Wemmerpan Commando

Wemmerpan Commando
Wemmerpan Commando
	Wemmerpan Commando emblem
Active	1962-
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Republic of South Africa ; Republic of South Africa ;
Branch	South African Army ; South African Army ;
Type	Infantry
Role	Light Infantry
Size	One Battalion
Part of	South African Infantry Corps ; Army Territorial Reserve, Group 18
Garrison/HQ	Wemmer Pan
Motto(s)	Non sibi sed patriae is a Latin phrase meaning "not for self

Last updated July 25, 2023

Wemmerpan Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve.

History

Origin

Approval was granted on 3 July 1962 for the establishment of the Wemmerpan Commando.

Operations

With the SADF

On 1 March 1963, the unit was activated under the command of Capt E.W. Meerbacher. The unit owed its name to the fact that it was situated near Wemmer Pan, an old gold mine in the southern suburbs of Johannesburg. Initially the unit used the Rosettenville Central School grounds as its parade ground. Around 1990 the unit was relocated to Doornkop Military Base, the old base was repurposed again for school use.

Headquarters

The first headquarters was situated in an old nursery school in Regents Park which was received from the City Council of Johannesburg.

The unit resorted under the command of Group 18.

Border Duty

The commando performed its first border duty in 1976 (October to December), the second in 1978 (January to March). In the mid 80's the unit was refocused to Urban warefare until its closure in 1994.

National Colours

On Tuesday 26 April 1994, Wemmerpan Commando laid up its National Colours at the South African National Museum of Military History. The laying up of National Colours followed a decision of the Defence Command Council that this should be done owing to the replacement of the National Flag by a new National Flag on 27 April 1994. The laying up of Colours is, in the life of any unit in possession of Colours, an occasion of supreme historical significance.^[1]

With the SANDF

Disbandment

This unit, along with all other Commando units was disbanded after a decision by South African President Thabo Mbeki to disband all Commando Units.^[2]^[3] 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.^[4]

Unit Insignia

Leadership

Cmdt E.W. Meerbacher 1963-1964
Cmdt N.L. Whitaker 1964-1969
Maj J. Schragenheim 1969-1970
Cmdt F.R Johnstone 1970-1980
Cmdt M.K. Wood 1980-1983
Cmdt A.A. van Heerden 1984-1987
Cmdt L.J. Leonard 1988-
Cmdt D.V. Steyn -1994

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References

↑ "NATIONAL COLOURS LAID UP AT THE MUSEUM - South African Military History Society". samilitaryhistory.org.
↑ Col L B van Stade, Senior Staff Officer Rationalisation, SANDF (1997). "Rationalisation in the SANDF: The Next Challenge". Institute for Security Studies. Retrieved 5 March 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ "About the Commando system" . Retrieved 17 January 2008.
↑ de Lange, Deon. "South Africa: Commandos Were 'Hostile to New SA'" . Cape Argus. Retrieved 5 March 2015.

