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SA FORCES in the SECOND WORLD WAR SADF Archives Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 19, Nr 3, 1989. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za SA FORCES IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR SADF Archives UNION DEFENCE FORCE: LAND FORCES Organisation of Union Defence Force (c) Formation of 1, 2 and 3 Divisions. The chief difficulty in the way of training was the short- (a) Pre-War. At the outbreak of war in Septem- age of equipment, and many substitutes ber, 1939, the armed forces of the Union and improvisations were devised. Difficulties consisted of a Permanent Force of 352 Offi- were gradually overcome, and on the 20th cers and 5033 men, and an Active Citizen May, 1940, the First South African Infantry Force of 918 Officers and 12572 men. Of Brigade was mobilized for fulltime service, the Permanent Force, 173 Officers and and after a short period of training, left for 1664 men formed the South African Air East Africa on the 16th July, 1940. Later in Force, 47 Officers and 562 men were mem- the year an increasing number of'units were bers of the South African Artillery and 17 called up and other Brigades were formed. Officers and 1 705 men formed the Special 1 SA Divisional Headquarters (with Brig Service Battalion, a unit consisting of men Genl Geo. E. Brink, DSO, later Maj Genl, and who served on a short-service basis for a CB, CBE, as General Office Commanding) minimum of one year. The rest were con- was formed and left for East Africa during cerned principally in the supply services November. 2 SA Divisional Headquarters and in administering the Active Citizen was formed on the 23rd October, 1940, but Force. The latter was roughly parallel to the the Division did not leave the Union until Territorial Army in Britain, since member- June, 1941, when it proceeded direct to ship, although nominally compulsory, was in Egypt. (Maj Genl I.P. de Villiers, MC, later effect restricted to volunteers from among CB, was appointed General Officer Com- the various age groups called up annually manding). for compulsory registration. Members of the Active Citizen Force were enrolled in units, Meanwhile other units were formed, includ- some of which could show a history dating ing the South African Tanks Corps, the back to the middle of the last century, and South African Artillery was enlarged and were required to perform 1~ to 4 hours of strengthened, and the auxiliary services non-continuous training per week, and 15 were reorganised on something approach- days of continuous training, in camp, each ing a modern basis. The units remaining in year. the Unions were organised for home de- fence and garrison duty as the Third South (b) Outbreak of War. On 22nd September, African Division. (Maj Genl Manie Botha, 1939, soon after the outbreak of war, the CMG, DTD, was the General Officer Com- Active Citizen Force units were authorized to manding). accept volunteers for the period of the dura- tion of the war, and part-time training was intensified, while each unit was required to 2. Italian East Africa undergo a month's continuous training. On 16th February, 1940, owing to objections (a) 1 SA Brigade - June - December, 1940. On that the Defence Act did not serve save in the arrival of 1 SA Brigade in Kenya in June, the defence of South Africa, and to the diffi- 1940, the situation of the colony was critical, culty of defining the areas involved, the Ac- and remained so for several months. Only tive Citizen Force was reorganised on the two divisions, the 11th and 12th African, basis of volunteers who undertook to serve held the 750 mile front. During the period the anywhere in Africa. A shoulder flash of a Italians took advantage of their great superi- strip of orange-scarlet, seven-eighths of an ority in numbers to overrun British Somali- inch wide, was adopted as the badge of land, and on the Kenya frontier they seized those who had undertaken this obligation. British Moyale and pushed some sixty miles 22 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 19, Nr 3, 1989. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za campaign were administrative. The provis- ion by South Africa of well-equipped Motor Transport Companies and Engineering units was of vital importance. (c) 1 SA Division Capture of Mega - November, 1940-April, 1941. 1 SA Divisional Head- quarters opened at Gilgil on the 1st Novem- ber, 1940, and on the 1st December, 1940, the Division became responsible for the Marsabit sector. 2 SA Infantry Brigade held Marsabit itself, and occupied outposts on the Northern frontier. On the 30th Decem- ber, 1940, 25 East African Brigade, which was in the Turkana, west of Lake Rudolf, General Smuts inspecting South African forces in East came under command. The Kenya front was Africa. now held by three Divisions. 