Bloemhof Commando Explained

Unit Name:	Bloemhof Commando
Allegiance:	South Africa South Africa
Branch:
Type:	Infantry
Role:	Light Infantry
Size:	One Battalion
Command Structure:	South African Infantry Corps Army Territorial Reserve, Group 20
Garrison:	Bloemhof

Bloemhof 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

The Bloemhof Commando was originally established as a commando of the South African Republic (Transvaal)

During the Anglo Boer War for the ZAR Republic

This unit can trace its heritage to the Second Boer War, in which it fought under Commandant Tollie de Beer.

The commando had an initial strength of 737, and fought at:

Fourteen Streams,
Magersfontein,
Kimberley,
in Western Transvaal,
Tweebosch, and
Carter's Ridge.^[1] Together with its neighbouring commandos it was part of the force under Boer General de La Rey.

In 1901, this commando fell under the control of acting Assistant Commandant General Jan Smuts. It was reorganised with the remnants of other commandos after the Battle of Nooitgedacht.

A Commandant Tollie de Beer with the remaining 400 mounted men were instructed to continue to obstruct the Mafekeng line.^[2] ^[3]

With the UDF

World War 1

This commando was part of the South African Invasion of German South West Africa under the 1st Mounted Brigade led by Colonel Brits. A noteworthy engagement was the skirmishes around Husab.

The commando under Commandant Bezuidenhout was tasked to encircle the Schwarze Truppe.^[4]

With the SADF

Border War Operations

Although mainly used for area protection in the Western Transvaal, this commando together with Stellaland, Kalahari, Christiana, Schweizer-Reneke and De La Rey Commandos formed a joint operational company that was deployed to the Owamboland region in South West Africa.

The unit resorted under the command of the SADF's Group 20.

At the beginning of 1979, under then commander Cmdt van Rensburg, a group of Bloemhof commando soldiers did border duty in Owamboland within a company of Group 21.

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.^[5] ^[6] 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.^[7]

Notes and References

Book: Hall, Darrell. The Hall Handbook of the Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902. University of Natal Press. 1999. 9780869809495. Pietermaritzburg. 12, 17.
Hancock, W.H, Van der Poel, J. Selections from the Smuts Papers: Volume 1, June 1886-May 1902 Cambridge University Press 1966 pg 361-362
Hammond, R. White stones and little crosses 2012
Rayner, W.S. O’Shaughnessy, W.W. How Botha and Smuts conquered German South West, A full record of the campaign from official information by Reuters Special War Correspondants who accompanied the forces sent by the government of the Union of South Africa. African World, Cape Town 1916
Web site: Rationalisation in the SANDF: The Next Challenge . 5 March 2015 . 1997 . ((Col L B van Stade, Senior Staff Officer Rationalisation, SANDF)) . Institute for Security Studies . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160316204323/https://issafrica.org/pubs/asr/6no2/vanstade.html . 16 March 2016 .
Web site: About the Commando system . 2008-01-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071206150052/http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/rural_safety/eng/pages/no2e.htm . 2007-12-06 .
Web site: de Lange. Deon. South Africa: Commandos Were 'Hostile to New SA'. Cape Argus. 5 March 2015. subscription .