated the population of the country, in the late 19th century during European colonization, the German Empire established rule over most of the territory as a protectorate in 1884. It began to develop infrastructure and farming, and maintained this German colony until 1915, after the end of World War I, in 1920 the League of Nations mandated the country to the United Kingdom, under administration by South Africa. It imposed its laws, including racial classifications and rules, from 1948, with the National Party elected to power, South Africa applied apartheid also to what was known as South West Africa. In 1878 the Cape of Good Hope had annexed the port of Walvis Bay and the offshore Penguin Islands, following continued guerrilla warfare, South Africa installed an interim administration in Namibia in 1985. Namibia obtained full independence from South Africa in 1990, but Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands remained under South African control until 1994. Namibia has a population of 2.1 million people and a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy, Agriculture, herding, tourism and the mining industry – including mining for gem diamonds, uranium, gold, silver, and base metals – form the basis of its economy. The large, arid Namib Desert has resulted in Namibia being overall one of the least densely populated countries in the world, Namibia enjoys high political, economic and social stability. The name of the country is derived from the Namib Desert, before its independence in 1990, the area was known first as German South-West Africa, then as South-West Africa, reflecting the colonial occupation by the Germans and the South Africans. The dry lands of Namibia were inhabited since early times by San, Damara, from about the 14th century, immigrating Bantu peoples arrived during the Bantu expansion from central Africa. From the late 18th century onwards, Oorlam people from Cape Colony crossed the Orange River and their encounters with the nomadic Nama tribes were largely peaceful. The missionaries accompanying the Oorlam were well received by them, the right to use waterholes, on their way further northwards, however, the Oorlam encountered clans of the Herero at Windhoek, Gobabis, and Okahandja, who resisted their encroachment. The Nama-Herero War broke out in 1880, with hostilities ebbing only after the German Empire deployed troops to the places and cemented the status quo among the Nama, Oorlam. The first Europeans to disembark and explore the region were the Portuguese navigators Diogo Cão in 1485 and Bartolomeu Dias in 1486, like most of interior Sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia was not extensively explored by Europeans until the 19th century
2.
South Africa
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South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. South Africa is the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and it is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, the remaining population consists of Africas largest communities of European, Asian, and multiracial ancestry. South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a variety of cultures, languages. Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the recognition of 11 official languages. The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup détat, however, the vast majority of black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994. During the 20th century, the black majority sought to recover its rights from the dominant white minority, with this struggle playing a role in the countrys recent history. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation, since 1994, all ethnic and linguistic groups have held political representation in the countrys democracy, which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces. South Africa is often referred to as the Rainbow Nation to describe the multicultural diversity. The World Bank classifies South Africa as an economy. Its economy is the second-largest in Africa, and the 34th-largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, South Africa has the seventh-highest per capita income in Africa. However, poverty and inequality remain widespread, with about a quarter of the population unemployed, nevertheless, South Africa has been identified as a middle power in international affairs, and maintains significant regional influence. The name South Africa is derived from the geographic location at the southern tip of Africa. Upon formation the country was named the Union of South Africa in English, since 1961 the long form name in English has been the Republic of South Africa. In Dutch the country was named Republiek van Zuid-Afrika, replaced in 1983 by the Afrikaans Republiek van Suid-Afrika, since 1994 the Republic has had an official name in each of its 11 official languages. Mzansi, derived from the Xhosa noun umzantsi meaning south, is a name for South Africa. South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological and human fossil sites in the world, extensive fossil remains have been recovered from a series of caves in Gauteng Province. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has termed the Cradle of Humankind
3.
South African Army
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The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910. The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by Boer Commando forces, the role of the Army was fundamentally changed by the upheavals of the early 1990s and after 1994 the Army became part of the new South African National Defence Force. It is now becoming involved in peacekeeping efforts in southern Africa. The Army is composed of roughly 40,100 regular uniformed personnel, the rank/age structure of the army, which deteriorated desperately during the 1990s, is greatly improving through the Military Skills Development voluntary national service system. Through this system, young members are being inducted into the regular. The 1912 law also obligated all males between seventeen and sixty years of age to serve in the military, but this was not strictly enforced as there were a large number of volunteers. Instead, half of the males aged from 17 to 25 were drafted by lots into the ACF. For training purposes, the Union was divided into 15 military districts, initially, the Permanent Force consisted of five regiments of the South African Mounted Riflemen, each with a battery of artillery attached. Dorning says that. the SAMR was in reality a military constabulary similar to the Cape Mounted Riflemen, in 1913 and 1914, the new 23, 400-member Citizen Force was called on to suppress several industrial strikes on the Witwatersrand. In accordance with the 1912 Defence Act, the Active Citizen Force was established under Brig. Gen. C. F, the authorised strength of the ACF and Coast Garrison Force was 25,155 and by 31 December actual strength stood at 23,462. When World War I broke out in 1914, the South African government chose to join the war on the side of the Allies, the German troops stationed there eventually surrendered to the South African forces in July 1915. Later, a brigade and various other supporting units were shipped to France in order to fight on the Western Front as the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force. The 4th Regiment was called the South African Scottish and was raised from members of the Transvaal Scottish, the supporting units included five batteries of heavy artillery, a field ambulance unit, a Royal Engineers signals company and a military hospital. South Africans also saw action with the Cape Corps in Palestine, an estimated 3,000 South Africans also joined the Royal Flying Corps. The total South African casualties during the war was about 18,600 with over 12,452 killed – more than 4,600 in the European theater alone, wartime casualties and postwar demobilisation weakened the UDF. New legislation in 1922 re-established conscription for males over the age of 21 for four years of military training and service. UDF troops assumed internal security tasks in South Africa and quelled several revolts against South African domination in South-West Africa, during the Rand strike of 1922,14,000 members of the ACF and certain A class reservists were called up. Expenditure cuts saw the UDF as a whole reduced, the last remaining regiment of the South Africa Mounted Riflemen was disbanded on 31 March 1926 and the number of military districts was reduced from 16 to six on 1 April 1926
4.
South West Africa Territorial Force
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The South West Africa Territorial Force was an auxiliary arm of the South African Defence Force and comprised the armed forces of South West Africa from 1977 to 1989. It emerged as a product of South Africas political control of the territory which was granted to the former as a League of Nations mandate following World War I. As the guerrilla war intensified, however, it clear that the local civilian police alone were not enough to cope with SWAPO/PLAN incursions. Consequently, military units were deployed for the first time,60,000 South African combat troops were engaged in South West Africa by the late 1970s. As part of a policy of military and social reform. A start was made with the regrouping of existing units into four formations, a Formation Headquarters Staff, a Reaction Force, an Area Force. Their main function was to assist the South African Air Force in reconnaissance and communication flights, the new South West African Territorial Force was officially created on 1 August 1980, from South West African citizens already serving with the South African Defence Force. The permanent force comprised mostly volunteer auxiliaries and national servicemen, who formed eight battalions, a militia system was also developed for local security, including over twenty area protection units. By 1981, SWATFs total strength numbered some 10,100 men, by 1987, SWATF had an estimated 22,000 troops, including additional units of engineers, signals personnel, mounted troops, a parachute battalion, and a commando squadron. Its primary goal was protection of the territory of SWA from SWAPO incursions, the SWATF was placed under the control of the Department of Defence for South West Africa and was always headed by a SADF general. There was also a joint SWATF/SADF committee established for planning, liaison, the rank structure of the SWATF was identical to that of the SADF. The Brigade also included a battalion and a mobilisation center. Logistics Brigade Eight full-time battalions 31 Bushman Battalion HQ at Omega Base 32 Battalion at Buffalo,33 Eastern Caprivi Battalion,34 Kavangoland Battalion,35 Ovamboland Battalion, The Quick reaction force. It recruited from South West Africa at large and deployed predominantly as a reserve force, an infantry element, a mechanised contingent, artillery, and a regiment of Eland armoured cars was included. The unit was never mobilised en masse, five ‘Modular’ Infantry Battalions 51 Battalion at Ruacana,52 Battalion at Oshakati,53 Battalion at Ondangwa and 54 Battalion at Eenhana. Modular Battalions main function was internal operations, sub units were attached according to the requirements of a specific situation, i. e. the modular nature. They were made up elements from a variety of units. Koevoet or Romeo-Mike teams were also stationed in these company bases for mutual protection
5.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
6.
