| 4 Reconnaissance Commando | |
|---|---|
| Active | 17 July 1978 |
| Disbanded | 31 July 1993 |
| Country | South Africa |
| Allegiance |
 Republic of South Africa |
| Branch |
 South Africa Army |
| Type | Special forces |
| Role | Reconnaissance |
| Part of | South African Defence Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Langebaan, Western Cape |
| Motto(s) | Iron Fist From The Sea |
The 4 Reconnaissance Commando is a defunct South African Special Forces unit of the South African Defence Force that was formed in July 1978, specialising in amphibious operations.
History[]
The unit was formed on the 17 July 1978 as 4 Reconnaissance Commando at Langebaan. It was initially made up of members of 1 Reconnaissance Commando.[1] During the 1981 reorganisation, 4 Reconnaissance Commando was renamed 4 Reconnaissance Regiment (4RR).[1] The unit was said to be small with mainly white soldiers who operated in Angola and Mozambique[2]:Chp3
Re-organisation after 1992[]
The next reorganisation occurred in 1992 when the Special Forces HQ was disbanded and renamed the Directorate Reconnaissance Forces and 4 RR remained but 2RR, the citizen force unit, was disbanded.[1] In 1993, a further reorganisation occurred when the Directorate Reconnaissance Forces was renamed as the 45 Para Brigade and 4 Reconnaissance Commando was renamed the 453 Para Battalion.[1] The last change occurred in 1995, 45 Para Brigade became the Special Forces Brigade and subsequently 453 Para Battalion is now called 4 Special Forces Regiment.[1]
Commanding Officers[]
Officers commanding were:[3]
- 1978–1982 – Cmdt. M. Kinghorn
- 1982–1994 – Col. J. Venter
- 1994–n.d. – Col. K. Nel
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "4 Reconnaissance Regiment / 4 Special Forces Regiment". South African Special Forces Association. http://www.recce.co.za/special-forces-history/4rr-4sfr-history. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- ↑ O'Brien, Kevin A. (2011). The South African Intelligence Services: From Apartheid to Democracy, 1948-2005 (eBook). Studies in Intelligence Series. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-84061-0.
- ↑ "TRC Final Report". SABC. http://www.sabctrc.saha.org.za/reports/volume2/chapter3/subsection69.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
External links[]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The original article can be found at 4 Reconnaissance Commando (South Africa) and the edit history here.