7 South African Infantry Division
7 Division SADF | |
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![]() SADF 7 Division original Flash | |
Active | 1965–1999 |
Country | South Africa |
Branch | South African Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Commanders | |
Officer Commanding 1972 | Major General Neil Webster |
Officer Commanding 1980 | Brigadier G.P. Kruys |
Officer Commanding 1983 | Brigadier General Helm Roos 1989 |
Officer Commanding 1987 | Brigadier General Gerrie Moolman |
Officer Commanding | Brigadier H.B. Smit |
Officer Commanding 1996 | Brigadier General Roland de Vries |
Insignia | |
SADF 7 Division Command Bar | ![]() |
SADF 7 Division Stable Belt | ![]() |
7 South African Infantry Division was a
History
Origin of 7 Division from existing and new Brigades
7 Division and 17, 18 and 19 Brigades were established on 1 April 1965.[1] Difficulties with manning levels saw the disestablishment of 7 Division on 1 November 1967 and its replacement by the Army Task Force (HQ) and 16 Brigade.
Re-designated Headquarters
On 2 April 1971, a small band of officers (Brigadier Webster, Colonel Klaus Von Lieres, Colonel Hugh Hardingham, Major Barry York, Major Gerrie Moolman, Captain Bertie Suter, and Captain Manus Bothma) were summoned to meet with Major General Stapelberg (Combat General, Witwatersrand Command) to inaugurate the establishment of 7 Division, South African Army. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Transvaal Irish Regiment in Johannesburg.
From 1 September 1972 Army Task Force Headquarters was redesignated HQ 7 Division.[2][3]
Sister Divisions
Two years later, it was decided to organise the Army's conventional force into two divisions, 7th and
Leadership
7 Division was commanded by:
From | Officer Commanding | To |
1972 | Major General Neil Webster[a] | 1983 |
1983 | Brigadier General Heim Roos | 1987 |
1987 | Brigadier General Gerrie Moolman [b] | 1996 |
From | Regimental Sergeants Major | To |
nd | Unknown | nd
|
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/SADF_7th_Division_structure_original.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/SADF_original_7_Division_patch_badge_1970%27s.jpg/100px-SADF_original_7_Division_patch_badge_1970%27s.jpg)
It appears from Colonel Lionel Crook's book on 71 Brigade[5] that two of 7 Division's three brigades were redesignations of 17th and 18th Brigades. 71 Motorised Brigade was the former 17 Brigade, 72 Brigade was the former 18 Brigade, and 73 Brigade was a new formation.[5]
Divisional Level Attached Units
Artillery, maintenance, engineers, signals and provost (Military Police)
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SADF 1 Locating Regiment Flash
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SADF 7 Division 7 Light Anti aircraft Regiment Flash. This regiment with6 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment(20mm) provided Divisional anti-aircraft support.
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SADF 7 Division Cape Garrison Artillery Flash
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SADF 7 Division Regiment Vaalrivier Flash
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SADF 7 Division 7 Medium Artillery Regiment Unit Flash
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SADF 7 Division University of Potchefstroom Regiment Flash
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SADF 7 Division 19 Rocket Regiment Flash
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SADF 7 Division 11 Maintenance Unit Flash
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SADF 7 Division 15 Maintenance Unit Flash
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SADF 7 Division 30 Maintenance Unit Flash
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SADF 7 Division 6 Field Engineer Flash
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SADF 7 Division 7 Signals Group Flash
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SADF 7 Division Provost Company Flash. During 1998, this unit was re-named to 17 Provost Company and transferred to 1 Provost Regiment of the Military Police Division. This was the same time that units of the division were transferred to Type Formations of the SA Army.
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SADF 7 Division 14 Field Workshop Flash
71 Motorised Brigade
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/SADF_7_Division_71_Brigade_structure.jpg/900px-SADF_7_Division_71_Brigade_structure.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/SADF_71_Brigade_stable_belt.jpg/150px-SADF_71_Brigade_stable_belt.jpg)
72 Motorised Brigade
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/SADF_7_Division_72_Brigade_associated_units_ver_1.jpg)
73 Motorised Brigade
73 Motorised Brigade was established in Pretoria.73 Motorised Brigade may have also had its headquarters at Kensington (Johannesburg) for some time.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/SADF_7_Division_73_Brigade_associated_units_over_time_update_2.jpg/900px-SADF_7_Division_73_Brigade_associated_units_over_time_update_2.jpg)
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SADF 7 Division 73 Brigade HQ Flash
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SADF 7 Division 73 Brigade Regiment Hillcrest Flash
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SADF 7 Division 73 Brigade 6 Light Anti Aircraft Flash
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SADF 7 Division 73 Brigade Vrystaat Artillerie Regiment Flash
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SADF 7 Division 73 Brigade Regiment Oos Rand Flash
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SADF 7 Division 10 Maintenance Unit Flash
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SADF 7 Division 73 Brigade Regiment Northern Transvaal 2nd Battalion tupper flash
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SADF 7 Division 73 Brigade Regiment Christiaan Beyers tupper flash
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SADF era 73 Brigade regiment Molopo insignia tupper flash
Mobilisation and Exercises
7 Division had its own Mobilisation Centre based at de Brug near Bloemfontein.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/SADF_7th_division_mobilisation_centre.jpg/250px-SADF_7th_division_mobilisation_centre.jpg)
7 Division's major training exercises were held at Lohatla Army Battle School in the Northern Cape, called Quick Silver and Thunder Chariot, one of the most notable was the Thunder Chariot of 1984:[7]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/SADF_7_Division_Exercise_Thunder_Chariot_1984.jpg/200px-SADF_7_Division_Exercise_Thunder_Chariot_1984.jpg)
Command Theatres
In the early 1980s, the Army was restructured to counter all forms of insurgency while at the same time maintaining a credible conventional force. To meet these requirements, the Army was subdivided into conventional and counterinsurgency forces. The Citizen Force, through the 7th and 8th Divisions, provided the Conventional Defence Force. In 1984 Northern Transvaal Command was subdivided and Far North Command (Pietersburg) formed. These two new Commands were regarded as theatres and as such also had responsibility for conventional operations (and units) within their areas.[8] Far North Command had 73 Motorised Brigade within its area; it is not clear how much influence HQ 7 SA Division then had over that Brigade.
