| 33 Battalion/701 Battalion | |
|---|---|
 SWATF 33/701 Battalion emblem | |
| Active | 1977 |
| Country |  Namibia,  South Africa |
| Allegiance | South Africa |
| Branch |  South African Army, |
| Type | Light Infantry |
| Part of | South West African Territorial Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Mpacha, Northern Namibia |
| Nickname(s) | Eastern Caprivi Battalion |
| Insignia | |
| Part of the South West African Territorial Force |  |
33 Battalion or the Eastern Caprivi Battalion, was a light infantry battalion that was part of the SWATF.
33 Battalion was established in 1977 under the command of Major G. Preton-Thomas with a strength of one company. [1]
The main base was at Mpacha in Sector 70 or the Caprivi Strip. [2]
The unit was mainly deployed in the Caprivi, but took part in a number of external operations into Zambia and from 1978 deployed companies into Kavango, Kaokaland and Owambo. [3] During these operations the unit lost 8 Caprivians and 2 South African members.
The South West Africa Territory Force SWATF [4] renumbered battalion numbers according to their geographical positioning on the border. The prefix 10 pertained to battalions operating to the west of the Kavango River, 20 to the Kavango or central region and 70 to the eastern region. Under this system, 33 Battalion was renamed 701 Battalion in 1980.
From 1983, a company of marines was attached.
33 Battalion also had an attached SWATF armoured car squadron and an artillery battery. [5]
The units flash was officially introduced during 1982 under the command of Commandant J.A. Victor.
1985, Basson, J.L. Cav 1988, Thomas, J.A. Lt [6]
The South African Defence Force (SADF) comprised the South African armed forces from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence Force was officially succeeded by the SADF, which was established by the Defence Act of 1957. The SADF, in turn, was superseded by the South African National Defence Force in 1994.
The South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) was an auxiliary arm of the South African Defence Force (SADF) and comprised the armed forces of South West Africa from 1977 to 1989. It emerged as a product of South Africa's political control of the territory which was granted to the former as a League of Nations mandate following World War I.
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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 commanded by Brigadier M. J. du Plessis, who was assigned the task of establishing by working with the Parachute Staff Officer, Colonel Jan Breytenbach. At the time du Plessis was the commanding officer of the Orange Free State Command and had previous experience serving in 1 Parachute Battalion. Breytenbach had also been a member of 1 Parachute Battalion and had also founded the South African Special Forces Brigade and 32 Battalion. The location that was chosen for the brigade's headquarters was in the lines of the OFS Cmd Headquarters, next to the old Tempe Airfield in Bloemfontein.
The 44 Pathfinder Platoon is part of the 44 Parachute Regiment. The pathfinder is a trained and specialized paratrooper, who performs covertly behind enemy lines, either in small groups or in collaboration with other reconnaissance units.
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Operation Merlyn was a military operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF), South West African Territorial Force (SWATF) and South West African Police (SWAPOL) during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War in April 1989. The aim of the operation was to prevent the incursion of PLAN (SWAPO) insurgents into South West Africa/Namibia from bases in Angola. These incursions were in violation of a ceasefire which came into effect on 1 April 1989 via the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 and the Tripartite Accord. Initially, these PLAN incursions were tackled by South West African police units and eventually by SADF and SWATF units, released to assist the police having been confined to their bases by the peace agreements. These incursions and the conflict that occurred ended after hastily arranged talks resulted in the Mount Etjo Declaration and an eventual ceasefire.
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