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Willem Louw

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Coordinates: 25°46′53″S 28°07′18″E / 25.78148°S 28.12166°E / -25.78148; 28.12166
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Willem Petrus Louw

SSA SM
Born(1920-11-24)24 November 1920
Bloemhof, South Africa
Died4 July 1980(1980-07-04) (aged 59)
Buried
Gauteng, Pretoria, VOORTREKKERHOOGTE, New Military cemetery[1]
25°46′53″S 28°07′18″E / 25.78148°S 28.12166°E / -25.78148; 28.12166
Allegiance Republic of South Africa
Service / branch South African Army
Years of service1938 – 1975
RankLieutenant General
Commands
  • Inspector General of the SADF
  • Chief of the Army
  • Northern Transvaal Command
  • SA Military College
  • 1 Parachute Battalion
Battles / warsWorld War II
Awards

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

References

  1. ^ a b "LOUW Willem Petrus 1920-1980". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Els, Paul J WO1 (2010). We conquer from above. PelsA Books. ISBN 978-0-620-46738-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Fact file: Chiefs of the SA Army". defenceweb.co.za. Defence Web. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

See also

Military offices
Preceded by
Maj Gen Fritz Loots
 Inspector General of the SADF
1973 – 1975 		Post Abolished
Preceded by Chief of the South African Army
1967 – 1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by OC Northern Transvaal Command
1966 – 1967 		Succeeded by
Preceded by OC South African Military College
1964 – 1966 		Succeeded by
New creation
Regiment Founded
 OC 1 Parachute Battalion
April 1961 – 1964 		Succeeded by
Jan Fourie
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