Fact file: 1 SA Infantry Division

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The division1 was formed on August 13, 1940 at the South African Military College at Roberts’ Heights (now Thaba Tshwane), Pretoria. The formation demobilised in South Africa in January 1943 as part of a plan to form two armoured divisions.

 

The divisional commanders were:

  • From August 13, 1940: Brigadier, then Major General “Uncle” George Brink.

  • From March 10, 1942: Major General Dan H Pienaar.

 

 

Divisional Troops

From To Remarks

Artillery

Antitank

  • 1st Anti-Tank Brigade, SAA 25-Jan-41 12-Jun-41 renamed

  • 1st Anti-Tank Regiment, SAA 01-Jun-41 01-Jan-43

Field Artillery

  • 3rd Field Brigade, THA, SAA 29-Dec-40 11-Aug-41 renamed

  • 4th Field Brigade, SAA 13-Aug-40 30-Jul-41 renamed

  • 7th Field Brigade, SAA 13-Aug-40 11-Aug-41 renamed

  • 1st Field Regiment, CFA,SAA 20-Apr-42 01-Jan-43

  • 3rd Field Regiment, THA, SAA 11-Aug-41 25-Jun-42

  • 4th Field Regiment, SAA 31-Jul-41 01-Jan-43

  • 7th Field Regiment, SAA 11-Aug-41 01-Jan-43

     

Light Antiaircraft

  • 1st Light Antiaircraft Regiment, SAA 01-Sep-41 01-Jan-43

 

Engineers

Field Companies

  • 12th Field Company, SA Engineers 13-Aug-40 02-Apr-41

  • 1st Field Company, SA Engineers 13-Aug-40 01-Jan-43

  • 2nd Field Company, SA Engineers 01-May-42 01-Jan-43

  • 3rd Field Company, SA Engineers 03-May-41 01-Jan-43

  • 5th Field Company, SA Engineers 05-Dec-40 01-Jan-43

     

Field Park Companies

  • 19th Field Park Company, SA Eng 01-Apr-42 01-Jan-43

  • 21st Corps Field Park Company, SA Eng 01-Dec-40 30-Apr-42

     

Infantry

  • 2nd Regiment Botha 05-Feb-42 01-Jan-43

Machine Gun

  • B Coy, Die Middellandse Regiment 27-Jun-42 01-Jan-43

  • Regiment President Steyn 08-Jun-41 01-Jan-43

 

Ordnance

  • 1st South African Division Ordnance 13-Aug-40 01-Jan-43

 

RAC

  • 8th Royal Tank Regiment 7-Sep-42 05-Nov-42 attached

 

Recce

  • 3rd SA Reconnaissance Battalion 1-Jun-41 31-Dec-42

(later 3 SA Armd Car Recce Regt)

 

Signals

  • 1st South African Division Signals 13-Aug-40 01-Jan-43

 

ST

  • 1st South African “Q” Services Corps 13-Aug-40 01-Jan-43

 

Brigades

 

1 SA Infantry Brigade 13-Aug-40 01-Jan-43

  • 1st Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Rifles 20-May-40 18-Jan-43

  • 1st Royal Natal Carabineers 19-May-40 18-Jan-43

  • 1st Transvaal Scottish 20-May-40 18-Jan-43

     

2 SA Infantry Brigade 13-Aug-40 01-Jan-43

  • 1st Cape Town Highlanders 16-Apr-41 01-Jan-43

  • 1st Field Force Battalion 01-Jan-40 01-Apr-41

  • 1st Natal Mounted Rifles 23-May-40 01-Jan-43

  • 1st/2nd Field Force Battalion 01-Apr-41 01-Jan-43

  • 2nd Field Force Battalion 01-Jan-40 01-Apr-41

 

