4th Infantry Brigade (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
The 4th 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 2nd Infantry Division and was formed on 23 October 1940. The brigade served in the Western Desert Campaign
until it was captured by German and Italian forces at Tobruk
on 21 June 1942.
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 2nd Infantry Division and was formed on 23 October 1940. The brigade served in 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...
until it was captured by German and Italian forces at Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
on 21 June 1942.
Order of battle
Order of Battle as at 20 June 1942- 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry
- Umvoti Mounted RiflesUmvoti Mounted RiflesThe Umvoti 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...
- The Kaffrarian RiflesKaffrarian RiflesThe Kaffrarian Rifles is an 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...