Torch Commando
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Formation | 1951 |
---|---|
Origins | Springbok Legion |
President | Sailor Malan |
The Torch Commando was a South African anti-apartheid organisation, born out of the work of the
established with the involvement of Springbok Legionnaires to appeal to a broader base of ex-servicemen.It was underwritten by Harry Oppenheimer, through an opaque trust fund.[2]
The Springbok Legion was initially formed by members of the 9th Recce Battalion of the South African Tank Corps, the Soldiers Interests Committee formed by members of the First South African Brigade in Addis Ababa, and the Union of Soldiers formed by the same brigade in Egypt.
The aims and objectives of the Springbok Legion were enunciated in its 'Soldiers Manifesto'. The Springbok Legion was open to all servicemen regardless of race or gender and was avowedly anti-fascist and anti-racist. Amongst its leading members were servicemen such as
The Torch Commando was founded in 1951 during the
The wartime RAF fighter ace Group Captain Adolph Sailor Malan became the president of the 'Torch Commando'. The commando's main activities were torchlight marches, from which they took their name. The largest march attracted 75,000 protesters.
The Torch Commando existed for more than five years, and at its height claimed to have had 250,000 members. The government was alarmed by the number of judges, public servants and military officers joining the organisation, and a new law was passed to ban anyone in public service or the military from joining. Subsequently the
References
- ^ "A History of the Springbok Legion | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
- ^ "23 May 1952 - Most Powerful Man In South Africa". Examiner. Trove.nla.gov.au. 1952-05-23. Retrieved 2015-05-14.
External links