Standerton Commando

Standerton Commando
Standerton Commando emblem
Country South Africa
Allegiance
Branch
TypeInfantry
RoleLight Infantry
SizeOne Battalion
Part ofSouth African Infantry Corps
Army Territorial Reserve
Garrison/HQStanderton

Standerton Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

History

Origin

Operations

With the UDF

The Rand Rebellion Benoni

Members of the Standerton Commando took part in the crackdown on the 1922 Miners Strike.[1][2] At 05:00 on 12 March 1922, the Union Defence Force (UDF) attacked Benoni. The objective was to defeat striking commandos at a steel factory and then move into the rest of the town.

The Government forces commenced their attack at 11:00 and immediately came under heavy fire. The attack on the steel factory was supported by artillery fire from two positions, which contributed to the striker commandos being dislodged. The attack then continued along Main Reef Road.

Commandant. P. Botha and a portion of the Standerton East Commando joined the fight at 16:00. The attack was called off at 17:00 in order to reorganize and consolidate positions before dark. Ammunition and arms arrived later that night and was distributed.

The reinforcements consisted of the rest of the Standerton East Commando, the Blesbokspruit Commando (Standerton), the Heidelberg Commando, the Hoogveld Commando (Heidelberg), the Roodekoppe Commando (Standerton), and the Standerton West Commando.

The attack continued on 13 March. The operation went according to plan and the besieged police and Permanent Force were relieved. An instruction was subsequently issued to arrest all male residents of Benoni.[3]

With the SADF

During this era, the unit was mainly used for area force protection, search and cordones as well as stock theft control assistance to the local police.

With the SANDF

Disbandment

This unit, along with all other Commando units was disbanded after a decision by South African President Thabo Mbeki to disband all Commando Units.[4][5] The Commando system was phased out between 2003 and 2008 "because of the role it played in the apartheid era", according to the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula.[6]

Unit Insignia

SADF era Standerton Commando insignia
SADF era Standerton Commando insignia

Leadership

Leadership
From Honorary Colonels To
From Commanding Officers To
1920 Commandant. P. Botha nd
From Regimental Sergeants Major To

References

  1. ^ Warwick, Rodney (15 March 2012). "White-on-white violence: The 1922 Rand Revolution - OPINION". Politicsweb.
  2. ^ Hirson, Baruch (October 1993). "The General Strike of 1922" (PDF). Searchlight South Africa. 3 (3): 63–94. Retrieved 20 October 2022 – via SAHistory.org.za.
  3. ^ Fokkens, Andries Marius (December 2006). The role and application of the Union Defence Force in the suppression of internal unrest, 1912-1945 (Masters Degree (Military History) thesis). Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University.
  4. ^ Col L B van Stade, Senior Staff Officer Rationalisation, SANDF (1997). "Rationalisation in the SANDF: The Next Challenge". Institute for Security Studies. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "About the Commando system". Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  6. ^ de Lange, Deon. "South Africa: Commandos Were 'Hostile to New SA'". Cape Argus. Retrieved 5 March 2015.

See also


Stub icon

This South African military article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.