Casspir
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The Casspir is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle that has been in use in South Africa for over 30 years. It is a four-wheeled, four-wheel drive vehicle, used for transport of troops and it can hold a crew of two, plus 12 additional soldiers and associated equipment. The Casspir was unique in design when launched, providing for passive mine defence, the main armoured steel body of the vehicle is raised high above the ground, so when a mine is detonated, the explosion is less likely to damage the crew compartment and kill the occupants. The cross-section of the hull is V-shaped, directing the force of the explosion outwards, the vehicle also offers crew protection from small arms fire. The capabilities of the Casspir were the basis of the capabilities required by the U. S. Marines for their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected or MRAP vehicle project, the name Casspir is an anagram of the abbreviations of the customer, the South African Police, and the design authority, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Although the Casspir was deployed in townships during the apartheid era and these requirements led to the distinctive V-shaped hull and a wheeled chassis. The Casspir was designed by the Defence Research Unit of CSIR specifically to protect occupants against landmines. It is certified to protect its occupants against a triple TM-57 mine blast under a wheel, the Casspir has V-bottomed armoured monocoque hull, designed to deflect the force of an explosion outwards, to which a leaf-spring suspension is attached. After two years of testing, the South African Police were eventually satisfied they had a good vehicle. Some 190 Mk1 Casspir were manufactuered by Henred Fruehauf, in 1981 production was taken over by TFM, which improved the design to the Mk 2. TFM was subsequently taken over by Reumech OMC, Reumech in turn was taken over by Vickers Defence Systems of the UK and renamed Vickers OMC. When Alvis purchased Vickers Defence Systems to become Alvis Vickers, Vickers OMC became Alvis OMC, in 2004 BAE Systems acquired Alvis Vickers and Alvis OMC was renamed Land Systems OMC. Land Systems OMC was 75 per cent acquired by Denel in 2015, an estimated 2800 Casspir of all types have been built. The South African Police Service auctioned off some of their surplus Casspirs to the public at a 2008 auction, a new Casspir known as Casspir NG2000 is being manufactured by Denel Mechem. The vehicle was launched in April 2013, made extensive use of Mercedes-Benz truck components. Can be used as a weapon platform, did not enter production Sesspir - In 1984-85 the CSIR developed a prototype Casspir with six wheels. An additional non-driven axle was fitted in front of the front drive axle and it steered along with the regular driven front wheels and was equipped with winch cables to hoist either side of the axle clear off the ground in the event of the loss of a wheel
7.
South African Border War
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It was fought between the South African Defence Force and the Peoples Liberation Army of Namibia, an armed wing of the South West African Peoples Organisation. The South African Border War resulted in some of the largest battles on the African continent since World War II and was intertwined with the Angolan Civil War. Fighting broke out between PLAN and the South African authorities in August 1966, between 1975 and 1988 the SADF staged massive conventional raids into Angola and Zambia to eliminate PLANs forward operating bases. It also deployed specialist counter-insurgency units such as Koevoet and 32 Battalion trained to carry out external reconnaissance, South African tactics became increasingly aggressive as the conflict progressed. The SADFs incursions produced Angolan casualties and occasionally resulted in collateral damage to economic installations regarded as vital to the Angolan economy. Beginning in 1984, regular Angolan units under Soviet command were confident enough to confront the SADF and their positions were also bolstered by thousands of Cuban troops. PLAN launched its final campaign in late March 1989. South West Africa received formal independence as the Republic of Namibia a year later, despite being largely fought in neighbouring states, the South African Border War had a phenomenal cultural and political impact on South African society. It remains an integral theme in contemporary South African literature at large and Afrikaans-language works in particular, various names have been applied to the undeclared conflict waged by South Africa in Angola and Namibia from the mid 1960s to the late 1980s. Border War entered public discourse in South Africa during the late 1970s, due to the covert nature of most South African Defence Force operations inside Angola, the term was favoured as a means of omitting any reference to clashes on foreign soil. Where tactical aspects of various engagements were discussed, military historians simply identified the conflict as the bush war, the South West African Peoples Organisation has described the South African Border War as the Namibian War of National Liberation and the Namibian Liberation Struggle. In the Namibian context it is commonly referred to as the Namibian War of Independence. However, these terms have been criticised for ignoring the wider implications of the war and the fact that PLAN was based in. Namibia was governed as German South West Africa, a colony of the German Empire, until World War I, when it was invaded and occupied by Allied forces under General Louis Botha. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918, a system was imposed by the League of Nations to govern African and Asian territories held by Germany. Nevertheless, the bestowal of a mandate by the League of Nations did not confer full sovereignty, in principle mandating countries were only supposed to hold these former colonies in trust for their inhabitants, until they were sufficiently prepared for their own self-determination. Under these terms, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand were granted the German Pacific islands, and it soon became apparent the South African government had interpreted the mandate as a veiled annexation. According to Smuts, this annexation in all but in name
8.
Operation Reindeer
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Operation Reindeer, which began on 4 May 1978, was South Africas second major military operation in Angola, carried out under the Apartheid regime, the first being Operation Savannah. The operation ended on 10 May 1978, Prime Minister John Vorster met his defence advisers in December 1977. All external operational plans would have to have the approval of the Prime Minister, early in 1978, planning begun for Operation Bruilof which involved a combined mechanised infantry and airborne attack on SWAPO bases around the town of Chetequera,25 km inside Angola. These plans were abandoned and were expanded into a new plan called Operation Reindeer and this new operation included plans to attack the Chetequera bases but added the more important objective of attacking the SWAPO headquarters at Cassinga. The date of the operation was set for the 4 May, Operation Reindeer planning identified three targets, The target was the former copper mining town of Cassinga which was about 250 km inside Angola. Cassinga had been converted into a SWAPO forward operational HQ and training base for Southern Angola commanded by Commander Dimo Hamaambo, intelligence believed that the base contained around 1200 recruits. The base was surrounded by trenches and bunkers. The plan involved three stages, an attack by SAAF fighter bombers, followed by a parachute drop led by Colonel Jan Breytenbach. The objectives were to destroy the base, capture Commander Dimo Hamaambo, destroy supplies and equipment, gather intelligence, the last objective was to free POW Sapper Johan van der Mescht. This plan was for the attack by the SADF on six bases at Chetequera which included a SWAPO forward HQ for Western Ovamboland, intelligence believed that these bases had a combined total of between 900 and 1000 PLAN insurgents. These bases were heavily defended by trenches and bunkers and contained weapons such as guns, RPG-7. The plan involved an attack by mechanised Battle Group Juliet of SADF troops of national servicemen, a further two independent combat teams would attack the southern most bases. The plan ended with a withdrawal back over the border, the plan involved an attack on the smaller bases and suspected bases east of Chetequera. The attacked would be carried out by five companies of the 32 Battalion supported by air. The commander would be Commandant Deon Ferreira, Juliet crossed the border around 10 am on 4 May in the new Ratels. They headed east past Dombondola to assemble north of Chetequera but arrived 90 minutes late due to the condition of the Angolan bush and this delayed the air attack by the SAAF which began around 13h30 with Canberras and Buccaneers bombing the base. Due to radio delays between Combat Team Juliets forward air controller, the attack by ground forces started late giving PLAN time to prepare. The initial assault lasted only 11 minutes before all the units were able to reassemble, the base was attacked again and by 15,30 pm fighting ceased, with the remaining PLAN forces either killed, surrendered or having escaped into the bush
9.
Operation Askari
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Operation Askari was a military operation during 1983 in Angola by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War. Operation Askari was planned to begin on 9 November 1983 but was postponed for one month because the South African government was conducting talks with African leaders, the operation would instead begin on 9 December with four phases planned. Phase two consisted of reconnaissance, probing and attacks on the Angolan towns of Cahama, Mulondo and Cuvelai to force the FAPLA, phase three was the domination of the area of concern by the SADF. And the final phase, halting any infiltration of PLAN units through the area dominated into SWA/Namibia, Task Force X-Ray left Xangongo on 11 December with its first target at Quiteve which was taken on 12 December without much fighting as FAPLA had fled the town. Two FAPLA tanks had been sent south from Mulondo towards Quiteve but they attacked by SAAF Mirages destroying one, Task Force X-Ray then moved south west to Cahama. From around 16 December until around 15 January 1984, the SADF plan called for action to force FAPLAs 19th Brigade to withdraw from the area and position UNITA troops in their place. During this phase, FAPLA successfully used their own recces to track the small SADF force and were successful in attacking the South Africans with artillery and this forced the SAAF to conduct air missions against this town, drawing away missions that were to be utilised against Cahama and Cuvelai. In one of these attacks on 23 December, a Impala strike aircraft was struck and damaged by a SA-9 surface-to-air missile, the plan to take Mulondo failed and by the early January a political decision had been made to end this part of Operation Askari. FAPLAs 19th Brigade maintained their nerve and stayed in place, PLAN headquarters to the west of Cahama was bombed by the SAAF in early December and remaining forces fled to the safety of FAPLA defences in the town. The objective was the responsibility of Task Force X-Ray which moved into position on 16 December after leaving the town of Quiteve, two teams positioned themselves to the east of the town while the third was positioned to the north. Bombing from the air and bombardment from artillery begun immediately on the towns defences, FAPLA artillery returned fire and artillery duels begun. Some of the air support was reduced when Task Force Mannie got into trouble in Caiundo, FAPLA, fearing that the combat team positioned north of the town meant a SADF attack towards Chimbemba and Lubango, launched an armoured column of tanks and personnel carriers towards Cahama. The attack by T-55 tanks was fought off by Ratel-90s crews better mobility, a side operation known as Operation Fox was conducted to capture a SA-8 battery south west of Cahama. Making use of air and ground forces, the objective was to drive the battery away from the defences to a better position for SADF ground. The plan failed and by 31 December a political decision had made, brought about by international pressure. FAPLAs 2nd Brigade had maintained their nerve and stayed in place, Task Force X-Ray then moved north east to Cuvelai to assist Task Force Victor. Task Force Victor, consisting mostly of citizen soldiers, were tasked with probing and attacking a PLAN camp. They moved from Mongua to Cuvelai and the probing of enemy positions began, after the attack began, the task force was counterattacked by FAPLA tanks from Cuvelai that had come to PLANs defence
10.
