• Source: Orange Free State Command

      • Orange Free State Command was a command of the South African Army, active from c. 1933 to c. 1999.
      Its headquarters was at Bloemfontein, seemingly for a period at the Tempe airfield, later to become the Tempe Military Base.


      History




      = Origin

      =


      Union Defence Force Military Districts


      The command was originally Military District No. 4, formed in 1926. In 1933–1934 it became Orange Free State Command, and then may have become Central Command around 1939. The Officers commanding the new Commands were usually Brigadiers all units in those areas fell under them as far as training, housing, administration , discipline and counter insurgency were concerned.
      Dan Pienaar served as officer commanding from 4 January 1935 to January 1937, before being transferred to take command of the Roberts' Heights and Transvaal Command at Voortrekkerhoogte which he commanded from 17 October 1938 to May 1940.
      On 3 September 1939 the command included the 4th Infantry Brigade (including Regiment President Steyn, RLW, Regiment de Wet, and 4 Field Company SAEC, a pioneer battalion, and an artillery regiment, the Orange Free State Field Artillery (O.V.S. Veld Artillerie in Afrikaans). The OVSVA may have later become the Orange Free State Artillery, and later, in turn, 6 Field Regiment South African Artillery.

      In 1959 the Command was renamed back to Orange Free State Command. Later Brig Pieter Grobbelaar commanded. In April 1978 44 Parachute Brigade was formed within its command boundaries and Brigadier M. J. du Plessis, OC OFS Command, took over as the brigade commander.


      SADF


      In 1984 the command was reported to include:

      2 Field Engineer Regiment SAEC (Bethlehem, Free State)
      17 Field Squadron SAEC (Bethlehem, Free State)
      35 Engineering Supplementary Unit (Kroonstad)
      Tank Squadron, 1 Special Service Battalion (Bloemfontein)
      1 South African Infantry (Bloemfontein)
      1 Parachute Battalion (Bloemfontein)
      3 Military Hospital (Bloemfontein)

      Around 1991 44 Parachute Brigade was subordinated to OFS Command. McGill Alexander writes that: "... The status of
      being an independent formation consequently disappeared, and from being directly under command of Chief of the Army [44 Parachute Brigade] fell into the position of having three bosses: the Officer Commanding Rapid Deployment Force for conventional operations and exercises, Director of Operations at Army HQ for routine and unscheduled deployments inside the country and the Officer Commanding OFS
      Command for everything else.": 71 
      Brigadier Reginald Otto served as officer commanding OFS Command, and later became Chief of the South African Army.
      On 7 October 1999, the acting General Officer Commanding OFS Command, Brigadier General Hans Heinze, denied the existence of racial tensions at Tempe Military Base.


      Groups and Commando Units




      = Group 24 (Kroonstad)

      =
      Frankfort Commando
      Heilbron Commando
      Hoopstad Commando
      Koppies Commando
      Kroonstad Commando
      Lindley Commando
      Parys Commando
      Sasol Commando
      Sasolburg Commando
      Senekal Commando
      Virginia Commando
      Vrede Commando


      = Group 25 (Bethlehem)

      =
      Bethlehem Commando
      Harrismith Commando
      Reitz Commando


      = Group 26

      =
      Jacobsdal Commando
      Phillipolis Commando
      Winburg Commando
      Zastron Commando


      = Group 34 (Welkom)

      =
      Bothaville Commando
      Bultfontein Commando
      Odendaalsrus Commando
      Sanrivier Commando, Henneman
      Theunissen Commando
      Goldfields Commando


      = Group 35 (Bloemfontein)

      =
      Bloemfontein City Commando
      Bloemfontein District Commando
      Brandfort Commando
      Edenburg Commando
      Ficksburg Commando
      Rouxville Commando
      Smithfield Commando
      University OFS Commando
      Wepener Commando
      Fouriesburg Commando


      = Group 36 (Ladybrand)

      =
      Caledon River Commando
      Fauriesmith Commando
      Ladybrand Commando
      Senekal Commando


      Leadership




      Further reading


      Tylden, Major G (1954). The armed forces of South Africa. Johannesburg: Africana Museum.


      References

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