Western Province Command

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Western Province Command
Western Province Command.svg
Active1959 - 1999
Disbanded1999
Country South Africa
TypeCommand
Part of
Garrison/HQCape Town, South Africa
Motto(s)Fidelitas et Honor
(Fidelity and Honour)
Commanders
Notable
commanders		General Magnus Malan

Western Province Command was a command of the South African Army.

History[]

Origin[]

Union Defence Force[]

Under the Union Defence Force, South Africa was originally divided into 9 military districts. By the 1930s this area became Cape Command. [2] Cape Command, (with its headquarters at the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, included 3rd Infantry Brigade, (Oudtshoorn), the Coast Artillery Brigade (two heavy batteries, two medium batteries, and the Cape Field Artillery), and a battery of the 1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment.[1]

Western Province Command itself appears to have formed in 1959. Brig Magnus Malan, later Chief of the SADF, took command in 1971.

SADF[]

From 1 August 1974, units transferred from Western Province Command to the new 71 Motorised Brigade included the Cape Field Artillery, the Cape Town Highlanders, Regiment Westelike Provinsie, Regiment Boland, Regiment Oranjerivier, a South African Engineer Corps field squadron, 74 Signal Squadron , 4 Maintenance Unit, , and 3 Field Ambulance.[3]: 16  12 Supply and Transport Company, originally established on 22 August 1961, became 4 Maintenance Unit on 1 September 1971.

SADF era Western Cape Command insignia


By the early 1980s Western Province Command included the Cape Garrison Artillery, , , Command Workshops (all at Cape Town) the South African Cape Corps Battalion (Eerste River, Western Cape), , , and three Commandos (all at Wynberg) and 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment SAA and 4 Electronics Workshops (both at at Ottery, Cape Town).

Disbandment[]

This Command was disbanded c. 1999 after the .

Groups and Commando units[]

SADF era Western Province Command Commando structure

Group 1 (Youngsfield)[]

  • False Bay Commando
  • Koeberg Commando
  • Lions Head Commando
  • Skiereiland Commando
  • Swartland Commando
  • Tygerberg Commando
  • Wynberg Commando

Group 31 (Wellington)[]

  • Caledon Commando
  • Paarl Commando
  • Stellenbosch Commando
  • Swellendam Commando
  • Winterberg Commando
  • Worcester Commando

Group 40 (Wingsfield)[]

  • Clanwilliam Commando
  • Piketberg Commando
  • Swartland Commando
  • Van Rhynsdorp Commando
  • West Coast Commando

Commanders[]

Officers Commanding
From Cape Command (c. 1930–1959) To
December 1933 Colonel George Brink CB CBE DSO[4] 31 January 1937
From Western Province Command (1959–1999) To
25 December 2021 Brig 1971
1971 Brig Magnus Malan SM 1972
1972 Brig Helm Roos 25 December 2021

See also[]

South African Army Order of Battle 1940

Notes[]

  1. ^ and
  2. ^ a b c d Composite Battery of Cape Garrison Artillery and
  3. ^ An Active Citizen Force unit with Permanent Force nucleus
  4. ^ An Active Citizen Force unit with Permanent Force nucleus

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "South African Army 1939 - 1940" (PDF). Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  2. ^ Ryan, David A. "Union Defence Forces 6 September 1939". World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  3. ^ Crook, Lionel, Col (Rtd) (1994). Greenbank, Michele (ed.). 71 Motorised Brigade: a history of the headquarters 71 Motorised Brigade and of the citizen force units under its command. Brackenfell, South Africa: L. Crook in conjunction with the South African Legion. ISBN 9780620165242. OCLC 35814757.
  4. ^ Ploeger, Jan (1989). "SUID-AFRIKAANSE STAATS- en STAATSONDERSTEUNDE MILITÊRE GESKIEDSKRYWING (1924-1987)". Scientaria Militaria South African Journal of Military Studies (in Afrikaans). 19 (4): 27.


Stub icon

This South African military article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""