3 Reconnaissance Commando (South Africa)

3 Reconnaissance Commando
Active	May 1976–1980
Disbanded	1980
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Republic of South Africa
Branch	South African Army
Type	Special forces
Role	Reconnaissance
Part of	South African Defence Force

Military unit

The 3 Reconnaissance Commando was a South African special forces unit.

History

It was established on 1 May 1976 as an administrative umbrella for various small team operations such as Delta 40 and Barnacle which were the fore-runners of the Civil Co-operation Bureau (CCB). It operated as the covert arm of Special Forces.

In April 1980, a new unit called 7 Reconnaissance Commando was formed. This unit was created to accommodate the Rhodesian soldiers who did not wish to remain in Rhodesia after majority rule. These were primarily Selous Scouts with a smattering of soldiers from other units. 120 of these soldiers and their families were housed on a new base created on the farm Schiettocht, outside Phalaborwa. They formed the nucleus of the new unit.

The name of the unit was changed from 7 to 3 Reconnaissance Commando to avoid confusion with 7 South African Infantry Battalion (7 SAI) which was also located in Phalaborwa. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission does not seem to have picked up on this distinction, getting the two units confused.

In December 1980, 5 Reconnaissance Commando moved from Dukuduku to Schiettocht and on 1 January 1981, joined forces with 3 Reconnaissance Commando to form 5 Reconnaissance Regiment.

Commanding officers

Officers commanding were:

1980–1981: Capt J. Atkinson
1980–1983: Garth Barrett

Notes

There is some confusion here as Els reports the Amalgamation of 3 and 5 Recce, with 3 Recce commander being Capt Atkinson in 1980. The TRC reports Garth Barrett as the first commanding officer.
Ex Rhodesian

References

^ Els, Paul. We Fear Naught but God (3rd ed.).
^ "Volume 2, Chapter 3, Sub-Section 69, Paragraph 52". TRC Final Report. SABC. p. 322. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.

External links

"S. African Reccee (description of selection)". SpecWarNet.net. SpecWarNet. Retrieved 28 October 2014.

South African Army Units

Divisions and Brigades

Brigades	43 South African Brigade 44 Parachute Brigade 46 South African Brigade Special Forces Brigade

Armour Formation (SAAAF)

Training	School of Armour
Tank	Regular 1 South African Tank Regiment Reserve Pretoria Armoured Regiment Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles Thaba Bosiu Armoured Regiment
Armoured Car	Regular 1 Special Service Battalion Reserve Umvoti Mounted Rifles Blaauwberg Armoured Regiment Molapo Armoured Regiment Johannesburg Light Horse Regiment

Infantry Formation (SAAIF)

Training	South African Infantry School
Parachute Infantry	Regular 44 Para 1 Para 44 Pathfinders 13 Signal Squadron 18 Light Regiment 44 Medical Task Group 101 Air Supply Unit SAOSC 44 Training Wing Parachute Packing Wing Reserve Bagaka Regiment 3 Para
Air Assault Infantry	Regular 6 SAI Reserve Chief Makhanda Regiment Chief Maqoma Regiment
Seaborne Infantry	Regular 9 SAI Reserve Chief Langalibalele Rifles
Light Infantry	Regular 21 SAI Reserve Rand Light Infantry OR Tambo Regiment Lenong Regiment
Mechanised Infantry	Regular 1 SAI 8 SAI Reserve General de la Rey Regiment Regiment Northern Transvaal Cape Town Highlanders General Jan Smuts Regiment Bambatha Rifles
Motorised Infantry	Regular 2 SAI 4 SAI 5 SAI 7 SAI 10 SAI 14 SAI 15 SAI 121 SAI Reserve General Botha Regiment Mapungubwe Regiment Johannesburg Regiment Andrew Mlangeni Regiment Solomon Mahlangu Regiment Tshwane Regiment Buffalo Volunteer Rifles King Shaka Regiment Durban Light Infantry Kimberley Regiment Ingobamakhosi Carbineers Mangaung Regiment Nelson Mandela Regiment Umzimvubu Regiment

Artillery Formation

Training	School of Artillery (South Africa)
Regular	HQ Artillery Mobilisation Regiment 4 Artillery Regiment
Reserve	Nelson Mandela Artillery Regiment King Cetshwayo Artillery Regiment Sandfontein Artillery Regiment Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit State Artillery Regiment General Dan Pienaar Artillery Regiment Steve Biko Artillery Regiment

Air Defence Artillery Formation

Training	School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa)
Regular	HQ Sekhukhune Anti-Aircraft Regiment 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment Madzhakandila Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Reserve	Autshumato Anti-Aircraft Regiment Galeshewe Anti-Aircraft Regiment iWombe Anti-Aircraft Regiment 7 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Regiment Overvaal

Engineer Formation

Training	South African Army Engineer School
Regular	HQ 2 Field Engineer Regiment 35 Engineer Support Regiment 1 Construction Regiment Engineer Terrain Intelligence Unit
Reserve	Ihawu Field Engineer Regiment Umkhonto Field Engineer Regiment 19 Field Engineer Regiment Ukhosi Parachute Engineer Regiment

Training Formation
3 SAI SA Army Combat Training Centre (SAACTC) Army Gymnasium Army College de Brug Training Area General de la Rey Training Area Potchefstroom Oustshoorn Training Area Touwsriver Training Area Wallmannsthal Training Area

