37 Battalion (SWATF)

37/102 Battalion
SWATF 37 Battalion emblem
Active	1978
Country	Namibia, South Africa
Allegiance	South Africa
Branch	South African Army,
Type	Infantry
Part of	South West African Territorial Force
Garrison/HQ	Opuwo
Equipment	Casspir
Insignia
Part of the South West African Territorial Force

Military unit

102 Battalion (pronounced as one-o-two Battalion) was a quick-reaction unit of the South West African Territorial Force. The battalion lost 36 men.

History

Origin

This unit was formed in 1976 as the Kaokoland Company with 4 men. In 1978 limited recruitment of military personnel commenced and low level defensive operations in the form of patrols are undertaken. The first confirmed infiltration of SWAPO happens in 1979 and the need to establish a more offensive force is recognized and in 1980 recruitment intensifies as does training of the recruits.

Renaming

The South West Africa Territory Force SWATF renumbered battalion numbers according to their geographical positioning on the border. The prefix 10 pertained to battalions operation to the west of the Kavango River, 20 to the Kavango or central region and 70 to the eastern region. Under this system in 1981 the unit's name is changed from Kaokoland Company 37BATTALION to 102 Battalion (January 1981) and it is placed under the command of Sector 10, Oshakati.

Structure

By 1985, it had 900 plus men in 3 rifle companies based at Opuwo, Okongwati, Ondorrorundu and Sodoliet.

External Operations

Operation Protea, 1981, one company
Operation Operation Askari, 1983
Operation Excite
Operation Merlyn, 1989

References

"Introducing the SWATF" (PDF). Financial Mail (Supplement). 10 July 1987. pp. 44–47. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2018.

Snyman, PHR (1989). "Beeld Van Die SWA Gebiedsmag". Archived from the original on November 7, 2014.

Training	School of Armour
Tank	Regular 1 South African Tank Regiment Reserve Pretoria Armoured Regiment Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles Thaba Bosiu Armoured Regiment
Armoured Car	Regular 1 Special Service Battalion Reserve Umvoti Mounted Rifles Blaauwberg Armoured Regiment Molapo Armoured Regiment Johannesburg Light Horse Regiment

Infantry Formation (SAAIF)

Training	South African Infantry School
Parachute Infantry	Regular 44 Para 1 Para 44 Pathfinders 13 Signal Squadron 18 Light Regiment 44 Medical Task Group 101 Air Supply Unit SAOSC 44 Training Wing Parachute Packing Wing Reserve Bagaka Regiment 3 Para
Air Assault Infantry	Regular 6 SAI Reserve Chief Makhanda Regiment Chief Maqoma Regiment
Seaborne Infantry	Regular 9 SAI Reserve Chief Langalibalele Rifles
Light Infantry	Regular 21 SAI Reserve Rand Light Infantry OR Tambo Regiment Lenong Regiment
Mechanised Infantry	Regular 1 SAI 8 SAI Reserve General de la Rey Regiment Regiment Northern Transvaal Cape Town Highlanders General Jan Smuts Regiment Bambatha Rifles
Motorised Infantry	Regular 2 SAI 4 SAI 5 SAI 7 SAI 10 SAI 14 SAI 15 SAI 121 SAI Reserve General Botha Regiment Mapungubwe Regiment Johannesburg Regiment Andrew Mlangeni Regiment Solomon Mahlangu Regiment Tshwane Regiment Buffalo Volunteer Rifles King Shaka Regiment Durban Light Infantry Kimberley Regiment Ingobamakhosi Carbineers Mangaung Regiment Nelson Mandela Regiment Umzimvubu Regiment

Artillery Formation

Training	School of Artillery (South Africa)
Regular	HQ Artillery Mobilisation Regiment 4 Artillery Regiment
Reserve	Nelson Mandela Artillery Regiment King Cetshwayo Artillery Regiment Sandfontein Artillery Regiment Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit State Artillery Regiment General Dan Pienaar Artillery Regiment Steve Biko Artillery Regiment

Air Defence Artillery Formation

Training	School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa)
Regular	HQ Sekhukhune Anti-Aircraft Regiment 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment Madzhakandila Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Reserve	Autshumato Anti-Aircraft Regiment Galeshewe Anti-Aircraft Regiment iWombe Anti-Aircraft Regiment 7 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Regiment Overvaal

Engineer Formation

Training	South African Army Engineer School
Regular	HQ 2 Field Engineer Regiment 35 Engineer Support Regiment 1 Construction Regiment Engineer Terrain Intelligence Unit
Reserve	Ihawu Field Engineer Regiment Umkhonto Field Engineer Regiment 19 Field Engineer Regiment Ukhosi Parachute Engineer Regiment

Training Formation
3 SAI SA Army Combat Training Centre (SAACTC) Army Gymnasium Army College de Brug Training Area General de la Rey Training Area Potchefstroom Oustshoorn Training Area Touwsriver Training Area Wallmannsthal Training Area

