South African Overseas Expeditionary Force
Encyclopedia
The South African Overseas Expeditionary Force (SAOEF) was a volunteer military organisation in World War I
.
n government formed the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force (SAOEF) in July 1915, as its contribution to the British
war effort against the Central Powers
. As South African legislation restricted the Union Defence Forces
(UDF) to operating in southern Africa, an entirely new force, made up of volunteers, had to be raised for service in other theatres of war. As they were not officially a South African force, the SAOEF was placed under British operational command for operations on the Western Front
.The South African Union Defence Act of 1914 prohibited the deployment of South African troops beyond the borders of the South Africa and its immediate neighbouring territories. In order to send troops to Europe to support the Commonwealth in World War I, Generals Botha and Smuts created the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force. However, because of the limitations of the Defence Act, they issued a General Order (Order 672 of 1915) which stated that The South African Overseas Expeditionary Force will be Imperial and have the status of regular British Troops. "Status" was meant to imply administrative purposes, as Britain was paying for the maintenance of the force in the field for the sake of local political sensitivities. Regrettably, this Administrative Order later meant that the South African units which served as part of the Overseas Expeditionary Force were not, as South African units, entitled to retain Regimental Colours awarded to them for battles fought as "British" units. The 1st Infantry Brigade Group was the first unit to be formed as a constituent part of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force. Reference Digby p.146
Many volunteers came from UDF units, but they enrolled as individuals, not as contingents, and there was no formal link between SAOEF and UDF units as such.
The SAOEF consisted of several arms of service:
SAOEF units and formations did not serve as distinct South African forces, but were integrated into the British imperial armies and divisions in the field.
, there was strong South African participation and leadership. SA Field Artillery, the 1st and 2nd SA Mounted Brigades, the 2nd and 3rd SA Infantry Brigades, and the Cape Corps fought in British operations against German forces in German East Africa
(now Tanzania) from January 1916 until the war in Africa ended on 25 November 1918. Two South African generals, Lt. Gen. Jan Smuts
and Lt. Gen. Sir Jacob van Deventer, commanded the operations. Their major battles were: Salaita Hill, Kilimanjaro, and Kondoa-Irangi in 1916; and Behobeho, Narungombe, and Nyangao in 1917.
Captain William Anderson Bloomfield
won the Victoria Cross
for gallantry.
from January to March 1916. It fought in the battles of Halazin and Agagiya.
and Belgium
, from May 1916 until the war in Europe ended on 11 November 1918. They fought in the battles of the Somme
in 1916; Arras, Ypres
, and Menin in 1917; and Passchendaele, Messines, Mont Kemmel, and Cambrai
in 1918.
The two events of the campaign that are still commemorated are the Battle of Delville Wood
(part of the Somme offensive), and the sinking of the troopship SS Mendi
, with the loss of more than 600 African members of the SA Native Labour Contingent (1917).
Two SAOEF members, Pte William Frederick Faulds
and L Cpl William Henry Hewitt
, won the Victoria Cross
for gallantry.
fought in British operations against Turkish forces in Palestine
from August 1917 until the end of the war in November 1918. They fought in the battles of Gaza
, El Mughar, and Nebi Samwil in 1917; and Tel Asur, Battle of Megiddo
1918, Sharon, and Nablus in 1918.
formed in 1973).
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Organisation
The South AfricaUnion 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...
n government formed the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force (SAOEF) in July 1915, as its contribution to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
war effort against the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
. As South African legislation restricted the Union Defence Forces
South African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force is the armed forces of South Africa. The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first post-apartheid national elections and the adoption of a new constitution...
