Colonel Jan Breytenbach

Colonel Jan dirk Breytenbach

VRD, SD, SM, MMM

Most South Africans who did military service or grew up in the 70’s and 80’s in South Africa will know the name Jan Breytenbach, but many overseas readers as well as the youngsters of today may have no idea about who I am talking about.

Not many men can claim to have created or assisted in creating or led an elite unit, men such as Sir David Stirling (SAS), General Orde Wingate (Chindits, Alves Cardoso (Portuguese Commando’s and the Flecha’s), Ron Reid – Daly (Selous Scouts) are such men. Not only was Colonel Jan Breytenbach the founder of the South African Recces he was also closely involved with the formation of 32 Battalion, and 44 PARA Pathfinders.

Born in  the Boland ( Western Cape ) on 4 July 1933. He is the eldest of 4 brothers and 1 sister. Not much is known about Breytenbach’s formative years but we do know that in 1950  He attended the Army Gymnasium  as a candidate officer and in 1951 became a cadet officer in the Permanent Force. In 1953 he was awarded the Sword of Honour at the passing out parade and began his career as a Permanent Force Officer  serving in the Armoured Corps. Restless with peacetime he resigned his commission and worked in the diamond mines and after saving enough money he booked passage to England. Here he worked a variety of jobs while trying to enlist in the British Army. This he achieved by joining the Royal Navy, again excelling during the training phase as he was voted best all-round cadet and served as a navigator. In 1956 he took part in the Suez landings/ Suez crisis.

The Suez crisis was initially a diplomatic and then a military confrontation in the late 50’s between Egypt on the one side and Britain, Israel and France on the other. The USA as well as the USSR and the UN played major roles in attempting to get Britain, Israel and France to withdraw military forces from the region. For his participation in the operation he was awarded the Royal Navy’s General Service Medal.

Jan Breytenbach met and in 1958 married a English girl and decided that he wanted to move back to South Africa after listening to a radio broadcast by South African prime Minister Hendrick Verwoed. Jan and Rosalind arrived back in South Africa in 1961, soon after the country had become a Republic and not long after he joined the  SADF as a lieutenant in the Infantry Corps. Not happy with the Infantry Jan decided to volunteer for the newly formed 1 Parachute Battalion and passed the very first Parabat course to be held on South Africa soil.

Jan became a parachute instructor and in 1963 was chosen to attend a year’s officer course at Fort Benning in the USA.  Promoted to Captain he  helped plan and took part in the first attack against SWAPO at Ongulumbashe (Operation Blue Wildebees) on 26 August 1966, this was a combined operation with members of the SAP, SAAF and the SADF taking part (The first time this had ever happened)…………..more about the reason for the attack, the planning stages , the attack and aftermath can be read in the book Ongulumbashe (where the bushwar began) by Author and military historian Mr. Paul J Els.  

Colonel Jan and wife at Savate service 27 May 2012

By 1967 Jan Breytenbach was making noises  with about South Africa having a unit on the line of “C” (Rhodesian Squadron) Special Air services and while the Chief of the Army General Louw was in favour, General Heimstra (Chief of the SADF) and other senior officials however regarded the setting up of such a unit as unnecessary and a waste of financial resources.

Despite the establishment of a SAS unit not getting the go - ahead from the top, General Louw did give Jan permission to select 12 paratroopers to go to Rhodesia for a 6 month attachment to “C” Squadron. The South Africans were given a hard time by the Rhodesian's but took everything that was thrown at them and lessons learnt from the Rhodesian's in those 6 months would stand Jan Breytenbach and the SADF in good stead for the future.  

Jan was promoted to Major and in 1969 transferred to SWA command as a Staff Officer in the Training Division. From 1969 the SADF were becoming more and more involved in operational duties in SWA and men of Jan’s quality and experience were needed to ensure the SADF got on and stayed on the front foot.

Early in 1969 General F.W Loots* (the then head of Military Intelligence), when on a trip to Luanda was approached by two gentlemen who wanted South Africa to assist them and their government fight against the Nigerian government even though they were being assisted by France, Portugal as well as a few African States.  After this request was discussed with the SA government the then Minister of Defence. P.W Botha* gave permission to send a small team to train this African country’s resistance group.   

Major Breytenbach recruited another 3 men and after having attended a demolitions course at the Engineering school they departed for Biafra and only then advised that they would be assisting the Biafran forces as a training team and advisors but they eventually led guerrilla teams into battle behind enemy lines. It was during this period that Major Breytenbach was promoted to Commandant .

The war in Biafra came to sudden and dramatic ending that saw the South Africans having to  withdraw from Biafra in a matter of hours. Although the Biafrans attempt at independence had been unsuccessful, even with South Africa’s minimal assistance it brought home the fact South Africa was in need of a Special Forces organization, this was to be initiated with Commandant Jan Breytenbach being chosen to form this unit. Using the men that had been with him in Biafra as the nucleus another 8-9 men (all volunteers) were accepted and in 1971 Commandant Breytenbach became the first Commander of 1 Reconnaissance Commando.  Many books about the formation of the SA Special Forces have or are in the process of being written, again a good general reference book about this period of the SADF and well as Colonel Jan Breytenbachs life would be ‘We fear naught but God” (the story of the SA Special Forces) by Paul J Els, as well as Silent War by Peter Stiff.