Inter-divisional Reorganizing
By 1985, 7 Division consisted of 71 Motorised Brigade, 73 Motorised Brigade and
7 South African Infantry Division | |
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Active | 1991–1999 |
Country | ![]() |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch | South African Army |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Insignia | |
SADF 7 SA Infantry Division flash | ![]() |
7th SA Infantry Division Command Bar | ![]() |
7th SA Infantry Division flag | ![]() |
SADF 7 SA Infantry Division Stable belt | ![]() |
Renaming
In the latter half of 1991 the official division designation of 7 Division was altered to 7 South African Infantry Division.[9]
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7 South African Infantry Division with Chief of Army Command
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Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit with 7 South African Infantry Division Command
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Transvaal State Artillery with 7 South African Infantry Division Command
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11 Maintenance Unit with 7 South African Infantry Division Command
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Regiment de la Rey 1st Battalion with 7 South African Infantry Division
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/SADF_7_SA_Infantry_Division_Pocket_badge.jpg/80px-SADF_7_SA_Infantry_Division_Pocket_badge.jpg)
Divisional restructuring
Between 1992 until 1 April 1997, the Army reduced each
- a reconnaissance battalion,
- two anti-aircraft defence battalions (AA guns),
- two battalions of artillery (G-5s and G-6s),
- a battalion of 127mm MRLs,
- an engineer battalion,
- two battalions of Olifant MBTs,
- two infantry battalions mounted in Ratel ICVs, and
- finally two infantry battalions mounted in Buffel APCs.
To provide part of these forces,
Divisions re-designated as Brigades and returned to 7 South African Infantry Division
74 Brigade
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/SADF_era_74_Brigade_with_7_Inf_Division_tupper_flash.jpg/120px-SADF_era_74_Brigade_with_7_Inf_Division_tupper_flash.jpg)
75 Brigade
Final Divisional Structure
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/SADF_7_South_African_Infantry_Division_structure_2nd_ver.png)
Disbandment
7 South African Infantry Division itself was disbanded on 1 April 1999 and all army battalions were assigned to 'type' formations, in accordance with the recommendations of the South African Defence Review 1998.[12]
Insignia
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/SADF_7_Division_Brigade_beret_emblems.jpg/300px-SADF_7_Division_Brigade_beret_emblems.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/SADF_7_Infantry_Division_Warrant_Officer_Insignia.jpg/300px-SADF_7_Infantry_Division_Warrant_Officer_Insignia.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/SADF_7_Division_Company_Flashes.jpg/400px-SADF_7_Division_Company_Flashes.jpg)
References
- ISSN 2224-0020. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ "7 SIG GROUP". A Signals Badge Collection. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ Dorning, and Monick, 'The Forging of a Strike Force Part II,' Scientia Militaria, 22/3, 1992, p.32 fn 1.
- ^ "SACMP Corps History 1946–1988". redcap. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ OCLC 35814757.
- ^ Monick, Part II, 1992, p.31
- ^ Cowell, Alan. "MAJOR MANEUVERS HELD BY PRETORIA". Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ "A Short History of the South African Army". rhodesia.nl. From: South African Defence Force Review 1991. 1991. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ Monick Part II, p.32 fn 1
- ^ See Jane's Defence Weekly 20 December 1992 and, earlier, 20 July 1991. Divisional HQ location source http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/asr/SADR13/Sass.html Archived 16 February 2003 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "SACMP Corps History 1988–98". redcap. Archived from the original on 5 September 2004. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ Engelbrecht, Leon (17 February 2010). "Fact file: 7 SA Division". defenceweb.co.za. efenceWeb. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
Additional reading
- John Keegan, World Armies, p. 639, cited in Lt Cdr Carl T. Orbann USN, 'South African Defense Policy,' Thesis for the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA., June 1984. Keegan edited this volume, though a different author wrote the section on the South African Army. There are at least three errors in the listing of 7 and 8 Divisions described as being as of the date of the book (1979 or 1983). Two towns are misspelt, and one regiment still has the royal title incorporated despite the 'Royal' prefix having been dropped after 1965. Thus it is not clear how accurate the South African order-of-battle section is.