Paratrooper Traditional Cache

When placing this cache it reminded me of weaponry , MORTARS , and the bygone military day's in South Africa.. You don't need to read any of this to find the cache and it has nothing to do with this placement. Only that it is a bit of history for anyone interested. The cache is placed near a school and there are four things you will have to do:

1. When school is busy there will be lots of people about and you will NOT be able to extract this cache.

2. You will need an extendable pickup tool or wire if you can manipulate it to reach and grab.

3. Take note of orientation and replace as found.

4. Have Fun

44 Parachute Brigade (South Africa)

44 Parachute Brigade was a parachute infantry brigade of the South African Army. It was founded on 20 April 1978,[2]:5 following the disbandment of 1 SA Corps. Upon formation, the brigade was commanded by Brigadier M. J. du Plessis, who was assigned the task of establishing the unit with the assistance of the Parachute Staff Officer, Colonel Jan Breytenbach. At the time du Plessis was thecommanding officer of the Orange Free State Command (OFS Cmd) and had previous experience serving in 1 Parachute Battalion. Breytenbach had also been a member of 1 Parachute Battalion and had also founded the South African Special Forces Brigade and 32 Battalion. The location that was chosen for the brigade's headquarters was in the lines of the OFS Cmd Headquarters, next to the old Tempe Airfield in Bloemfontein.

44 Parachute Brigade (SADF)

44 Parachute Brigade Beret BadgeFounded1978Disbanded1999Country

 South AfricaBranch

 South African ArmyRole

• Airborne Ops
• Air-Landed Assault Ops
• Heli-borne Assault Ops
• Ltd Amphibious deployment
• Parachute School
• Parachute Depot
• Air Supply[1]

Part ofSouth African Army Infantry FormationAnniversaries5 May (Paratroopers Remembrance Day)Commanders1978–1979Brig. M.J.du Plessis (co-founder)1980–1982Col. Jan Breytenbach (co-founder)

The brigade's units initially consisted of two Citizen Force units, 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions, that were manned by paratroopers who had completed their initial national service in 1 Parachute Battalion.[3]Shortly after formation, it was realised that these two battalions, being infantry units only, were not capable of providing an effective and balanced force for conventional operations. An all-arms formation with an airborne capability was needed, and as a result, later on the brigade was expanded with various arms including engineering, artillery, signals, anti-aircraft, anti-tank, and maintenance and workshops units.

The brigade remained in existence until 1999 when it was reduced in size and re-designated 44 Parachute Regiment. Prior to this, 44 Parachute Brigade undertook a number of operations in Angoladuring the South African Border War as well as counter insurgency operations inside South Africa.

History

Early development of the Brigade: 1979–1980

Together with the announcement of the proposed establishment of the brigade by the then Minister of Defence, P. W. Botha, in April 1978, approval was also given for the establishment of 44 Parachute Brigade, 44 Field Engineer Squadron and 44 Parachute Brigade Signal Squadron with effect from 1 January 1979. 2 and 3 Parachute Battalions were officially placed under command of 44 Parachute Brigade on 4 January 1979, and in May 1979, the brigade became self-accounting.

In 1980 the brigade moved its headquarters and constituent units to Pretoria for administrative and accommodation reasons. Colonel Breytenbach believed that the brigade should be housed closer to its air transport facilities that were centred at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria.[3] The brigade HQ, however, was temporarily de-activated, and the post of SSO Parachute Operations was established under Director Operations at Army HQ. Colonel Breytenbach occupied this post, and was also responsible for the continued administration of the brigade. On 24 September 1980 the Brigade HQ was re-activated with Breytenbach as un-appointed Officer Commanding and moved to the farm Haakdoringfontein at Murrayhill near Wallmansthal, some 35 kilometers north of Pretoria. This farm once belonged to Commandant General Piet Joubert of the old Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, and the original stone farmhouse and outbuildings have been incorporated into the Brigade Headquarters.

Murrayhill would serve as the home of 44 Parachute Brigade until the commencement of scaling down of operations and in 1991 Tempe (Bloemfontein) again became its Headquarters.

