Orange Free State Command

{{Infobox military installation

| name = Orange Free State Command

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| location = Bloemfontein, South Africa

| image = File:Orange Free State Command.svg

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| type = Command (military formation)

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| events = 1933{{ndash}}1999

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Orange Free State Command was a command of the South African Army, active from {{Circa|1933}} to {{Circa|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{{ndash}}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.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.unithistories.com/officers/South_African_Army_officers.html|title = South African Army Officers 1939-1945|access-date=16 December 2014}}

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).{{cite web|first1=Leo|last1=Niehorster|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.darkscape.net/site/ww2/drleo/017_britain/39_south-africa/cmd_orange.html|title=Orange Free State Command|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204205258/http://www.ordersofbattle.darkscape.net/site/ww2/drleo/017_britain/39_south-africa/cmd_orange.html|archive-date=2014-12-04}} The OVSVA may have later become the Orange Free State Artillery, and later, in turn, 6 Field Regiment South African Artillery.{{cite web|url=http://nigelef.tripod.com/saregt.htm|title=Field Artillery Regiments of the South African Artillery in World War 2|date=14 June 2014|last1=Evans|first1=Nigel F.|access-date=16 December 2014}}

File:SADF era Free State Command insignia.jpg

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:{{cite book |last=Keegan |first=John |date=1979 |title=World Armies |location=Hants, United Kingdom |publisher=Macmillan Publishers |isbn=9780333172360 | url=https://archive.org/stream/southafricandefe00orba/southafricandefe00orba_djvu.txt}}

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)

File:SADF Orange Free State Command Support Structure.jpg

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."{{cite journal|last1=McGill Alexander|first1=Brig Gen|title=South African Airborne Operations|journal=Scientia Militaria|date=2003|volume=31|issue=1|url=http://www.ajol.info/index.php/smsajms/article/viewFile/81106/71329}}{{Rp|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.{{cite web|title=Claims of Racism at Tempe Denied|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/claims-of-racism-at-tempe-denied-1.15461#.VHqb_MnEYzQ|website=iol.co.za|publisher=Independent Online/SAPA|access-date=16 December 2014|date=7 October 1999}}

Groups and Commando Units

File:SADF era Free State Command Commando Structure.jpg

= Group 24 (Kroonstad) =

= Group 25 (Bethlehem) =

= Group 26 =

= Group 34 (Welkom) =

= Group 35 (Bloemfontein) =

= Group 36 (Ladybrand) =

Leadership

{{Post-start|caption=Leadership of Orange Free State Command|float=}}

{{Post-member|from-date=4 January 1935|post-incumbent=Maj Gen Dan Pienaar {{Post-nominals|country=ZAR|CB|DSO**}}|to-date=January 1937}}

{{Post-member|from-date=?|post-incumbent=Brigadier Willie Meyer|to-date=1988?}}{{Cite web | title=Research Archives, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa - WITS | url=http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/inventories/inv_pdfo/AG1977/AG1977-B8-4-3-1-001-jpeg.pdf | access-date=2025-04-28 | website=www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za}}

{{Post-member|from-date=1988?|post-incumbent=Brigadier Reginald Otto|to-date=1992}}{{Cite web |url=http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1992/12/4/9/19.html |title=Beeld LAAT Vrydag 4 Desember 1992 Bl. 9: Bestbier lei Weermag in die Vrystaat |access-date=2015-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528155912/http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1992/12/4/9/19.html |archive-date=2015-05-28 |url-status=dead }}

{{Post-member|from-date=1992|post-incumbent=Brigadier André Bestbier|to-date=1995}}

{{Post-member|from-date=1995|post-incumbent=Brigadier Mos Grobler|to-date=n.d.}}{{Cite web| url=http://m24arg02.naspers.com/argief/berigte/dieburger/1995/07/07/6/18.html | title=Gewese vryheidsvegters kry senior poste in Leër | language=af | trans-title=Former freedom fighters get senior positions in Army | access-date=2015-05-28 | archive-date=2015-05-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528143317/http://m24arg02.naspers.com/argief/berigte/dieburger/1995/07/07/6/18.html | url-status=dead}}

{{Post-member|from-date={{circa|1960}}|post-incumbent=Brigadier Pieter Grobbelaar|to-date=n.d.}}

{{Post-member|from-date=n.d.|post-incumbent=Brigadier M. J. du Plessis|to-date={{circa|1978}}}}