South African Army Order of Battle 1940

This page details the South African Army order of battle in 1940, before and after the formation of expeditionary forces.

South African Army – 3 September 1939 – July 1940
Defence Headquarters: Pretoria, Transvaal

Cape Command
HQ The Castle, Cape Town, Cape Province
 * A. Permanent Force
 * Cape Detachment, The Special Service Battalion: Cape Town
 * No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery: Bamboevlei, Wynberg
 * The Coast Artillery Brigade: HQ, The Castle, Cape Town
 * 2 Sections of Cape Garrison Artillery designated as Engineers and Signals: Cape Town
 * 1st Heavy Battery: Cape Town (Wynard Battery): Table Bay
 * 2nd Heavy Battery: Simonstown (Queen's Battery): Simonstown
 * 1st Medium Battery: Cape Town
 * 2nd Medium Battery: Cape Town
 * No. 1 Armoured Train: Cape Town
 * The Cape Field Artillery (Prince Albert's Own): Cape Town


 * B. Active Citizen Force
 * 3rd Infantry Brigade: HQ Cape Town
 * The Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles: Cape Town
 * The Cape Town Highlanders (The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn's Own): Cape Town
 * The Kimberley Regiment: Kimberley
 * 3rd Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Cape Town
 * 8th Infantry Brigade: HQ Oudtshoorn
 * Regiment Westelike Provinsie: Stellenbosch
 * Regiment Suid-Westelike Distrikte: Oudtshoorn
 * Die Middellandse Regiment: Graff-Reinet
 * 8th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Cape Town

Eastern Province Command
HQ East London, Cape Province
 * A. Permanent Force
 * 5th Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: East London
 * 6th Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: Port Elizabeth
 * B. Active Citizen Force
 * 2nd Infantry Brigade: HQ Port Elizabeth
 * The Prince Alfred's Guard: Port Elizabeth
 * The Kaffrarian Rifles: East London
 * The First City: Grahamstown
 * 2nd Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Uitenhage
 * Die Middellandse Regiment (See 8th Infantry Brigade)

Natal Command
HQ Durban, Natal
 * A. Permanent Force
 * Royal Durban Light Infantry Company, The Special Service Battalion: Durban
 * 3rd Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: Durban Beach
 * 4th Heavy Battery, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: The Bluff, Durban
 * B. Active Citizen Force
 * The Natal Field Artillery: Durban
 * 'A', 'B' Batteries: Durban
 * 'C' Battery: Pietermaritzburg
 * 1st Infantry Brigade (South Africa): HQ Pietermaritzburg
 * 1st Royal Natal Carabineers: Pietermaritzburg
 * 2nd Royal Natal Carabineers: Ladysmith
 * The Umvoti Mounted Rifles: Greytown
 * 1st Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Durban
 * 7th Infantry Brigade: HQ Durban
 * The Natal Mounted Rifles: Durban
 * 1st, 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry: Durban
 * 7th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Durban

Orange Free State Command
HQ Bloemfontein, Orange Free State
 * A. Permanent Force
 * The Pioneer Battalion: Bloemfontein
 * B. Active Citizen Force
 * The Oranje Vry Staat Veldartillerie
 * 1ste Batterie: Tempe
 * 2de Batterie: Bethlehem
 * 4th Infantry Brigade: HQ Bloemfontein
 * Regiment de Wet: Kroonstad
 * Regiment Louw Wepner: Ladybrand
 * Regiment President Steyn: Bloemfontein
 * 4th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Bloemfontein
 * The Kimberley Regiment (See 3rd Infantry Brigade)

Robert's Heights and Transvaal Command
HQ Robert's Heights, Transvaal
 * A. Permanent Force
 * The Special Service Battalion: Robert's Heights
 * The Artillery School: Robert's Heights
 * The Artillery Depot: Robert's Heights
 * No. 2 Armoured Train, South African Permanent Garrison Artillery: Robert's Heights
 * B. Active Citizen Force
 * 1st Field Survey Company, South African Engineer Corps: Robert's Heights
 * 6th Infantry Brigade (HQ Pretoria)
 * 1st, 2nd Pretoria Regiment (Princess Alice's Own): Pretoria
 * Regiment De la Rey: Rustenburg
 * 6th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Pretoria

