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  #1  
Old 19-03-17, 12:43 AM
milhistry milhistry is offline
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Default OC Cape Command

Hi

Can anyone help with completing the list of officers who commanded Cape No. 1 Military District (later Cape Command and briefly Cape Fortress)?

Thanks!

1912-?? Lt-Col L Shadwell (Dist St Off, Cape Town)
1921-?? Brig WEC Tanner (OC No 1 Mil Dist)
1925-28 Col FG Harvey
1928-31 Col BD Bouwer
1931-33 ??
1933 Maj P de Waal (actg)
Dec 1933-1937 Col GE Brink (OC Cape Comd)
1937-3 July 1939 Col BF Armstrong
??
8 Feb 1940-12 Dec 1940 Col CJ Venter
??
??
May-Aug 1942 Brig WHE Poole (O/C Cape Fortress)
??
??
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  #2  
Old 19-03-17, 02:31 PM
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Arthur R Arthur R is offline
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Hi Steven

This is the list as I have it.

Military District No 1
1912-14 Lt-Col L Shadwell
1914-19 Lt Col G Nicholson
1919-20 Lt Col FS Dawson
1920-22 Lt Col T Blew
1922-25 Brig Gen WEC Tanner
1925-28 Col FG Harvey
1928-29 Col BC Judd
1929-31 Col BD Bouwer
1931-32 Lt Col HS Wakefield
1932-33 Maj P de Waal
1933-34 Col GE Brink

Cape Command
1934-37 Col GE Brink
1937 Col KR van der Spuy
1937-39 Col BF Armstrong
1939 Lt Col H Celliers
1939-40 Brig Gen CJ Venter
1940-42 Brig Gen WEC Tanner

Cape Fortress Command
1942 Brig WHE Poole
1942 Col AHK Jopp
1942-45 Brig CE Borain

Cape Command
1946-47 Brig HG Willmot
1947-48 Brig M de Villiers
1948-50 Brig J Daniel
1950-55 Col L du Toit
1955-56 Col PS de Lange
1956-58 Col L Klootwyk
1958-59 Col N Nauhaus

Western Province Command
1959-60 Col N Nauhaus
1960-61 Col PS Jacobs
1961 Col G Dunbar Moodie
1961-63 Col P van der Hoven
1963-66 Col P Ferguson
1966-69 Col P van der Hoven (again)
1969-72 Brig J Fourie
1972 Brig MA de M Malan
1973-74 Brig H Roos
1974-80 Brig L Robertson
1980-85 Brig SJ van der Spuy
1985-91 Brig Y de Bruin
1991-97 Maj Gen DP Lamprecht
1997-99 Maj Gen CH van Zyl
1999-'01 Col HS Gerber

Interesting that three of them -- Van der Spuy, Venter and Willmot -- were SAAF officers. That was when SAAF was still part of the army, and did not yet have its own staff corps.

From 1921 to 1926, there was a separate command, called the Cape Peninsula Garrison, which was commanded by Brig Gen Tanner (and possibly by Col Harvey after him). CPG was incorporated into MD No 1 in 1926.
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  #3  
Old 21-03-17, 08:46 AM
milhistry milhistry is offline
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Many thanks for that! It's filled quite a few blanks.
I think Brig John Daniel was also SAAF or ex-SAAF
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  #4  
Old 21-03-17, 08:52 AM
milhistry milhistry is offline
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Many thanks for that! It's filled quite a few blanks.
I think Brig John Daniel was also SAAF or ex-SAAF
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  #5  
Old 21-03-17, 09:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by milhistry View Post
Many thanks for that! It's filled quite a few blanks.
I think Brig John Daniel was also SAAF or ex-SAAF
You may be right about Brig Daniel, Steven. His brother Brig Hector Daniel was SAAF.
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  #6  
Old 21-03-17, 06:30 PM
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Hi Arthur,

Do you have the actual dates that COL AHK Jopp (or AH Keith-Jopp, his usage varied) was OC Cape Comd?

Regards, Keith
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  #7  
Old 21-03-17, 07:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fairlie63 View Post
Hi Arthur,

Do you have the actual dates that COL AHK Jopp (or AH Keith-Jopp, his usage varied) was OC Cape Comd?

Regards, Keith
Sorry, Keith, I don't.
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  #8  
Old 31-03-17, 08:33 AM
milhistry milhistry is offline
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Col Jopp was I think OC Coast Artillery in WW2
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  #9  
Old 02-04-17, 01:31 AM
milhistry milhistry is offline
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I've checked today and Col Jopp succeeded Col H E Cilliers as OC Coastal Arty in March 1941. Colonel Cilliers having died in a plane crash. Prior to that Jopp was OC 4 Heavy Battery, The Bluff, Durban. I had the privilege of a semi-guided tour of the remains of the huge gun emplacement at Bluff Base a few years ago.
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  #10  
Old 02-04-17, 01:36 AM
milhistry milhistry is offline
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I found a note that Brig Poole was OC until August 1942 so presumably Col Jopp was OC from Aug/Sept1942.
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  #11  
Old 02-04-17, 07:00 AM
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Hi Milhistry,

Thanks very much for that information. Jopp was one of our first 'air observation post' people, flying as an observer over Gallipoli with the RNAS. Somebody was writing an article for a magazine on the subject and us Gunners were contacted to fill in a few blanks. His South African service is little known, there was a suggestion he was Director Coast and Anti-Aircraft Artillery at one stage but I don't think that appointment existed until the post war period.

I found that the Directorate of Coast and AA Arty was formed in Feb 1940, and that LTCOL Cilliers was the initial incumbent, so presumably that was the role Jopp took over as 'OC Coastal Artillery'.

Thanks again, Keith

Last edited by fairlie63; 02-04-17 at 07:36 AM. Reason: More info
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  #12  
Old 02-04-17, 01:05 PM
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I've found a published list of OCs, which was published in the defence force journal Militaria in 1985.* It gives Col Jopp's dates as 7 August to 5 October 1942.

Here's the page :



It's incomplete, as it omits the first Disso, Lt Col Shadwell.

* http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac...e/view/473/506
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  #13  
Old 29-04-17, 03:01 AM
milhistry milhistry is offline
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Thanks for all the information and links! One of my relatives was on staff of O/C 1 Mil Dist/Cape Comd HQ from the mid 1920s to early 1940 hence the interest. I have been able to fill in quite a few blanks.

After searching my files for I've attempted to put some faces to some of the names (attached). Where possible I've chosen photos taken at or near the time the individual was serving as O/C though this has not always been possible.

BTW does anyone happen to have a photo of Colonel Judd?
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  #14  
Old 29-04-17, 04:59 AM
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Well done Milhistory, big effort chasing down all those people's photographs.
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