A sad farewell to Admiral H.H. Biermann SSA, SD, OBE 01222819 PE Enquiries: 021 787 4697 On the evening of 27 March 2012, Admiral H.H. Biermann passed away in the intensive care unit of Silvermine Village in Fish Hoek. Hugo Hendrik BIERMANN was born in Johannesburg on 6 August 1916 and educated at the Braamfontein Afrikaans medium school, the Volk Skool, in Heidelberg, and the Jan Van Riebeeck High School, Cape Town. Admiral H.H. Biermann After two years training in the South African Training Ship GENERAL BOTHA (1932-1933) he entered the British Merchant Navy as a Cadet and served until 1938 when he was transferred to the Maritime Department of the South African Railways and Harbors. He is in possession of a Master Mariner’s Certificate of Competency. 1938 saw Hugo Biermann commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in the RNVR (SA) War service as a Sub-Lieutenant. Promotion to Lieutenant-Commander in 1944. During the war he served as Commanding Officer of Naval Units both in the Mediterranean and in South African Costal waters. In 1944, as Lieutenant –Commander Biermann, he was appointed in command of HMSAS “GAMTOOS”, the South African Navy salvage vessel and, as acknowledgement of his services in Marseilles in the aftermath of the French invasion, he was awarded the OBE. With the establishment of the South African Navy (Permanent Force) in May 1946, he was appointed Lieutenant-Commander and served, among diverse duties, as Captain of SAS “BLOEMFONTEIN” and as Senior Officer of the Minesweeping Squadron. In 1950 he was transferred to Defence Headquarters, Pretoria and served on the staff of the then Director-General of the SA Naval Forces. Two years later he attended the British Naval Staff Course at Greenwich and was appointed as Naval Attaché South African House, London with the rank of Commander. Commander Biermann was appointed Naval and Marine Chief of Staff on 1 December 1952 and promoted to the rank of Commodore. He held that rank until 1 April 1957, with the handing over of the Simon’s Town Naval Base, he was promoted to Rear- Admiral. He was awarded the star of South Africa Decoration on 13 May 1960 in recognition of his exceptionally meritorious services, as well as the Grand Cruz Almirante Guillermo Brown of Argentine and the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique of Portugal. On 1 December 1965, Rear-Admiral Biermann was promoted to Vice–Admiral Biermann and in addition to his duties as Chief of the Navy, was appointed Commander Maritime Defence, South African Defence Force. On 31 January 1972, he was promoted to Temporary Admiral and appointed as acting Chief of the South African Defence Force. His promotion to Admiral came on 1 April 1972, when he succeeded in the General R.C. Hiemstra , SSA, SM as Chief of the South African Defence Force with effect from the same date. Married with a daughter and a son, Admiral Biermann now lived in Muizenberg in the Cape, having retired on 31 August 1976 after a career of which he and the country can be Proud. .