32 Battalion: The Inside Story of South Africa's Elite Fighting Unit

Piet Nortje

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1868729141 ISBN 13: 9781868729142

Publisher: Zebra Press, 2004

32 Battalion is the gripping inside story of South Africa's most controversial fighting unit of the 1970s and 1980s. Originally formed in order to lend support to the FNLA and UNITA in the Angolan war, 32 Battalion quickly gained the reputation of being an unconventional, secretive, yet highly effective group. Written by a man who was intimately involved with the unit and served as its Regimental Sergeant Major for two years, the title aims to explode the myths surrounding the legendary 32 and set the record straight. It records how and why 32 Battalion was formed, explores its unique identity forged by the men who fought in it, details the many operations in which they participated, and concludes with its eventual disbandment at the dawn of a new South Africa. What they did, and how they did it, would earn this controversial group official recognition as the best fighting unit in the South African Army since World War II.

Review:

This South African Defence Force unit called 32nd Battalion was formed in 1975 to combat Marxist MPLA and Cuban troops. Those had turned the Angloan civil war into one of the many proxy wars between east and west during the Cold War era. Author Piet Nortje served with this elite unit for ten years, rising through the ranks to eventually become Regimental Sergeant Major. Fearing the history of this top-secret unit would be lost, Nortje took it upon himself to write the story. Using newly declassified documents, official records and personal accounts, the author put together a very readable and detailed history. Generous use of maps and photos helps tell the story of "the best SADF fighting unit since the Second World War.--Books Plus, Women in the Arts

About the Author:

Piet Nortje joined the SADF Permanent Force in 1978 and rose rapidly through the ranks in 32 Battalion. In 1985 he was appointed as the unit's Regimental Sergeant Major, the youngest RSM ever in the SADF. Although his involvement with 32 Battalion came to an end in 1988, he continued to serve in the SANDF until his resignation in 2005. He is now a major in the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. He is the author of 32 Battalion, The Terrible Ones and The Battle of Savate.