Ovambo people
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The Ovambo people, also called Aawambo, Ambo, Aawambo or Ovawambo, are a Southern African tribal ethnic group. They are the largest ethnic group of Namibia, found in its northern regions and they are also found in southern Angolan province of Cunene where the name Ambo is more common. The Ovambo consist of a number of kindred Bantu ethnic tribes who inhabit what is called Owamboland, accounting for about fifty percent of the Namibian population, the Ovamba are its largest ethnic group. In Angola, they are a minority, accounting for two percent of the total Angolan population. The Ambo people migrated south from the regions of Zambezi in the period around the 14th century. The contemporary total Ambo population is about 1.6 million, the Ovambo people reside in the flat sandy grassy plains of north Namibia and the Cunene Province in south Angola, sometimes referred to as Ovamboland. These plains are flat, stoneless and at high altitude. Water courses, known as oshanas irrigate the area, in the northern regions of Owamboland is tropical vegetation sustained by abundant but seasonal rainfall that floods the region into temporary lakes and islands. In dry season, these pools of water empty out, the Ambo people have adapted to the widely varying seasonal weather patterns with their housing, agriculture, and livestock practices. The Ovambo people are Bantu-speaking tribes, in Namibia, these are the AaNdonga, Ovakwanyama, Aakwambi, Aangandjera, Aambalantu, Ovaunda, Aakolonkadhi and Aakwaluudhi. In Angola, they are the Ovakwanyama, Aakafima, Evale and they speak Oshiwambo, in many dialects such as the Oshikwanyama, Oshingandjera, Oshindonga and others. The Ovambo people probably started migrating to their current location from the northeast in or after the 15th century from the Zambia region and they settled near the Angola-Namibia border then expanded further south in Namibia in the 17th century. They have a cultural, linguistic and historical relationship to the Herero people found in more southern parts of Namibia. When Germany established a colony in Namibia in 1884, they left the Ovambo people undisturbed, the Germans focussed on the southern and coastal regions. After the World War I, Namibia was annexed into the South African administration by the British as the South West Africa province and this brought major changes, with South African plantation, cattle breeding and mining operations entering the Ovamboland. The Ovambo people launched several armed resistance in the 1920s and 1930s, the South African administration continued the so-called Police Zone in south, a region created by the Germans covering about two-thirds of the province later to become Namibia. Ovambo people were not allowed to move into the Police Zone, numerous Ovambo people became migrant labor, but with segregation and highly restrained human rights, in South African towns such as Cape Town and in the Police Zone. The South African Apartheid rule was brought into the Ovamboland in 1948, the South African government declared the Ovamboland as independent province in 1973, and appointed chiefs aligned with the South African government policies
11.
Koevoet
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The Koevoet was a major paramilitary police organisation under South African-administered South West Africa, now the Republic of Namibia. It was a belligerent in the Namibian War of Independence from 1979 to 1990 - Crowbar being a popular allusion to successful attempts at prying insurgents from the local population. Created by South African Police Brigadier Hans Dreyer, a veteran of the Rhodesian Special Air Service, Koevoet quickly became one of the most effective combat forces deployed against the South West African Peoples Organization during the war. Consisting of some 250 white and 800 black Ovambo operators, it has also held responsible for committing human rights violations against civilians. After killing or capturing some 3,225 guerrillas and fighting an estimated 1,615 engagements, Koevoet, at the end of World War I, the former German South West Africa was granted to South Africa as a mandated territory through the League of Nations. By the 1960s, however, much of Africa was embroiled in a struggle for independence from colonial powers such as Belgium, Great Britain, France, and Portugal. In the southern subcontinent, where many indigenous tribes had been pushed off their lands by settled Europeans, determined to prevent South West Africa from following this example, South African authorities stepped up their efforts to retain control over their protectorate. When the League of Nations was dissolved with World War II and replaced by the United Nations in 1945, instead, Jan Christiaan Smuts administration insisted on the right to annexation. In 1950, the UN confirmed that South Africas legal administration was still in force, even after the General Assembly assumed its powers as successor to the League and revoked the mandate in 1966, South West Africa remained a de facto fifth province of its larger neighbour. The Namibian Independence War initiated when the South West African Peoples Organization commenced its armed struggle against what it termed an illegal occupation of South West Africa, on 26 August 1966, the first military engagement was fought when armed guerrillas clashed with the South African Police in Ovamboland. A month later, a second SWAPO raid was attempted on an administrative complex in Oshikango. By 1971, the International Court of Justice had ruled South Africas occupation of South West Africa to be illegal under international law, at this point, SWAPO was the most effective nationalist group in the territory. It enjoyed thorough support from South West Africas largest tribe, the Ovambo, from the South African perspective, combating PLAN was part of a counter-terrorist initiative against those who were viewed as pawns of international communism. Atrocities were already being charged by both sides, with Pretoria condemning SWAPOs systematic attacks on infrastructure and indiscriminate use of land mines. The latter retaliated in 1973 by drawing attention to the mistreatment of nationalists in military detention, fierce fighting eventually drove ten percent of South West Africas population into exile,69,000 citizens crossed the border into Angolan territory, while another 5,000 fled to Zambia. Among these refugees were potential SWAPO recruits who subsequently sought insurgent training in Arab Africa, by the late 1970s, contacts between SWAPO and the South African Defence Force averaged one per day, over 900 clashes with nationalist guerrillas were being reported each year. Successful anti-colonial wars elsewhere also had a impact on events in South West Africa. Victorious liberation movements in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Angola offered varying degrees of support for SWAPO
12.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
13.
South African National Defence Force
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The South African National Defence Force comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services and they are in turn accountable to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans of the Defence Department. The military as it today was created in 1994, following South Africas first post-apartheid national elections. It replaced the South African Defence Force, as of 2004, the integration process was considered complete, with retaining personnel, structure, and equipment from the SADF. However, due to problems, financial constraints, and other issues. The South African Commando System was a militia active until 2008. In its final years its role was to support the South African Police Service during internal operations, during such deployments the units came under SAPS control. According to the Defence Ministrys 2014 Defence Review, the SANDF is in a state of decline. In 1999, a R30 billion purchase of weaponry by the South African Government was finalised, the South African Department of Defences Strategic Defence Acquisition purchased frigates, submarines, light utility helicopters, lead-in fighter trainer and multirole combat aircraft. It also provides election security when needed, overall command is vested in an officer-designated Chief of the SANDF. Appointed from any of the Arms of Service, the South African Special Forces Brigade is the only organic unit under the direct command of the Joint Operations division. Unlike most other special forces it is not part of the Army or any branch of the SANDF. The South African Defence Review 2012 is a review process carried out by a panel of experts, chaired by retired politician and former Minister of Defence. The review was commissioned by Lindiwe Sisulu the then Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, the review was motivated by the need to correct the errors and shortcomings of the previous review. According to defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu, the old report was no longer relevant to South Africas current situation, list of South African military chiefs Military history of South Africa Orders, decorations, and medals of South Africa South African Defence Review 2012. South African Department of Defence Defence Act
14.
43 South African Brigade
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43 South African Brigade is a formation of the South African Army. It was established on 2 April 1997 at Wallmannsthal, Gauteng as 43 Mechanised Brigade, administratively, the headquarters answers to the Chief of the Army. Operationally and for training, the formation takes instructions from the Joint Operations Division. Units and subunits are attached as required for the task at hand, when not required, those units remain part of their respective type formations. In 200943 SA Brigade provided the Military Component Force HQ for the SADC Standby Force during Exercise GOLFINHO
15.
44 Parachute Regiment (South Africa)
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44 Parachute Regiment is the South African Armys chief airborne infantry unit. It was created in 2000 by redesignating 44 Parachute Brigade, and is based at the Tempe military base near Bloemfontein, the first South African airborne unit was formed in August 1943, when a Parachute Platoon of the South African Air Force was established. However, this unit was disbanded before training could be completed, there were no further attempts to establish any airborne units until 1961, when selected members of the South African Army received parachute training at RAF Abingdon. This was followed by the establishment of 1 Parachute Battalion under Commandant Willem Louw on 1 April 1961, on 26 August 1966, units of 1 Parachute Battalion first participated in operations as part of the South African Border War in South-West Africa. This involvement was eventually to last for more than twenty years, in April 197844 Parachute Brigade was established, with the addition of 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions. On 4 May 1978 South Africas first major operation took place. A large group of paratroopers, from 1,2 and 3 Battalions, attacked a large SWAPO base in Angola, successfully capturing it. In January 1991 the Brigade conducted its first operational jump in an urban counterinsurgency role when 2 Parachute Battalion deployed to Natal as part of Operation Eardrum to quell the violence. The Brigade took part in similar operations in the following years. The Brigades first operational deployment in the period was Operation Boleas in September 1998. It deployed two companies and the Pathfinder Platoon to Lesotho to prevent a coup détat. During 1998, the decision was taken to redesignate the unit as a multi-battalion regiment, in 2001 regiment personnel formed the spearhead of the South African Protection Support Detachment deploying to Burundi. In 2014 the Regiment contributed one company to the FIB which fought a number of engagements in the DRC
16.
