SA Title for identification ?

[Milmed]

Hi,
I found this at my local car boot sale a while back and had difficulty identifying it. Then I found some official documents at the same market and while reading through this managed to identify the title.

So now I am asking if someone wants to take a stab at identifying the title before I reveal what I found out .
I'll give a small hint... the title is South African and from WWII

Steven

[manchesters]

Steve,

Is it Cape?
Cape Artillery?
Cape Armoured?

TD + Training Depot : Transport Dept?


I give up!

[johnG]

Simon, I'm thinking around something much more obscure, i.e. A WW2 version of a Chinese African Labour Corps type of thing of WW1, but so far nothing adds up, perhaps I should be thinking more about the Cape, i.e. Cape African Training Division or even a Corps of African Transport Drivers. It sure is a hard one.
johnG

[Milmed]

Hi Guys,
It is not Artillery or African. Waiting for some more input before I reveal and yes it is rather an obscure title.

Steven

[Tinto]

Hi Steven,
Are the letters abbreviated Afrikaans?
cheers, Tinto

[johnG]

Combined Arms and Tactics Directorate.
Combat Aviation Test Division.
.......and perhaps a few more, but all American and cannot tie them in with South Africa, and the word 'African' being eliminated crosses a few more off my list, and I dare not even mention trying to figure out something around Caterpillar Drivers, and am now opting for the last word being 'Defence', specifically 'Transvaal Defence', along the lines of 'Citizen Army Transvaal Defence'

Later edited to add: OK, I give up. Do tell.

Final word: I am now playing with an Army Train Detachment, and moving on to an Armoured Train.

johnG

[Arthur R]

Steve, is it the Central Army Training Depot ?

[RobD]

http://www.cullinan.za.net/index.php...oppie-cullinan gives an answer - is that correct?

[Milmed]

Hi all,
Arthur and RobD are spot on. It is in fact the Central army training depot. I found the reference UDF Routine orders, Defence Headquarters 1940.

The reference was to the creation of the 9th Battalion, 1st reserve brigade as a volunteer unit of the ACF effective 24th June 1940. This unit was created for medically unfit personnel who still desired to be of service. Any members not absorbed by a unit on attestation were to be pooled at the CATD, Milner Park, Johannesburg, where they could be drawn from by units.

I am sure there is more info on the CATD, that maybe Arthur or Rob could share.

Steven

[manchesters]

Originally Posted by manchesters

Steve,

Is it Cape?
Cape Artillery?
Cape Armoured?

TD + Training Depot : Transport Dept?


I give up!

I'm claiming a half kill on this one

[Arthur R]

AFAIK the CATD was a wartime unit only. An article on wartime military activity at Premier Mine (Cullinan), with a passing reference to the CATD here : http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol141jl.html .

It's interesting that they called it the Central *Army* Training Depot, when the army wasn't officially called the Army. During WWII the land element of the UDF was called the Land Forces, and it was not until 1951 that they were officially named 'SA Army'.

[johnG]

[QUOTE=Milmed;257930]Hi all,
Arthur and RobD are spot on. It is in fact the Central army training depot. I found the reference UDF Routine orders, Defence Headquarters 1940.

So it was an easy one after all, and there was me looking for the most obtuse , way out meanings I could find, but never mind it was an interesting exercise which I enjoyed. And, as I discovered, there really was a Train Detachment.

johnG

[Milmed]

Thanks for all those who contributed including those partially correct reponses... Well done all

[54Bty]

Cute, Articulate, Talented, Dames, fore runner of the African Women's Auxiliary Corps.

Marc

[johnG]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

Cute, Articulate, Talented, Dames, fore runner of the African Women's Auxiliary Corps.

Marc

I vote that the winner