Witwatersrand Command
HQ Johannesburg, Transvaal
 * A. Active Citizen Force
 * The Transvaal Horse Artillery (A, B Batteries): Johannesburg
 * 5th Infantry Brigade: HQ Johannesburg
 * The Imperial Light Horse: Johannesburg
 * 1st, 2nd Transvaal Scottish: Johannesburg
 * 5th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Johannesburg
 * 9th Infantry Brigade: HQ Johannesburg
 * The Witwatersrand Rifles: Johannesburg
 * The Rand Light Infantry: Johannesburg
 * Regiment Botha: Morgenson
 * 9th Field Company, South African Engineer Corps: Johannesburg

The Defence Rifle Associations (Commandos)

 * The Cape Defence Rifle Association
 * The Transvaal Defence Rifle Association
 * The Natal Defence Rifle Association
 * The Orange Free State Defence Rifle Association

Active Citizen Force Infantry Battalions and Brigades 1940

 * March 1940 – Intended Organization (HQ &amp; Recruiting Areas)
 * 1st South African Infantry Brigade
 * 1st Royal Natal Carabineers – Pietermaritzburg
 * 1st Duke of Edinburgh's Rifles – Cape Town
 * 1st Transvaal Scottish – Johannesburg
 * 2nd South African Infantry Brigade
 * 1st Field Force Battalion – Ladysmith
 * 2nd Field Force Battalion – Ladysmith
 * 1st Natal Mounted Rifles – Durban
 * 3rd South African Infantry Brigade
 * 1st Imperial Light Horse – Johannesburg
 * 1st Royal Durban Light Infantry – Durban
 * 1st Rand Light Infantry – Johannesburg
 * 4th South African Infantry Brigade
 * 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry – Durban
 * 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles – Greytown
 * The Kaffrarian Rifles – East London
 * 5th South African Infantry Brigade
 * 2nd Regiment Botha – North of Nylstroom
 * 3rd Transvaal Scottish – Benoni
 * 1st South African Irish – Johannesburg
 * 6th South African Infantry Brigade
 * 1st South African Police – Pretoria
 * 2nd South African Police – Pretoria
 * 2nd Transvaal Scottish – Johannesburg
 * 7th South African Infantry Brigade
 * The Pretoria Highlanders – Pretoria
 * 1st Pretoria Regiment – Pretoria
 * The First City – Grahamstown
 * 8th South African Infantry Brigade
 * Regiment De la Rey
 * 1st Witwatersrand Rifles – Johannesburg
 * The Cape Town Highlanders – Cape Town
 * 9th South African Infantry Brigade
 * The Prince Alfred's Guard – Port Elizabeth
 * Regiment President Steyn – Bloemfontein
 * Regiment Westelike Provinsie – Stellenbosch
 * 10th South African Infantry Brigade
 * The Kimberley Regiment- Kimberley
 * Regiment South Westelike Distrike – George
 * 1st Regiment Botha – South of Nylstroom
 * 11th South African Infantry Brigade
 * 2nd Witwatersrand Rifles – Springs
 * 1st South-West African Infantry Battalion – Windhoek
 * Die Middelandse Regiment – Graff-Reinet
 * 12th South African Infantry Brigade
 * 2nd Royal Natal Carabineers – Ladysmith
 * 2nd Pretoria Regiment – Pretoria
 * 2nd Rand Light Infantry – Krugersdorp
 * Others
 * Regiment de Wet – Kroonstaad
 * Regiment Louw Wepner – Ladybrand
 * 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles – Greytown
 * 2nd Imperial Light Horse – Johannesburg

1st Reserve Brigade – Raised 29 February 1940

 * 1st Battalion (Transvaal) – Raised 29 February 1940 at Johannesburg
 * 2nd Battalion (The Cape Peninsular Rifles) – Raised 29 February 1940 at Cape Town
 * 3rd Battalion (The Natal Scottish) – Raised 29 February 1940 at Durban
 * 4th Battalion (The Witwatersrand Rifles) – Raised 29 February 1940
 * 5th Battalion (Eastern Province) – Raised 29 February 1940
 * 6th Battalion (Transvaal) – Raised 29 February 1940
 * 7th Battalion (Orange Free State and Kimberly) – Raised 1941
 * 8th Battalion (Transvaal) – Raised 1941
 * 9th Battalion – Raised 1943
 * 10th Battalion – Raised 1943
 * 11th Battalion – Raised 1943
 * 12th Battalion – Raised 1943

