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1 Special Service Battalion

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1 Special Service Battalion
SANDF 1 Special Service Battalion emblem
Active1 May 1933 – present
Country South Africa
Branch South African Army
TypeArmoured
Part ofSouth African Armoured Formation
Garrison/HQTempe 29°05′0″S 26°11′0″E / 29.08333°S 26.18333°E / -29.08333; 26.18333
Nickname1 SSB 1 SDB
MottoEendrag Maakt Mag (Unity is Strength)
ColorsOrange over Blue which must be divided by Silver and where it is not possible to use silver white will be used in place
Equipment
Engagements
Websitewww.saarmour.co.za
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Cap BadgeA spray of three protea flowers, bound by a ribbon bearing the initials and motto
Beret ColourBlack
Armour Squadron emblemsSANDF Armour squadron emblems
Armour beret bar c. 1992SANDF Armour beret bar

1 Special Service Battalion (usually abbreviated to 1SSB) is an armoured regiment of the South African Army and only one of two such in its regular force. The Regiment is based at Tempe near Bloemfontein.

It was previously known in Afrikaans as 1 Spesiale Diens Bataljon (1 SDB).

History

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Map of the Free State
1 Special Service Battalion
1 Special Service Battalion
1 Special Service Battalion
Rooikat at the entrance to 1SSB, Bloemfontein.

Following World War II, the Special Service Battalion was re-organised into 2 battalions - 1 Special Service Battalion and 1 South African Infantry Battalion.

When the South African Armoured Corps was thus officially proclaimed in 1946 and Special Service Battalion was included in the corps as the only full-time unit, its symbols and colours were incorporated.

1 SSB also took part in the South African Border War, serving in South-West Africa and Angola.[1]

Rooikat Armoured Car

More recently, the unit also took part in Operation Boleas, which was a South African intervention in its neighbouring country of Lesotho in 1998.

1 SSB had a sister unit for a number of years in the post-World War II era, designated 2 Special Service Battalion, which was based in the town of Zeerust. This unit has now been disbanded.

1 SSB also detached squadrons to various battlegroups in the South West African campaign

63 Mech Battlegroup to which 1 SSB detached elements

Equipment

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pre 1995

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VariantDescriptionCommentImage
Eland 60 South Africa60 mm (2.4 in) Mortar platformEland 60 Armoured Car
Eland 90 South Africa90 mm (3.5 in) Fire support platform and assault gunEland 90 armoured car

Current

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The regiment is equipped primarily with Ratel infantry fighting vehicles and Rooikat armoured cars.

VariantDescriptionCommentImage
Rooikat 76  South Africa76 mm (3.0 in) cannonRooikat Armoured Car 105mm
Ratel 90  South Africa90 mm (3.5 in) cannonRatel 90mm
Ratel ZT3  South Africaantitank missileRatel IFC ZT3

Future

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Under Project Hoefyster, the SANDF will eventually replace the Ratel family of vehicles with the Badger system.[2][3] Five versions are contemplated of which two are earmarked for 1 SSB:

  • Missile (turreted Denel ZT3 Ingwe)
  • Fire Support (turreted 30 mm (1.2 in) cannon, but with more ammunition than the section vehicle)
VariantDescriptionCommentImage
Denel Badger various types  South AfricaVarious armamentsIFV earmarked for replacement of the Ratel Fleet 2016 onwards

Regimental symbols

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  • The cap badge is a spray of three protea flowers, bound by a ribbon bearing the initials and motto.
  • Regimental motto: Eendrag Maakt Mag (English: Unity is Strength)
  • Regimental communications icon : [clarification needed]
  • Regimental deployment strength : 1,000 soldiers
  • Regimental honour roll : Soldiers who died during active combat duty and soldiers who died during training.[4]
  • Regimental traditional contact meeting : Pantseraksie (Armour Action), once a year

Previous Dress Insignia

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SADF era 1 Special Services Battalion insignia
SADF era Operation Hooper participation bar
SADF era 1 SSB D Squadron with 2 SAI insignia

