SADF 32 Battalion - The Beginning Part 1

SADF 32 Battalion "The Terrible Ones"

Introduction

In August 1975, Major-General Constant Viljoen ordered Commandant Jan Breytenbach to begin training FNLA soldiers from the Chipenda faction. He started with 11 Special Forces operators known in Special Forces circles as "the second dirty dozen"—the first dirty dozen being the founding operators of Special Forces. The unit was called Bravo-Group and was strictly not part of the SADF.

There was no official uniform initially. Operators used a mixture of available uniforms, including Portuguese and the current green uniform of the FNLA. During Operation Savanna, 20 MPLA uniforms were confiscated at Mupa Stores. At Sá da Bandeira, a large quantity of camouflage uniforms were found and distributed among the troops, with each soldier receiving at least two sets. The pattern remains unknown, but they were most certainly Portuguese, as Angolan factions wore green uniforms.

During Operation Kobra (10 May 1976), Bravo-Group—as 32 Battalion was then known—used FAPLA uniforms.

In October 1976, Bravo-Group was renamed 32 Battalion. From that point, troops were gradually issued Nutria uniforms.

Around January 1977, troops received SADF numbers for the first time. These numbers ended with "SP" (Special Project) rather than the standard "PF" (Permanent Force). As the unit grew, a control system was introduced using color-coded epaulettes: yellow for troops on leave, green for troops in transit, brown for troops allocated to rifle companies, and blue for HQ personnel.

In April 1976, they received an assignment of SAP camouflage uniforms for special operations—presumably first-pattern camouflage uniforms. These were used alongside 190 sets of Reconnaissance Commando camouflage uniforms delivered by mistake to 32 Battalion. The Recce uniforms, stored at Omauni, likely formed the base for 32 Battalion's own camouflage pattern development in later years.

After adopting the 32 Battalion camouflage pattern, it was used in operations inside Angola while browns were worn inside SWA. Around mid-1979, Commanding Officer Commandant Deon "Falcon" Ferreira changed this policy, and the camouflage pattern was used in all operations. The ceremonial dress, including the black and white stable belt, was officially approved in April 1984.

With the Battalion's disbanding in 1993 before the 1994 elections, Lieutenant Jan Kruger marched onto the disbandment parade and addressed it in Portuguese—the language of the troops—while challenging the reviewing officer. Previously, Dr. Willie Snyman had attempted to give President F.W. de Klerk 30 silver pieces in protest of the decision to disband 32 Battalion and leave Portuguese troops stranded in a country where the incoming government was deeply hostile to 32 Battalion members, particularly the black members.

The Battalion employed two variations of the second-pattern camouflage worn exclusively: the Summer and Winter patterns. A darker version also existed, with all colors darker than both. The Reconnaissance wing wore this darker pattern alongside a wide variety of non-regulation camouflage and enemy uniforms. Distinguishing these three versions is somewhat confusing, as the pattern itself remained identical with only intentional color variation differentiating them. The first pattern was darker still, though the pattern itself differed. Both patterns share similarities but are distinctly different. All items were sterile and untraceable to any country, marked only with abbreviated size on small labels.