Fritz Loots
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use South African English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Major General
| name = Frederich Wilhelm Loots
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals | country = ZAR | SSA52 | SD | SM52 }}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1917|04|29}}
| birth_place = Britstown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2008|08|12|1917|04|29}}
| death_place = Pretoria
| image =
| allegiance = {{flag|South Africa|1928}}
| branch = {{army|South Africa|1981}}
| serviceyears = 1939{{ndash}}1982
| rank = Major General
| commands = {{plainlist|
- GOC South West Africa Command (1963{{ndash}}1964)
- Director of Military Intelligence (1966{{ndash}}1970)
- Inspector General of the SADF (1970{{ndash}}1973)
- GOC Special Forces (1974{{ndash}}1982)
}}
| battles = Second World War
| awards = {{MilAward Stack|SSA52 |SD |SM52 |GoodServiceG |GoodServiceS |Union |Star1939_45 |AfricaStar |ItalyStar |WarMed1939_45 |ASM|size=x12px}}
}}
Major General Frederich ('Fritz') Wilhelm Loots {{Post-nominals | country = ZAR | SSA52 | SD | SM52 }} (1917{{snd}}2008) was a general in the South African Defence Force (SADF). He was founder of the South African Special Forces and their first commanding officer.{{cite web|first1=Lt Col A. L.|last1=Human|url=http://www.dod.mil.za/news/news2008/nov2008/page11.pdf|title=In memory of an honorable man|publisher=SANDF.info|accessdate=13 June 2014|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202034047/http://www.dod.mil.za/news/news2008/nov2008/page11.pdf}}
Early life and education
Born in Britstown on 26 April 1917, Loots was educated at Theron High School. After high school in 1936, he joined the Special Service Battalion, a unit formed to train young men in military and work skills during the depression.
Career
In 1939, he joined the Union Defence Force in the Infantry Corps and served in World War II. By 1947 he held the rank of Warrant Officer and in 1951 he was commissioned as an officer. He held various positions as a Staff Officer in the SADF before becoming Officer Commanding the Army Gymnasium from 1959 to 1963.
In 1963, he was appointed to command South West Africa Command until 1964. By 1965 he was a Senior Staff Officer at Military Intelligence and then the Director of Military Intelligence from 1966 until 1970. His last position was as Inspector General of the SADF which ended in June 1973 when he retired.
He returned from retirement in August 1974 to found the South African Special Forces. In 1980 Loots led Operation Winter, which was undertaken to recruit former members of the Rhodesian Security Forces to serve with South Africa.{{cite web |last1=Truth and Reconciliation Commission |title=Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report. Volume Two. |url=https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/report/finalreport/Volume%202.pdf |publisher=Department of Justice and Constitutional Development |location=Pretoria|year=1998|page=92 |author1-link=Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa) }} He continued in the SADF until his retirement on 25 April 1982. Major General Loots died on 12 August 2008.
Awards and decorations
- {{MilAward Desc|SSA52|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|SD|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|SM52|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|GoodServiceG|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|GoodServiceS|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|Union|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|Star1939_45|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|AfricaStar|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|ItalyStar|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|WarMed1939_45|x25px}}
- {{MilAward Desc|ASM|x25px}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-new | reason=Post Established}}
{{s-ttl | title = GOC Special Forces | years = 1974{{ndash}}1982}}
{{s-aft | after = Maj Gen Andreas Liebenberg }}
{{s-bef| before= Maj Gen Boet Stapelberg as Director General Army Operations & Training}}
{{s-ttl | title =Inspector General SADF | years = 1971{{ndash}}1973}}
{{s-aft | after = Lt Gen Willem Louw }}
{{s-bef | before = Brig Pieter M Retief}}
{{s-ttl | title = DG [[ Defence Intelligence Division (SADF)|
Military Intelligence]] | years = 1966{{ndash}}1970}}
{{s-aft | after = Maj Gen Hein du Toit }}
{{s-bef | before = PE Ferguson }}
{{s-ttl | title = GOC South West Africa Command| years = 1963{{ndash}}1964}}
{{s-aft | after = Chockie Coetser}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-vac|unknown}}
{{s-ttl | title = OC South African Army Gymnasium| | years = 1959{{ndash}}1963}}
{{s-vac|unknown}}
{{s-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loots, Fritz}}
Category:South African people of Dutch descent
Category:South African Army generals
Category:South African military personnel of the Border War
Category:South African military personnel of World War II
{{SouthAfrica-mil-bio-stub}}