2nd Infantry Brigade (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
The 2nd South African Infantry Brigade was an infantry
brigade of the army
of the Union of South Africa
during World War II
. The Brigade formed part of the South African 1st Infantry Division and was formed on 13 August 1940. It served in East Africa
and the Western Desert
and was disbanded on 1 January 1943.
In the East African Campaign
, the Brigade was led by Brigadier F.L.A. Buchanan and consisted of:
During the Western Desert Campaign
(at the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein), the Officer Commanding was Brig. W.H.E. Poole and the brigade comprised the following units:
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigade of the army
South African Army
The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...
of the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
during World War II
Military history of South Africa during World War II
During World War II, many South Africans saw military service. The Union of South Africa participated with other British Commonwealth forces in battles in North Africa against Erwin Rommel and his Nazi forces, and many South African pilots joined the Royal Air Force and fought against the Axis...
. The Brigade formed part of the South African 1st Infantry Division and was formed on 13 August 1940. It served in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and the Western Desert
Libyan Desert
The Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
and was disbanded on 1 January 1943.
In the East African Campaign
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
, the Brigade was led by Brigadier F.L.A. Buchanan and consisted of:
- 1st Natal Mounted RiflesNatal Mounted RiflesThe Natal Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit...
- 1st Field Force Battalion
- 2nd Field Force Battalion
- No. 2 S.A. Armoured Car Company
- 12th Field Company, SA Corps of Engineers
- 12th Field Ambulance, SA Medical Corps
- No. 2 Mobile General Workshops, SA Technical Services Corps
- 3 Brigade Signals Company, SA Corps of Signals
During the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
(at the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein), the Officer Commanding was Brig. W.H.E. Poole and the brigade comprised the following units:
- 1st Cape Town HighlandersCape Town Highlanders RegimentThe Cape Town Highlanders Regiment is a mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit.-History:...
SA Infantry Corps - 1st Natal Mounted RiflesNatal Mounted RiflesThe Natal Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit...
SA Infantry Corps - 1st Field Force Battalion SA Infantry Corps
- 2nd Field Force Battalion SA Infantry Corps
- B Company (Machine Gun), Die Middelandse Regiment SA Infantry Corps
- 4th Company (Machine Gun), Regiment President Steyn SA Infantry Corps
- 1st and 2nd Anti-Tank Batteries SA Artillery Corps
- 3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (less two Troops) SA Artillery Corps
- 1st, 3rd and 14th Field Batteries of 1st Field Regt SA Artillery Corps