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5th Infantry Brigade (South Africa)

Field	Value
unit_name	5th South African Infantry Brigade
dates	13 Aug 1940 – 24 Nov 1941
country	South Africa
allegiance	Union of South Africa
branch	South African Army
type	Infantry
size	Brigade
battles	*East African Campaign
disbanded	Destroyed by Axis forces at Sidi Rezegh: 24 Nov 1941.
Officially disbanded 1 Jan 1943
commander1	Brigadier Bertram Frank Armstrong
commander1_label	Commander November 1941

North African Campaign
- Operation Crusader Officially disbanded 1 Jan 1943

The 5th South African Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the army of the Union of South Africa during World War II. The Brigade formed part of the South African 1st Infantry Division and was formed on 13 August 1940. It served in East Africa and the Western Desert and was disbanded on 1 January 1943.

Order of battle

East Africa

Officer Commanding: Brigadier Bertram Frank ArmstrongArmstrong was captured at Sidi Rezegh on 23 or 24 November 1941 and was flown directly from North Africa to Germany for interrogation. Matthews, D. Capt. With the 5th South African Infantry Brigade at Sidi Rezegh. South African Military History Journal – Vol 10 No 6.

1st South African Irish Regiment
2nd Regiment Botha
3rd Transvaal Scottish Regiment
No. 1 S.A. Armoured Car Company
5th Field Company, SA Corps of Engineers
11th Field Ambulance, SA Medical Corps
No. 3 Mobile General Workshops, SA Technical Services Corps
1 Brigade Signals Company, SA Corps of Signals

Western Desert

The 5th Brigade was almost totally wiped out by the German 15th Panzer and Italian Ariete Divisions at Sidi Rezegh on 23 November 1941. Although receiving some replacements and being re-equipped, the Brigade never served operationally after this defeat.

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

Agar-Hamilton, J.A.I. & Turner, L.F.C. The Sidi Rezeg Battles: 1941. 1957, Oxford University Press, Cape Town.
Orpen, N. East Africa and the Abyssinian Campaigns: South African Forces World War II: Volume I. 1968, Purnell, Cape Town.

References

Orpen Appendix B
Agar-Hamilton Pg253

Info: Wikipedia Source

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