Northern Transvaal Command

Northern Transvaal Command was a command of the South African Army. It was active from 1959 to mid 2000 when it was disestablished. Formerly it was named Northern Command from 1946 to 1959.

Northern Transvaal Command
Command insignia
Active1959–2000
CountryRepublic of South Africa
BranchSouth African Army
TypeCommand (military formation)
HeadquartersPretoria, South Africa
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Pieter Grobbelaar

History

Union Defence Force Military Districts

The command's origins may date to the formations of Military districts, No 5 and 6 in 1926, which then became Transvaal Command in 1934. Thereafter there were several quick name changes: Roberts Heights & Transvaal Command c. 1936; Voortrekkerhoogte & Transvaal Command 1939, and then Transvaal Command c. 1940. Later the command became Northern Command in 1946; Northern Transvaal Command in 1959. In 1939 Roberts' Heights and Transvaal Command, with its headquarters at Roberts' Heights (now Thaba Tshwane), contained 6th Infantry Brigade, 1 Field Survey Squadron SAEC, the artillery depot, parts of the Special Service Battalion, elements of the Permanent Garrison Artillery, and the Artillery School.[1]

Its headquarters was in Pretoria, and within its command boundaries, it contained a number of important Active Citizen Force field formations, notably 81 Armoured Brigade (part of 8th South African Armoured Division). Depending upon the command boundaries, it may also have included 72 Motorised Brigade with its headquarters at Johannesburg and 73 Motorised Brigade with its headquarters in the Johannesburg suburb of Kensington.

SADF era Northern Transvaal Command insignia

Under the SADF

In the early 1980s it became clear that the sheer size of Northern Transvaal Command's territory made command and control as well as logistical functions extremely difficult.[2] These as well as other security considerations led to the decision to subdivide Northern Transvaal Command into three Commands in 1984: Northern Transvaal Command (Pretoria); Eastern Transvaal Command, probably covering what later became the Eastern Transvaal (Nelspruit); and Far North Command (Pietersburg) (commanded in succession by Charles Lloyd and, from February 1987, Georg Meiring).[3] The two new Commands were regarded as theatres and as such also had responsibility for conventional operations (and units) within their areas. For example, Far North Command had 73 Motorised Brigade within its area.

Groups and Commandos
SADF era Northern Transvaal Command Commando Structure

Group 15 (Voortrekkerhoogte)

Leadership
Leadership of Northern Transvaal Command
From Commanding Officers To
30 January 2021 Col? Pieter Grobbelaar SSA DSO 30 January 2021
c. 1950 Col Booysie van der Riet SM MC[4]:98 30 January 2021
1 January 1964 Col. S.'Faan' Hugo SM[lower-alpha 1] September 1965
1965 Brig Jannie H Burgher SM OBE 1966
December 1966 Brig Willem Louw SM December 1967
1970 Brig Phil Pretorius SM 1975
1975 Brig Pieter van der Westhuizen SM 1976
1978 Brig Wolfgang Paetzold 1980
1980 Maj Gen Pieter Hanekom SM 1982
1982 Maj Gen Frans van den Berg SD SM 1984
1984 Brig. J.P.M. 'Hans' Moller SD[lower-alpha 2][5] 1988
1988 Brig Gert Opperman SD SM MMM[6] 1993
1993 Brig Anton van Graan 1994
1994 Brig Wouter Lombard 1995
7 April 1995 Brig Hennie Schultz SM MMM 31 December 1995
1 January 1996 Maj Gen Hennie Schultz SM MMM 30 January 2021
From Command Sgts Major To

Notes
  1. Officer in Command of Northern Transvaal Command on Friday 2 October 1964, during Annual Cadet Inspection and Review of Pretoria Boys High School.
  2. late SACMP (20 October 1988)

References
  1. Niehorster
  2. "A Short History of the South African Army". rhodesia.nl. From: South African Defence Force Review 1991. 1991. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  3. Hamann, 'Days of the Generals,' p.62, for Meiring assumption-of-command date. For a contemporary view on Far North Command, see discussion in James Roherty, 'State Security in South Africa: Civil-Military Relations Under P.W. Botha,' 1992, 98-100.
  4. Nöthling, C.J.; Meyers, E.M. (1982). "LEIERS DEUR DIE JARE (1912-1982)" (Online). Scientia Militaria - South African Journal of Military Studies (in Afrikaans). 12 (2). doi:10.5787/12-2-631. ISSN 2224-0020.
  5. http://home.mweb.co.za/re/redcap/h194688.htm
  6. "Gert Opperman - Who's Who SA". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
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