Western Province Command

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

Western Province Command
Active	1959 - 1999
Disbanded	1999
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(s)	Fidelitas et Honor (Fidelity and Honour)
Commanders
Notable commanders	General Magnus Malan

History

Origin

Union Defence Force

Under the Union Defence Force, South Africa was originally divided into 9 military districts. By the 1930s this area became Cape Command.^[2] 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.^[1]

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

SADF

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.^[3]: 16 12 Supply and Transport Company, originally established on 22 August 1961, became 4 Maintenance Unit on 1 September 1971.

SADF era Western Cape Command insignia

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).

Disbandment

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

Groups and Commando units

SADF era Western Province Command Commando structure

Group 1 (Youngsfield)

• Overberg Commando
• False Bay Commando
• Koeberg Commando
• Lions Head Commando
• Skiereiland Commando
• Swartland Commando
• Tygerberg Commando
• Wildcoast Commando
• Wynberg Commando

Group 31 (Wellington)

• Caledon Commando
• Paarl Commando
• Stellenbosch Commando
• Swellendam Commando
• Winterberg Commando
• Worcester Commando

Group 40 (Wingsfield)

• Clanwilliam Commando
• Piketberg Commando
• Swartland Commando
• Van Rhynsdorp Commando
• West Coast Commando

Commanders

Officers Commanding

From	Cape Command (c. 1930–1959)	To
December 1933	Colonel George Brink CB CBE DSO[4]	31 January 1937
From	Western Province Command (1959–1999)	To
1969	Brig Jan Fourie	1971
1971	Brig Magnus Malan SM	1972
1972	Brig Helm Roos	28 July 2025

See also

• South African Army Order of Battle 1940

Notes

1. South African Permanent Force and University of Cape Town Active Citizen Force
2. Composite Battery of Cape Garrison Artillery and South African Permanent Garrison Artillery
3. An Active Citizen Force unit with Permanent Force nucleus
4. An Active Citizen Force unit with Permanent Force nucleus