46 South African Brigade
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46 South African Brigade was established on April 1,1999 as part of the restructuring process of the South African Army. Its initial function was to provide a headquarters for deployed reserve force elements. 46 SA Brigade is a brigade consisting of a headquarters in Kensington, Johannesburg. Administratively, the answers to the Chief of the Army. Operationally and for training, the formation takes instructions from the Joint Operations Division. Units and subunits are attached as required for the task at hand, when not required, those units remain part of their respective type formations. 46 Brigade has taken part in Exercises NDLOVU and SEBOKA in 2007 and its mandate is, To execute the role of command and control capability for military operations and exercises inside the borders of the Republic of South Africa and externally. This command and control capability must have an inherent flexibility to conduct operations and peace support operations as the situation
17.
South African Special Forces
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Only about 8% of recruits who undergo South African special forces training pass the course. The South African Hunter Group was formed in 1968, and renamed the Reconnaissance Commando Reserve in 1976, combat tracker and bushcraft instruction was provided to an exemplary few, though this meant extending training by a harsh twelve months. Personnel also studied insurgent tactics and theory based on Portuguese, Belgian, the success of this unit culminated in the formation of the subsequent 1 Reconnaissance Commando near Oudtshoorn on 1 October 1972. Operators in the aptly named 1 Recce had to be capable of collecting intelligence at great distances behind hostile lines while tracking larger enemy units. In 1976 its headquarters, the Reconnaissance Commando School, was founded, South African special forces played a pivotal role in the South African Border War and were active alongside the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. Combat operations were undertaken against FRELIMO militants in Mozambique. The Special Forces Brigades current structure is the result of extensive restructuring related to the integration of the South African National Defence Force between 1992 and 1996. Elements of the brigade are expanded into two groups, though termed regiments, they consist only of small numbers of operators who are secretive, seldom photographed. The current regiments include 4 Special Forces Regiment based at Langebaan in Western Cape Province, the first South African Special Forces unit,1 Reconnaissance Commando, was established in the town of Oudtshoorn, Cape Province on 1 October 1972. On 1 January 1975, this unit was relocated to Durban, Natal, later, five additional Reconnaissance Commandos were formed,2 Reconnaissance Commando - was established in Johannesburg. It was later retired due to rationalisation and the discontinuation of the Citizen Force unit concept 3 Reconnaissance Commando - was established in Phalaborwa, an attempt to integrate this unit into the South African Military was largely unsuccessful. The unit was disbanded in 1981, and the number of remaining personnel were incorporated into the other Special Forces unit. 4 Reconnaissance Commando, specialising in operations, was established in the coastal town of Langebaan. 5 Reconnaissance Commando was established at the Duku-Duku camp in Natal,6 Reconnaissance Commando – was established in Durban. An attempt to integrate this unit into the South African Military was largely unsuccessful and it was disbanded in 1981, and the limited number of remaining personnel were incorporated into the other Special Forces units. As part of the re-organisation, the various Reconnaissance Commandos were also given the status of regiments, in the latter part of the same decade, a Special Forces headquarters and a Special Forces stores depot were also added to the Special Forces structure. Another organisational change followed in 1993, when the Directorate Reconnaissance became 45 Parachute Brigade, as part of the military rationalization process,1 Special Forces Regiment was disbanded in 1996. Its personnel were incorporated into the other Special Forces Regiments, in 1997, the Special Forces School was transferred 5 Special Forces Regiment upon the retirement of 1 Special Forces Regiment where the School had previously been based
18.
South African Army Armoured Formation
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The South African Army Armour Formation provides an Armour capability to the South African Army. The Formation came into being as part of a restructure, South African Armoured Corps units previously under the command of various different brigades and other formations were all grouped under one formation. All armour is assigned to the SA Army Armour Formation under the charge of a General Officer Commanding, South Africa employed armoured cars as early as 1915 during its invasion of the then-German South West Africa. After the end of the First World War a single Medium Mark A Whippet light tank was purchased for the Union Defence Force and was employed during the 1922 Rand revolt. The tank in question is now on display at the Army College at Thaba Tshwane, the formation of an armoured corps was proposed in 1924. An armoured car section was formed the year when two Vickers machine gun-armed Crossley armoured cars and two medium tanks were imported from Britain. During the severe depression of 1933, the government established the Special Service Battalion on 1 May 1933 as a job opportunities. The Springbok was first used as symbol for this unit until it was changed to the national flower - the Protea - in July 1934, the SSB was converted to an Armoured Car Regiment at the start of the Second World War, and later to a Tank Regiment. In April 1943 the SSB was deployed in North Africa and used a black beret sporting silver proteas as badge, the South African Army Armour Formation marked its 70th anniversary in October 2016 in Bloemfontein with the fourth Armour Symposium and a thanksgiving service. The Formation is structured as follows, School of Armour, These units are equipped with the Olifant Mk1B or Olifant Mk2 main battle tank,1 South African Tank Regiment Pretoria Regiment Natal Mounted Rifles Regiment President Steyn These units are equipped with the Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle. 1 Special Service Battalion Umvoti Mounted Rifles Regiment Oranjerivier Light Horse Regiment Regiment Mooirivier SA Army Armour Formation SA Armour Museum SA Armour Association
19.
School of Armour (South Africa)
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The South African School of Armour is the training institute of the South African Armoured Corps located at Tempe, Bloemfontein. The Artillery and Armour School, at Potchefstroom was established on the 1st February 1964, the School of Armour was then subsequently re-sited to Bloemfontein on the 1st April 1966, co-locating with the then 2nd Armoured Car Regiment at Tempe. Whilst primarily a Training unit, varying in a number of squadrons and roles, from this Wing, the School deployed a tank Squadron to operations in Angola in late 1987. The first operational use of Olifant tanks was carried out by the School in South-West Africa, the first actual engagement occurred during Operation Modular, with Echo Squadron. Fox Squadron later also became operational as well with Operation Hooper, the School of Armour trains regular and reserve tank crews, drivers and maintenance instructors for the SANDF, SAAC leader group and conducts research and development. The idea of instituting a Museum and Research Library for the South African Armoured Corps started as early as 1994 and was approved by the Chief of the SA Army on 12 October 1995. Approval for the use of a building located in the lines of the School of Armour. A number of fund raising projects was launched and donations was raised to manufacture a number of showcases, an appeal to all members of the Armoured Corps and other interested persons resulted in a number of different items being donated to the museum. The museum was opened by the Chief of the Army on 13 September 1996 to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the South African Armoured Corps. Adjacent to and part of the museum is the research library, the library also accumulates information on personnel, vehicles and archive books of the South African Armour Corps in particular. The library is in possession of a vast quantity of books, periodicals, documents and this library also responds to requests from around the world concerning equipment and history of the South African Armour Corps. Hull-Down was officially opened on 2 September 1999 by Brig Gen Fido Smit and houses additional equipment, within the lines of the School of Armour and 1 South African Tank Regiment, some sixty plus armoured, tracked and wheeled vehicles are displayed. Other equipment such as guns, radar, mine rollers and ploughs are also displayed, lesakeng houses numerous armoured, tracked and wheeled and other vehicles, mainly runners
20.
1 South African Tank Regiment
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1 South African Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the South African Army, based at the Tempe military base in Bloemfontein as part of the South African Army Armour Formation. The Regiment was established in April 1999, composed of members of the old Tank Wing of the National Defence Forces School of Armour and this unit supplies the only full-time tank force to the SA Army. Lt Col William Nondala, the second CO, was the first black commanding officer appointed in the countrys Armoured Corps, there were 724 available posts, but only 335 were staffed and 389 vacant in 2005. The highest shortage level was experienced at the level of trooper, the unit trains jointly with the reserve force units to enhance the ‘one force’ concept, because the reserve force is the expansionary capability of the SANDF in times of national defence. There is however only a percentage of active reserves, because training call-ups are limited. It is equipped with the Olifant Mk.2 main battle tank, the unit’s structure is a ‘type 38 regiment’, with 2 tanks at regimental headquarters and 12 tanks each in the three operational squadrons. There are also support squadrons and tank transport squadrons, the Olifant tanks have been significantly upgraded with new power packs and stabilized night vision equipment. The vehicles are capable of fire on the move manoeuvres. The Olifants may be replaced with a number of new Main Battle Tanks some time after 2018. The C squadron was deployed from April to July 2004 along the Lesotho border and received praise from the Tactical headquarters, police, another squadron was deployed from December 2004 to March 2005. Several members of the unit have also deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC as part of the United Nations’ peacekeeping force MONUSCO
21.
