Cape Command[ 1] (3 September 1939 - July 1940)
Parent unit Union Defence Force
Components HQ The Castle, Cape Town, Cape Province A. Permanent Force[ 1] Cape Detachment, The Special Service Battalion: Cape Town No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery: Bamboevlei, Wynberg[ a] The Coast Artillery Brigade: HQ, The Castle, Cape Town 2 Sections of Cape Garrison Artillery designated as Engineers and Signals: Cape Town 1st Heavy Battery: Cape Town[ b] (Wynard Battery): Table Bay 2nd Heavy Battery: Simonstown[ b] (Queen's Battery): Simonstown 1st Medium Battery: Cape Town[ b] 2nd Medium Battery: Cape Town[ b] No. 1 Armoured Train: Cape Town[ c] The Cape Field Artillery (Prince Albert's Own): Cape Town[ d] B. Active Citizen Force[ 1] 3rd Infantry Brigade: HQ Cape Town 8th Infantry Brigade: HQ Oudtshoorn Regiment Westelike Provinsie: Stellenbosch Regiment Suid-Westelike Distrikte: Oudtshoorn Die Middellandse Regiment: Graff-Reinet 8th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps : Cape Town
Garrison/HQ Cape Town, South Africa Motto(s) Fidelitas et Honor (Fidelity and Honour)Commanders Notable commanders General Magnus Malan Military unit
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, 8th 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 SACS, 4 Maintenance Unit, 30 Field Workshop SAOSC, 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 , 101 Signal Squadron, 6 Base Ordnance Depot, Command Workshops (all at Cape Town) the South African Cape Corps Battalion (Eerste River, Western Cape ), 2 Military Hospital, 3 Field Ambulance, and three Commandos (all at Wynberg ) and 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment SAA and 4 Electronics Workshops (both at Youngsfield Military Base at Ottery, Cape Town ).
Disbandment This Command was disbanded c. 1999 after the South African Defence Review 1998.
Groups and Commando units SADF era Western Province Command Commando structure
Group 1 (Youngsfield)
Group 31 (Wellington)
Group 40 (Wingsfield)
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 1969 Brig Jan Fourie 1971 1971 Brig Magnus Malan SM 1972 1972 Brig Helm Roos 4 September 2024
See also
Notes ^ South African Permanent Force and University of Cape Town Active Citizen Force ^ a b c d Composite Battery of Cape Garrison Artillery and South African Permanent Garrison Artillery ^ An Active Citizen Force unit with Permanent Force nucleus ^ An Active Citizen Force unit with Permanent Force nucleus
References ^ a b c d "South African Army 1939 - 1940" (PDF) . Retrieved 12 January 2014 . ^ Ryan, David A. "Union Defence Forces 6 September 1939". World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations . Retrieved 30 November 2014 . ^ 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. {{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) ^ 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. South African Army Units
Training Parachute Infantry Air Assault Infantry Seaborne Infantry Light Infantry Mechanised Infantry Motorised Infantry
Training School of Artillery (South Africa) Regular Reserve
Training School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa) Regular Reserve
Army Support Bases (Eastern Cape , Johannesburg, Kimberley, KZN, Limpopo, Potcheftstroom, Western Cape, Mpumalanga) Mobilisation Centre Main Ordnance Depot National Ceremonial Guard Logistical Support Unit General Andrew Masondo Maintenance Unit Madiba Bay Maintenance Unit 15 Maint Unit Other Maintenance Units Doman Field Workshop General Sipho Binda Field Workshop Sabelo Phama Field Workshop Chris Hani Field Workshop Sekhukhune Field Workshop Ngungunyane Field Workshop Other Field Workshops
Regular 1 Signal Regt 2 Signal Regt 3 Signal Regt 4 Signal Regt 5 Signal Regt Reserve 6 Signal Regt
Gauteng Reserve Signal Unit 11 Field Postal Unit
Western Cape Signal Unit Kwa-Zulu Natal Signal Unit
