Eastern Province Command

Eastern Province Command
Active 1959-c. 2000
Country  South Africa
Type Command
Headquarters Port Elizabeth

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

History

In 1939, the army at home in South Africa was divided between a number of regional commands.[1] At the time, the command was headquartered at East London and comprised 2nd Infantry Brigade and 5 and 6 Batteries of the Permanent Garrison Artillery.[2]

In 1980, Eastern Province Command and 6 SAI engaged in Operation Rain, which was support to the Transkei during a regional drought that lasted until 1981.[3]

In the early 1980s the command's units were reported to include 6 South African Infantry Battalion (Grahamstown), 84th Technical Service Corps (Grahamstown); 11th Commando (Kimberley); East Cape Province Commando (Kimberley); Port Elizabeth Commando (Kimberley); and the Danie Theron Combat School (Kimberley).

Before the reintegration of the Transkei Defence Force, a number of senior Transkei officers had undergone staff courses in India. These included the head of the Transkei Defence Force, Brigadier T.T. Matanzima, who later on became head of the Eastern Province Command.[4]

The command was redesignated as Army Support Base Eastern Cape (ASB EC), currently commanded by Colonel N.A. Ndou.[5] The Support Base was established in April 2000, after the closing down of the Eastern Province Command.[5]

Subordinate units

Leadership

Eastern Province Command
From Commanding Officers To
1968 Brigadier Jack Dutton[7] 1973
1 January 1983 Brigadier Joffel van der Westhuizen[7][8] January 1987
January 1987 Brigadier Wessel Kritzinger[7] March 1990
1996 Maj Gen Themba Matanzima[9] n.d.

See also

South African Army Order of Battle 1940

References

  1. ↑ Ryan, David A. "Union Defence Forces 6 September 1939". World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "South African Army 1939 - 1940" (pdf). Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Volker, Walter (2010). Signal Units of the South African Corps of Signals and Related Signal Services. Pretoria: Veritas Books. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-620-45345-5. cited in Turton, Anthony. A South African Diary: Contested Identity, My Family - Our Story Part G: 1987 - 2011.
  4. ↑ Wood, Geoffrey(2000) 'South Africa's unfinished business: Organisational change and continuity within the South African national defence force', Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 38: 2, 92.
  5. 1 2 Netshirembe, Lufuno (11 April 2012). "Army Support Base Eastern Cape held a medal Parade". dod.mil.za. RSA Department of Defence. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 Engelbrecht, Leon (26 April 2010). "New medal for ex-Commandos". DefenceWeb. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "Volume 2, Chapter 5, Sub-Section 22, Paragraph 161b". TRC Final Report. SABC. p. 440. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  8. ↑ http://www.justice.gov.za/trc/decisions/2000/ac200037.htm
  9. ↑ Engelbrecht, Leon (25 January 2010). "Fact file: Lt Gen Themba Matanzima". defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWeb. Retrieved 20 December 2014.


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