Country Namibia, South Africa Branch South African Army, | Allegiance South Africa Type Light Infantry | |
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Part of South African Defence Force, later South West African Territorial Force Garrison/HQ Luhebu-North Boesmanland | ||
36 Battalion was a light infantry battalion in the South African Army and in later years became part of the SWATF.
Contents
History
In May 1978, a group of Omega San soldiers were sent to Bushmanland to form a combat unit originally known as 36 Battalion. The Battalions’s soldiers was made up of two subgroups:
Initially, 36 Battalion was commanded by a Major G.J. Coetzee and had its headquarters at Luhebu-North, Bushmanland.
Renaming
The South West Africa Territory Force SWATF renumbered battalion numbers according to their geographical positioning on the border. The prefix 10 pertained to battalions operation to the west of the Kavango River, 20 to the Kavango or central region and 70 to the eastern region. Under this system, 36 Battalion was renamed 203 Battalion.
In 1980, 203 Battalion headquarters moved to Tsumkwe and in 1981 to Mangetti Dune. From 1980, 203 Battalion formed part of the reaction force of SWATF, as a tracking battalion.
Commanding Officers
Withdrawal of 36 Battalion to South Africa
The Battalion reverted to its 36 Battalion name in 1989 when it transferred back to the SADF. UN Resolution 435 called on South Africa to reduce its forces in Namibia to 12,000 before the start of any peace process and finally to 1500 by 1989. Several thousand San, fearing reprisal or intimidation, left for South Africa with the SADF.
The soldiers of 36 Battalion and their families were settled near Schmidtsdrif in the Northern Cape.
Disbandment
By 1993, 36 Battalion was disbanded at a public ceremony in the Cape Province. Soldiers were transferred to other units in the Northern Cape and would help patrol the Namibian border.
Structure
By the 1980s, 36 Battalion consisted of: