The command's origins may date to the formations of Military districts, No 5 and 6 in 1926, which then became Transvaal Command in 1934.[citation needed] Thereafter there were several quick name changes: Roberts Heights & Transvaal Command c. 1936; Voortrekkerhoogte & Transvaal Command 1939, and then Transvaal Command c. 1940. Later the command became Northern Command in 1946; Northern Transvaal Command in 1959. In 1939 Roberts' Heights and Transvaal Command, with its headquarters at Roberts' Heights (now Thaba Tshwane), contained 6th Infantry Brigade, 1 Field Survey Squadron SAEC, the artillery depot, parts of the Special Service Battalion, elements of the Permanent Garrison Artillery, and the Artillery School.[1]
Its headquarters was in Pretoria, and within its command boundaries, it contained a number of important Active Citizen Force field formations, notably 81 Armoured Brigade (part of 8th South African Armoured Division). Depending upon the command boundaries, it may also have included 72 Motorised Brigade with its headquarters at Johannesburg and 73 Motorised Brigade with its headquarters in the Johannesburg suburb of Kensington.
In the early 1980s it became clear that the sheer size of Northern Transvaal Command's territory made command and control as well as logistical functions extremely difficult.[2] These as well as other security considerations led to the decision to subdivide Northern Transvaal Command into three Commands in 1984: Northern Transvaal Command (Pretoria); Eastern Transvaal Command, probably covering what later became the Eastern Transvaal (Nelspruit); and Far North Command (Pietersburg) (commanded in succession by Charles Lloyd and, from February 1987, Georg Meiring).[3] The two new Commands were regarded as theatres and as such also had responsibility for conventional operations (and units) within their areas. For example, Far North Command had 73 Motorised Brigade within its area.
South African Army Units
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| Training | |
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| Parachute Infantry | |
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| Air Assault Infantry | |
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| Seaborne Infantry | |
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| Light Infantry | |
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| Mechanised Infantry | |
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| Motorised Infantry | |
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| Training | - School of Artillery (South Africa)
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| Reserve | |
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| Training | - School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa)
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| Reserve | |
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- 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
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| Regular | - 1 Signal Regt
- 2 Signal Regt
- 3 Signal Regt
- 4 Signal Regt
- 5 Signal Regt
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| Reserve | 6 Signal Regt - Gauteng Reserve Signal Unit
11 Field Postal Unit - Western Cape Signal Unit
- Kwa-Zulu Natal Signal Unit
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| 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) |
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| Corps | |
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| Divisions | |
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| 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
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| Battlegroups | |
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UDF and SADF
Regiments and Battalions | |
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| Homeland Battalions | |
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| Military Areas | | Training Areas | - Boschhoek
- Grahamstown
- Hellsgate
- Mosita
- Pomfret
- Riemvasmaak
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| UDF and SADF Commando System | |
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| State Presidents Guard | |
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| Mobilisation Units (Reception Depots) | |
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Bantustan Defence Forces (1977/1981–1994) |
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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
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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
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| Ciskei Defence Force 1981–1994 | - 1 CDF Battalion
- CDF Special Forces
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Transkei Defence Force
1981–1994 | - 1 TDF Battalion
- TDF Special Forces
- TDF Mounted Battalion
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- 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)
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Union Defence Force 1912–1957 |
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| Brigades | - 1st Reserve
- 4th Field
- 7th Motorised
- 1st Armoured
- Field Artillery
- Coast Artillery
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| 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
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| 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)
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World War I 1914–1918 |
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| Europe Campaign 1914–1918 | |
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| East Africa Campaign 1914–1915 | - 1st Infantry ACF
- 2nd Infantry ACF
- 5th Infantry ACF
- 9th Infantry ACF
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| German South West Africa Campaign 1915 | |
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Volunteer Militias 1903–1909 |
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Non-Statutory Forces 1961–1994 |
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Colonial Armies 1885–1902 |
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