| Natal Command | |
|---|---|
| Part of | |
| Durban,South Africa | |
 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Command (military formation) |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 29°50′20.2878″S31°2′4.0488″E / 29.838968833°S 31.034458000°E /-29.838968833; 31.034458000 |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | None |
| Past commanders | See Leadership table |
Natal Command was aCommand of theSouth African Army. It was headquartered inDurban,South Africa. By the 1980s, it was responsible for the security of the region, forming the primary level of command for military operations in support of the Police. It also provided logistic, administrative and service support to units and formations operating in its area of responsibility.[2]
Under the Union Defence Force, South Africa was originally divided into 9 military districts. Lieutenant Colonel J. DanielSAStC was Officer Commanding on 3 September 1939.[3] The command included the1st South African Brigade atPietermaritzburg with two battalions of theRoyal Natal Carabineers and theUmvoti Mounted Rifles, the7th South African Infantry Brigade (including theNatal Mounted Rifles), two batteries of theSouth African Permanent Garrison Artillery, and theNatal Field Artillery on 3 September 1939.[1][4]
BrigadiersHarold Willmott andDeon Ferreira[5] served as officers commanding Natal Command after the Second World War.
From August 197484 Motorised Brigade was based at the Old Fort Road Military Base in Durban. While the brigade was part of8th South African Armoured Division rather than Natal Command, its units were mostly located within the command's boundaries. These included theDurban Light Infantry (located nearby in their historic buildings within the Greyville Racecourse), theDurban Regiment,84 Signal Unit SACS,15 Maintenance Unit SAOSC,[6]19 Field Engineer Regiment SAEC, andNatal Field Artillery. Other units seemingly associated with the brigade included theFirst City Regiment andRegiment Port Natal, both infantry units.
In the early 1980s, the command included headquarters at Durban,5 South African Infantry Battalion atLadysmith,15 Maintenance Unit in Durban, and twoCommandos, theTugela Commando and theUmvoti Commando,[a] both based in Durban.[7] It seems reasonably clear that in the research forWorld Armies a number of units assigned to the command at the time were missed.
84 Motorised Brigade became9 South African Division in 1992, and later 75 Brigade, before disbandingc. 1999 with the creation of the 'type' formations.
For Territorial forces a structure of "groups" was established during the 1980s. Each of these regional groups fell under the authority of a Command and exercised operational control over a number of units, mostly Commandos.
Natal Command had three Groups (originally four) under command.
SANDF director of facilities Brigadier General G Mngadi said the beach front property, formerly occupied by Headquarters Natal Command and later by the Joint Operations Division's eastern Joint Tactical Headquarters, “was leased by the National Department of Public Works for theSouth African Defence Force on a 99 year lease from the erstwhile Durban Corporation, now known as theEthekweni Municipality.”Mngadi says that as a result of the consolidation of the facilities footprint in Durban, the facility had become superfluous and was returned to the city on October 16, 2009.[8]
| From | Officers Commanding | To |
| 1 November 1926 | Col J. H. BreytenbachDSO | 30 June 1933 |
| 1 July 1933 | Col K. R. Van Der SpyMC | 22 January 1937 |
| 23 January 1937 | Lt Col John DanielCBE SAStC[3] | 14 February 1940 |
| 15 April 1940 | Col[b]B F ArmstrongDSO[10] | 11 June 1940 |
| 12 June 1940 | Col John DanielCBE SAStC[3] | 16 June 1944 |
| 17 June 1944 | Col W. T. B. TaskerOBE | 12 January 1945 |
| 13 January 1945 | Lt Col W. Grewe-Brown | 21 January 1945 |
| 15 February 1945 | Brig J. B. KrieglerCBE | 17 May 1945 |
| 4 June 1945 | ColH. C. DanielCBE MC AFC | 18 October 1953 |
| 19 October 1953 | Brig W. H. HingestonCBE | 30 June 1955 |
| 1 July 1955 | ColC. S. LeisegangDSO | 12 February 1956 |
| 16 December 1956 | ColP. J. JacobsSM | 30 January 1958 |
| 1 February 1958 | Col C. A. FrazerSM | 31 July 1963 |
| 1 August 1963 | Col P. F. Van Der Hoven | 30 June 1966 |
| 1 July 1966 | Brig P. E. FergusonSM MC ED | 31 May 1968 |
| 1 June 1968 | Brig J. W. BlattSM | 31 December 1970 |
| 1 January 1971 | Brig I. S. GuilfordSM | 16 January 1973 |
| 17 January 1973 | Brig P. S. I. JaySM | 31 December 1973 |
| 1 January 1974 | Brig H. C. DaviesSM | 31 December 1977 |
| 1 January 1978 | BrigC. J. Lloyd | 21 November 1980 |
| 22 November 1980 | Brig P.E.K. BosmanSM[2] | 31 August 1983 |
| 1 September 1983 | Brig M. B. Anderson | 31 December 1985 |
| 1 January 1986 | BrigJ. H. PretoriusSD | 31 July 1992 |
| 25 November 2025 | BrigHarold WillmottCBE[5][c] | 25 November 2025 |
| 14 July 1992 | BrigDeon FerreiraPVD SD SM MMM[5] | 17 February 1995 |
| 18 February 1995 | Brig[d] C. E. le RouxSD SM MMM | 23 November 2000[11] |
| From | Garrison / Command Sergeants Major[12]: 11 | To |
| 1 July 1927 | WO1 J. H. Nassey | 31 May 1936 |
| 1 June 1936 | WO1 S. J. Riley | 3 May 1940 |
| 1 May 1940 | WO2 K. W. Van Wijk | 28 February 1941 |
| 1 March 1941 | WO1 E. A. Aylett | 30 June 1946 |
| 1 July 1946 | WO1 K. N. Van Wijk | 30 November 1946 |
| 1 December 1946 | WO1 T. W. Rochwell | 31 December 1962 |
| 29 July 1966 | WO1 E. H. van den Bergh | 31 May 1971 |
| 1 June 1971 | WO1 R. H . Ueckermann | 30 April 1974 |
| 1 May 1974 | WO1 D. J. Maritz | 13 May 1982 |
| 14 May 1982 | WO1 P. H. RohrbeckPMM | 30 September 1992 |
| 1 October 1992 | WO1 J. T. MoorcroftPMD VRM[e] | 1 November 1993 |
| 2 November 1993 | WO1 J.M. GoodrichPMM MMM | nd |
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