This page details the South African Army order of battle in 1940, before and after the formation of expeditionary forces.

South African Army – 3 September 1939 – July 1940 Defence Headquarters: Pretoria, Transvaal

Cape Command HQ The Castle, Cape Town, Cape Province A. Permanent Force Cape Detachment, The Special Service Battalion: Cape Town No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery: Bamboevlei, Wynberg The Coast Artillery Brigade: HQ, The Castle, Cape Town 2 Sections of Cape Garrison Artillery designated as Engineers and Signals: Cape Town 1st Heavy Battery: Cape Town (Wynard Battery): Table Bay 2nd Heavy Battery: Simonstown (Queen's Battery): Simonstown 1st Medium Battery: Cape Town 2nd Medium Battery: Cape Town No. 1 Armoured Train: Cape Town The Cape Field Artillery (Prince Albert's Own): Cape Town B. Active Citizen Force 3rd Infantry Brigade: HQ Cape Town The Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles: Cape Town The Cape Town Highlanders (The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn's Own): Cape Town The Kimberley Regiment: Kimberley 3rd Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Cape Town 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: Cape Town

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 (South Africa): 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 Engineer Corps: Durban

Orange Free State Command HQ Bloemfontein, 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 The Artillery School: Robert's Heights The Artillery Depot: Robert's Heights No. 2 Armoured Train, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: 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

South African Army 1939–40

Active Citizen Force Infantry Battalions and Brigades 1940 March 1940 – Intended Organization (HQ & Recruiting Areas) 1st South African Infantry Brigade 1st Royal Natal Carabineers – Pietermaritzburg 1st Duke of Edinburgh's Rifles – Cape Town 1st Transvaal Scottish – Johannesburg 2nd South African Infantry Brigade 1st Field Force Battalion – Ladysmith 2nd Field Force Battalion – Ladysmith 1st Natal Mounted Rifles – Durban 3rd South African Infantry Brigade 1st Imperial Light Horse – Johannesburg 1st Royal Durban Light Infantry – Durban 1st Rand Light Infantry – Johannesburg 4th South African Infantry Brigade 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry – Durban 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles – Greytown The Kaffrarian Rifles – East London 5th South African Infantry Brigade 2nd Regiment Botha – North of Nylstroom 3rd Transvaal Scottish – Benoni 1st South African Irish – Johannesburg 6th South African Infantry Brigade 1st South African Police – Pretoria 2nd South African Police – Pretoria 2nd Transvaal Scottish – Johannesburg 7th South African Infantry Brigade The Pretoria Highlanders – Pretoria 1st Pretoria Regiment – Pretoria The First City – Grahamstown 8th South African Infantry Brigade Regiment De la Rey 1st Witwatersrand Rifles – Johannesburg The Cape Town Highlanders – Cape Town 9th South African Infantry Brigade The Prince Alfred's Guard – Port Elizabeth Regiment President Steyn – Bloemfontein Regiment Westelike Provinsie – Stellenbosch 10th South African Infantry Brigade The Kimberley Regiment- Kimberley Regiment South Westelike Distrike – George 1st Regiment Botha – South of Nylstroom 11th South African Infantry Brigade 2nd Witwatersrand Rifles – Springs 1st South-West African Infantry Battalion – Windhoek Die Middelandse Regiment – Graff-Reinet 12th South African Infantry Brigade 2nd Royal Natal Carabineers – Ladysmith 2nd Pretoria Regiment – Pretoria 2nd Rand Light Infantry – Krugersdorp Others Regiment de Wet – Kroonstaad Regiment Louw Wepner – Ladybrand 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles – Greytown 2nd Imperial Light Horse – Johannesburg

1st Reserve Brigade – Raised 29 February 1940 1st Battalion (Transvaal) – Raised 29 February 1940 at Johannesburg 2nd Battalion (The Cape Peninsular Rifles) – Raised 29 February 1940 at Cape Town 3rd Battalion (The Natal Scottish) – Raised 29 February 1940 at Durban 4th Battalion (The Witwatersrand Rifles) – Raised 29 February 1940 5th Battalion (Eastern Province) – Raised 29 February 1940 6th Battalion (Transvaal) – Raised 29 February 1940 7th Battalion (Orange Free State and Kimberly) – Raised 1941 8th Battalion (Transvaal) – Raised 1941 9th Battalion – Raised 1943 10th Battalion – Raised 1943 11th Battalion – Raised 1943 12th Battalion – Raised 1943

