First Reserve Brigade (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
During the first two years of the World War II, South Africa raised a variety of military units
. In order to cope with protection of vulnerable points and guarding prisoners of war
, the First Reserve Brigade was formed on 29 February 1940 initially with six battalion
s but later expanded to twelve battalions before being broken up at the end of 1943.
was a South African second-line military unit raised in 1940, with brigade headquarters in Johannesburg
under Colonel
T Scott, who died in August 1941. He was succeeded by Colonel BC Judd OBE. The brigade drafted men of 'B' and 'C' Medical Categories primarily for guard duties at aerodrome
s. Ex-servicemen and others above the age of 35 but under 60 were accepted, and the brigade was run on a normal Active Citizen Force
basis or fulI-time, as authorised. Detachments of the 1st Special Service Reserve Battalion were absorbed as fulI-time companies or platoons. On 11 July 1940 the SA Internment Battalion was absorbed and redesignated 6th Battalion, 1st Reserve Brigade, with Lt-Col Whelehen as battalion commander. Its primary responsibility was the security of internment camps at Baviaanspoort, which had 150 guards.
The brigade was organised with the 1st Battalion (the former 1st Special Service Reserve Battalion) in the Transvaal
, with headquarters at Roberts Heights
the 2nd Battalion in the Western Cape
Province with its headquarters
in Cape Town
, the 3rd (Durban
) in Natal
, the 4th (Johannesburg) on the Witwatersrand
and in the Orange Free State
and the 5th (East London) in the Eastern Cape
Province. Later battalions were the 7th, in the Kimberley
district and the Orange Free State, and the 8th, on a basis similar to that of the 6th.
By 1942, after 2,800 men out of a total of 6,061 had been reclassified and transferred to other units, the brigade organisation was dissolved.
The following year four more battalions were formed, some serving in North Africa
, while the 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th Battalions were broken up.
Battalion commanders up to 1943 were:
was interned by the British concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War but served alongside the British in the South African forces during the two World Wars. He is best remembered for the humanitarian manner in which he, as Commandant
, ran the Zonderwater Italian POW camp.
In addition to being made an Officer of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire
on 14 June 1945, his efforts were recognized by the post-war Italian Government on 25 November 1949 when he, as the Camp Commandant, and three of his officers were invested with the Order of the Star of Italy (Stella della Solidarieta). The award was made to those who had specially contributed to the re-building of post-war Italy. Prinsloo was further recognized by the award of the Order of Good Merit (Ordine di Bene Merente) by the Pope
.
Military organization
Military organization is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer military capability required by the national defence policy. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces...
. In order to cope with protection of vulnerable points and guarding prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, the First Reserve Brigade was formed on 29 February 1940 initially with six battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s but later expanded to twelve battalions before being broken up at the end of 1943.
Formation and function
The First Reserve BrigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
was a South African second-line military unit raised in 1940, with brigade headquarters in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
under Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
T Scott, who died in August 1941. He was succeeded by Colonel BC Judd OBE. The brigade drafted men of 'B' and 'C' Medical Categories primarily for guard duties at aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
s. Ex-servicemen and others above the age of 35 but under 60 were accepted, and the brigade was run on a normal Active Citizen Force
Citizen Force
The Citizen Force was the name of the general military reserve force of several British Commonwealth countries.-Australian:Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and,...
basis or fulI-time, as authorised. Detachments of the 1st Special Service Reserve Battalion were absorbed as fulI-time companies or platoons. On 11 July 1940 the SA Internment Battalion was absorbed and redesignated 6th Battalion, 1st Reserve Brigade, with Lt-Col Whelehen as battalion commander. Its primary responsibility was the security of internment camps at Baviaanspoort, which had 150 guards.
The brigade was organised with the 1st Battalion (the former 1st Special Service Reserve Battalion) in the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
, with headquarters at Roberts Heights
Thaba Tshwane
Thaba Tshwane is a military base , in Pretoria, South Africa. Founded around 1905 by the British Army, and called Roberts Heights after Lord Roberts...
the 2nd Battalion in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
Province with its headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, the 3rd (Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
) in Natal
Natal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
, the 4th (Johannesburg) on the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
and in the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
and the 5th (East London) in the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
Province. Later battalions were the 7th, in the Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
district and the Orange Free State, and the 8th, on a basis similar to that of the 6th.
By 1942, after 2,800 men out of a total of 6,061 had been reclassified and transferred to other units, the brigade organisation was dissolved.
The following year four more battalions were formed, some serving in North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, while the 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th Battalions were broken up.
Battalion commanders up to 1943 were:
- 1st: Lt-Col G Allen MCMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
- 2nd: Lt-Col EW Woon DSODistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
MC - 3rd: Lt-Col J. Lauth DSO VDVolunteer DecorationThe Volunteer Officers' Decoration was created by Royal Warrant under command of Queen Victoria on 25 July 1892 to reward 'efficient and capable' officers of the Volunteer Force who had served for twenty years...
- 4th: Lt-Col G. Durham, DSO EDEfficiency DecorationThe Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
- 5th: Lt-Col JM Grant
- 6th: Lt-Col F Morland MC
- 7th: Lt-Col HF Champion AFCAir Force Cross (United Kingdom)The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
- 8th: Lt-Col HF PrinslooHendrik PrinslooAs a twelve year old boy Hendrik Frederik Prinsloo was interned by the British in a concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War but served alongside the British in the South African forces during the two World Wars...
Colonel HF Prinsloo
As a twelve year old boy Hendrik Frederik PrinslooHendrik Prinsloo
As a twelve year old boy Hendrik Frederik Prinsloo was interned by the British in a concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War but served alongside the British in the South African forces during the two World Wars...
was interned by the British concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War but served alongside the British in the South African forces during the two World Wars. He is best remembered for the humanitarian manner in which he, as Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
, ran the Zonderwater Italian POW camp.
In addition to being made an Officer of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
on 14 June 1945, his efforts were recognized by the post-war Italian Government on 25 November 1949 when he, as the Camp Commandant, and three of his officers were invested with the Order of the Star of Italy (Stella della Solidarieta). The award was made to those who had specially contributed to the re-building of post-war Italy. Prinsloo was further recognized by the award of the Order of Good Merit (Ordine di Bene Merente) by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.