The South African Border War - The South West Africa Territorial Force

While South Africans were being conscripted to the South African Defense Force (SADF), South West African conscripts and volunteers were deployed to the South West Africa Territorial Force(SWATF), a localized branch of the SADF.

The territorial force grew over time and was organised on a regional basis. Most of the regional units were also organised along ethnic lines.

The difficulties in South West Africa were not only exacerbated by South Africa's racial policies, but SWAPO and its PLAN fighters and insurgents, were predominantly from the majority Ovambo tribe.

People from minority tribes and ethnic groups were often willing to "join up" to resist the perceived majority threat.

By the end of the war SWATF had eight regular full-time battalions.

31 Bushman Battalion, (became 201 Battalion)
32 Battalion at Buffalo
33 Eastern Caprivi Battalion, (became 701 Battalion)
34 Kavangoland Battalion, (became 202 Battalion)
35 Ovamboland Battalion
36 Bushman Battalion, (became 203 Battalion)
37 Kaokoland Battalion, (became 102 Battalion)
41 Multi-ethnic Regiment Windhoek (became 911 Battalion)

By Caracal Rooikat - Microsoft PaintPreviously published: nil, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

and Five ‘Modular’ Infantry Battalions to take care of internal operations

51 Battalion at Ruacana
52 Battalion at Oshakati
53 Battalion at Ondangwa
54 Battalion at Eenhana
55 Battalion at Nepara

Of all of these battalions 32 Battalion would become the most notorious and famous, called "the terrible ones" by their foes.

They were not South West African locals but a special force comprising volunteers and Angolans that had found a home in the SADF.

By the end of the war their reputation was legend for both good and bad reasons.

By the time it was time for my stint in the SADF, I would find myself closely involved with a significant number of SWATF members of Caprivi origin.

They had little love for the Ovambo people, due to many of the terrorist attacks their people had experienced; being just a river crossing from Zambia.

So, when their opportunity came in the armed forces ,Owambo combatant and civilian were treated with little differentiation.

But more on these stories later.

Previous posts in this series can be found at the bottom of this post:

The South African Border War - 1976, The end of a chapter and the beginning of a new phase.
The South African Border War - Mines, Mines did I say mines?
The South African Border War - Enter the Ratel
The South African Border War - The United Nations Security Council Resolutions
The South African Border War - Operation Reindeer begins.
The South African Border War - Operation Reindeer - The Cassinga Fiasco