Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 20, Nr 2, 1990. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za SOUTH AFRICAN ARMY RANKS AND INSIGNIA By W/02 Arthur Radburn* Like many other aspects of South Africa's mili- over three chevrons, sergeants three chevrons, tary tradition, our rank system is derived from corporals two and lance-corporals one.2 that of the British Army. It has, however, been modified and developed over the years to suit our own particular requirements, and has be- COMMANDO RANKS come a distinctive system in its own right. This article is a brief survey of developments since It appears that officers in the Defence Rifle Aso- the army was organised in 1912. ciations (i.e. commandos) used the traditional rank titles of commandant, field cornet and assistant field cornet, commandant apparently ORIGINAL RANK STRUCTURE being equivalent to major. When the comman- At its inception the army was considerably dos were organised into mounted brigades for the 1914-15 German South West Africa cam- smaller than it is now, and it therefore required only a limited hierarchy of ranks. paign majors were designated junior comman- dants and the title senior commandant (ranking Regulations promulgated in 1912 provided for as lieutenant-colonel) was introduced for unit only the following grades: commanders. Lieutenant-colonels commanding wings (i.e. half-brigades) were designated col- Officers Brigadier-general, colonel, onels-commandant.3 This arrangement was lieutenant-colonel, major, cap- done away with at the end of 1920.4 tain, lieutenant; Other Ranks : Warrant officer, staff sergeant, sergeant, corporal, lance-cor- poral, private.' EXPANSION OF THE RANK STRUCTURE The rank of second lieutenant (wearing one star) We apparently had no need for second lieuten- was introduced in 1918.5 It was by no means a ants at that time, and they were introduced only new rank though, but it had not been used in at the end of World War I. South Africa for some time. In 1921 the warrant officers were divided into two classes, following Although the regulations did not specify rank the example set by the British Army six years insignia, it is clear from contemporary photo- earlier.s Warrant officers second class kept the graphs that British Army badges were worn, with crown as their rank badge while the first class the important distinction that, whereas British adopted the South African coat of arms; as be- officers wore their badges on their cuffs at that fore senior appointments were indicated by time, South Africans wore their badges on their wreathing the badges in laurel leaves so that shoulder straps. Warrant officers' badges were there were four badges for the two ranks.? Inter- worn on the forearm, and non-commissioned estingly enough, although new artistic renditions officers' badges were worn on the upper arm. of the coat of arms were adopted for official us in The brigadier-general wore a crossed sword 1930 and 1932, the defence force has stuck to and baton, the colonel a crown and two stars, the version adopted in 1921. the lieutenant-colonel a crown and one star, the major a crown, and the captain and the lieuten- Four more general ranks were authorised to co- ant respectively three and two stars. The crown incide with the reorganisation of the Permanent was the "Tudor" or "king's" pattern and the star, Force in 1923, although it was several years popularly called a "pip", was based on the Order before they were all filled: field marshall (a crown of the Bath. over crossed batons in a wreath), general (a crown, a star and crossed sword and baton), Warrant officers also wore a crown, those hold- lieutenant-general (a crown and crossed sword ing senior positions having a laurel wreath and baton), and major-general (a star and around the badge. Staff sergeants had a crown crossed sword and baton).8 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 20, Nr 2, 1990. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za By then the British Army had abandoned the later, in 1957, the crown was superseded by the rank of brigadier-general in favour of a field rank, castle rank badge. Brigadiers, colonels, com- initially designated colonel-commandant and mandants, majors and staff sergeants simply then brigadier. But South Africa retained the substituted the new badge for the old, but gen- brigadier-generals, and when the rank of col- erals and warrant officers adopted new arrange- onel-commandant - not to be confused with the ments of insignia: crossed sword and baton with World War I commando title - was finally intro- one (major-general), two (lieutenant-general) or duced in 1937, it was as an additional grade, three (commandant-general) castles for the gen- sandwiched in between colonel and brigadier- erals, while the wreathed coat of arms became general and wearing a crown and three stars.9 the badge of all warrant officers first class in Only in 1940 did we fall back in line with the order to free the unwreathed arms for the war- 16 British by abolishing brigadier-generals and re- rant officers second class. naming the colonel-commandant a brigadier. 