World War II
In 1940, the Union Defence Forces formed a new series of divisions and brigades for service in World War II. They included a new 1st South African Infantry Brigade, whose only relation to the World War I SA Overseas Expeditionary Force formation was its name.
The new brigade was formed in Pretoria under the command of Colonel John Daniel in early May 1940. He was replaced a few weeks later by Brigadier Dan Pienaar. On formation the brigade included three infantry battalions, the 1st Battalion Transvaal Scottish Regiment, the 1st Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Rifles and the 1st Battalion of the Royal Natal Carbineers. Soon after its formation, the brigade received transport for equipping one motorised battalion, and this was assigned to the 1st Transvaal Scottish.
The Brigade assembled at Sonderwater, located east of Cullinan, and took part in a pre-departure parade attended by General J.C. Smuts, the prime minister and defence minister, on 13 July 1940. The date also celebrated the Delville Wood Day, as the anniversary of a battle on the Western Front in July 1916 when the 1st South African Brigade had advanced into the Delville Wood. The next day the Brigade entrained for Durban, and on the 16 July embarked by ship for Mombasa, Kenya where it commenced training not far from Nairobi in the Kenyan Highlands. On 6 September 1940, the 1st Transvaal Scottish was transferred to the 2nd East African Brigade under British command, and took part in the first action involving South African ground troops in the Second World War near Liboi when a column was attacked by a force of Banda and Italian Colonial infantry.
Although nominally part of the 1st South African Division, the brigade was deployed under 11th and 12th African Divisions. It fought in the campaign in Italian Somaliland, and in the conquest of Ethiopia in 1941.
From East Africa, the brigade – reassigned to 1st South African Division – was transferred to Egypt. It fought in the North Africa campaign from July 1941 until after the Battle of El Alamein in October/November 1942. The brigade returned to South Africa in January 1943, and was converted into the 1st South African Armoured Brigade, to serve as a training formation for the rest of the war.
Read more about this topic: 1st Infantry Brigade (South Africa)
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