1 SA Division was responsible for 250 miles of inhospi- table country, stretching from the Sudan border to the area of Moyale. south to Buma. The 1st SA Brigade under command of Brig D.H. Pienaar (later Maj In January 1941, the General Officer Com- Genl and CB, CBE, DSO) was placed under manding East Africa Force, ordered the Divi- command of 12 (African) Division, which sion to advance across the Chalbi desert to was based on Wajir in the direct path of any the Abyssinian frontier, with the double ob- further Italian advance. None took place. ject of encouraging a patriot revolt in the The enemy frittered away his opportunity, province of Galla Sidamo, and of outflanking and by November the arrival of 1 SA Division the Mega-Moyale escarpment. It was con- made it possible for our forces to take the sidered, at this stage, that no major move- offensive. On 16 December, 1940, 1 SA ment against Abyssinia would be possible Brigade in co-operation with 24 Gold Coast before the end of the rains in May. Brigade made a successful raid on EI Wak, and at virtually no cost inflicted heavy cas- On the 14th January, 1941, 2 SA Infantry ualties on an enemy battalion. As a result of Battalion began to concentrate in the area of this operation, our troops established an as- Dukana (which had already been occupied cendancy over the Italians which they never by a company of Abyssinian irregulars). 1 lost. Natal Mounted Rifles took EI Yibo and the Field Force Brigade occupied EI Sardu. The (b) Difficulties of Advance. On taking over com- enemy was pushed back over the frontier. mand of the East African Force on the 1st November, 1940, Lt Genl Sir Alan Cunning- On the 1st February, 1941, 1 SA Division ham was faced with the problem of crossing began operations against Hobok, EI Gumu, several hundred miles of waterless desert and Gorai. The Division crossed the frontier before he could attack a numerically su- and by the 3rd February, 1941, these places perior enemy. The collapse of the Italians in had been occupied. the Western Desert encouraged him to take the offensive, but no advance would have The Division now moved against Mega and been possible without the support of SA Moyala, with the object of safeguarding its Road Construction Companies, SA Motor flank and easing its difficult line of communi- Transport Companies (Troop and Water cation. Both brigades took part in the attack carrying) and of the 36 Water Supply Com- on Mega, which fell on the 18th February. pany SA Engineer Corps which developed One thousand prisoners were taken. boreholes in the vast tracts of waterless bush tween the Tana and Juba rivers. With- The General Officer Commanding East out detracting in any way from the qualities Africa Force now considered employing the of the fighting troops, it must be emphasised Division in supporting operations beyond that the main problems of the East African the Juba River, which had been crossed 23 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 19, Nr 3, 1989. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za successfully on the 22nd February, (11 para ment of Jelib which was occupied on the 2.d.), but in view of the rapid advance of 11 22nd February. Enemy resistance along the (African) Division and 1 SA Infantry Brigade Juba collapsed and thousands of prisoners its role was changed. 2 SA Infantry Brigade were taken. Was made available for operations in British Somaliland and, because of German suc- 11 (Africa) Division took over the pursuit, cesses in North Africa, Divisional Head with 23 Nigerian Brigade leading, supported Quarters and 5 SA Brigade were de- by South African light tanks. The Nigerians spatched to Egypt. On the 6th April, Divisio- covered 250 miles in two and a half days, nal Head Quarters handed over responsibil- and on the 25th February, occupied Moga- ity for its sectors to 12 (A) Division. dishu. This was the most rapid advance yet recorde-d in history. In view of this unfore- (d) Advance on Addis Ababa 11th February, seen success, the General Officer Com- 1941-5th April, 1941. On the 15th January, manding East Africa obtained permission to General Officer Commanding East Africa, march to Harar. With the crust of enemy ordered 11 and 12 (African) Divisions to defence broken, progress was rapid. advance against Kismayu and the line of the Juba. 1 SA Brigade formed part of 12 Divi- The next enemy defence to be encountered sion. The operation met with such brilliant were those at the Marda Pass, guarding the success that its scope was continually ex- approaches to Harar. These, the Nigerian tended, until what had been initially a limited Brigade attacked and broke on the 21st attack on Kismayu, developed into a tri- March.
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