Pretoria Regiment
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The Pretoria Regiment is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. The Regiment is stationed in the city after which it was named and it is part of the South African Army Armour Formation. The Regiment landed from the sea and served in German South West Africa at Aus and they were part of the advance on Tsumeb in July 1915. The regiment prevented a force of armed strikers from damaging the Pretoria-Germiston Railway line in May 1922, in 1928, it was renamed The Pretoria Regiment. On 24 October 1930 it was again renamed, to The Pretoria Regiment after Princess Alice. The Regiment became fully bilingual with the addition of a 2nd Battalion staffed predominantly by Afrikaners, during World War II, the Regiment was converted to an armoured formation attached to the 11th South African Armoured Brigade, South African 6th Armoured Division. The unit was demobilized after the war, and in 1946 it was re-organised as a part-time force, after the establishment of the Republic of South Africa in 1961, the unit was again renamed The Pretoria Regiment by the South African Defence Force. In the 1960s, recruits were trained on Centurion tanks and the new Eland armoured cars. The regiment assisted in the development of the Oliphant MBT, the regiment was placed under the command of the 8th Armoured Division in this period. The regiment saw service in the Border War in operations such as Operation Prone, one squadron of the regiments tanks was attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group for operations near Cuito Cuanavale sustaining no personnel or vehicle casualties. Badges, An impala on a mountain representing the Magaliesberg range to north of Pretoria, beneath the impala and the mountain is a ribbon bearing the regiments motto, Nulli Secundus. The regiment has been allied with The Royal Welsh Fusiliers since 1995, the Class 21 was the only SAR locomotive to be honoured in this way by the military
22.
Natal Mounted Rifles
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The Natal Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation and is based in the city of Durban, the formation of the regiment would entail the amalgamation of four Volunteer Units, Royal D’urban Rangers, Victoria Mounted Rifles, Alexander Mounted Rifles and Durban Mounted Rifles. The regiment was re-activated in Durban during February and March 1901 for service in the South African War and it was originally called the 2nd Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment but the name was soon changed to Natal Mounted Infantry. The unit was armed and equipped by the Natal Volunteer Department, the first depot was at Dundee, but, on the unit changing its name, this was transferred to Newcastle. At the outbreak of WW1, the regiment became the 3rd Mounted Rifles and was attached to the 8th Mounted Brigade with the Central Force in the German South West African Campaign. On 1 July 1913 the Regiment was re-amalgamated with the Border Mounted Rifles, renamed the 3rd Mounted Rifles, in 1932 the Regiments name was simplified to The Natal Mounted Rifles and in 1934 it was converted to infantry. Since the 1994 Democratic Elections, the NMR has undergone several training exercises and continues to recruit members into its ranks and it boasts a Regimental Pipe Band and is affiliated to the 3rd King’s Own Hussars
23.
Regiment President Steyn
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Regiment President Steyn is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. The Regiment was named after Martinus Theunis Steyn, the last President of the Orange Free State Republic and is stationed in the city of Bloemfontein and it is part of the South African Army Armour Formation. The Regiment was raised as a machine gun regiment in Bloemfontein, lieutenant-Colonel McHardy was the Regiments first Commanding Officer. Mobilisation for World War II took place on 5 June 1940, in order to increase the strength of the regiment, volunteers from Regiment De Wet and Regiment Louw Wepener and the Orange Free State Field Artillery were transferred to it. The Regiment arrived in Egypt in June 1941, as the Machine Gun Battalion of the South African 1st Infantry Division, at the end of 1941 the regiment was made part of the 5th South African Infantry Brigade. Minnaar commanded the regiment during the El Alamein fighting in June, the unit was later converted to an armoured car regiment. From 1960 to 1966, RPS was called Regiment Bloemfontein, in 1975 the regiment converted from armoured cars to tanks and eventually formed part of the 8th South African Armoured Division 82 Mechanised Brigade. What was later to become Regiment Vrystaat was formed in the year as the second battalion of Regiment President Steyn. The regiments Ratel infantry fighting vehicles and Eland-90 armoured cars saw service during the South African Border War, the Regiment first active duty as a tank unit was when two squadrons took part in Operation Packer in March 1988 with 82 Brigade. The unit lost three tanks in a Cuban minefield, one of the tanks was able to be recovered while the other two remained stuck in the minefield. The commander moved his forces out of the minefield as they attempted to retrieve the damaged tanks. By 14h30 a decision was made to withdraw due to the minefields. A request was made for the SADF artillery to destroy the three damaged Olifant tanks and this was rejected as it was believed that the tanks could be recovered. This did not happen, one was retrieved by the Cubans, regimental Colour, The badge is a Vickers machine gun with the arms of the late President Steyn and Floreat above it and the title and Bloemfontein below. The flash is yellow above white with black as the lowest panel, the Regiments first Unit Colour was a gift from the City Council of Bloemfontein and the wife of the late President M. T. Steyn presented it to the Unit on 17 October 1939, the RPS also became the first unit to receive the Right to the Freedom of Entry to the City of Bloemfontein. The date of this honour was 1 April 1955, east Africa 1940 -1941 Western Desert 1941 -1943 Sidi Rezegh Gazala Alamein Defence El Alamein
24.
1 Special Service Battalion
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1 Special Service Battalion is an armoured regiment of the South African Army and only one of two such in its regular force. The Regiment is based at Tempe near Bloemfontein and it was previously known in Afrikaans as 1 Spesiale Diens Bataljon. Following World War II, the Special Service Battalion was re-organised into 2 battalions -1 Special Service Battalion and 1 South African Infantry Battalion, 1SSB also took part in the South African Border War, serving in South-West Africa and Angola. More recently, the unit took part in Operation Boleas. 1SSB had a unit for a number of years in the post-World War II era, designated 2 Special Service Battalion. This unit has now been disbanded, 1SSB also detached squadrons to various battlegroups in the South West African campaign Lt. Col. May 1933 - Nov 1933 Lt. Col. P de Waal, Dec 1933 - Jan 1934 Lt. Col. WHE Poole. Feb 1934 - Apr 1935 Lt. Col. J Danie, may 1935 - Jan 1936 Maj. JR Wocke. Feb 1936 - Dec 1937 Lt. Col. HB Klopper, Jan 1938 - Sep 1939 Lt. Col. HP van Noorden. Oct 1939 - Dec 1939 Lt. Col. GCA van Dam, Jan 1940 - Jun 1940 Lt. Col. CEG Brits. Jun 1940 - Aug 1946 Lt. Col. GN Nauhaus, Sep 1946 - May 1949 Maj. EE Fodred. Jun 1949 - Aug 1949 Maj. PE Ferguson, Sep 1949 - Jan 1951 Cmdt. Feb 1951 - Sep 1953 Cmdt, Oct 1953 - Dec 1960 Cmdt. Jan 1961 - Jun 1963 Cmdt, Jul 1963 - Oct 1964 Cmdt. Nov 1964 - Nov 1967 Cmdt, Dec 1967 - Nov 1968 Cmdt. Dec 1968 - May 1969 Cmdt, Apr 1969 - Sep 1972 Cmdt. Oct 1972 - Jul 1973 Maj. AJ Snyman Aug 1973 - Nov 1973 Cmdt, Nov 1973 - Nov 1976 Cmdt. Dec 1976 - Dec 1979 Cmdt, Jan 1980 - Nov 1981 Cmdt
25.
Umvoti Mounted Rifles
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The Umvoti Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation and is based in the town of Pinetown, on 16 May 1864 the Umvoti Mounted Rifles was founded in Greytown as the Greytown Mounted Rifles. There were some 45 men in the unit, under command of Capt A. S. Wyndham who was also the Magistrate of Greytown at the time. The Umvoti Mounted Rifles Hall is the oldest hall in Greytown and it was built in 1880 as a Masonic Hall, but later became the headquarters of the Regiment. It is currently used by the Greytown public works department, the Umvoti Mounted Rifles was formed in 1893 at Greytown, Natal by the redesignation of the left Wing of the Natal Carbineers. On 1 July 1913 the Regiment absorbed the Zululand Mounted Rifles, was redesignated the 4th Mounted Rifles, in 1934 the Regiment was redesignated as the Umvoti Mounted Rifles and converted to infantry. The Natal Mounted Rifles served in the Second Anglo-Boer War, the Zulu Rebellion, World War I, World War II and South Africas post-war internal conflicts and Border War. The UMR since 1920 served under command of the OC, Natal Command as firstly a Mounted Regiment on horseback and then, in September 1939 they were part of the 1st South African Brigade of the Natal Command. During the Second World War the Regiment served as an Infantry unit and in 1954 was converted to a Tank Regiment, during 1984 the UMR was brigaded as the Armoured Car Regiment of 8th South African Armoured Division 84 Motorised Brigade. This necessitated conversion from a unit to a conventional force. The unit was then the Armoured Car Reconnaissance regiment of 8 SA Division and was part of 84 SA Brigade based in Durban. The Regiment currently uses the Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle, equipped with a 76 mm quick-fire gun, in 2012 the long-awaited new history of the regiment, written by historian Mark Coghlan, was published by Just Done Productions Publishing
26.
