The South African Army Engineer Formation is the controlling entity of all
South African Army
The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. ...
military engineering
Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics be ...
units. The Formation is currently commanded by the General Officer Commanding (GOC); Brigadier General
D.W. Nkosi, as of early 2013.
History
Relationship with the Corps of Royal Engineers
Cape Volunteers Engineer Corps
Military Engineers first made their appearance in South Africa during the Colonial era in 1859 the Governor of the Cape Colony authorised the establishment of the Cape Engineers (Volunteers), which in 1861 became simply the Cape Engineers. In 1865, the title was changed to the Cape Volunteer Engineer Corps, but in 1869, the Corps literally faded away. Ten years later in 1879, the Corps was resuscitated under the name Cape Town Volunteer Engineers. These sappers supported the ground forces during the Frontier Wars and even as far afield as Basutoland.
Natal Engineer Corps
In 1910, the Natal Engineer Corps was formed but ceased to exist in 1913, a year after the passing of the Defence Act in 1912. Just before the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Cape Fortress Engineers were formed to relieve Imperial Troops occupied on sapper tasks in the fixed defences of the Cape Peninsula.
South African Engineer Corps
The South African Engineer Corps was established in 1922 when the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
withdrew from South Africa with the rest of the British Army garrison.
The
Cape Fortress Engineers
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck.
History
Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. The ...
was disbanded in 1933 and two more Field Companies were formed in 1935 and numbered one to six, being located in order at:
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
,
Uitenhage
Uitenhage ( ; ), officially renamed Kariega, is a South African town in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. Along with the city of Port El ...
,
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
,
Bloemfontein,
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
and
Pretoria
Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...
.
World War 2
During the period 1940 - 1945, the SA Army Engineer Corps which had started the war with a strength of 54 officers and 585 sappers, rose to the strength of approximately 16 000 men belonging to over 70 different companies or units.
![Union Defence Force World War 2 era Engineer Corps Cap badge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Union_Defence_Force_World_War_2_era_Engineer_Corps_Cap_badge.jpg)
In the development of the Corps, three aspects of military engineering had to be considered and the obvious sapper groups were the Base, Lines of Communication and Field or Fighting Groups, each with its own particular tasks but motivated by the basic requirements of maintaining the mobility and comfort of the ground forces.
Hence, the 70 different units covered the whole spectrum of military engineering, such as:
*close support Field Companies and their Field Park Companies,
*Road Construction Companies,
*Railways,
*Harbours and Tunneling Companies,
*Survey Companies,
*Water Supply and Treatment Companies,
*Workshop and Engineer Stores Units and Chemical Warfare,
*Bomb Disposal and Camouflage Units, in all, 31 different functions and disciplines.
=The origin of the bursting grenade
=
On 29 December 1944, in recognition of outstanding achievements by the SA Army Engineer Corps during World War II,
King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...
approved the design of the Corps emblem, a bursting grenade, to be a device of 9 flames instead of the original seven, and authorised the use of the motto "Ubique", meaning "Everywhere". This is the same as that of the
Corps of Royal Engineers and has been incorporated in the cap badge.
Post World War 2
The Active Citizen Force was resurrected in early 1946 and Government Notice 1540 of 19 July 1946 announced the establishment and designation of several ACF units including two engineer regiments.
One of these regiments was 2nd Regiment S.A.E.C. which consisted of Headquarters 2nd Regiment S.A.E.C. and 1, 2 and 3 Field Squadrons and 8 Field Park Squadron.
The regiment was disbanded in 1966 and ''3rd Field Squadron'' became independent.
In 1957 the ''Mobile Battalion'' was established, which later became the ''
Mobile Watch'', then ''1 Comp Construction Regiment'', then ''1 Construction Regiment'' before being disbanded in 1968.
![SANDF Pontoon Bridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/SANDF_Pontoon_Bridge.jpg)
In 1962, the Regular Force was formed and 17 Field Squadron was created to support this force, stationed in Potchefstroom. However, in 1967 it was moved to Bethlehem and became a purely training unit. In 1974, it became two new squadrons, 24 and 25 Field Squadrons as support squadrons in the operational area of South West Africa.
In 1969, the Directorate of Engineers was established at
Kroonstad, but in 1972 it was moved to SA Army Headquarters,
Pretoria
Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...
where it was developed to what it is today.
In 1968, the 35 Field Park Squadron was established as a Regular Force Unit and in 1974 was renamed 35 Engineer Support Unit and stationed at Kroonstad. In 1975, the South West Africa Engineer Support Unit was formed and stationed at
Grootfontein. Also in 1975, arising out of all the Survey and Printing activities of the Survey and Printing Units of World War II, the 47 Survey Squadron, a Regular Force Unit, was formed. This Unit trained all the National Servicemen posted to it and in turn fed the two DF Survey Units which had been established - the 46 Survey Squadron at Cape Town in 1959 and the 45 Survey Squadron at Pietermaritzburg in 1969
![SANDF Pontoon Bridge and boat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/SANDF_Pontoon_Bridge_and_boat.jpg)
1 Construction Regiment was re-established at the end of 1976 at Marievale near Springs, Gauteng and towards the end of 1977 was tasked with the construction of the Military Base at Dukuduku on the Natal North Coast. Subsequently, due to policy changes, its activities were confined to the operational area, in support of the SA Army, with great success.
