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Winburg Commando was a
By 1902 all Commando remnants were under British military control and disarmed. By 1912, however previous Commando members could join shooting associations. By 1940, such commandos were under control of the National Reserve of Volunteers. These commandos were formally reactivated by 1948.
light infantry
Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
of the 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. ...
. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation
The South African Army Infantry Formation supervises all infantry within the South African Army.
History Origins: Union Defence Force
South African Infantry originated as the ''Infantry Branch'' of the Union Defence Forces in 1913.
In 1915, ...
as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.
History
Origin
With the Orange Free State Republic
In October 1899, PresidentMarthinus Steyn
Martinus (or Marthinus) Theunis Steyn (; 2 October 1857 – 28 November 1916) was a South African lawyer, politician, and statesman. He was the sixth and last president of the independent republic the Orange Free State from 1896 to 1902.
Ear ...
of the Orange Free State
The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
ordered his commandants to muster all able bodied burgers in anticipation of war with the British. Marthinus Prinsloo
Marthinus Prinsloo (1838 - 1903) was an Orange Free State Boer farmer, politician and general in the Second Boer War (1899-1902). He was born of Nicolaas Frans Prinsloo (1813-1890) and Isabella Johanna Petronella Rautenbach (1819-around 1908) in ...
was elected as commandant of Winburg
Winburg is a small mixed farming town in the Free State province of South Africa.
It is the oldest proclaimed town (1837) in the Orange Free State, South Africa and thus along with Griquastad, one of the oldest settlements in South Africa lo ...
.
On 9 October 1900 he occupied positions at Platberg Mountain near Harrismith
Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony. It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, abo ...
. He was subsequently elected Chief Commandant of the Free State and then Helgard Theunissen was placed in command of the Winburg Commando. Note that Boer General Koos de la Rey
Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey (22 October 1847 – 15 September 1914), better known as Koos de la Rey, was a South African military officer who served as a Boer general during the Second Boer War. also had a political career and was one of the l ...
was born in the district of Winburg on the farm Doornfontein. A subcommando of the Winburg Commando from Senekal
Senekal is a town situated on the banks of the Sand River in the eastern part of the Free State province of South Africa. It was named after Commandant FP Senekal. It is the second largest town in Setsoto Municipality after Ficksburg, the lar ...
began operating independently. Together these and other commandos invaded the Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to ...
in the upper Tugela
The Tugela River ( zu, Thukela; af, Tugelarivier) is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of , it is one of the most important rivers of the country.
The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the Dr ...
region.
(Transfer to the Western Front and the Battle of Paardeberg
The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg ("Horse Mountain") was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near ''Paardeberg Drift'' on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free State near Kimberley.
Lord Methuen adv ...
)
The Winburg Commando was withdrawn from the Natal Front on 14 February 1900 and rushed to the Kimberley area to assist General Piet Cronje
Piet may refer to:
People
*Piet (given name), a common name in the Netherlands and South Africa
*Henri Piet (1888–1915), French lightweight boxer
*Tony Piet (1906–1981), American Major League Baseball player
Schools
*Purushottam Institute of ...
.
500 Boers from Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
and Winburg Commandos attacked a ''koppie'' held by the Yorkshire Regiment
The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (abbreviated YORKS) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, created by the amalgamation of three historic regiments in 2006. It lost one battalion as part of the Army 2020 defence ...
and East Kent Regiment
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...
. The Boer forces were using this area as an escape route. Kommandant Helgaard Theunissen with 87 Winburgers held their ground until the main Boer forces reached safety and after a few hours surrendered to the British. At least 15 Winburgers were killed in this operation.
In the Union Defence Force (UDF, 1912-1957)
By 1902 all Commando remnants were under British military control and disarmed. By 1912, however previous Commando members could join shooting associations. By 1940, such commandos were under control of the National Reserve of Volunteers. These commandos were formally reactivated by 1948.
In the
South African Defence Force
The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...
(SADF, 1957-1994)
The majority of the commandos operations in this era was local area protection.
In the South African National Defence Force (SANDF, 1994-)
=Disbandment
= This unit, along with all other Commando units was disbanded after a decision by South African PresidentThabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...
to disband all Commando Units. The Commando system was phased out between 2003 and 2008 "because of the role it played in the apartheid era", according to the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula
Charles Nqakula (born 13 September 1942) is a South African politician who served as Minister of Defence from September 2008 to 2009. He also served as Minister for Safety and Security from May 2002 to September 2008.
Nqakula is married to fo ...
.
Unit Insignia
Leadership
* Commandant Marthinus Prinsloo 1899 * Commandant Helgard Theunissen 1899References
See also
*South African Commando System
The Commando System was a mostly voluntary, part-time force of the South African Army, but in their role as local militia the units were often deployed in support of and under the authority of the South African Police.
Mission
South Africa's ...
Infantry regiments of South Africa
South African Commando Units
Military units and formations of the Second Boer War
{{SouthAfrica-mil-stub