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Part of Union Defence ForceSouth African Defence ForceSouth African National Defence ForceCape Command (3 September 1939 - July 1940)Parent unitUnion Defence ForceComponentsHQ The Castle, Cape Town, Cape ProvinceA. Permanent ForceCape Detachment, The Special Service Battalion: Cape TownNo. 1 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery: Bamboevlei, WynbergThe Coast Artillery Brigade: HQ, The Castle, Cape Town2 Sections of Cape Garrison Artillery designated as Engineers and Signals: Cape Town1st Heavy Battery: Cape Town (Wynard Battery): Table Bay2nd Heavy Battery: Simonstown (Queen's Battery): Simonstown1st Medium Battery: Cape Town2nd Medium Battery: Cape TownNo. 1 Armoured Train: Cape TownThe Cape Field Artillery (Prince Albert's Own): Cape TownB. Active Citizen Force3rd Infantry Brigade: HQ Cape TownThe Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles: Cape TownThe Cape Town Highlanders (The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn's Own): Cape TownThe Kimberley Regiment: Kimberley3rd Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Cape Town8th Infantry Brigade: HQ OudtshoornRegiment Westelike Provinsie: StellenboschRegiment Suid-Westelike Distrikte: OudtshoornDie Middellandse Regiment: Graff-Reinet8th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Cape Town Components HQ The Castle, Cape Town, Cape ProvinceA. Permanent ForceCape Detachment, The Special Service Battalion: Cape TownNo. 1 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery: Bamboevlei, WynbergThe Coast Artillery Brigade: HQ, The Castle, Cape Town2 Sections of Cape Garrison Artillery designated as Engineers and Signals: Cape Town1st Heavy Battery: Cape Town (Wynard Battery): Table Bay2nd Heavy Battery: Simonstown (Queen's Battery): Simonstown1st Medium Battery: Cape Town2nd Medium Battery: Cape TownNo. 1 Armoured Train: Cape TownThe Cape Field Artillery (Prince Albert's Own): Cape TownB. Active Citizen Force3rd Infantry Brigade: HQ Cape TownThe Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles: Cape TownThe Cape Town Highlanders (The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn's Own): Cape TownThe Kimberley Regiment: Kimberley3rd Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Cape Town8th Infantry Brigade: HQ OudtshoornRegiment Westelike Provinsie: StellenboschRegiment Suid-Westelike Distrikte: OudtshoornDie Middellandse Regiment: Graff-Reinet8th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Cape Town | ||
Western Province Command was a command of the South African Army.
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History
Originally it was a numbered military district, and then in the 1930s became Cape Command. In 1939, the army at home in South Africa was divided between a number of regional commands. Cape Command, (with its headquarters at the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, included 3rd Infantry Brigade, 8th Infantry Brigade (Oudtshoorn), the Coast Artillery Brigade (two heavy batteries, two medium batteries, and the Cape Field Artillery), and a battery of the 1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
Western Province Command itself appears to have formed in 1959. Brig Magnus Malan, later Chief of the SADF, took command in 1971.
From 1 August 1974, units transferred from Western Province Command to the new 71 Motorised Brigade included the Cape Field Artillery, the Cape Town Highlanders, Regiment Westelike Provinsie, Regiment Boland, Regiment Oranjerivier, a South African Engineer Corps field squadron, 74 Signal Squadron SACS, 4 Maintenance Unit, 30 Field Workshop SAOSC, and 3 Field Ambulance. 12 Supply and Transport Company, originally established on 22 August 1961, became 4 Maintenance Unit on 1 September 1971.
By the early 1980s Western Province Command included the Cape Garrison Artillery, 101 Signal Squadron, 6 Base Ordnance Depot, Command Workshops (all at Cape Town) the South African Cape Corps Battalion (Eerste River, Western Cape), 2 Military Hospital, 3 Field Ambulance, and three Commandos (all at Wynberg) and 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment SAA and 4 Electronics Workshops (both at Youngsfield Military Base at Ottery, Cape Town).
It was disbanded c. 1999 after the South African Defence Review 1998.