Western Province Command

Western Province Command
Active	1959
Country	South Africa
Type	Command
Part of	Union Defence Force South African Defence Force South African National Defence Force
Garrison/HQ	Cape Town, South Africa
Motto	Fidelitas et Honor (Fidelity and Honour)
Disbanded	1999
Commanders
Notable commanders	General Magnus Malan

Western Province Command was a command of the South African Army.

History

Originally it was a numbered military district, and then in the 1930s became Cape Command. In 1939, the army at home in South Africa was divided between a number of regional commands. Cape Command, (with its headquarters at the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, included 3rd Infantry Brigade, 8th Infantry Brigade (Oudtshoorn), the Coast Artillery Brigade (two heavy batteries, two medium batteries, and the Cape Field Artillery), and a battery of the 1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment.

Western Province Command itself appears to have formed in 1959. Brig Magnus Malan, later Chief of the SADF, took command in 1971.

From 1 August 1974, units transferred from Western Province Command to the new 71 Motorised Brigade included the Cape Field Artillery, the Cape Town Highlanders, Regiment Westelike Provinsie, Regiment Boland, Regiment Oranjerivier, a South African Engineer Corps field squadron, 74 Signal Squadron SACS, 4 Maintenance Unit, 30 Field Workshop SAOSC, and 3 Field Ambulance. 12 Supply and Transport Company, originally established on 22 August 1961, became 4 Maintenance Unit on 1 September 1971.

By the early 1980s Western Province Command included the Cape Garrison Artillery, 101 Signal Squadron, 6 Base Ordnance Depot, Command Workshops (all at Cape Town) the South African Cape Corps Battalion (Eerste River, Western Cape), 2 Military Hospital, 3 Field Ambulance, and three Commandos (all at Wynberg) and 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment SAA and 4 Electronics Workshops (both at Youngsfield Military Base at Ottery, Cape Town).

It was disbanded c. 1999 after the South African Defence Review 1998.

Commanders

Officers Commanding

From	Cape Command (c. 1930–1959)	To
December 1933	Colonel George Brink CB CBE DSO || 31 January 1937
From	Western Province Command (1959–1999)	To
n.d.	Brig Jan Fourie	1971
1971	Brig Magnus Malan SM || 1972
1972	Brig Helm Roos	n.d.

See also

South African Army Order of Battle 1940