Formalising of 44 Parachute Brigade: 1981

After moving to Murrayhill in 1980, 44 Parachute Brigade experienced relatively little organizational development even though the individual units within the brigade remained operationally active. After the battle of Cassinga in 1978, Colonel Breytenbach motivated an urgent requirement for a Pathfinder detachment that would be capable of infiltrating a Drop Zone before the main force arrived so as to be able to direct the drop from the ground, instead of relying on dead-reckoning navigation by Air Force aircrew. A Pathfinding unit, nicknamed the Philistines, was duly established, manned by a combination of ex-Rhodesian soldiers and local volunteers.[3] 18 Light Regiment, an artillery unit equipped with 120 mm heavy mortars, was transferred to the brigade, and in 1980 a Light Artillery Battery executed a drop together with 2 Parachute Battalion on the Zimbabwean border in the then Northern Transvaal as part of an exercise called ‘Crossbow’. This further illustrated the need to develop an all-arms approach to the airborne doctrine, training and organization.

In 1981, one of the key objectives of the newly appointed Chief of the South African Army, Lieutenant General J.J. Geldenhuys, SSA, SD, SM, was the formalising of 44 Parachute Brigade. Following this, on 1 January 1982, Colonel F. J. Bestbier took up the post of the first formally appointed commanding officer of 44 Parachute Brigade. Bestbier had previously commanded a mechanised infantry battalion, although he had served with 1 Parachute Battalion for 10 years prior to that. Colonel Bestbier disbanded the Philistines and those foreign soldiers in the unit completed their contracts and left the SADF.[3]

In 1998 the decision was taken to reduce the brigade to the status of a regiment, and in 2000 this came into effect when the formation was reduced to 44 Parachute Regiment (South Africa).

Expansion of the Brigade: 1982–1986

During this period the brigade went through a real period of expansion with additional staff officers being transferred into the brigade Headquarters. With the Headquarters established and staffed domestic administration of the brigade was possible. This period also saw the following developments within the Citizen Force Units:

Approval in principle for the establishment of 4 Parachute Battalion

Approval for the upgrading of the following Sub-Units to:

• 44 Anti-Aircraft Regiment
• 44 Signal Unit
• 44 Maintenance Unit.
• 37 Field Workshop (Under the Brigade from 1 January 1984)

The following Sub-Units were also activated:

• 44 Anti-Tank Company
• 44 Pathfinder Company
• 44 Dispatcher Platoon
• 44 Provost Platoon

Colonel D. J. Moore took command of 44 Parachute Brigade on 1 January 1985 having spent 13 years at 1 Parachute Battalion serving 4 of those years as Officer Commanding.

In 1985 the brigade also produced a manual on airborne operations, in which the concept of a Parachute Battalion Group as the basic, balanced airborne assault force is set out, together with its doctrinal employment. Organisations within the brigade were accordingly amended to conform to this concept, which gave the brigade the capacity to mobilise three balanced Parachute Battalion Groups.

The Parachute Battalion Group concept: 1988

During 1988 the Chief of the SA Army tasked 44 Parachute Brigade to maintain a full-time Parachute Group ready for immediate deployment. This was as a result of the changing and uncertain operational situation in Angola at the time. In order to achieve this, several National Servicemen Companies from 1 Parachute Battalion were placed under the operational command of the brigade. 2 Parachute Battalion and other elements constituted the force from the Brigade side.

This combined formation was dubbed ‘14 Parachute Battalion Group’ (The 1 referring to 1 Parachute Battalion and the 4 to 44 Parachute Brigade).

: 1982–1986

During this period the brigade conducted extensive tests on developing a heavy drop capability. The tests originated at 1 Parachute Battalion in 1982 with stripped-down Land-Rovers dubbed ‘Fireflies’, progressing to successfully dropping light armored reconnaissance vehicles carrying potent anti-tank weapons systems.