v t e South African Commandos
South African Army, South African Commando System
Group 1 (HQ Kelvin)	GSB Youngsfield 10 x Commandos Two Oceans Commando Cape Flats Commando False Bay Commando Koeberg Commando Lions Head Commando Skiereiland Commando/Peninsula Commando Tygerberg Commando Wynberg Commando
Group 2 (HQ Oudtshoorn)	GSB Oudtshoorn 8 x Commandos Oudtshoorn Commando Worcester Commando
Group 3 (collapsed into other groups)	Alexander Bay Commando Springbok Commando
Group 4 (collapsed into other groups)	Knysna Commando Mossel Bay Commando Outeniekwa Commando Riversdal Commando Klein Karoo Commando
Group 5 (collapsed into other groups)	Middel Karoo Commando De Aar Commando
Group 6 (HQ Port Elizabeth)	GSB Port Elizabeth 15 x Commandos De Mist Commando/Uitenhage Commando Donkin Commando Humansdorp Commando Kirkwood Commando Port Elizabeth Commando Recife Commando*
Group 7 (HQ Grahamstown)	Cradock Commando Katberg Commando Murraydeen Commando Somerset East Commando Stormberg Commando Midland Commando, (previously Fort Beaufort Commando)
Group 8 (HQ East London)	Cately Commando East London Commando
Group 9 (HQ Pietermaritzburg)	GSB Pietermaritzburg 5 x Commandos Pietermaritzburg Commando/Natalia Regiment Umkomaas Commando Umvoti Commando Midmar Commando Weenen-Kliprivier Commando Griqualand-East Commando
Group 10 (HQ Montclair, Durban)	GSB Durban 6 x Commandos Bluff Commando Highway Commando Umgeni Commando Durban South Commando Durban North Commando South Coast Commando Oribi Commando
Group 11 (HQ Dundee)	Drakensberg Commando Dundee and District Commando
Group 12 (HQ Ermelo)	GSB Nelspruit 11 x Commandos Bethal Commando Ermelo Commando Piet Retief Commando Secunda Commando Standerton Commando Volksrust Commando Wakkerstroom Commando
Group 13 (collapsed into other groups)	Letaba Commando Phalaborwa Commando
Group 14 (HQ Pietersburg)	GSB Pietersburg 7 x Commandos Pietersburg Commando Limpopo Commando(SMA) Magdol Commando Soutpansberg Commando(SMA) Thabazimbi Commando Warmbad Commando Waterberg Commando Nylstroom Potgietersrus Commando
Group 15 (HQ Thaba Tshwane)	GSB Thaba Tshwane 6 x Commandos Broederstroom Commando Bronkhorstspruit Commando Hercules Commando Hillcrest Commando Irene Commando Moot Commando Munitoria Commando Pretoria East Commando Quaggapoort Commando Schanskop Commando Wonderboom Commando
Group 16 (HQ Marievale)	GSB Johannesburg 8 x Commandos Delmas Commando Heidelberg Commando Nigel Commando Springs Commando
Group 17 (HQ Midvaal)	SASOL Commando Regiment Sasolburg Iscor Commando Krugersdorp Commando Meyerton Commando Vaal Commando Vanderbijl Commando Vereeniging Commando
Group 18 (HQ Doornkop)	GSB Johannesburg 11 x Commandos East Park Commando Johannesburg East Commando Johannesburg West Commando Randburg Commando Roodepoort Commando Wemmerpan Commando West Rand Commando
Group 19 (collapsed into other groups)	Brits Commando Koster Commando Rustenburg Commando Zeerust Commando
Group 20 (HQ Mmabatho)	GSB Potchefstroom 9 x Commandos Bloemhof Commando Christiana Commando Coligny Commando Lichtenburg Commando Marico Commando Ottosdal Commando Schweizer Reineke Commando
Group 21 (collapsed into other groups)	Kalahari Commando Kuruman Commando Mafikeng Commando Stellaland Commando Iscor Sishen Commando
Group 22 (HQ Diskobolos)	GSB Kimberley 10 x Commandos 11 Commando Barkly West Commando Herbert Commando Hopetown Commando Kimberley Commando Karoo Commando Vaalharts Commando Victoria West Commando
Group 23 (HQ Upington)	GSB Lohathla 7 x Commandos Boegoeberg Commando Gordonia Commando Kakamas Commando Hay Commando Orania Commando Prieska Commando
Group 24 (HQ Kroonstad)	GSB Kroonstad 17 x Commandos Heilbron Commando Hoopstad Commando Koppies Commando Kroonstad Commando Lindley Commando Parys Commando SASOL Commando Regiment Sasolburg Senekal Commando Virginia Commando Vrede Commando
Group 25 (HQ Bethlehem)	Bethlehem Commando Frankfort Commando Harrismith Commando Reitz Commando
Group 26 (HQ, Jacobsdal)	Jacobsdal Commando Phillipolis Commando Rouxville Commando Winburg Commando Zastron Commando
Group 27 (HQ Eshowe)	GSB Ladysmith 5 x Commandos Drakensberg Commando Dundee and District Commando Pongola Commando Tugela Commando Insele Commando Northern Natal Commando Umkhombe Commando
Group 28 (collapsed into other groups)	Belfast Commando Carolina Commando Loskop Commando Middelburg Commando Witbank Commando
Group 29 (collapsed into other groups)	Kudusrand Commando Northam Commando
Group 30 (HQ Potchefstroom)	GSB Potchefstroom 12 x Commandos Potchefstroom Commando Cachet Commando Delareyville Commando Gatsrand Commando Hartbeesfontein Commando Klerksdorp Commando NASChem Commando Orkney Commando/Noordvaal Commando Ventersdorp Commando Wolmaransstad Commando
Group 31 (HQ Wellington)	Caledon Commando Calvinia Commando Hantam Commando Paarl Commando Stellenbosch Commando Swellendam Commando Winterberg Commando Worcester Commando
Group 32 (HQ Graaff-Reinet)	Amatola Commando Graaff-Reinet Commando
Group 33 (HQ Nelspruit)	GSB Nelspruit 8 x Commandos Barberton Commando Nelspruit Commando Kruger National Park Commando Lebombo Commando Long Tom Commando Lydenburg Commando Whiteriver Commando
Group 34 (HQ Welkom)	Bothaville Commando Bultfontein Commando Odendaalsrus Commando Theunissen Commando Sandrivier Commando Goudveld Commando
Group 35 (HQ Bloemfontein)	Bloemfontein City Commando Bloemfontein District Commando Boshof Commando Brandfort Commando Edenburg Commando Ficksburg Commando Smithfield Commando University OFS Commando Wepener Commando Fouriesburg Commando
Group 36 (HQ Tempe/Ladybrand)	GSB Bloemfontein 16 x Commandos Caledon River Commando Fauresmith Commando Ladybrand Commando Senekal Commando
Group 39 (HQ Queenstown)	Aliwal North Commando Barkly East Commando Queenstown Commando
Group 40 (HQ Wingsfield)	Clanwilliam Commando Piketberg Commando Swartland Commando Van Rhynsdorp Commando West Coast Commando
Group 41 (HQ Primrose)	Atlas Commando Benoni Commando Brakpan Commando Boksburg Commando Germiston Commando Kempton Park Commando
Group 42 (HQ Lenz)	Alberton Commando Edenvale Commando Modderfontein Commando Sandton Commando (previously West Park Commando) West Park Commando (renamed Sandton Commando)
Group 46 (HQ Umtata)	GSB Port Elizabeth 7 x Commandos
Walvis Bay Military Area	Walvis Bay Commando
Danie Theron Combat School South West Karoo Commando Stormrivier Commando