Current Dress Insignia

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Leadership

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1 Special Services Battalion Leadership
FromCommanding OfficersToRibbon
May 1933Lt. Col. GE Poole DSONov 1933Distinguished Service Order DSO
Dec 1933Lt. Col. P de WaalJan 1934
Feb 1934Lt. Col. William John Evered Poole CB,CBE,DSO,KStJ,LOM [d] [e]Apr 1935Order of the Bath CB Order of the British Empire CBE Distinguished Service Order DSO Venerable Order of Saint John KStJ Legion of Merit LOM Legion of Honour Croix de guerre 1914–1918
May 1935Lt. Col. J DanieJan 1936
Feb 1936Maj. JR WockeDec 1937
Jan 1938Lt. Col. HB Klopper DSO [f] [g]Sep 1939Distinguished Service Order DSO
Oct 1939Lt. Col. HP van NoordenDec 1939
Jan 1940Lt. Col. GCA van DamJun 1940
Jun 1940Lt. Col. CEG (Papa) Brits DSOAug 1946Distinguished Service Order DSO
Sep 1946Lt. Col. GN Nauhaus OBEMay 1949Order of the British Empire OBE
Jun 1949Maj. EE Fodred MCAug 1949Military Cross MC
Sep 1949Maj. PE Ferguson MCJan 1951Military Cross MC
Feb 1951Cmdt. CS Leisegang DSOSep 1953Distinguished Service Order DSO
Oct 1953Cmdt Werndly van der Riet SSA,SM,MC [c] [h]Dec 1960Star of South Africa SSA Southern Cross Medal SM Military Cross MC
Jan 1961Cmdt. S Hugo SMJun 1963Southern Cross Medal SM
Jul 1963Cmdt. JJ Wahl MCOct 1964Military Cross MC
Nov 1964Cmdt. JR Dutton SSAS,SD,SM,MMM [c] [i]Nov 1967Star of South Africa SSAS Southern Cross Decoration SD Southern Cross Medal SM Military Merit Medal MMM
Dec 1967Cmdt. WH Matthews SMNov 1968Southern Cross Medal SM
Dec 1968Cmdt. MB AndersonMay 1969
Apr 1969Cmdt. WC MeyerSep 1972
Oct 1972Cmdt. PJ SchalkwykJul 1973
Aug 1973Maj. AJ Snyman [j]Nov 1973
Nov 1973Cmdt. APR CarstensNov 1976
Dec 1976Cmdt Reginald Otto SD & Bar,SM,MMM [c] [k]Dec 1979Southern Cross Decoration SD & Bar Southern Cross Medal SM Military Merit Medal MMM
Jan 1980Cmdt. FA BothaNov 1981
Dec 1981Cmdt. AJ van NiekerkNov 1983
Dec 1983Cmdt. HT HeinzeNov 1986
December 1986Cmdt. AJ KrielMay 1989
Jun 1989Cmdt. AJ van JaarsveldNov 1989
Dec 1989Cmdt Chris Gildenhuys SM,MMM [l] [m]Dec 1993Southern Cross Medal SM Military Merit Medal MMM
Jan 1994Col. GM Louw HC,MMMunkHonoris Crux (1975) HC Military Merit Medal MMM
FromRegimental Sergeants MajorToRibbon
May 1933RSM J Whammond MC,DCM,MMFeb 1934Military Cross MC Distinguished Conduct Medal DCM Military Medal MM
Mar 1934RSM LJ van den HeeverMay 1934
Jun 1934RSM BS ScheepersMay 1935
Jun 1935RSM SP ConjeJun 1935
Sep 1936RSM CEG BritsMar 1937
Apr 1937RSM JO van BlommensteinMay 1940
Jun 1940RSM JW HamiltonJan 1943
Feb 1943WO1 S du Plessis MCAug 1946Military Cross MC
Sep 1946WO1 WE WockeOct 1951
Nov 1950WO1 S du Plessis MMSep 1953Military Medal MM
Oct 1953WO1 WJ van der Merwe SMDec 1965Southern Cross Medal SM
Jan 1966WO1 BJP Ehlers PMMOct 1972Pro Merito Medal PMM
Nov 1972WO1 MA Booyens PMM,MMMSep 1976Pro Merito Medal PMM Military Merit Medal MMM
Oct 1976WO1 JP. O'NeillNov 1978
Dec 1978WO1 PH Rohrbeck PMMJan 1979Pro Merito Medal PMM
Feb 1979WO1 GDF van Baalen PMM,MMMNov 1984Pro Merito Medal PMM Military Merit Medal MMM
Jun 1984WO1 IJ PrinslooNov 1988
Dec 1988WO1 WF Snyman PMM,MMMNov 1993Pro Merito Medal PMM Military Merit Medal MMM
Dec 1993WO1 JAB van Zylnd
FromChaplainsToRibbon
Dec 1987Lt Heerden van Niekerk [n] [o]Dec 1988

Alliances

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Battle honours

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Battle Honours
List of Battle Honours for 1 SSB
Italy 1944-45
Florence
Gothic Line
Celleno
The Greve
Po Valley
Kunene
South West Africa/Angola 1975-1976
South West Africa/Angola 1976-1989
Cuito Cuanaval

Future

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Under Project Hoefyster the battalion is expected to receive Badger infantry fighting vehicles in missile and fire-support variants (see Equipment above).

In the draft South African Army Vision 2020 force design, the 2007 organograms published with Leon Engelbrecht's unpublished manuscript A Guide to the SANDF chart 1 SSB as the armoured car regiment of the Armoured Brigade (Free State) within the Mechanised Division (headquarters Wallmansthal), alongside 1 SA Tank Regiment and the paired reserve tank regiment (Pretoria Regiment / Regiment President Steyn), with 1 SAI as the brigade's mechanised infantry.[5]

See also

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South African Armoured Corps

Notes

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  1. 1 2 As part of 63 Mechanised Battalion Group
  2. ↑ Later Chief, SADF
  3. 1 2 3 4 Later Lieutenant General
  4. ↑ Later Major General
  5. ↑ Later Deputy Chief of General Staff
  6. ↑ Later General
  7. ↑ Later Commandant General of the Union Defence Force
  8. ↑ Later Chief of Defence Staff
  9. ↑ Later Chief of Staff Operations
  10. ↑ Acting (Temporarily holding the post without confirmation)
  11. ↑ Later Chief of the South African Army
  12. ↑ Later Brigadier General
  13. ↑ Later GOC South African Army Armoured Formation
  14. ↑ Reverend (Dominee)
  15. ↑ Dutch Reformed Church (Afrikaans: Nederduitse Gerformeerde Kerk)

References

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  1. ↑ Engelbrecht, Leon (1 March 2010). "Fact File: 1 Special Service Battalion". defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWeb. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Engelbrecht, Leon. "SA Army horse shod by December? | defenceWeb". Archived from the original on 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  3. ↑ Greve, Natalie. "Land Systems SA secures sights contract for Denel's Badger". Archived from the original on 2014-08-20. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  4. ↑ Dovey, John. "1 SSB Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 25 December 2014.
  5. ↑ Engelbrecht, Leon (2007). A Guide to the SANDF - Chapter 9G: Vision 2020 organograms (PDF) (Unpublished manuscript appendix). Johannesburg. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
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