In 1982 the
Chief of the South African Army
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the boa ...
decided to create the SA Army Engineer Formation, with the Director of Engineers as Officer Commanding, which would give him increased functional and operational control over all Engineer units. On 26 November 1982, the Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General
Johannes Geldenhuys
General Johannes Jacobus (Jannie) Geldenhuys, (5 February 1935 – 10 September 2018) was a South African military commander who served as Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1985 to 1990.
Early life
Geldenhuys was born in Kroonstad ...
presented the Command Directive for the formation to the Director of Engineers.
From Corps to Formation in the SANDF
With the creation of 'type' formations after the
South African Defence Review 1998
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...
, the Engineer Formation was reformed and all units of the South African Engineer Corps were placed within a single-corps grouping.
Units
The Formation consists of both regular and reserve units: Its headquarters is at
Thaba Tshwane
Thaba Tshwane is a military base (or military area) in Pretoria, South Africa.
Units and facilities
The oldest building in the complex is the South African Garrison Institute, what is now known as the Army College. Lord Kitchener laid the corn ...
.
Regular Units
*
School of Engineers (South Africa)
The National University of Engineering ( es, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, UNI) is a public engineering and science university located in the Rímac District of Lima, Peru.
History
The National University of Engineering was founded in 1 ...
. (
Kroonstad) - Primary Training Centre for the
SAAEF
The South African Army Engineer Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army military engineering units. The Formation is currently commanded by the General Officer Commanding (GOC); Brigadier General D.W. Nkosi, as of early 20 ...
. (Part of General Support Base Kroonstad)
*
2 Field Engineer Regiment
32 Combat Engineer Regiment (32 CER) is the Primary Reserve unit of the Royal Canadian Engineers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is assigned to 32 Canadian Brigade Group, part of 4th Canadian Division.
The unit parades Friday evenings at the Den ...
. (
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
) - Primary Deployment Unit of the
SAAEF
The South African Army Engineer Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army military engineering units. The Formation is currently commanded by the General Officer Commanding (GOC); Brigadier General D.W. Nkosi, as of early 20 ...
. The regiment was formed in 1973 from 17 Field Squadron, which had relocated to Bethlehem from Potchefstroom in 1967.
[Leon Englebrecht, A Guide to the SANDF, Unpublished Manuscript (via Internet), Johannesburg, 2007, 58.] The main function of 2 Field Engineer Regiment is to provide mobility to, and ensuring the survivability of the landward forces of the SANDF, and to deny the mobility of the enemy when needed. This is done through mine warfare, water purification, bridge building, demolitions, basic field engineering, obstacles, defensive works and watermanship. The unit was deployed extensively during the war in Namibia, but has also rendered support in disaster relief operations, such as Merriespruit and during floods in KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo.
*
35 Engineer Support Regiment
35 Engineer Support Regiment is a regiment of the South African Engineer Corps. The role of the unit is to be the depot of prime mission equipment for the engineer corps.
History Origin
Originally established at Kroonstad
Kroonstad (Afrikaan ...
. (
Dunnottar) - Unit responsible for the maintenance of all Engineering equipment. (Part of Military Base Dunnottar)
*
1 Construction Regiment SAEC. (
Dunnottar) - Unit responsible for all construction and Building maintenance work. Mostly Plumbers, Electricians and Builders are stationed here. (Part of Military Base Dunnottar)
*
Engineer Terrain Intelligence Unit (
Thaba Tshwane
Thaba Tshwane is a military base (or military area) in Pretoria, South Africa.
Units and facilities
The oldest building in the complex is the South African Garrison Institute, what is now known as the Army College. Lord Kitchener laid the corn ...
) - Compilation and production of maps and other printed material. (Formed from the merger of 1 Military Printing Regiment and 4 Survey and Mapping Regiment.)
Reserve Units
*
Ihawu Field Engineer Regiment
The Ihawu Field Engineer Regiment (formerly 3 Field Engineer Regiment) is a reserve engineer regiment of the South African Army.
History Origin
3 Field Engineer Regiment was formed in 1926 as three engineer companies.
World War II
In 1940, 3 F ...
, in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
. In 1966 with the disestablishment of 2 Regiment SAEC, 3rd Field Squadron became independent. On 25 January 1983 3 Fd Eng Sqn was expanded to a regiment.
The Regiment attended "Exercise Thunder Chariot" in 1984 and in the years that followed saw riot control service before once again proving their worth in 1988 and 1989 as conventional warfare troops.
*
Umkhonto Field Engineer Regiment
The Umkhonto Field Engineer Regiment (formerly 19 Field Engineer Regiment) is a regiment of the South African Army Engineer Formation. The unit is based in Durban with the HQ being at Old Fort Military Base, Lord's Grounds . As a reserve unit, it ...
,
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
*
2 Construction Regiment SAEC,
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
*
Ukhosi Parachute Engineer Regiment
44 Parachute Brigade was a parachute infantry brigade of the South African Army. It was founded on 20 April 1978, by Colonel Jan Breytenbach, following the disbandment of 1 SA Corps and the battle of Cassinga. Upon formation, the brigade was co ...
3 Field Squardron took part in Operation Savannah in 1976
Closed Units
*
14 Engineer Regiment - Same as 1 Construction Regiment.
*
4 Field Engineer Regiment
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
- Field Regiment.
*
6 Field Engineer Regiment - Field Regiment.
*
9 Field Engineer Regiment - Field Regiment.
*
20 Field Engineer Regiment - Field Regiment.
Insignia
*
*
*
Leadership
Equipment
The Formation uses the following equipment, among others:
Combat Engineering
Construction Engineering
References
{{SA Army Units
South African administrative corps
Military engineer corps
Military units and formations established in 1982
1982 establishments in South Africa