Commands Eastern Province Command (Port Elizabeth) Eastern Transvaal Command (Nelspruit) Natal Command (Durban) Northern Transvaal Command (Swartkop, Pretoria) Northern Cape Command (Kimberly) Orange Free State Command (Bloemfontein) Western Province Command (Cape Town) Southern Cape Command (Oudsthoorn) West Transvaal Command/North West Command (Potchefstroom) Witwatersrand Command (Johannesburg) Far North Command (Pietersburg) Northern Logistic Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa) South West Africa Command (Windhoek, South West Africa) Northern Logistics Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa) Gauteng Command post 1994 SANDF (Amalgamation of Wits and Northern Transvaal Commands) Corps Divisions Brigades 16 Brigade (see 81 Armoured Brigade) 17 Brigade (see 71 Motorised Brigade ) 18 Brigade (see 72 Motorised Brigade) 19 Brigade (see 82 Mechanised Brigade) 20 Brigade 60 Brigade (Battlegroups HQ Lohatla) 71 Motorised Brigade SADF era 72 Motorised Brigade SADF era 73 Motorised Brigade SADF era 74 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 8th Armoured Division) 75 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 9th Division) 81 Armoured Brigade SADF era 82 Mechanised Brigade SADF era 83 Brigade (planned but never existed) 84 Motorised Brigade SADF era 10 Artillery Brigade SADF era Other brigades Battlegroups UDF and SADF Regiments and Battalions Homeland Battalions Military Areas
Training Areas Boschhoek Grahamstown Hellsgate Mosita Pomfret Riemvasmaak
UDF and SADF Commando System State Presidents Guard Mobilisation Units (Reception Depots)
Bantustan Defence Forces (1977/1981–1994)
Bophuthatswana Defence Force 1977–1994 1 BDF Infantry Battalion 2 BDF Infantry Battalion BDF Parachute Battalion BDF Military School BDF Special Forces 1 BDF Military Area 2 BDF Military Area 3 BDF Military Area BDF Signals Unit BDF Bafokeng base BDF Mankwe base BDF Odi base BDF Thaba'Nchu base BDF Taung base BDF Air Wing Venda Defence Force 1979–1994 VDF Headquarters Sibasa 1 VDF Battalion Manenu 2 VDF Battalion Maunavhathu VDF Vuwani Military Base VDF Signals Unit VDF Air Wing Ciskei Defence Force 1981–1994 1 CDF Battalion CDF Special Forces Transkei Defence Force 1981–1994 1 TDF Battalion TDF Special Forces TDF Mounted Battalion
Regular Infantry Battalions 31/201 Battalion 33/701 Battalion 34/202 Battalion 35/101 Battalion 301 Battalion 36/203 Battalion 37/102 Battalion SWATF Brigade 91 Reaction Force Brigade 41/911 Battalion/Regiment Windhoek 912 Battalion/Regiment Erongo 913 Battalion/Regiment Namutoni 91 Armoured Car Regiment 91 Composite Field Regiment 91 Engineers Squadron 91 Field Ambulance 91 Mobilisation Centre 91 Technical Workshop 91 Maintenance Workshop Support Structures Logistics Brigade SWA Mil School SWA Military Academy Special Forces 1 SWA Specialist Unit 2 SWA Specialist Unit 1 SWA Parachute Battalion Air Component 1 SWA Commando Squadron Alte Feste Commando (SWATF) Aranos Commando (SWATF) Auob Commando (SWATF) Bo-Nossob Commando (SWATF) Etosha Commando (SWATF) Gobabis Commando (SWATF) Grootfontein Commando (SWATF) Hochi Commando (SWATF) Karasburg Commando (SWATF) Keetmanshoop Commando (SWATF) Maltahohe Commando (SWATF) Mariental Commando (SWATF) Okanhanja Commando (SWATF) Omaruru Commando (SWATF) Oranjemund Commando (SWATF) Otjiwarongo Commando (SWATF) Outjo Commando (SWATF) Rehoboth Commando (SWATF) Swakopmund Commando (SWATF)
Union Defence Force 1912–1957
Brigades
1st Reserve 4th Field 7th Motorised 1st Armoured Field Artillery Coast Artillery
Citizens Batteries 1st Citizen Battery 2nd Citizen Battery 3rd Citizen Battery 4th Citizen Battery 5th Citizen Battery 6th Citizen Battery 7th Citizen Battery 8th and 9th Citizen Batteries
Military Districts 1st (Cape Town) 2nd (Port Elizabeth) 3rd (East London) 4th (Pietermaritzburg) 5th (Durban) 6th (Standerton) 7th (Potchefstroom) 8th (Johannesburg) 9th (Pretoria) 10th (Kroonstad) 11th (Bloemfontein) 12th (Prieska) 13th (De Aar) 14th (Worcester)
World War I 1914–1918
Europe Campaign 1914–1918
East Africa Campaign 1914–1915 1st Infantry ACF 2nd Infantry ACF 5th Infantry ACF 9th Infantry ACF German South West Africa Campaign 1915
Volunteer Militias 1903–1909
Non-Statutory Forces 1961–1994
Colonial Armies 1885–1902