(UDF) to operating in southern Africa, an entirely new force, made up of volunteers, had to be raised for service in other theatres of war. As they were not officially a South African force, the SAOEF was placed under British operational command for operations on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.The South African Union Defence Act of 1914 prohibited the deployment of South African troops beyond the borders of the South Africa and its immediate neighbouring territories. In order to send troops to Europe to support the Commonwealth in World War I, Generals Botha and Smuts created the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force. However, because of the limitations of the Defence Act, they issued a General Order (Order 672 of 1915) which stated that The South African Overseas Expeditionary Force will be Imperial and have the status of regular British Troops. "Status" was meant to imply administrative purposes, as Britain was paying for the maintenance of the force in the field for the sake of local political sensitivities. Regrettably, this Administrative Order later meant that the South African units which served as part of the Overseas Expeditionary Force were not, as South African units, entitled to retain Regimental Colours awarded to them for battles fought as "British" units. The 1st Infantry Brigade Group was the first unit to be formed as a constituent part of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force. Reference Digby p.146
Many volunteers came from UDF units, but they enrolled as individuals, not as contingents, and there was no formal link between SAOEF and UDF units as such.
The SAOEF consisted of several arms of service:
- 1st South African Infantry Brigade. The brigade was commanded by Brigadier General H.T. (Tim) Lukin and consisted of four regiments recruited from existing military units as well as amongst civilians. Regiments were raised in the four provinces of South Africa:
- The 1st South African Infantry Regiment was commanded by Lt Col F.S. Dawson with the regiment being raised from the Cape ProvinceCape ProvinceThe Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
and known as "The Cape Regiment." A Company (Western ProvinceWestern CapeThe 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...
) was made up from men mostly from the Duke of Edinburgh's RiflesCape Town RiflesThe Cape Town Rifles Regiment 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....
. B. Company was recruited from the Eastern ProvinceEastern CapeThe 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...
and C Company was from KimberleyKimberley, Northern CapeKimberley 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...
, with many of the men being ex Kimberley RegimentKimberley RegimentThe Kimberley Regiment 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.-History:...
. D Company was recruited from Cape TownCape TownCape 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 2nd South African Infantry Regiment was commnded by Lt Col W.E.C. Tanner, this Regiment was raised from NatalNatal, South AfricaNatal is a region in South Africa. It stretches between the Indian Ocean in the south and east, the Drakensberg in the west, and the Lebombo Mountains in the north. The main cities are Pietermaritzburg and Durban...
and Orange Free StateOrange Free StateThe 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...
. Many volunteers were from 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...
. - The 3rd South African Infantry Regiment. Commander: Lt Col E.F. Thackeray and raised from Transvaal and RhodesiaRhodesiaRhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
. The regiment was generally known as "The Transvaal Regiment." B Company were mostly from the Witwatersrand Rifles while C Company were men from the Rand Light InfantryRand Light InfantryThe Rand Light Infantry 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.-History:...
. - The 4th SA Infantry Infantry Regiment was led by Lt Col F.A. Jones, DSO and became known as the "South African Scottish." Lt Col Jones was killed in fighting in Benfray Wood on 11 July 1916 and was replaced at the Battle of Delville Wood by Major D.M. MacLeod. The regiment was raised from the Cape Town Highlanders RegimentCape 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:...
and the area of Cape Town (A Company) while members of 1st Bn Transvaal Scottish RegimentTransvaal Scottish RegimentThe Transvaal Scottish Regiment 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.-History:...
made up most of B Company. C Company came from 2nd Bn Transvaal Scottish Regiment and recruits encouraged by the Caledonian Societies of Natal and Orange Free State made up D Company.
- The 1st South African Infantry Regiment was commanded by Lt Col F.S. Dawson with the regiment being raised from the Cape Province
- SA Heavy Artillery Brigade. On the Western Front, the brigade was armed with 6" Howitzers and was placed under command of the Royal Garrison ArtilleryRoyal Garrison ArtilleryThe Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
, consisting of (April 1916):- 71st Siege Battery, RGA
- 72nd Siege Battery, RGA
- 73rd Siege Battery, RGA
- 74th Siege Battery, RGA
- SA Field Artillery
- SA Horse (mounted rifles): ten battalions
- SA Rifles (dismounted rifles): two battalions
- Cape CorpsCape CorpsThe Cape Corps and its predecessor units were the main military organizations in which the Coloured members of South Africa's population served.- 1781 - 1878 :...
: two infantry battalions and a labour battalionLabour battalionLabour battalions have been a form of alternative service or unfree labour in various countries in lieu of or resembling regular military service... - Engineer, signals, supply and transport, medical, and veterinary units
- SA Native Labour Contingent.
