The South African Army on 3 September 1939




Defence Headquarters: Pretoria, Transvaal
Cape Command: HQ The Castle, Capetown, Cape Province

A. Permanent Force
 
 Cape Detachment, The Special Service Battalion: Capetown 
 No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery: Bamboevlei, Wynberg
   (South African Permanent Force and University of Cape Town Active Citizen Force) 
 The Coast Artillery Brigade: HQ The Castle, Capetown
   2 Sections of Cape Garrison Artillery designated as Engineers and Signals: Capetown
   1st Heavy Battery: Capetown (Composite Battery of Cape Garrison Artillery and South African
     Permanent Garrison Artillery)(Wynard Battery): Table Bay
   2nd Heavy Battery: Simonstown (Composite Battery of Cape Garrison Artillery and South African
     Permanent Garrison Artillery)(Queen's Battery): Simonstown
   1st Medium Battery: Capetown (Composite Battery of Cape Garrison Artillery and South African
     Permanent Garrison Artillery)
   2nd Medium Battery: Capetown (Composite Battery of Cape Garrison Artillery and South African
     Permanent Garrison Artillery)
   No. 1 Armoured Train: Capetown (An Active Citizen Force unit with Permanent Force nucleus)
   The Cape Field Artillery (Prince Albert's Own): Capetown  (An Active Citizen Force unit with
     Permanent Force nucleus)
      
 
B. Active Citizen Force

 3rd Infantry Brigade: HQ Capetown
  The Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles: Capetown
  The Cape Town Highlanders (The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn's Own): Capetown
  The Kimberley Regiment: Kimberley
  3rd Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Capetown

 8th Infantry Brigade: HQ Oudtshoorn
  Regiment Westelike Provinsie: Stellenbosch
  Regiment Suid-Westelike Distrikte: Oudtshoorn
  Die Middellandse Regiment: Graff-Reinet
  8th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Capetown

Eastern Province Command: HQ East London, Cape Province

A. Permanent Force

 5th Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: East London
 6th Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: Port Elizabeth

B. Active Citizen Force

 2nd Infantry Brigade: HQ Port Elizabeth
  The Prince Alfred's Guard: Port Elizabeth
  The Kaffrarian Rifles: East London
  The First City: Grahamstown
  2nd Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Uitenhage

 Die Middellandse Regiment (See 8th Infantry Brigade)

Natal Command: HQ Durban, Natal

A. Permanent Force

 Royal Durban Light Infantry Company, The Special Service Battalion: Durban
 3rd Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: Durban Beach
 4th Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: The Bluff, Durban

B. Active Citizen Force

 The Natal Field Artillery: Durban
  'A', 'B' Batteries: Durban
  'C' Battery: Pietermaritzburg

 1st Infantry Brigade: HQ Pietermaritzburg
  1st Royal Natal Carabineers: Pietermaritzburg
  2nd Royal Natal Carabineers: Ladysmith
  The Umvoti Mounted Rifles: Greytown
  1st Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Durban

 7th Infantry Brigade: HQ Durban
  The Natal Mounted Rifles: Durban
  1st, 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry: Durban
  7th Field Company, South African Engineers: Durban

Orange Free State Command: HQ Bloemfontien, Orange Free State

A. Permanent Force

 The Pioneer Battalion: Bloemfontein

B. Active Citizen Force

 The Oranje Vry Staat Veldartillerie
  1ste Batterie: Tempe
  2de Batterie: Bethlehem

 4th Infantry Brigade: HQ Bloemfontein
  Regiment de Wet: Kroonstad
  Regiment Louw Wepner: Ladybrand
  Regiment President Steyn: Bloemfontein
  4th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Bloemfontein

 The Kimberley Regiment (See 3rd Infantry Brigade)

Robert's Heights and Transvaal Command: HQ Robert's Heights, Transvaal

A. Permanent Force

 The Special Service Battalion: Robert's Heights (Less Detachments)
 The Artillery School (Including 1st, 2nd Field Batteries, South African Artillery absorbed.
   Diluted with Active Citizen Force): Robert's Heights
 The Artillery Depot: Robert's Heights
 No. 2 Armoured Train, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery (Active Citizen Force with 
   Permanent Force nucleus): Robert's Heights

B. Active Citizen Force

 1st Field Survey Company, South African Engineer Corps: Robert's Heights

 6th Infantry Brigade: HQ Pretoria
  1st, 2nd Pretoria Regiment (Princess Alice's Own): Pretoria
  Regiment De la Rey: Rustenburg
  6th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Pretoria

Witwatersrand Command: HQ Johannesburg, Transvaal

A. Active Citizen Force

 The Transvaal Horse Artillery (A, B Batteries): Johannesburg

 5th Infantry Brigade: HQ Johannesburg
  The Imperial Light Horse: Johannesburg
  1st, 2nd Transvaal Scottish: Johannesburg
  5th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Johannesburg

 9th Infantry Brigade: HQ Johannesburg
  The Witwatersrand Rifles: Johannesburg
  The Rand Light Infantry: Johannesburg
  Regiment Botha: Morgenson
  9th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Johannesburg

The Defence Rifle Associations (Commandos)

 The Cape Defence Rifle Association
 The Transvaal Defence Rifle Association
 The Natal Defence Rifle Association
 The Orange Free State Defence Rifle Association

Return to South African Army 1939-40