Colonel Jan being Presented with a ceremonial sword.

The Recces with Jan Breytenbach leading from the front conducting operations against various terrorist organizations such as operations against SWAPO in the Caprivi, as well as conducting external raids such as the Commando raid on Der-es-Salaam in 1972, the same year that he was awarded the “Van Riebeek Decoration” for bravery during operations.

In 1973 Commandant Breytenbach realised that there was a need to formalize the structures of the Recce’s and went about ensuring it happened. in December 1974 Major Jake Swart was appointed as Commander of 1 Recce Commando.

 

With the Lisbon Coup of April 1, 1974 putting the Portuguese colonies in turmoil and with the South African having given the Portuguese tactic support in their war against insurgents in Angola, when the FNLA approached the South Africans and asked for assistance against the Communist backed MPLA it was decided that “covert” assistance would be given to the FNLA.

At this stage, in – between assignments ( In Jan’s words “Rescued from a dreary office in Army Headquarters’), Commandant Breytenbach was at Army Headquarters in Pretoria, he was approached and asked to make contact with the FNLA in the South of Angola and “sharpen their skills”. This entailed Commandant Breytenbach flying into Angola and meeting with a rag tag group of FNLA at Mpupa on the Cuito river in Angola. The full story of this meeting can be read in a number of  excellent books that have been written about 32 Battalion and its formation with the latest being ex-RSM Piet Nortjes book/s “The Terrible Ones”.   

Frank Bestebier, Jan Breytenbach and Robbie (Jose) Ribeiro

Jan Breytenbach took a leading role in Operation Savannah, Commanding Bravo group that was to become 32 Battalion, perhaps the most feared infantry Battalion that Africa has ever produced, Jan Breytenbach after fighting for its formation was to become its first Commander. Due to the fact that South Africa was “never in” Angola from October 1975 to March 1976, he introduced himself as Mr. “Carpenter”.

For his excellent leadership in a number of actions during Operation Savannah he was awarded the Southern Cross Decoration in 1977, the same year that he attended Staff course at the Army College and was promoted to Colonel. In 1978 he helped plan and took part (and was wounded) in operation Reindeer that saw an attack on a SWAPO base at Cassinga, 250 kms inside Angola on May 4 1978. The airborne assault at the time was believed to be the biggest since the Second World War and was the first true parachute attack by  the SADF. 

  

In late 1980 he was appointed as Commanding Officer of 44 parachute Brigade who became known as “The Philistines”. As always Colonel Jan led from the front and took part in Operation Protea, successfully leading his pathfinder force as a light reconnaissance unit for a Mechanised Battle Group. During this operation the vehicle he was travelling in hit a landmine and was thrown clear of the vehicle, Colonel Jan without considering his own safety returned to the burning vehicle to pull out a seriously wounded Dave Barr.

After 44 parachute Brigade Colonel Jan was tasked to establish a Guerrilla training school that he ran  as Chief Staff Intelligence until his retirement from the SADF in 1987, since then Colonel Jan Breytenbach as written a number of books including  - Forged in Battle, They Live by the Sword, The Plunderers, Buffalo Soldiers, Edens Exiles, Eagle Strike, and The Tempered Sword, Colonel Jan is also in great demand all over the world to give  talks and lectures  about his involvement with the Recces and 32 Battalion. While Colonel Jan Breytenbach was an influential figure in the South African Military his Brothers Breyten Breytenbach (Poet and Writer) and Cloete Breytenbach (War correspondent /photographer) were also seen as influential in their own right, with Jan and Breyten holding strongly opposing views regards South Africa’s political policies.        

I had the pleasure of meeting Col Breytenbach in August 2008 when he gave a talk at the Durban  MOTH “Winston Churchill” Shell hole, about 32 Battalion and I was very privileged to have him personally sign his books for me, and was impressed when he remembered that I was researching the life of Daniel Roxo, someone that Col Jan was very fond of and with whom he fought with during operation Savannah. 

Decorations  and  Medals:

·         Van Riebeek Decoration

·         African Campaign Medal

·         Southern Cross Decoration

·         Pro Patria with Cunene Clasp

·         Chief of the SADF Commendation Medal (re-named: Military Merit Medal)

·         Good Service Medal 18 years

·         Good Service Medal 20 years

·         Good Service Medal 30 years

·         General Service Medal

·         Southern Africa Medal

·         Royal Navy General Service Medal (1915-1964) with Near East Clasp

·         Officer Of The Order Of Equatorial Africa (Gabon)

Proficiency badges:

·         Special Forces Operators badge Silver (badge number 2)

·         Special Forces Gold Operators badge (badge number 2), for 10 years operational service

·         Special Forces Class 1 Attack Divers badge (badge number 1)

·         Freefall Parabat Wings.

 Sources:

·         Ongulumashe (where the bushwar began) – Paul J Els
      Borderstrike (South Africa into Angola)  - Willem Steenkamp

·         We fear naught but God (the story of the SA Special Forces) – Paul J Els

·         The Silent war (SA Recce Operations 1969 – 1994) – Peter Stiff
·         www.galago.co.za

·         Wikipedia – Colonel Jan Breytenbach

·         www.flecha.co.uk

Stephen Dunkley

1/ /5 /2013

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