1st Mounted Command Division 10 June 1940 – Piet Retief 1st Field Squadron, SAEC 1st Mounted Brigade 1st Mounted Regiment – Formed at Pretoria 2nd Mounted Regiment – Formed in the Transvaal 3rd Mounted Regiment – Formed in the Transvaal 2nd Mounted Brigade 4th Mounted Regiment – Formed in Orange Free State 5th Mounted Regiment – Formed in Natal 6th Mounted Regiment – Formed at the Castle, Cape Town, Cape Province

The Mobilization of the South African Mobile Field Force – 1940

1st South African Division – Raised 13 August 1940 at Robert's Heights 3rd Field Brigade, SAA (Transvaal Horse Artillery) 4th Field Brigade, SAA 7th Field Brigade, SAA 1st Anti-Tank Brigade, SAA 1st, 5th, 12th Field Companies, SAEC 19th Divisional Field Park Company, SAEC 1st South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 13 May 1940 at Kafferskraal) 1st Royal Natal Carabineers The Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles 1st Transvaal Scottish 2nd South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 13 May 1940 at Premier Mine) 1st, 2nd Field Force Battalions 1st Natal Mounted Rifles 5th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 16 June 1940 at Barberton) 3rd Transvaal Scottish 2nd Regiment Botha 1st South African Irish Regiment 2nd South African Division (Raised 23 October 1940) 1st Field Brigade, SAA (Cape Field Artillery (Prince Alfred's Own)) 2nd Field Brigade, SAA (Natal Field Artillery) 5th Light Field Brigade, SAA 2nd Anti-Tank Brigade, SAA 2nd, 4th, 10th Field Companies, SAEC 20th Divisional Field Park Company, SAEC 3rd South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 8 June 1940 at Zonderwater) 1st Imperial Light Horse 1st Royal Durban Light Infantry 1st Rand Light Infantry 4th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 17 June 1940 at Oribi Camp, Pietermaritzburg 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles (Until October 1940) 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry The Kaffrarian Rifles The Umvoti Mounted Rifles (From October 1940) 6th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 17 June 1940 at Pietermaritzburg 1st Pretoria Highlanders (Until November 1940) 1st, 2nd South African Police 2nd Transvaal Scottish (From 21 November 1940) 3rd South African Division (Raised 23 October 1940 at Pretoria) 6th Light Field Brigade, SAA 8th, 9th, 10th Field Companies, SAEC 17th Divisional Field Park Company, SAEC 7th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 11 July 1940 at Premier Mine) 1st Pretoria Regiment 1st Witwatersrand Rifles Regiment De la Rey 8th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 1 July 1940 in East London. Disbanded November 1940.) The Cape Town Highlanders The First City Prince Alfred's Guard 9th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 15 July 1940 at Premier Mine) Regiment President Steyn (Until 22/11/40) Die Middelandse Regiment Regiment Westelike Provinsie (Until 1 September 1940) 2nd Pretoria Regiment (From Sep 1940 to Oct 1940) 2nd Transvaal Scottish (From 4 Sep 1940 to 21 Nov 1940) 2nd Royal Natal Carabineers (From 9 Sep 1940 to 3 Oct 1940) 1st Regiment Botha (From Sep 1940 to Nov 1940) 1st Pretoria Highlanders (From Nov 1940) The Cape Town Highlanders (From 6 Nov 1940) 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles (From 23 Nov 1940) 10th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised July 1940.) The Kimberley Regiment 2nd Witwatersrand Rifles The First City Regiment 11th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised July 1940. Disbanded October 1940.) 2nd Witwatersrand Rifles 1st South-West African Infantry Battalion 2nd Imperial Light Horse 12th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised July 1940. Disbanded September 1940.) 2nd Royal Natal Carabineers 2nd Pretoria Regiment 2nd Rand Light Infantry

See also List of British Empire divisions in the Second World War List of Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Military Units

Notes

References