1 Special Service Battalion

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1 Special Service Battalion
SANDF 1 Special Service Battalion emblem
Active	1 May 1933 – present
Country	South Africa
Branch	South African Army
Type	Armoured
Part of	South African Armoured Formation
Garrison/HQ	Tempe 29°05′0″S 26°11′0″E / 29.08333°S 26.18333°E / -29.08333; 26.18333Coordinates: 29°05′0″S 26°11′0″E / 29.08333°S 26.18333°E / -29.08333; 26.18333
Nickname(s)	1SSB (English) 1SDB (Afrikaans)
Motto(s)	Eendrag Maakt Mag (Unity is Strength)
Colors	Orange over Blue which must be divided by Silver and where it is not possible to use silver white will be used in place
Equipment	Ratel IFV Rooikat
Engagements	World War II South African Border War Operation Boleas Operation Merlyn (1989) as part of 63 Mech (1989) as part of 63 Mech
Battle honours	Awarded Italy 1944-45 Florence Gothic Line Celleno The Greve Po Valley Kunene South West Africa/Angola 1975-1976 South West Africa/Angola 1976-1989 Cuito Cuanaval
Website	www.saarmour.co.za
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lt Col George Brink Lt Col CEG (Papa) Britz Lt Col WHE Poole Lt Col HB Klopper Lt Col Gen Jannie Geldenhys (Later Chief, SADF) Lt Col. W.R. Van Der Riet (Later Lt Gen)
Insignia
Cap Badge	A spray of three protea flowers, bound by a ribbon bearing the initials and motto
Beret Colour	Black
Armour Squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992

1 Special Service Battalion (usually abbreviated to 1SSB) is an armoured regiment of the South African Army and only one of two such in its regular force. The Regiment is based at near Bloemfontein.

It was previously known in Afrikaans as 1 Spesiale Diens Bataljon (1 SDB).

History[]

Following World War II, the Special Service Battalion was re-organised into 2 battalions - 1 Special Service Battalion and 1 South African Infantry Battalion.

When the South African Armoured Corps was thus officially proclaimed in 1946 and Special Service Battalion was included in the corps as the only full-time unit, its symbols and colours were incorporated.

1 SSB also took part in the South African Border War, serving in South-West Africa and Angola.^[1]

More recently, the unit also took part in Operation Boleas, which was a South African intervention in its neighbouring country of Lesotho in 1998.

1 SSB had a sister unit for a number of years in the post-World War II era, designated 2 Special Service Battalion, which was based in the town of Zeerust. This unit has now been disbanded.

1 SSB also detached squadrons to various battlegroups in the South West African campaign

Equipment[]

pre 1995[]

Variant	Description	Comment	Image
Eland 60	South Africa	Mortar platform
Eland 90	South Africa	Fire support platform and assault gun

Current[]

The regiment is equipped primarily with Ratel infantry fighting vehicles and Rooikat armoured cars.

Variant	Description	Comment	Image
Rooikat 76	South Africa	76mm cannon
Ratel 90	South Africa	90mm cannon
Ratel ZT3	South Africa	antitank missile

Future[]

Under Project Hoefyster, the SANDF will eventually replace the Ratel family of vehicles with the Badger system.^{[2] [3]} Five versions are contemplated of which two are earmarked for 1 SSB:

• Missile (turreted Denel ZT3 Ingwe)
• Fire Support (turreted 30mm cannon, but with more ammunition than the section vehicle)

Variant	Description	Comment	Image
Denel Badger various types	South Africa	Various armaments

Regimental symbols[]

• The cap badge is a spray of three protea flowers, bound by a ribbon bearing the initials and motto.
• Regimental motto: Eendrag Maakt Mag (Unity is Strength)
• Regimental  :
• Regimental  : 1,000 soldiers
• Regimental honour roll : Soldiers who died during active combat duty and soldiers who died during training. See 1 SSB Roll of Honour
• Regimental  :Pantseraksie once a year

Previous Dress Insignia[]

Current Dress Insignia[]

Leadership[]