Regiment Oranjerivier
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Regiment Oranjerivier is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Armoured Corps/South African Army Armoured Formation and is based in Cape Town, the Regiment was founded as an Afrikaans language unit on 1 July 1952 as Regiment Noordwes-Kaap, but this name was changed in the same year to Regiment Hertzog. Due to a reorganisation of the Citizen Force the unit was redesignated Regiment Oranjerivier on 1 January 1960, at this time the unit was part of 17 Brigade. In 1961 after considerable discussion a regimental motto, Occuli Et Auris was officially adopted and this motto was inspired by the eagles that hunt over the Kalahari Desert. In the early 1970s the Regiments Marmon-Herrington Armoured Cars were replaced by the far more versatile, Regiment Oranjerivier became the armoured car regiment of 71 Motorised Brigade on 15 November 1974. A year later the headquarters of the Regiment was moved to Cape Town, the Regiment was mobilized together with most other the other units of 71 Brigade to serve in Southern Angola during Operation Savannah. Sub-units of the ROR were located from Katima Mulilo in the east to Chitado in the west, during the same period the unit lost its first member ever to enemy fire. The Regiment went on to several more times on the South-West Africa/Namibia border as well as inside Angola. This included Operation Prone in Southern Angola during August/October 1988, where the Regiment used a number of Ratel 90 infantry fighting vehicles. On 2 November 1990, the ROR was awarded the Rooikat Floating Trophy - the first time the trophy had been awarded - as the best unit in the South African Armoured Corps. In November 1991 the regiment moved to Wingfield and gained an independent unit HQ with their own facilities, sometime since 1974 regimental headquarters appears to have moved to Cape Town. The Regiment appears to have transferred with much of the rest of 71 Motorised Brigade to * 9th South African Division on the brigades upgrading to a division on 2 January 1992. Division was disbanded in 1997, and ROR transferred to the new armoured type formation, the Regiment currently uses the Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle, equipped with a 76 mm quick-fire gun. Regimental badge, An eagle with wings with the regimental motto beneath. The badge is worn on the traditional Armoured Corps black beret, the Regiment received the Freedom of Upington on 4 May 1966 and the Freedom of Keimoes on 11 June 1968. The symbol of command of the Regiments Commanding Officer is a silvered 90mm practice round,4 May 1966 Upington,11 June 1968 Keimoes
27.
Regiment Mooirivier
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Regiment Mooirivier is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation and is headquartered in the South African university town of Potchefstroom, the Regiment was founded in 1941 as 2 Anti Tank Regiment and re-instituted in 1954 by the first vice-rector of the Potchefstroom University, Professor Fanus du Plessis. Regiment Mooirivier was re-instituted as 2 Antitank Regiment, South African Army/Active Citizen Force, during 1955 the regiment was converted to an armoured car regiment and renamed Regiment Hendrik Potgieter. In 1959 the Regiment was renamed Regiment Mooirivier, the regiment participated in Operations Askari, Modular, Hooper and Packer. The regiment was equipped with Eland 90s at that stage, the Regiment currently uses the Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle, equipped with a 76 mm quick-fire gun
28.
Light Horse Regiment
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The Light Horse Regiment, formerly the Imperial Light Horse, is an armoured car reconnaissance unit of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation and is based at Mount Collins in Sandton, the Imperial Light Horse was raised by the British in Johannesburg on 21 September 1899 for service in the Second Boer War. Its initial strength was 444 officers and men and it was informally known as the Reformers Regiment as many of its officers served on the Reform Committee, or more commonly the Uitlander Regiment by the Transvaal Government and the Boer Commandos. The Light Horse was engaged through much of the war and fought its first battle at Elandslaagte 21 October 1899, the Regiment was present at the Siege of Ladysmith, Colenso, the Battle of Spion Kop and the Relief of Ladysmith. After the successful raising of the siege of Ladysmith the Light horse join the Mafeking Relief Column and were the first to enter the town on the night of 16/17 May 1900, in late 1900 a second battalion – the 2nd Imperial Light Horse was raised and embodied. Both battalions then went on to fight in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State Republic until the end of the war, a squadron of the Regiment fought with the Transvaal Mounted Rifles in the Bambatha Rebellion. It served as a unit to the South African Police during a general strike. With the new amalgamation of the British colonies into the Union of South Africa in 1910 the separate colonial forces were combined into new organisations, the Regiment was re-designated as the 5th Mounted Rifles on 1 July 1913 and transferred to the Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence Force. The Regiment took part in operations during World War I first in the South-West Africa Campaign in what is today Namibia and afterwards in Egypt, Palestine and France. During the Interbellum the Regiment was placed on the reserve but was mobilised in 1922 to support the police during the Second Rand Revolt. At the start of World War II the Regiment was bought up to strength, however the two battalions were soon separated and fought different wars. The second battalion was soon re-designated as the 13th Armoured Car Company in the South African Tank Corps. The 13th was amalgamated with Royal Natal Carbineers to create the 6th Armoured Car Regiment, the 1st Battalion joined the 3rd Brigade of the South African 1st Infantry Division and fought in the North African Campaign and fought in the first and second battles of El Alamein. Returning to South Africa the 1st Battalion along with the 2nd were reorganised and amalgamated with the Kimberley Regiment to form the Imperial Light Horse/Kimberley Regiment. In September 1943 the regiment sailed for North Africa and joined the South African 6th Armoured Division in Egypt as a battalion under command of Colonel R. Reeves-Moore. On 21 April 1944 the Regiment disembarked in Taranto as part of the 6th Armoured Division to join the British 8th Army in the Italian Campaign. They held these positions until after the fall of Monte Cassino and the breakout from the Anzio beachhead, the Regiment then advanced with the 6th Division as part of the Canadian I Corps until they were north of Rome
29.
South African Army Infantry Formation
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The South African Army Infantry Formation supervises all infantry within the South African Army. South African Infantry originated as the Infantry Branch of the Union Defence Forces in 1913, in 1915, the defence forces established the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force for war service outside Southern Africa. It included the South African Infantry, comprising twelve battalions, and these units were disbanded in 1919. The Infantry Branch was enlarged in 1934, and the mounted regiments were converted to infantry in 1935. In 1943, the Infantry Branch was incorporated into the new South African Armoured Corps, based on the findings of a committee led by Brigader H. B. Klopper in late 1953, it was recommended that some English-speaking units be converted to Afrikaans medium units, despite representations made by some of the units affected, the reorganization went ahead from January 1954. In 1956 a further reorganization was made necessary by the increase in the number of citizens balloted for training in some areas. The Army was accordingly reorganized to consist of 32 Afrikaan-speaking units and 20 English medium units, the changes were implemented with effect from 22 September 1956. In 1954, the SAACs Infantry Branch, and the personnel of the South African Instructional Corps, were formed into the South African Infantry Corps. In 1972, continuous service was increased to twelve months and by 1974, there were 10 full-time motorised infantry battalions. The infantry reserve comprised 42 citizen force infantry battalions, a parachute regiment, plans were in place to establish volunteer black infantry units along ethnic lines, comparable to the Cape Corps. The volunteer black infantry unit plans eventually bore fruit with the formation of 21,111,113,115,116,117,118,121 and 151 Battalions, another battalion,114 Battalion, was planned but not actually formed. Many of their members were Service Volunteers, members of all the groups who were not compelled to do National Service. Eventually the various black battalions amounted to about 16,000, in the post apartheid era, no ethnic or language based infantry exist at all. In the 1980s Regiment Port Natal appears to have been a component of 84 Motorised Brigade and it was amalgamated with the Durban Light Infantry about 1999. In 2000 the Corps became known as the South African Army Infantry Formation, the first woman battalion commander appears to have been appointed in 2001. The specialised horse/motorcycle/dog-using battalion,12 South African Infantry Battalion, was disbanded in April 2005, the previous General Officer Commanding up to 2012 was Lieutenant General Themba Nkabinde. Since the mid-2000s, they have been using vehicles like Mamba, Regiment Schanskop appears to have become the Tshwane Regiment around 2002
30.
