The South African 2nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the army of the Union of South Africa during World War II. The division was formed on 23 October 1940 and served in the Western Desert Campaign and was captured (save for one brigade) by German and Italian forces at Tobruk on 21 June 1942. The remaining brigade was re-allocated to the South African 1st Infantry Division.

History

The division was formed on 23 October 1940 with its divisional HQ at Voortrekkerhoogte, South Africa. On 21 June 1942 two complete infantry brigades of the division as well as most of the supporting units were captured at the fall of Tobruk.

Bardia and the Western Desert

The division capture of Bardia was part of the Libyan campaign against Rommel's Afrika Korps from November 1941 to January 1942. They defeated a numerically superior Axis force in a strongly fortified position with a combined infantry and tank force.

Order of battle

21 September 1941

  • HQ 2nd Infantry Division (Maj-Gen I.P. de Villiers)
  • One Squadron 6th South African Armoured Car Regiment
  • Braforce (Brig. Medley)
  • 2nd South African Infantry Brigade (Brig. W.H.E. Poole)
  • 4th South African Infantry Brigade (less one battalion) (Brig. A.A. Hayton)
  • 4th Field Regiment, S A Artillery
  • One Battery, 5th Field Regiment, S A Artillery
  • One Troop, 67th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
  • One Troop, 68th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery
  • C and D Companies, Die Middellandse Regiment
  • 3rd South African Infantry Brigade (Brig C.E. Borain, MC, VD):
  • Imperial Light Horse
  • 1st Royal Durban Light Infantry
  • Rand Light Infantry
  • 5th Field Regiment, S A Artillery (less one battery)
  • 6th South African Infantry Brigade (Brig. F.W. Cooper):
  • 2nd Transvaal Scottish
  • 1st South African Police Battalion
  • 2nd South African Police Battalion
  • 1st Field Regiment, Cape Field Artillery
  • Railhead Force (Lt. Col. G.E.L. L'Estrange VD):
  • Umvoti Mounted Rifles
  • Die Middellandse Regiment
  • Detachment TDS (approx 30 "I" Tanks)
  • 10th Field Company, South African Engineering Corps
  • 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade Group

Order of battle: The Fall of Tobruk

Order of Battle as at 20 June 1942

  • Division troops
  • Die Middelandse Regiment (Machine-gun battalion)
  • 7th South African Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 2nd Field Regiment, Natal Field Artillery, South African Artillery
  • 3rd Field Regiment, Transvaal Horse Artillery, South African Artillery
  • 6th Anti-Tank Battery, South African Artillery
  • 2nd Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, South African Artillery
  • 2nd Battery, Cape Field Artillery Composed of men from Umtata, Transkei
  • 4th & 10th South African Field Companies, S A Engineers
  • 4th South African Infantry Brigade
  • 2nd Royal Durban Light Infantry
  • Umvoti Mounted Rifles
  • The Kaffrarian Rifles
  • Blake Group (a composite battalion ex 1 SA Div)
  • 6th South African Infantry Brigade
  • 1st S.A. Police Battalion
  • 2nd S.A. Police Battalion
  • 2nd Transvaal Scottish Regiment

Theatres of operation

The theatres that the division served in were as follows:

  • South Africa: 23 October 1940 to 20 April 1941
  • At Sea: 20 April 1941 to 6 June 1941
  • Egypt: 6 June 1941 to 22 March 1942
  • Libya: 22 March 1942 to 21 June 1942

Battles, actions and engagements

The division took part in the following battles, actions and engagements:

  • Bardia: 31 December 1941 to 2 January 1942. Some 8,000 Allied prisoners of war were freed and some 6,000 Axis prisoners were taken.
  • Clayden's Trench (Sollum): 11 January 1942 to 12 January 1942
  • Gazala: 26 May 1942 to 21 June 1942
  • Tobruk: 20 June 1942 to 21 June 1942. The number of South African prisoners taken at Tobruk has been recorded as 10,772