Orange Free State Command was a

command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * command (Unix), a Unix command * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on A ...

of the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...

, active from to . Its headquarters was at

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State (province), Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongsi ...

, seemingly for a period at the Tempe airfield, later to become the Tempe Military Base.

History

Origin

Union Defence Force Military Districts

The command was originally Military District No. 4, formed in 1926. In 19331934 it became Orange Free State Command, and then may have become Central Command around 1939. The Officers commanding the new Commands were usually Brigadiers all units in those areas fell under them as far as training, housing, administration , discipline and counter insurgency were concerned.

Dan Pienaar Major General Daniel Hermanus Pienaar (27 August 1893 – 19 December 1942) was a South African World War II military commander. Early life and career He was born in Ladybrand, Orange Free State and in his youth grew up in Natal. His family ...

served as officer commanding from 4 January 1935 to January 1937, before being transferred to take command of the Roberts' Heights and Transvaal Command at Voortrekkerhoogte which he commanded from 17 October 1938 to May 1940. On 3 September 1939 the command included the 4th Infantry Brigade (including

Regiment President Steyn A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

, RLW, Regiment de Wet, and 4 Field Company SAEC, a pioneer battalion, and an artillery regiment, the Orange Free State Field Artillery (''O.V.S. Veld Artillerie'' in

Afrikaans Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...

). The OVSVA may have later become the Orange Free State Artillery, and later, in turn, 6 Field Regiment South African Artillery. SADF era Free State Command insignia

In 1959 the Command was renamed back to Orange Free State Command. Later Brig Pieter Grobbelaar commanded. In April 1978 44 Parachute Brigade was formed within its command boundaries and Brigadier M. J. du Plessis, OC OFS Command, took over as the brigade commander.

SADF

In 1984 the command was reported to include: * 2 Field Engineer Regiment SAEC (

Bethlehem, Free State Bethlehem is a city in the eastern Free State province of South Africa that is situated on the Liebenbergs River (also called Liebenbergs Vlei) along a fertile valley just north of the Rooiberg Mountains on the N5 road. It is the fastest growi ...

) * 17 Field Squadron SAEC (

) * 35 Engineering Supplementary Unit (

Kroonstad Kroonstad ( in Afrikaans) is a town in Free State, South Africa, consisting of the following suburbs: Brentpark, Constantia, Constantia Park, Dawid Malanville, Elandia, Gelukwaarts, Goedgedacht, Heuningspruit, Industria, Jordania, Koek ...

) * Tank Squadron,

1 Special Service Battalion 1 Special Service Battalion (usually abbreviated to ) is an armoured regiment of the South African Army and only one of two such in its regular force. The Regiment is based at Tempe near Bloemfontein. It was previously known in Afrikaans as () ...

(Bloemfontein) * 1 South African Infantry (Bloemfontein) *

1 Parachute Battalion 1 Parachute Battalion (''Ex Alto Vincimus'') is the only full-time paratroop unit of the South African Army. It was founded on 1 April 1961, along with the Parachute Battalion. The name of this unit was changed to Parachute Training Centre aft ...

(Bloemfontein) * 3 Military Hospital (Bloemfontein) SADF Orange Free State Command Support Structure

Around 1991 44 Parachute Brigade was subordinated to OFS Command. McGill Alexander writes that: "... The status of being an independent formation consequently disappeared, and from being directly under command of Chief of the Army 4 Parachute Brigadefell into the position of having three bosses: the Officer Commanding Rapid Deployment Force for conventional operations and exercises, Director of Operations at Army HQ for routine and unscheduled deployments inside the country and the Officer Commanding OFS Command for everything else." Brigadier

Reginald Otto Lieutenant General Reginald Otto (9 July 19435 July 2022) was a South African military commander, who held the post of Chief of the South African Army. Military career He joined the South African Army in 1964 after completing his schooling ...

served as officer commanding OFS Command, and later became Chief of the South African Army. On 7 October 1999, the acting

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

OFS Command, Brigadier General Hans Heinze, denied the existence of racial tensions at Tempe Military Base.

Groups and Commando Units

SADF era Free State Command Commando Structure

Group 24 (Kroonstad)

* Frankfort Commando *

Heilbron Commando Heilbron Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Infantry Corps, South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. History Origin Operations D ...

* Hoopstad Commando * Koppies Commando * Kroonstad Commando *

Lindley Commando Lindley Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. History Origins With the Orange Free State Republic This uni ...

* Parys Commando * Sasol Commando * Sasolburg Commando * Senekal Commando * Virginia Commando * Vrede Commando