3 SA Infantry Brigade 20-Apr-42 01-Jan-43

  • 1st Imperial Light Horse 08-Jun-40 01-Jan-43

  • 1st Rand Light Infantry 08-Jun-40 01-Jan-43

  • 1st Royal Durban Light Infantry 08-Jun-40 01-Jan-43

5 SA Infantry Brigade 13-Aug-40 23-Nov-412

  • 1st South African Irish 08-Jun-40 23-Nov-41

  • 2nd Regiment Botha 08-Jun-40 23-Nov-41

  • 3rd Transvaal Scottish 08-Jun-40 23-Nov-41

     

Higher formations served under

  • East Africa Force 11-Nov-40 21-Apr-41

  • GHQ Middle East Forces 22-Apr-41 03-May-41

  • HQ British Troops Egypt 03-May-41 25-May-41

  • Western Desert Force 25-May-41 01-Oct-41

  • XXX Corps 01-Oct-41 13-Dec-41

  • 8th Army 13-Dec-41 29-Jan-42

  • XXX Corps 29-Jan-42 30-Jan-42

  • XIII Corps 30-Jan-42 25-Jun-42

  • XXX Corps 25-Jun-42 15-Jul-42

  • 9 Australian Infantry Division 15-Jul-42 18-Jul-42

  • XXX Corps 18-Jul-42 05-Nov-42

  • XIII Corps 05-Nov-42 30-Nov-42

  • GHQ Middle East Forces 30-Nov-42 01-Jan-43

 

Formations attached

  • 25 East African Infantry Brigade 28-Dec-40 06-Apr-41

  • 21 East African Infantry Brigade 27-Feb-41 06-Apr-41

  • Polish Indp. Carpathian Rifle Brigade 13-Feb-42 18-Mar-42

  • Free French Brigade 03-Feb-42 10-Feb-42

  • 6 SA Infantry Brigade 18-Mar-42 20-Apr-42

     

Theatres

  • South Africa 13-Aug-40 04-Nov-40

  • At Sea 04-Nov-40 11-Nov-40

  • East Africa 11-Nov-40 13-Jan-41

  • Abyssinia 13-Jan-41 08-Mar-41

  • East Africa 08-Mar-41 21-Apr-41

  • At Sea 22-Apr-41 03-May-41

  • Egypt 03-May-41 18-Nov-41

  • Libya 18-Nov-41 12-Dec-41

  • Egypt 12-Dec-41 30-Jan-42

  • Libya 30-Jan-42 15-Jun-42

  • Egypt 15-Jun-42 01-Jan-43

     

 

Battles, actions and engagements

  • El Yibo 16-Jan-41 18-Jan-41

  • Turbi Road 24-Jan-41 25-Jan-41

  • Gorai 01-Feb-41 01-Feb-41

  • El Gumu 01-Feb-41 01-Feb-41

  • Hobok 02-Feb-41 02-Feb-41

  • Banno 08-Feb-41 09-Feb-41

  • Yavello Road 15-Feb-41 15-Feb-41

  • Mega 15-Feb-41 18-Feb-41

  • Tobruk, 1941 18-Nov-41 10-Dec-41

  • Gazala 26-May-42 21-Jun-42

  • Mersa Matruh 26-Jun-42 30-Jun-42

  • Defence of Alamein line 01-Jul-42 27-Jul-42

  • Tel el Eisa 10-Jul-42 11-Jul-42

  • El Alamein 23-Oct-42 04-Nov-42

 

1 SA Infantry Division, along with 6 SA Armoured Division were reformed in the early post-war years. The formations were subsequently disbanded as there was a general shortage of volunteers for the Active Citizen Force3.

1 Steve Rothwell, http://homepages.force9.net/rothwell/1sa.htm, August 24, 2003, accessed June 6, 2006.

2 The date of its destruction at Sidi Rezegh.

3 Cmdt CJ Nöthling, Ultima Ratio Regum, Artillery History of South Africa, Military Information Bureau, SADF, Pretoria, 1987, p237.

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