Vehicles were dropped by means of both the Platform Extraction System, as well as the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System. In 1986 the brigade also evaluated several proto-types and finally select an Air-droppable Utility Vehicle which was named the Jakkals(Jackal). The origin of the 'Jakkals' is said to have derived from Colonel Jackel (Technical Service Corps) who developed it.[citation needed]

Exercises and Brigade developments: 1987–1990

In 1987 the brigade's first large-scale airborne exercise took place with 3 Parachute Battalion Group carrying out Exercise Iron Eagle I in the Batavia area of North West Transvaal, close to the Botswana border. 500 troops, several vehicles and heavy weapons with ammunition were dropped by day from four C130 Hercules aircraft, four C160 ZZ Transall aircraft and twelve DC-3 Dakota aircraft in one lift. Due to various factors, Exercise Iron Eagle II with 4 Parachute Battalion Group, due to take place later in the same year, had to be cancelled.

In March 1988, Exercise Iron Eagle III was carried out by 2 Parachute Battalion Group on the training grounds at Murrayhill. It involved a night drop onto a very rough Drop Zone by 600 men and 34 tonnes of equipment, including 16 vehicles.

The drop was followed by a night march of 12 kilometers and a first light assault on an objective.

In May 1988, Exercise Hornet took place in the Batavia area close to the Botswana Border. This involved a Battalion-sized parachute drop followed by a helicopter deployment which was executed by 3 Parachute Battalion.

1988 also saw 101 Air Supply Company come under the command of the brigade placing the SADF's complete air supply capability under the umbrella of the brigade.

Exercise Strandloper which was a large exercise was planned and executed between July and September 1988, 14 Parachute Battalion Group began preparing for this immediately. This exercise was amphibious and was held at Walvis Bay, SWA, and it heralded the start of a new era for the brigade at the time, one in which this new role would begin to supplement the traditional airborne role.

Following this exercise 14 Parachute Battalion Group was deployed in the Operational Area during April 1989. On returning from SWA, 14 Parachute Battalion Group was a depleted unit with the Citizen Force elements within it having been demobilised.

The depleted Group prepared for and took part in an Exercise known as Sweepslag II/88 together with other conventional forces at the Army Battle School near Lohatlha in the Northern Cape. The Paratroopers travelled 500 kilometres by road from Pretoria only to discover that they would immediately have to participate in a night drop with heavy equipment. The Exercise also involved ‘assaults’ on several objectives and the occupation of a bridgehead.

14 Parachute Battalion Group become a permanent unit of 44 Parachute Brigade with effect from 1 January 1989, amalgamating all parachute qualified National Servicemen elements of the Army for operational deployment in their second year of full-time National Service.

In September 1989 14 Parachute Battalion group carried out a second amphibious exercise, dubbed Exercise Vlakwater, in the Saldanha Bay area. This exercise also saw a full troop with two gun sections of 14.5mm AA Guns, One Jakkals Vehicle with a Mamba double barreled 12.7 mm AA Gun being deployed in an air drop.

The brigade was at one stage on stand-by with both 14 Parachute Battalion Group and 2 Parachute Battalion in case events leading up to the SWA/Namibian independence turned sour. In April 1989, 14 Parachute Battalion Group was deployed to the Northwestern parts of Namibia where they carried out heli-borne operations from a base at Ehomba as part of Operation Merlyn, in what became known as the Nine Day War. Appropriately, the South African paratroopers, the first to see action in the Namibian war in the 1960s, were also involved in the final military operations.

With the rationalization of the SADF commencing from the end of 1989 and both 14 Parachute Battalion Group and 4 Parachute Battalion being de-activated, the brigade again adopted a programme of training, rather than of conducting operations.

During 1990 however, Iron Eagle 90, a parachute assault exercise, was carried out at Murrayhill by 3 Parachute Battalion, while 1 Parachute Battalion conducted a heliborne assault exercise known as Exercise Pegasus.

In 1990 the first company of black paratroopers were also trained by 1 Parachute Battalion.

44 Parachute Brigade conducted its first skeleton brigade exercise in 1990, combining it with a Naval Gunfire Support exercise in the Lake St Lucia area. It was called Exercise Leviathan.

Setting the Strategy for 1990–1999

In April 1990 a symposium, termed PARATROOPER 2000, was held between 44 Parachute Brigade and 1 Parachute Battalion and a strategy was developed for the role, training, administration and development of the parachute forces for the next decade