Witwatersrand Command
{{Short description|Command of the South African Army}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use South African English|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Witwatersrand Command
| native_name =
| partof =
| location = The Drill Hall,{{cite web|title=The Drill Hall - Historical Snippets|url=http://www.heritageportal.co.za/article/drill-hall-historical-snippets|website=heritageportal.co.za|access-date=24 December 2014}} quoting Col D.R. Smitherman {{Post-nominals|country=ZAR|OBE|ED}} Johannesburg, South Africa
| image = File:SADF era Witwatersrand Command insignia ver 1.jpg
| caption =
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| type = Command (military formation)
| coordinates =
| code =
| built =
| builder =
| materials =
| height =
| used =
| demolished =
| condition =
| ownership =
| open_to_public =
| controlledby =
| garrison =
| current_commander =
| commanders =
| occupants =
| battles =
| events =
| image2 =
| caption2 =
}}
The Witwatersrand Command was a Command of the South African Army. It was one of the ten regional commands, which, with the Walvis Bay Military Area, made up the Territorial Force.
History
=Origin=
Based in Johannesburg, it was responsible for the security of the region, forming the primary level of command for military operations in support of the Police. It also provided logistic, administrative and service support to units and formations operating in its area of responsibility.{{cite web|title=Unit Profiles: Witwatersrand Command|url=http://www.warinangola.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1239&Parameter=209|website=Warinangola.com|access-date=24 December 2014}}{{cite web|title=Leër Kommandemente - Army Commands|url=http://sadf.info/UnitArmyCommands.html|website=sadf.info|access-date=24 December 2014}}
When 6th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment SAA became operational in 1966 with its headquarters at Brakpan, it was originally administratively responsible to Headquarters Witwatersrand Command, but was later transferred to I South African Corps.
File:SADF era Witwatersrand Command insignia.jpg
In 1987, the command headquarters installation was the target of a bomb by Umkhonto we Sizwe operative Hein Grosskopf.{{cite web|title=Hein Grosskopf recounts 1987 bomb attack|url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Hein-Grosskopf-recounts-1987-bomb-attack-20001121|website=news24.com archives|publisher=NASPERS|date=21 November 2000}}
=Amalgamation with Northern Transvaal Command into Gauteng Command=
Groups and Commando Units
= Group 16 (Marievale) =
= Group 17 (Midvaal) =
= Group 18 (Doornkop) =
= Group 41 (Primrose) =
= Group 42 (Lenz) =
Leadership
{{Post-start|caption=Leadership of Wits Command|float=}}
{{Post-header|post-name=Commanding Officers}}
{{Post-member|from-date=1936|post-incumbent=Major-General Christoffel Venter {{Post-nominals|country=ZAR|CB|DFC*}}{{cite book | title=Who's Who of Southern Africa 1959 | publisher=Ken Donaldson (Pty) Ltd. | year=1959 | page=589}}|to-date=1936}}
{{Post-member|from-date={{circa|1939}}|post-incumbent=Lt Col Charlie Ross|to-date=n.d.}}
{{Post-member|from-date={{circa|1945}}|post-incumbent=Maj Gen Bertram Frank Armstrong{{cite book|last1=Hancock|first1=William Keith|editor1-last=Van Der Poel|editor1-first=Jean|title=Selections from the Smuts Papers Volume III August 1945 - October 1950|date=2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521033701|edition=annotated|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B9W6t3SfRgUC&q=%22Witwatersrand+Command%22&pg=PA372|series=Selections from the Smuts Papers|access-date=24 December 2014}}{{cite journal|last1=Nöthling|first1=C.J.|last2=Meyers|first2=E.M.|title=Leiers Deur die Jare (1912-1982)|journal=Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies|date=1982|volume=12|issue=2|doi=10.5787/12-2-631|url=http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/631|issn=2224-0020|language=af|format=Online|doi-access=free}}|to-date=n.d.}}
{{Post-member|from-date=August 1940|post-incumbent=Lt Col William E.C. Tanner{{efn|Later Major General William Tanner {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|CMG}}){{cite journal|last1=Uys|first1=Ian S.|title=The South Africans at Delville Wood|journal=Military History Journal|date=December 1986|volume=7|issue=2|url=http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol072iu.html|access-date=24 December 2014|publisher=The South African Military History Society|issn=0026-4016}}{{Rp|Footnote 4}}}}|to-date=October 1940}}
{{Post-member|from-date=1974|post-incumbent=Brigadier G.W. Germishuizen{{cite book|last1=Els|first1=Paul|title=We Fear Naught but God|edition=3rd}}|to-date=n.d.}}
{{Post-member|from-date=1987|post-incumbent=Brigadier Joffel van der Westhuizen{{cite book|title=TRC Final Report|url=http://sabctrc.saha.org.za/reports/volume2/chapter5/subsection22.htm|publisher=SABC|access-date=24 December 2014|page=440|chapter=Volume 2, Chapter 5, Sub-Section 22, Paragraph 161b}}|to-date=n.d.}}
{{Post-header|post-name=Command Sgts Major}}
{{Post-end}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{SA Army Units}}
{{Greater Johannesburg|mil}}
Category:Commands of the South African Army
Category:Disbanded military units and formations in Johannesburg
Category:Military units and formations disestablished in the 1990s
{{SouthAfrica-mil-stub}}