10 Presumably this was bacause our two armies When Mr Erasmus relinquished the Defence were serving together and uniformity of rank portfolio as the end of 1959 he left behind him structure was desirable. several more new rank titles: general (instead of lieutenant-general), combat general (instead of major-general), field cornet (instead of captain), WOMEN'S AUXILIARY ARMY SERVICE sub-lieutenant (instead of second lieutenant), RANKS chief sergeant (instead of staff sergeant), and private class I (instead of lance-corporal).17 When women were admitted to the army in 1940 These proved unacceptable and their use was it was decided to give their officers bands of red suspended after only two months; after further cloth across their shoulder straps to indicate consideration the title combat general was re- their ranks: one, two or three 12 mm wide bands sumed, while lieutenants became field cornets for second lieutenants, lieutenants and captains and second lieutenants became assistant field respectively, a 25 mm wide band for majors, and cornets.18 The original British rank titles were one of each width for lieutenant-colonels. This 19 restored in 1968 , and as commandant -general idea was abandoned in December 1941 in had reverted to plain general (as a rank) in favour of the ordinary rank badges as worn by 19672 commandant remains the only one of Mr 11 °, men. Erasmus's rank designations still in use. Military chaplains were given the status of colon- NEW TITLES AND BADGES els in 1968, with special badges in place of the Our first postwar Minister of Defence, Frans ordinary rank insignia. Christian chaplains wear Erasmus, made many changes to the rank sys- a purple triangle bearing the monogram XP, tem as part of his general policy of giving the while Jewish chaplains wear the shield of David 21 defences less of a British and more of a South on purple tablets of the law. African flavour. The old Boer commando tradit- ion appears to have provided much of his inspi- The rank of chief commandant, wearing a castle, ration. a star and a spray of laurel leaves, was intro- duced into the commandos in 1968, but was 22 Non-commissioned officers' chevrons were discontinued two years later. changed from the British pattern to a deep V- shape, reminiscent of German insignia, in about Non-commissioned officers reverted to wearing 1949,12 and in 1951 the British rank star was British-style chevrons when the current "stepout" 23 replaced by a five-pointed star, the points of uniform was introduced in 1975- 76. which were said to represent the four provinces plus South West Africa.13 The title lieutenant-col- A major South African innovation has been the onel was changed to commandant in 1950.14 adoption of coloured cloth backings and supple- mentary insignia to indicate senior positions held In 1956 the rank of general was renamed com- by warrant officers first class. This began with mandant-general, with three stars and the the introduction of the post of Sergeant-Major of crossed sword and baton as insignia; the new the Army in 1967, and according to the chart title was also used to denote the appointment published in the December 1988 Paratus there previously known as Chief of the General Staff are now more than a dozen such badges in use and now called Chief of the SADF.15 Six months in the various arms of the defence force. Those 2 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 20, Nr 2, 1990. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za exclusive to the army are Regimental Sergeant- the army badge above the coat of arms). Army Major (red backing), Brigade Sergeant-Major, warrant officers can also hold the cmmon serv- Group Sergeant-Major, Sector Sergeant-Major, ice posts of Sergeant-Major of Special Forces SA Army Logistics Command Sergeant-Major, (black with the SF badge above), Sergeant- and RSM Army Battle School (green backing), Major of the Inspector-General (green with the Command Sergeant-Major (black backing), Divi- SADF badge and IG above), and Sergeant- sion Sergeant-Major (green backing with the div- Major of the SADF (black with the SADF badge isions number above the coat of arms), and above).24 Sergeant-Major of the Army (black backing with }»))»> » »»>: y> »»>;>»>>>>>: >y»»»» >»): Left to right: British pattern chevrons; German pattern chevrons; SWATF rank stripes . • Top to bottom: British rank star; South African rank star; Top to bottom: King's crown; castle; SWATF diamond SWATF diamond.