Support Formation

Army Support Bases (Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, Kimberley, KZN, Limpopo, Potcheftstroom, Western Cape, Mpumalanga)
Mobilisation Centre
Main Ordnance Depot
National Ceremonial Guard
Logistical Support Unit
General Andrew Masondo Maintenance Unit
Madiba Bay Maintenance Unit
15 Maint Unit
Other Maintenance Units
Doman Field Workshop
General Sipho Binda Field Workshop
Sabelo Phama Field Workshop
Chris Hani Field Workshop
Sekhukhune Field Workshop
Ngungunyane Field Workshop
Other Field Workshops

Signals Formation

Regular

1 Signal Regt
2 Signal Regt
3 Signal Regt
4 Signal Regt
5 Signal Regt

Reserve

6 Signal Regt

Gauteng Reserve Signal Unit

11 Field Postal Unit

South African Defence Force (1957–1994)

Commands

Eastern Province Command (Port Elizabeth)

Eastern Transvaal Command (Nelspruit)

Natal Command (Durban)

Northern Transvaal Command (Swartkop, Pretoria)

Northern Cape Command (Kimberly)

Orange Free State Command (Bloemfontein)

Western Province Command (Cape Town)

Southern Cape Command (Oudsthoorn)

West Transvaal Command/North West Command (Potchefstroom)

Witwatersrand Command (Johannesburg)

Far North Command (Pietersburg)

Northern Logistic Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa)

South West Africa Command (Windhoek, South West Africa)

Northern Logistics Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa)

Gauteng Command post 1994 SANDF (Amalgamation of Wits and Northern Transvaal Commands)

Corps

Divisions

7 South African Infantry Division
8 South African Armoured Division
9 South African Infantry Division
10 South African Division (Operation Prone)

Brigades

16 Brigade (see 81 Armoured Brigade)
17 Brigade (see 71 Motorised Brigade )
18 Brigade (see 72 Motorised Brigade)
19 Brigade (see 82 Mechanised Brigade)
20 Brigade
60 Brigade (Battlegroups HQ Lohatla)
71 Motorised Brigade SADF era
72 Motorised Brigade SADF era
73 Motorised Brigade SADF era
74 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 8th Armoured Division)
75 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 9th Division)
81 Armoured Brigade SADF era
82 Mechanised Brigade SADF era
83 Brigade (planned but never existed)
84 Motorised Brigade SADF era
10 Artillery Brigade SADF era
Other brigades

Battlegroups

UDF and SADF
Regiments and Battalions

Homeland Battalions

Military Areas

Training Areas	Boschhoek Grahamstown Hellsgate Mosita Pomfret Riemvasmaak

UDF and SADF Commando System

South African Commando System

State Presidents Guard

State Presidents Guard

Mobilisation Units (Reception Depots)

Bantustan Defence Forces (1977/1981–1994)

Bophuthatswana Defence Force 1977–1994	1 BDF Infantry Battalion 2 BDF Infantry Battalion BDF Parachute Battalion BDF Military School BDF Special Forces 1 BDF Military Area 2 BDF Military Area 3 BDF Military Area BDF Signals Unit BDF Bafokeng base BDF Mankwe base BDF Odi base BDF Thaba'Nchu base BDF Taung base BDF Air Wing
Venda Defence Force 1979–1994	VDF Headquarters Sibasa 1 VDF Battalion Manenu 2 VDF Battalion Maunavhathu VDF Vuwani Military Base VDF Signals Unit VDF Air Wing
Ciskei Defence Force 1981–1994	1 CDF Battalion CDF Special Forces
Transkei Defence Force 1981–1994	1 TDF Battalion TDF Special Forces TDF Mounted Battalion

SWATF (1977–1989)

Union Defence Force 1912–1957

Divisions

Infantry	1 2 3

Armoured	3 6

Brigades

Infantry	1 2 3 4 5

Citizens Batteries	1st Citizen Battery 2nd Citizen Battery 3rd Citizen Battery 4th Citizen Battery 5th Citizen Battery 6th Citizen Battery 7th Citizen Battery 8th and 9th Citizen Batteries

Military Districts	1st (Cape Town) 2nd (Port Elizabeth) 3rd (East London) 4th (Pietermaritzburg) 5th (Durban) 6th (Standerton) 7th (Potchefstroom) 8th (Johannesburg) 9th (Pretoria) 10th (Kroonstad) 11th (Bloemfontein) 12th (Prieska) 13th (De Aar) 14th (Worcester)

World War I 1914–1918

Europe Campaign 1914–1918

South African Overseas Expeditionary Force

Brigades	1st Infantry Heavy Artillery

Regiments	1 2 3 4

South African Native Labour Corps

East Africa Campaign 1914–1915

German South West Africa Campaign 1915

S.A.M.R. Regiments	1 2 3 4 5

Volunteer Militias 1903–1909

Field Artillery	Natal Prince Alfred's Own Cape

Horse	Diamond Fields Horse Natal Native Horse Royston's Horse

Light Horse	Border Cape Tembuland

Light Infantry	Durban Transvaal

Mounted Rifles	Border Natal Northern District Southern Transvaal Umvoti Zululand

Rifles	Cape Peninsular Eastern Kaffrarian Northern Uitenhage Western

Non-Statutory Forces 1961–1994
Umkhonto weSizwe Azanian People's Liberation Army

Boer Commandos

Colonial Armies 1885–1902
Cape Colonial Forces

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