South African Infantry School
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The South African Infantry School is within the Army Base in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape. The Infantry School, now at Oudtshoorn, was established in November 1953, after a career dating back to the South African Military School in Bloemfontein. It is the Infantry’s “centre of excellence” and offers a number of courses to regulars. On the 1 July 1912, the South African Military School was established in the old Presidents residence in Bloemfontein, the schools name was changed to The School of Musketry on the 1 November 1912 and moved to Tempe in Bloemfontein. On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the school at Tempe was closed and these staff members were responsible for the next number of years for the training of volunteers for overseas duty. During 1920, the South African Military School was established at what was then called Roberts Heights, the college was granted the status of School in 1924 as a result of the training of the first group of permanent force Officer Candidates. The Regimental Training was taken over by the Weapon Training Branch for example and it was during this era that the idea was mooted that there should be an independent Infantry School. In November 1953 the Weapon Training Branch was officially renamed the Infantry School in terms of SADF order No, 206/53, but this renamed unit remained an integral part of the South African Military College. On 1 October 1963, after having been a ghost unit for almost 10 years, at this stage and until 1 January 1964, Maj J. H. Rossouw, SAIC, was appointed Acting Officer Commanding. It was during this period that the decision to move the Infantry School to Oudtshoorn, on 1 January 1964 the new, fully fledged Infantry School opened its portals in Oudtshoorn to admit its first students under the command of Cmdt M. N. Horner, SAIC. Since that day, the School has undergone two major metamorphoses, the first being in January 1974 when, in addition to its established role, it assumed the role of the unit where National Servicemen Junior Leaders were trained. The second occurred in December 1976 when it was decided to remove virtually all Citizen Force courses from the School, in January 1977 another historic event occurred at the Infantry School that is the advent of the first prospective Cadet Officer intake of then recently qualified teachers. In those years, the unit had shouldered its share of the burden of duty in the operational area, later on it had become policy to send companies of National Servicemen to the operational area as part of their training as Junior Leaders. 1977 was an important year in the history as they received their Colours on the 1 October 1977 and were granted the Freedom of the City by the City Council of Oudtshoorn. On the 28 March 1980, the Infantry School received its own song from the well known Dirkie and Doll de Villiers. The song was handed over to the Commanding Officer, Col W. G. Kritzinger, during a parade at the school, during December 1980, the Exerce Perfectioni Statue was handed over to the School by the City Council of Oudtshoorn. The statue was unveiled by Gen Magnus Malan, current base, Oudtshoorn Motto, Exerce Perfectioni
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1 Parachute Battalion
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1 Parachute Battalion is the only full-time paratroop unit of the South African Army. It was established on 1 April 1961 with the formation of the Parachute Battalion, after 1998 this unit was renamed to Parachute Training Centre. Their best known action was the controversial Battle of Cassinga in 1978, the units nickname Parabat is a portmanteau derived from the words Parachute Battalion. These men together with a unit called 2 Mobile Watch formed the nucleus of 1 Parachute Battalion at Tempe in Bloemfontein in April 1961. The first paratroopers were Permanent Force men, but soon the training of Citizen Force paratroopers commenced. Members of 1 Parachute Battalion were the first S. A. Army men to see action after World War II when, in 1966, they participated, with the South African Police, against insurgents in S. W. A. In 1966, members of 1 Parachute Battalion participated in the first action in the war in South West Africa during an assault on an insurgent base. Thereafter, they were involved in operations in SWA/Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique and Rhodesia,1 Parachute Bn. was organised as follows, Permanent Force, Bn H. Q. Coy and A and B Coys, Citizen Force, C Coy Cape Town, D Coy Durban, E Coy Pretoria, in 1974 and 19751 Parachute Battalion operated along the Angolan border with S. W. With the coming of 44 Parachute Brigade in April 1978, under the leadership of Brigadier M J du Plessis and Colonel Jan Breytenbach, the first large airborne exercise of the Parachute Battalion Group took place in 1987 in the Northwestern Transvaal. With the eventual disbanding of 44 Parachute Brigade its full-time personnel were moved to Bloemfontein, in 1986, the unit embarked on its first HALO/HAHO course in Bloemfontein. This would enable the troops to drop into enemy territory from aircraft following commercial routes, in 2001 battalion personnel formed the spearhead of the South African Protection Support Detachment deploying to Burundi. In 2014 it was announced that 1 Parachute Battalion would receive Battle Honours for this operation, the school has had only four fatalities in its existence. 1 Parachute Battalion is a unit which in addition to parachute training also conducts force training to recruits inducted into the unit. The average age ranges in the mid-twenties, the selection and training of paratroops is rigorous to ensure a standard of combat efficiency is retained at a high level. Members of 1 Parachute Battalion visit the various battalions each year early in the cycle to look for volunteers. These must then pass a physical test at their unit prior to appearing before a selection board, soldiers volunteering for service with the parachute forces first undergo a battery of medical tests – similar to that for flying personnel – before setting off on a 5 kilometres timed run. Before they can recover their breath, they tackle the second test,200 metres run in each man carries a comrade on his back
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44 Pathfinder Platoon
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The 44 Pathfinder Platoon is part of the 44 Parachute Brigade. The pathfinder is a trained and specialized soldier who performs covertly behind enemy lines, in the early 1980s and following the creation of Zimbabwe a number of former Rhodesian Army soldiers joined the SADF on short contract. These British, Rhodesian and American Troops were at that time referred to as The Philistines because they were foreigners. After their selection and induction these recruits underwent further training in bush warfare and this training by early 1981 produced sufficient personnel to be deployed on active service. Their envisaged role was to conduct mobile, fighting patrols deep inside Angola and they were highly trained in counter-terrorist operations and already self-sufficient and in most cases independent from the rest of the SADF. They were based at Ondangwa, South-West Africa and from there they would launch patrols into Angola mostly led by Colonel Breytenbach and this force in its short and controversial history proved to be highly successful and when Colonel Breytenbach left the Brigade in 1982 they were disbanded. In 1976,1 Parachute Battalion possessed a limited capability in a small group of permanent force members who were Drop Zone Safety Officers. These comprised the following, Capt. J. E. Rabie Lt. J. C. Van Wyk 2 Lt. M. Ellis 2 Lt. M. J. Boon Sgt M. P. J. Liebenberg Cpl. The Battalion had no specialized training except that of paratrooper soldiering. With fixed posts within the Battalion, these members only grouped as, with the success and lessons from Operation Reindeer in May 1978, it became clear that a method for ensuring correct and safe dropping, grouping and extraction of paratroopers was urgently needed. The then Commander of 1 Parachute Battalion, Col. D. J, moore, requested Maj Joos Rabie to formulate staff, equipment tables and to establish guidelines for the formation of an extended Pathfinder capability within the unit. The blueprint used was a combination of the British SAS, USA Pathfinders, the objective was to train the Pathfinder to be on par with the Recces in their training schedule regarding land warfare, but specializing in pathfinder and airborne operations. Pierre Lundberg together with Cpls I. J, J. Schutte were the first Permanent force leader group who trained the first group of Pathfinders in September 1978. The command of this fell under Jamie Hill and Paul Troll. Both Hill and Troll were from 44 Parachute Brigade and they operated in small teams looking for weapon caches and doing counter insurgency operations for the upcoming expected rainy-season offensive. For their service this group of Pathfinders were awarded the Chief of the SADF Commendation Medal. After the initial deployment at 101, Capt Pierre Lundberg who was a member of the group was again asked to command the national service pathfinders. After this departure the Pathfinders had no Permanent Force leadership for almost 4 months until Capt John van Aswegen took over as the Pathfinder Commanding Officer, all the subsequent Pathfinders groups followed the similar training schedule as the first three groups in regime and quality
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13 Signal Squadron
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In April 1978 the South African Minister of Defence, authorised the formation of 44 Signal Squadron. From 24 September 1980 until October 1986,44 Signal Squadron supported 44 Brigade in all aspects of signals, e. g. the supply of communication and the manning of a Communication Centrum. From 2 October 1986, the Squadron was upgraded to a Signal Unit with Commandant Lombard as commander and tasked to supply the Brigade with communication, the Units second in command was Maj P. Drotsky and the RSM P. Snyders. The signal unit flag was authorised in 1986, after restructuring of the SADF as the SANDF in 1994, the unit was renamed 13 Signals Squadron Pitta, Robert
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18 Light Regiment
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18 Light Regiment is an airborne artillery regiment of the South African Artillery and a former regimental unit within 44 Parachute Brigade. It was created for the purposes of supporting paratroopers during air assault operations, as a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. Took place 13 November to 8 December 1978 at the Army Battle School at Lohatla, at the time the unit consisted of one Battery and a Regimental Headquarters. The regiments initial intake consisted of the Operation Savannah veterans of 141 Battery of 14 Field Regiment and 41 Battery of 4 Field Regiment, none of the troops allocated to the unit were parachute qualified. During 1979 the regiment secured the recruitment of a Signals Officer, the regiment was better positioned for its second training camp ‘Exercise Blinkspies 2’ which was held from 25 October 1979 to 24 November 1979. The Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General Constand Viljoen, visited the unit during this exercise,1980 saw the take on of new members from the training units. The regiment at this stage consisted of 181 Battery and one troop from 182 Battery, nine new candidate officers emerged from the efforts of training programmes initiated in 1978 and as a result leadership shortages were addressed. The first batch of parachute qualified gunners also transferred to the regiment in December 1980, in June 1982 the regiment was incorporated into the newly formed 44 Parachute Brigade and its new base, Murray Hill. Attempts were made at the time by the Brigade to change the name to 44 Light Regiment. 18 Light Regiment was structured slightly different from the conventional medium artillery regiments. The regiment consisted of a small RHQ element and 3 Batteries, each battery consisted of two troops, each with four 120 millimetres mortars. Each mortar detachment consisted of five gunners, the 120 millimetres mortars of the regiment gave it an ideal airborne capacity and ability to be deployed as a true light artillery regiment. Colonel Frank Bestbier, the successor to Col Jan Breytenbach, wasted no time in integrating the gunners into their new airborne role, in order to fulfill its airborne objective, it was decided that the regiment would only consist of gunners that had qualified as paratroopers. The regiments traditional blue artillery berets were now exchanged for the maroon paratrooper berets, in November 1982,181 Battery made its first airborne deployment to the General Piet Joubert Training Area. The jump included a 120 mm mortar drop with full ammunition, on 11 December 1984 the regiment deployed all three batteries in a single airborne drop as a part of Exercise “Ubique”. The mortars, equipment and ammunition were carried and dropped by three C-130 Hercules aircraft and a total of 200 gunners, NCOs and officers followed in three C160 troop carriers. It was recorded by the media at the time that the drop was recorded between 800–950 feet and took approximately 50 seconds for all equipment and men to be on the ground. With chutes stored, the men deployed to their position within minutes