1st Mounted Command Division 10 June 1940 – Piet Retief

 * 1st Field Squadron, SAEC
 * 1st Mounted Brigade
 * 1st Mounted Regiment – Formed at Pretoria
 * 2nd Mounted Regiment – Formed in the Transvaal
 * 3rd Mounted Regiment – Formed in the Transvaal
 * 2nd Mounted Brigade
 * 4th Mounted Regiment – Formed in Orange Free State
 * 5th Mounted Regiment – Formed in Natal
 * 6th Mounted Regiment – Formed at the Castle, Cape Town, Cape Province

The Mobilization of the South African Mobile Field Force – 1940

 * 1st South African Division – Raised 13 August 1940 at Robert's Heights
 * 3rd Field Brigade, SAA (Transvaal Horse Artillery)
 * 4th Field Brigade, SAA
 * 7th Field Brigade, SAA
 * 1st Anti-Tank Brigade, SAA
 * 1st, 5th, 12th Field Companies, SAEC
 * 19th Divisional Field Park Company, SAEC
 * 1st South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 13 May 1940 at Kafferskraal)
 * 1st Royal Natal Carabineers
 * The Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles
 * 1st Transvaal Scottish
 * 2nd South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 13 May 1940 at Premier Mine)
 * 1st, 2nd Field Force Battalions
 * 1st Natal Mounted Rifles
 * 5th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 16 June 1940 at Barberton)
 * 3rd Transvaal Scottish
 * 2nd Regiment Botha
 * 1st South African Irish Regiment Regiment
 * 2nd South African Division (Raised 23 October 1940)
 * 1st Field Brigade, SAA (Cape Field Artillery (Prince Alfred's Own))
 * 2nd Field Brigade, SAA (Natal Field Artillery)
 * 5th Light Field Brigade, SAA
 * 2nd Anti-Tank Brigade, SAA
 * 2nd, 4th, 10th Field Companies, SAEC
 * 20th Divisional Field Park Company, SAEC
 * 3rd South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 8 June 1940 at Zonderwater)
 * 1st Imperial Light Horse
 * 1st Royal Durban Light Infantry
 * 1st Rand Light Infantry
 * 4th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 17 June 1940 at Oribi Camp, Pietermaritzburg
 * 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles (Until October 1940)
 * 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry
 * The Kaffrarian Rifles
 * The Umvoti Mounted Rifles (From October 1940)
 * 6th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 17 June 1940 at Pietermaritzburg
 * 1st Pretoria Highlanders (Until November 1940)
 * 1st, 2nd South African Police
 * 2nd Transvaal Scottish (From 21 November 1940)
 * 3rd South African Division (Raised 23 October 1940 at Pretoria)
 * 6th Light Field Brigade, SAA
 * 8th, 9th, 10th Field Companies, SAEC
 * 17th Divisional Field Park Company, SAEC
 * 7th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 11 July 1940 at Premier Mine)
 * 1st Pretoria Regiment
 * 1st Witwatersrand Rifles
 * Regiment De la Rey
 * 8th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 1 July 1940 in East London. Disbanded November 1940.)
 * The Cape Town Highlanders
 * The First City
 * Prince Alfred's Guard
 * 9th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised 15 July 1940 at Premier Mine)
 * Regiment President Steyn (Until 22/11/40)
 * Die Middelandse Regiment
 * Regiment Westelike Provinsie (Until 1 September 1940)
 * 2nd Pretoria Regiment (From Sep 1940 to Oct 1940)
 * 2nd Transvaal Scottish (From 4 Sep 1940 to 21 Nov 1940)
 * 2nd Royal Natal Carabineers (From 9 Sep 1940 to 3 Oct 1940)
 * 1st Regiment Botha (From Sep 1940 to Nov 1940)
 * 1st Pretoria Highlanders (From Nov 1940)
 * The Cape Town Highlanders (From 6 Nov 1940)
 * 2nd Natal Mounted Rifles (From 23 Nov 1940)
 * 10th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised July 1940.)
 * The Kimberley Regiment
 * 2nd Witwatersrand Rifles
 * The First City Regiment
 * 11th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised July 1940. Disbanded October 1940.)
 * 2nd Witwatersrand Rifles
 * 1st South-West African Infantry Battalion
 * 2nd Imperial Light Horse
 * 12th South African Infantry Brigade (Raised July 1940. Disbanded September 1940.)
 * 2nd Royal Natal Carabineers
 * 2nd Pretoria Regiment
 * 2nd Rand Light Infantry