SAOEF units and formations did not serve as distinct South African forces, but were integrated into the British imperial armies and divisions in the field.
German East Africa Campaign (1916-1918)
During the East African Campaign (World War I)East African Campaign (World War I)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa and ultimately affected portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The campaign was effectively ended in November 1917...
, there was strong South African participation and leadership. SA Field Artillery, the 1st and 2nd SA Mounted Brigades, the 2nd and 3rd SA Infantry Brigades, and the Cape Corps fought in British operations against German forces in German East Africa
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
(now Tanzania) from January 1916 until the war in Africa ended on 25 November 1918. Two South African generals, Lt. Gen. Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
and Lt. Gen. Sir Jacob van Deventer, commanded the operations. Their major battles were: Salaita Hill, Kilimanjaro, and Kondoa-Irangi in 1916; and Behobeho, Narungombe, and Nyangao in 1917.
Captain William Anderson Bloomfield
William Anderson Bloomfield
Major William Anderson Bloomfield VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
won the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for gallantry.
Egypt Campaign (1916)
The 1st SA Infantry Brigade was deployed in British operations against the Sanusi in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from January to March 1916. It fought in the battles of Halazin and Agagiya.
Western Front Campaign (1916-1918)
The SA Heavy Artillery and the 1st SA Infantry Brigade fought in the trenches of the Western Front against German forces in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, from May 1916 until the war in Europe ended on 11 November 1918. They fought in the battles of the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
in 1916; Arras, Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
, and Menin in 1917; and Passchendaele, Messines, Mont Kemmel, and Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
in 1918.
The two events of the campaign that are still commemorated are the Battle of Delville Wood
Delville Wood
The Battle of Delville Wood was one of the early engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War. It took place between 14 July and 3 September, between the armies of the German Empire and allied British and South African forces...
(part of the Somme offensive), and the sinking of the troopship SS Mendi
SS Mendi
SS Mendi was a steamship of the Elder Dempster Line, chartered by the British government as a troopship, which sank off the Isle of Wight in 1917 with the loss of 646 lives...
, with the loss of more than 600 African members of the SA Native Labour Contingent (1917).
Two SAOEF members, Pte William Frederick Faulds
William Frederick Faulds
William Frederick Faulds VC MC was a South African soldier, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award of the British Commonwealth for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War. He was the first South African-born man serving with South African Forces to be...
and L Cpl William Henry Hewitt
William Henry Hewitt
William Henry Hewitt VC was a South African soldier, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British and Commonwealth forces, during the First World War....
, won the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for gallantry.
Palestine Campaign (1917-1918)
The SA Field Artillery and the Cape CorpsCape Corps
The Cape Corps and its predecessor units were the main military organizations in which the Coloured members of South Africa's population served.- 1781 - 1878 :...
fought in British operations against Turkish forces in Palestine
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
from August 1917 until the end of the war in November 1918. They fought in the battles of Gaza
Battle of Gaza
Battle of Gaza may refer to:* Battle of Gaza , fought between Ptolemy I of Egypt and Demetrius I of Macedon* Battle of Raphia, also known as Battle of Gaza, fought between Ptolemy IV of Egypt and Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom in 217 BC* Three World War I battles between British...
, El Mughar, and Nebi Samwil in 1917; and Tel Asur, Battle of Megiddo
Battle of Megiddo (1918)
The Battle of Megiddo took place between 19 September and 1 October 1918, in what was then the northern part of Ottoman Palestine and parts of present-day Syria and Jordan...
1918, Sharon, and Nablus in 1918.
Disbandment
The SAOEF units and formations were disbanded in 1919. As there were no formal links between SAOEF units and the Union Defence Forces units which had provided their initial manpower, the SAOEF's war record, including its many honours, was not perpetuated by the UDF (except for the Cape Corps battle honours, which were allowed to the SA Cape Corps Service BattalionCape Corps
The Cape Corps and its predecessor units were the main military organizations in which the Coloured members of South Africa's population served.- 1781 - 1878 :...
formed in 1973).