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44 Medical Task Group
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South Africas 44 Medical Task Group, a affiliate of 7 Medical Battalion, operates within 44 Parachute Brigade and 1 Parachute Battalion respectively. The Group consists of parachute qualified Ops Medics, specialist soldiers who perform the recovery, based at 44 Parachute Regiment, Tempe, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. 44 Medical Task Group, consists of a medical contingent consisting of Operational Medical Support Operators or Ops Medics. Para Ops Medics are trained under two criteria, Military Medical Operations, Para Ops Medics are qualified under Basic Life Support III. They are trained to stabilize patients, stop bleeding, maintain airways, suture wounds, administrate drips, Para Selection /Training, All members of 44 Medical Task Group are static line parachute qualified
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101 Air Supply Unit SAOSC
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The 101 Air Supply Unit is a parachute unit of the South African Ordnance Services Corps. Formed in 1963, it has supported the 44 Parachute Brigade, now the 44 Parachute Regiment and it appears to be based at Lyttelton, Gauteng. The primary role of the Ordnance Services Corps is The OSC also delivers specialised services to the army, in the summer of 1962, three candidates were drafted as part of a plan that eventually determined air supply capability in the SADF. The three were Tom Moodie, P. A and they reported for national service on 3 January,1963, as members of the 101 Air Supply Platoon of the Active Citizen Force. The three draftees were assigned to the then ADK Afrikaans, Special Service Corps and he served as quartermaster at 16 K&T Company for the last three months of his training. Also in April 1963, a member, serviceman L. Knobel, was drafted to the same unit. National service drafts at that time occurred every three months, in the July intake three members were added to the unit and another two in September, the next year twelve members were added, so that by the end of 1964 the units strength stood at 21 members. Towards the middle of 1967 the first draft of recruits for 102 Air Supply Platoon began, on 23 October 1963, Captain Jan Klopper sent AFC Moodie to Northern Transvaal Command, where he was informed by Cmdt. C. Spiller that a permanent commissioned post had been created by the SADF for his position, on his appointment, AFC Moodie was 19 years old, making him one of the youngest commanders in the history of the SADF at that time. On 23 April 1964, his appointment was permanent, and he continued to hold it for 29 years until 1993. In December 1964, the first unit camp was held at Diensvakskool Afrikaans, other permanent force personnel, skilled to a degree in air supply training, were Cmdt. Rasie van Vuuren, WO1 H Freso, Lt. T Greef, initially training took place under the auspices of the Corps – School Services, and later KDK School. After 44 Parachute Brigade relocated from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, training was undertaken on a more intensive basis by the air wing of the brigade. Until the beginning of Operation Savannah, in 1975, the unit had participated in scheduled training camps where members were called up, the last time the unit was called up with all members being present was the first 21 days of February 1975. Up until this period the unit had concluded 10 camps, the unit became operational beginning with Operation Savannah in November 1975. Initially, members were stationed at Air Force Base Waterkloof and AF bases for three-month periods to load and off-load C130s and C160s, with a reduction in military operations, the unit was placed on an ad hoc basis, with activation for military exercises. The 101 ASP is an important link in the chain to provision fighting units in the field. While neither a conventional supply and replenishment unit nor a typical maintenance unit, it does provide supplies, at that time the 101 was stationed in Pretoria whilst 102 was at Port Elizabeth
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2 Parachute Battalion
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2 Parachute Battalion is Citizen Force paratroop unit of the South African Army. It was established in July 1971 with the formation of the Parachute Battalion, later it was a battalion within 44 Parachute Brigade. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. With the implementation of one year National Service in South Africa in 1968,1 Parachute Battalion struggled to administer the Permanent Force, the battalion was formed at Tempe in July 1971 of five rifle companies. On 20 April 1978, the 2 Parachute Battalion and other parachute units became part of the newly formed 44 Parachute Brigade,2 Parachute Battalion would take part in Operation Savannah in Angola during 1975 and covered the withdrawal of the SADF forces from that country in early 1976. In May 1978, elements of this took part in the parachute drop over Cassinga during Operation Reindeer. Companies from this battalion were based on the border with Angola in South-West Africa/Namibia,2 Parachute Battalion companies were also deployed internally in South African black townships to suppress unrest to the governments Apartheid policies
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3 Parachute Battalion
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3 Parachute Battalion is a Citizen Force paratroop unit of the South African Army. It was established in July 1977 within the formation of the Parachute Battalion, later it was a battalion within 44 Parachute Brigade. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. With the implementation of one year National Service in South Africa in 1968,1 Parachute Battalion struggled to administer the Permanent Force, the battalion was formed at Tempe in July 1977 of five rifle companies. On 20 April 1978,3 Parachute Battalion and other parachute units became part of the newly formed 44 Parachute Brigade,3 Parachute Battalion would take part in Operation Reindeer in Angola during 1978, Elements of this battalion took part in the parachute drop over Cassinga
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6 South African Infantry Battalion
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6 South African Infantry Battalion is an air assault infantry unit of the South African Army. 6 SAI was established on January 1,1962 at Grahamstown, the battalion became operational in 1970. 6 SAI took part in Operation Protea and Operation Daisy in Angola, the battalion has since become an air assault infantry unit specifically trained to deploy via helicopters. The battalion was deployed again in April 2013 to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade. On the 28 August 2014, after their return from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the battalion was honoured with a Freedom of the City parade through Grahamstown
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First City Regiment
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First City is an air assault infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. The QVR and the FCV fought in the Cape Frontier Wars, the QVR fought in the Morosi Campaign. The FCV fought in the Basutoland Gun War, the QVR and the FCV later fought in the Bechuanaland campaign, and in the Second Boer War. On 1 July 1913, the QVR amalgamated with the FCV and was incorporated into the Citizen Force of the new Union Defence Force as the 4th Infantry and it served in German South-West Africa 1914–1915. However, in 1924 the First Eastern Rifles were renamed the 4th Infantry, the numerical part of the title was dropped in 1932, making the regiment simply First City. First City is never called First City Regiment, when spoken of it is The First City. In the mid 1930s, the regiment adopted Scottish uniform, including the Graham of Montrose tartan, during World War II, FC served in the Madagascar campaign. The marriage lasted until 8 May 1945, after completing its training in Egypt, the division landed at Taranto, Italy on 20 April 1944 and fought exclusively in Italy during its existence. In 1946, the regiment was reconstituted as a component of the countrys part-time forces, from 1954 to 1956, FC was amalgamated with the Kaffrarian Rifles, known as First City/Kaffrarian Rifles. In 1956 it reverted to being called First City, the regiment was affiliated with 84 Motorised Brigade, part of 8th Armoured Division. Many members have also trained in Air Assault. The Regiment has also sent members on UN & AU peace keeping missions to the DRC, Burundi,2008 saw First City winning the trophy for the best reserve force regiment in the SA Army Infantry Formation. The regiment retained this award for 2009, cap badge backing, Graham of Montrose tartan. 1935 to 1943 pale red hackle also worn,1943 to 1945 only a green and gold hackle was worn during this period. FC/CTH Collar badge, albany leopard on a branch Shoulder & epaulette title, nCOs & Rfn wear a gold and green cloth shoulder title Blue Balmoral bonnet with blue and white dicing, with a red toorie in 1935. The regiments Highland company wore a Tam oshanter without the toorie from 1906–1913, the new blue glengarry with blue and white dicing has the Maroon toorie to symbolise the regiments airborne role. The khaki tam oshanter when worn by air assault members has a maroon toorie, the officers and WOs when in service/combat dress wear the light khaki balmoral
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Prince Alfred's Guard
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Prince Alfreds Guard is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. The Regiment is located in the city of Port Elizabeth, Prince Alfreds Guard was established on 19 September 1856 as the Port Elizabeth Volunteer Rifle Corps. In 1860 the title Prince Alfreds Guard was assumed unofficially and on 11 July 1874 this name was sanctioned as Prince Alfreds Volunteer Guard. The name was changed to Prince Alfreds Guard. The Regiment first saw action on 2 December 1877, against the Gcaleka tribesmen in the Battle of Umzintzani during the Ninth Xhosa War, the Regiment also took part in the Bechuanaland Campaign of 1897. The Regiment also served in the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902 - as mounted infantry - and took part in campaigns in the Orange Free State and the South African Republic. Members of the PAG volunteered for service in World War I, as a result, the contingent was disbanded and most of its members saw active service during the war in other South African units. In 1913 the regiment was redesignated the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence Force, but regained its former name in 1934. The PAG was subsequently converted to a unit and saw further active service with the 11th South African Armoured Brigade. Re-equipped with Eland-90 armoured cars in the period, the PAG also took part in several skirmishes during subsequent border conflicts in Angola. The Prince Alfreds Guard Museum in Port Elizabeth houses military exhibits in the Regiments Victorian Drill Hall and it is a national monument and one of the finest surviving examples of its type. HISTORY OF THE PRINCE ALBERTS GUARD
Namibia, 
South Africa
South African Army,