Support Formation

Army Support Bases (Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, Kimberley, KZN, Limpopo, Potcheftstroom, Western Cape, Mpumalanga)
Mobilisation Centre
Main Ordnance Depot
National Ceremonial Guard
Logistical Support Unit
General Andrew Masondo Maintenance Unit
Madiba Bay Maintenance Unit
15 Maint Unit
Other Maintenance Units
Doman Field Workshop
General Sipho Binda Field Workshop
Sabelo Phama Field Workshop
Chris Hani Field Workshop
Sekhukhune Field Workshop
Ngungunyane Field Workshop
Other Field Workshops

Signals Formation

Regular

1 Signal Regt
2 Signal Regt
3 Signal Regt
4 Signal Regt
5 Signal Regt

Reserve

6 Signal Regt

Gauteng Reserve Signal Unit

11 Field Postal Unit

South African Defence Force (1957–1994)

Commands

Eastern Province Command (Port Elizabeth)

Eastern Transvaal Command (Nelspruit)

Natal Command (Durban)

Northern Transvaal Command (Swartkop, Pretoria)

Northern Cape Command (Kimberly)

Orange Free State Command (Bloemfontein)

Western Province Command (Cape Town)

Southern Cape Command (Oudsthoorn)

West Transvaal Command/North West Command (Potchefstroom)

Witwatersrand Command (Johannesburg)

Far North Command (Pietersburg)

Northern Logistic Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa)

South West Africa Command (Windhoek, South West Africa)

Northern Logistics Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa)

Gauteng Command post 1994 SANDF (Amalgamation of Wits and Northern Transvaal Commands)

Corps

Divisions

7 South African Infantry Division
8 South African Armoured Division
9 South African Infantry Division
10 South African Division (Operation Prone)

Brigades

16 Brigade (see 81 Armoured Brigade)
17 Brigade (see 71 Motorised Brigade )
18 Brigade (see 72 Motorised Brigade)
19 Brigade (see 82 Mechanised Brigade)
20 Brigade
60 Brigade (Battlegroups HQ Lohatla)
71 Motorised Brigade SADF era
72 Motorised Brigade SADF era
73 Motorised Brigade SADF era
74 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 8th Armoured Division)
75 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 9th Division)
81 Armoured Brigade SADF era
82 Mechanised Brigade SADF era
83 Brigade (planned but never existed)
84 Motorised Brigade SADF era
10 Artillery Brigade SADF era
Other brigades

Battlegroups

UDF and SADF
Regiments and Battalions

Homeland Battalions

Military Areas

Training Areas	Boschhoek Grahamstown Hellsgate Mosita Pomfret Riemvasmaak

UDF and SADF Commando System

South African Commando System

State Presidents Guard

State Presidents Guard

Mobilisation Units (Reception Depots)

Bantustan Defence Forces (1977/1981–1994)

Bophuthatswana Defence Force 1977–1994	1 BDF Infantry Battalion 2 BDF Infantry Battalion BDF Parachute Battalion BDF Military School BDF Special Forces 1 BDF Military Area 2 BDF Military Area 3 BDF Military Area BDF Signals Unit BDF Bafokeng base BDF Mankwe base BDF Odi base BDF Thaba'Nchu base BDF Taung base BDF Air Wing
Venda Defence Force 1979–1994	VDF Headquarters Sibasa 1 VDF Battalion Manenu 2 VDF Battalion Maunavhathu VDF Vuwani Military Base VDF Signals Unit VDF Air Wing
Ciskei Defence Force 1981–1994	1 CDF Battalion CDF Special Forces
Transkei Defence Force 1981–1994	1 TDF Battalion TDF Special Forces TDF Mounted Battalion

SWATF (1977–1989)

Union Defence Force 1912–1957

Divisions

Infantry	1 2 3

Armoured	3 6

Brigades

Infantry	1 2 3 4 5

Citizens Batteries	1st Citizen Battery 2nd Citizen Battery 3rd Citizen Battery 4th Citizen Battery 5th Citizen Battery 6th Citizen Battery 7th Citizen Battery 8th and 9th Citizen Batteries

Military Districts	1st (Cape Town) 2nd (Port Elizabeth) 3rd (East London) 4th (Pietermaritzburg) 5th (Durban) 6th (Standerton) 7th (Potchefstroom) 8th (Johannesburg) 9th (Pretoria) 10th (Kroonstad) 11th (Bloemfontein) 12th (Prieska) 13th (De Aar) 14th (Worcester)

World War I 1914–1918

Europe Campaign 1914–1918

South African Overseas Expeditionary Force

Brigades	1st Infantry Heavy Artillery

Regiments	1 2 3 4

South African Native Labour Corps

East Africa Campaign 1914–1915

German South West Africa Campaign 1915

S.A.M.R. Regiments	1 2 3 4 5

Volunteer Militias 1903–1909

Field Artillery	Natal Prince Alfred's Own Cape

Horse	Diamond Fields Horse Natal Native Horse Royston's Horse

Light Horse	Border Cape Tembuland

Light Infantry	Durban Transvaal

Mounted Rifles	Border Natal Northern District Southern Transvaal Umvoti Zululand

Rifles	Cape Peninsular Eastern Kaffrarian Northern Uitenhage Western

Non-Statutory Forces 1961–1994
Umkhonto weSizwe Azanian People's Liberation Army

Boer Commandos

Colonial Armies 1885–1902
Cape Colonial Forces

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