Active 1959-c. 2000 Type Command | Country South Africa Headquarters Port Elizabeth | |
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Eastern Province Command was a command of the South African Army.
Contents
History
In 1939, the army at home in South Africa was divided between a number of regional commands. At the time, the command was headquartered at East London and comprised 2nd Infantry Brigade and 5 and 6 Batteries of the Permanent Garrison Artillery.
In 1980, Eastern Province Command and 6 SAI engaged in Operation Rain, which was support to the Transkei during a regional drought that lasted until 1981.
In the early 1980s the command's units were reported to include 6 South African Infantry Battalion (Grahamstown), 84th Technical Service Corps (Grahamstown); 11 Commando (Kimberley); East Cape Province Commando (Kimberley); Port Elizabeth Commando (Kimberley); and the Danie Theron Combat School (Kimberley).
Before the reintegration of the Transkei Defence Force, a number of senior Transkei officers had undergone staff courses in India. These included the head of the Transkei Defence Force, Brigadier T.T. Matanzima, who later on became head of the Eastern Province Command.
The command was redesignated as Army Support Base Eastern Cape (ASB EC), currently commanded by Colonel N.A. Ndou. The Support Base was established in April 2000, after the closing down of the Eastern Province Command.