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72 Motorised Brigade was a Formation of 7th Infantry Division (South Africa), a combined arms force consisting of infantry, armour and artillery.
History
Origin
18 Brigade
72 Brigade can trace its origins back to a structure in the late 1960s, called 18 Brigade, which was headquartered in Kensington. On 1 August 1974, through a reorganization of the Army’s conventional force, the name was changed to 72 Motorised Brigade.Initial Structure
Under this reorganisation, the following units were transferred from Witwatersrand Command to the new command: *Transvaal Scottish Regiment Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...
, 1st Battalion
*South African Irish Regiment
The Andrew Mlangeni Regiment (formerly South African Irish Regiment) is a reserve infantry regiment of the South African Army.
History Origins
Although all the regular units of Irish origin in the British Army have served in South Africa at s ...
,
*Johannesburg Regiment
The Johannesburg Regiment is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit.
History Origins as Artillery
Johan ...
,
* 1 Light Horse Regiment,
*Transvaal Horse Artillery Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...
,
*12 Field Squadron
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
,
*72 Signal Squadron
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
,
*7 Maintenance Unit
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
,
*31 Field Workshop and
*5 Field Ambulance.
Higher Command
During its period 72 Motorised Brigade resorted at different stages under the 7 and 8 Divisions.
Brigade Training and Exercises
72 Motorised Brigade would generally make use of the General de Wet Training Range, Tempe, near Bloemfontein. Notably 72 Motorised Brigade was involved in Exercise Thunder Chariot, a Divisional exercise held since 1956, at the Army Battle School. Other exercises included: *Exercise de Wet 2 in April and May 1975 *Exercise Quicksilver in May 1978 in the Kimberly-Schmidtsdrift-Douglas area *Exercise Eagle Hill 1 in April 1979 at LohatlaOperational Activation
As a Citizen Force structure, 72 Motorised Brigade would make use of call-up orders for its personnel to generally report for 3 months service. Headquarters staff would then leave for Tempe nearBloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...
, where a transfer camp would be established to process troops en route to the operational area in northern South West Africa. Processing of units would include personal documentation, a medical examination, inoculation and the issuing of equipment and weapons. Each unit on completion of the necessary processing, would entrain to the Olienhoutplaat Station for a six-day journey to Grootfontein
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, motto = Fons Vitæ
, image_skyline = Grootfontein grass.jpg
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, the railhead near the Operational Area.
South West Africa and Angola
In January 1976 72 Motorised Brigade was mobilised mainly to protect the Ruacana/Caluque Water scheme in the Cunene River. Colonel S.W.J. Kotze took control of the Brigade at that stage. On 27 March 1976, the formation returned from Angola.The rear headquarters
By 1978, the Brigade took over 1 Mobilisation Centre in Pretoria as its Rear Headquarters.73375198 PE
72 Motorised Brigade received the Freedom of Johannesburg on 16 February 1980.Insignia
Leadership
*Brigadier S.J. Terblanche 1974 *Colonel S.W.J. Kotze 1976- 1980 *Colonel E. Webb 1980See also
*Notes
References
External links
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Brigades of South Africa Disbanded military units and formations in Johannesburg Military units and formations established in 1974 Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War Military units and formations disestablished in 1992