Willem Louw
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Willem Petrus Louw | |
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Born | Bloemhof, South Africa | 24 November 1920
Died | 4 July 1980 | (aged 59)
Buried | 25°46′53″S 28°07′18″E / 25.78148°S 28.12166°E |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1938 – 1975 |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
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Battles/wars | World War II |
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Lieutenant-General Willem Petrus Louw SSA SM (Bloemhof,[2]: 255 24 November 1920 – 4 July 1980)[1] was a South African military commander. He joined the South African Army in the Special Service Battalion in 1938,[3]: 94 and served in Italy in World War II.
Military career
After enlisting as a private he served as a NCO in the Technical Service Corps (SAOC)[2]: 255 and was seconded to the South African Infantry. In 1943 he attended a Candidate Officers course and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the South African Army Armoured Corps. He was transferred to the 6th Armoured Division and deployed to the Middle East and Italy.[3]: 94
After the war he served in various posts and in 1959 became Officer Commanding North West Cape Command[2]: 255 In 1960 he attended a Parachute Instructors course in England. He was promoted to Commandant (Lieutenant Colonel) in January 1961 and in April 1961 became the founder and first commanding officer of 1 Parachute Battalion. He was promoted to Colonel in 1964 and appointed OC of the Military College in Voortrekkerhoogte.[2]: 255 In 1966 he served as OC Northern Transvaal Command[3]: 94 as a Brigadier and Chief of the Army from 1967 to 1973,[4][3]: 94 and as Inspector-General of the South African Defence Force from 1973 to 1975.[3]: 94
After a re-organisation of the SADF the position of Inspector General was abolished and he retired on 31 March 1975.[2][3]: 94
Awards and Decorations
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References
- ^ a b "LOUW Willem Petrus 1920-1980". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Els, Paul J WO1 (2010). We conquer from above. PelsA Books. ISBN 978-0-620-46738-4.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f 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.
- ^ "Fact file: Chiefs of the SA Army". defenceweb.co.za. Defence Web. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2014.