Pieter Grobbelaar
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2012) |
Pieter Hendrik Grobbelaar | |
---|---|
Born | Porterville, Cape Colony[1] | 16 September 1908
Died | 22 June 1988 | (aged 79)
Allegiance | South Africa |
Service/ | South African Army |
Years of service | 1933–1965 |
Rank | General |
Commands held | Commandant General of the South African Defence Force Army Chief of Staff South African Military College Northern Transvaal Command Orange Free State Command 7th Reconnaissance Battalion |
Battles/wars | Second World War |
Awards | Star of South Africa Distinguished Service Order |
General Pieter Grobbelaar, SSA, DSO (16 September 1908 – 22 June 1988)[2] was a South African military commander. He served as Army Chief of Staff from 1953 to 1958, and Commandant General of the South African Defence Force from 1961 to 1965.
Military career
Grobbelaar joined the South African Army as a part-time Citizen Force soldier in 1929 and became a full-time Permanent Force member in 1933.[3]: 92
During the Second World War, Grobbelaar commanded the 7th Reconnaissance Battalion as a lieutenant colonel, and was second-in-command of the 12th Motorised Brigade, 6th Armoured Division during the Italy.[1]
After the war, Grobbelaar served as Officer Commanding Orange Free State Command, Northern Transvaal Command and the South African Military College.[3]: 93
Grobbelaar served as Army Chief of Staff from 1953 to 1958, as Inspector-General from 1958 to 1959, as Deputy Commandant-General from 1959 to 1960, and as Commandant General of the South African Defence Force from 1961 to 1965.[4]
References
- ^ a b Who's Who of Southern Africa 1964. Wootton & Gibson (Pty) Ltd. 1964. p. 367.
- ^ "GROBBELAAR Pieter Hendrik 1908–1988". eggsa.org.
- ^ a b Nöthling, C.J.; Meyers, E.M. (1982). "Leiers Deur die Jare (1912-1982)" (Online). Scientia Militaria – South African Journal of Military Studies (in Afrikaans). 12 (2): 89–98. doi:10.5787/12-2-631. ISSN 2224-0020. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Leon Engelbrecht. "Fact file: Chiefs of the SANDF, past and present". defenceweb.co.za.
- Use dmy dates from October 2012
- 1908 births
- 1988 deaths
- White South African people
- Afrikaner people
- South African people of Danish descent
- South African people of Dutch descent
- South African people of German descent
- Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- South African military personnel of World War II
- Chiefs of the South African Army
- Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley