LOHATLA

At the beginning of 1991, 61 Mech Battalion Group was still stationed at the Rooikop Military Base to the East of Walvis Bay, which was the former location of the disbanded 2 SA Infantry Battalion. 

In the autumn of 1991, Commandant Gerhard Louw was called to the Army Battle School (ABS) in Lohatla for what he thought would be a briefing on 61 Mech Bn Gp’s upcoming relocation. Instead, he was warmly welcomed by the Battle School’s commander, Brigadier Johann Dippenaar, tasked to draft an appreciation for 61 Mech’s future placement and given access to the ABS’ administrative staff to get the work done.

He was informed that three options appeared eminently viable: first, relocating to 4 SA Infantry Battalion’s base in Middelburg; second, moving to 8 SA Infantry Battalion’s base in Upington. The third option was for the unit to move to Lohatla, where it could be employed for the support of practical course exercises if it was not involved in operations, or preparing to do so. In the end, there was little choice and the decision was made for 61 Mech Battalion Group to be relocated to Lohatla.

While the Main HQ carried on with the work in Walvis Bay, the Forward HQ was accommodated in tents in one of the unit areas that were usually reserved for Citizen Force elements. 

Early in November, the ABS brought the wives and small children of 61 Mech’s married members in by air and briefed/entertained them for a few days, in an effort to make them more comfortable with the move to their new home. As usual some were impressed with the preparations, while others had misgivings regarding their future home base.

This interim period came to an end later that month, when the unit was finally moved to Lohatla by rail (which saw a Withings recovery vehicle catching on an overhead bridge near Keetmanshoop and falling off the flatbed coach), by road and by air.

By the end of that year, 61 Mech had come home to South Africa; looking forward to carving out a new niche for themselves, but also remembering with unbearable sadness that it had lost a vital part of its cultural framework. Although Walvis Bay was ceded to Namibia on 28 February 1994 only, it had already become abundantly clear by the end of 1991 that the South West African era, with all of its poignant and exuberant moments, was irretrievably consigned to legend

The start of 1992 saw 61 Mech Battalion Group becoming settled at the Army Battle School in Lohatla. While the permanent, married staff was distributed among the surrounding towns (including Postmasburg, the married quarters on the base, the reopened mining town of Glosam, Olifantshoek and of course Kathu), the living-in members and troops were housed in single quarters on the base. The caravans of the unit- and company HQs were beginning to appear more like home, with the construction of stone-paved pathways among them lending an air of permanence to the surroundings. 

While stationed at the ABS, 61 Mech Batalion Group reverted to a standard unit routine of roll call and sub-unit parades on every workday, with battalion parades once per month or when it was called for. More and more, the battalion group was reverting to being a peacetime outfit in which formal discipline, dress codes and military culture became the norm. For example, the unit’s affiliation dress — with specific reference to a unique cap badge, cravat and affiliation hanger — was approved, manufactured and distributed during this year and, in addition, new vehicle pennants and unit flags were produced and displayed wherever 61 Mech took part in mechanised parades. Unit solidarity was further encouraged by the construction of an imposing unit entrance, complete with stone walls, steel gate, palm trees reminiscent of Walvis Bay, and welded unit insignia.

As far as operations were concerned, 61 Mech was (again) placed on standby on a number of occasions, but moved from its permanent station in only a few cases. Of these, two come to mind immediately. After the murder of Chris Hani on 10 April 1993 and with the country on the verge of conflagration, military forces were dispatched to Gauteng post-haste. Within a couple of days, 61 Mech’s HQ and two Casspir companies reported to Gp 18 HQ at the Doornkop military base, which had Colonel Mc Gill Alexander in charge. The unit immediately commenced with the stabilisation of the Alexandra township, which one dark night resulted in a firefight between our side (represented by Capt Riaan Gray taking command of a small squad) and unknown shooters on the other. For this particular action, a draw was recorded.

The other operation commenced after the St James Church massacre in Cape Town on 25 July 1993, when 61 Mech (same grouping as before, but with two Ratel companies this time) was instructed to report at De Brug in Bloemfontein as a matter of urgency - all in preparation for an action in Transkei.