1 Special Services Battalion Leadership

From	Commanding Officers	To
May 1933	Lt. Col. GE Poole DSO	November 1933
December 1933	Lt. Col. P de Waal	January 1934
February 1934	Lt. Col. WHE Poole	April 1935
May 1935	Lt. Col. J Danie	January 1936
February 1936	Maj. JR Wocke	December 1937
January 1938	Lt. Col. HB Klopper	September 1939
October 1939	Lt. Col. HP van Noorden	December 1939
January 1940	Lt. Col. GCA van Dam	June 1940
June 1940	Lt. Col. CEG (Papa) Brits DSO	August 1946
September 1946	Lt. Col. GN Nauhaus OBE	May 1949
June 1949	Maj. EE Fodred MC	August 1949
September 1949	Maj. PE Ferguson MC	January 1951
February 1951	Cmdt. CS Leisegang DSO	September 1953
October 1953	Cmdt. W.R. Van Der Riet MC[a]	December 1960
January 1961	Cmdt. S Hugo. SM	June 1963
July 1963	Cmdt. JJ Wahl. MC	October 1964
November 1964	Cmdt. JR Dutton. SSA SD	November 1967
December 1967	Cmdt. WH Matthews. SM	November 1968
December 1968	Cmdt. MB Anderson	May 1969
April 1969	Cmdt. WC Meyer	September 1972
October 1972	Cmdt. PJ Schalkwyk	July 1973
August 1973	Maj. AJ Snyman[b]	November 1973
November 1973	Cmdt. APR Carstens	November 1976
December 1976	Cmdt. R Otto[c]	December 1979
January 1980	Cmdt. FA Botha	November 1981
December 1981	Cmdt. AJ van Niekerk	November 1983
December 1983	Cmdt. HT Heinze	November 1986
December 1986	Cmdt. AJ Kriel	May 1989
June 1989	Cmdt. AJ van Jaarsveld	November 1989
December 1989	Cmdt. BC Gildenhuys[d]	December 1993
January 1994	Col. GM Louw. HC MMM	unk
From	Regimental Sergeants Major	To
May 1933	RSM J Whammond. MC DCM MM	February 1934
March 1934	RSM LJ van den Heever	May 1934
June 1934	RSM BS Scheepers	May 1935
June 1935	RSM SP Conje	June 1935
September 1936	RSM CEG Brits	March 1937
April 1937	RSM JO van Blommenstein	May 1940
June 1940	RSM JW Hamilton	January 1943
February 1943	WO1 S du Plessis. MC	August 1946
September 1946	WO1 WE Wocke	October 1951
November 1950	WO1 S du Plessis. MM	September 1953
October 1953	WO1 WJ van der Merwe. SM	December 1965
January 1966	WO1 BJP Ehlers. PMM	October 1972
November 1972	WO1 MA Booyens PMM MMM	September 1976
October 1976	WO1 JP. O'Neill	November 1978
December 1978	WO1 PH Rohrbeck PMM	January 1979
February 1979	WO1 GDF van Baalen PMM MMM	November 1984
June 1984	WO1 IJ Prinsloo	November 1988
December 1988	WO1 WF Snyman PMM MMM	November 1993
December 1993	WO1 JAB van Zyl	unk
From	Chaplains	To
December 1987	Lt Reverend (Dominee)Heerden van Niekerk(NG Kerk(Afrikaans)/Dutch Reformed Church)	December 1988

Alliances[]

•  United Kingdom - 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

Battle honours[]

Awarded

Italy 1944-45

Florence

Gothic Line

Celleno

The Greve

Po Valley

Kunene

South West Africa/Angola 1975-1976

South West Africa/Angola 1976-1989

Cuito Cuanaval

Future[]

This unit will together with 1 SA Tank Regiment form the Armoured Brigade of the new Mechanized Division to be formed under Army vision 2020.^{[citation needed]}

See also[]

South African Armoured Corps

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• SA Armour Museum
• SA Armour Association
• Exercise Seboka Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
• 1 SSB Roll of Honour