The human transformation of the South African Navy between 1957 and 1993
Date
2023-03
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Naval Forces became a permanent arm of the Union Defence Force (UDF) after the Second World War – on 1 April 1946 – and was named the South African Navy from 1 January 1951. Like other military forces of this period, the Navy remained a typical male-dominated organisation for the first decades of its existence. Furthermore, in South Africa, the policy of the National Party government, which came to power in 1948, shaped the permanent force component of the UDF as a White male Afrikaner dominated organisation.
Two world wars were however notable deviations in this pattern. In order to solve its dire need for more manpower, African, Coloured and Asian men were recruited to serve in the UDF during both World Wars. Their contribution was significant – during the Second World War alone, 36% of whole-time volunteers were non-White. Gender restrictions were also relaxed as more than 21 000 women were recruited to serve in the UDF during the 1939-45 conflict. Their utilisation was mostly in auxiliary capacity, but their service in uniform nevertheless left an important, post-war, military legacy. The constant need for more “manpower” by the military, in a country that was racially segregated, was at the heart of this dichotomy. “Non-White” soldiers and women were needed by the military during times of conflict; yet were not considered for similar employment during the periods of peace in the inter- and post-war years.
The nationalist military build-up of the SADF, which included the rapid expansion of the SA Navy from the late 1950s, again forced the defence authorities to consider suitable alternatives in order to meet the growing demand for manpower. They looked to the marginalised groups who had served, albeit in small numbers, during the world wars. The first group of Coloured soldiers was recruited for the South African Army from 1963 and for the Navy from 1965. Women were recruited for the Permanent Force from 1972 while Indian male recruits first joined in 1974. African men were mostly utilised in the Auxiliary Services of the SADF, but also employment with the SA Army in a permanent capacity from 1975. The first purposeful recruitment of Africans for the Navy however only followed in the early 1990s.
This thesis aims to provide a better understanding of these human transformational events that unfolded – in a staged pattern – in the South African Navy amidst and as a result of the changing South African political and strategic landscape between 1957 and 1993. It is as much a history of the South African Navy as it is of the people that served the organisation during this time – and more widely of the political and socio-economic condition of South Africa itself. Previous historical studies on the Navy focussed exclusively on its development as an organisation, its equipment (ships) and naval operations. The Navy’s social history, especially as it relates to the groups under discussion, has been grossly neglected.
This thesis therefore examines the enlistment of Coloureds, Indians, women and Africans into the South African Navy and their experience of military service during the period 1957 to 1993. This was a critical time in the history of country, witnessing the rise of the apartheid state and beefing up of the SADF. It investigates the events and circumstances that initiated the decision to recruit and integrate formerly marginalised sectors of the population into the Navy from the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s respectively and using prosopography to analyse their career progression by the early-1990s. The reintroduction of women to the Navy in 1972 and their particular utilisation and specific challenges to integrate into the organisation with emphasis on gender in the military; and the relative late recruitment of Africans to the Navy during the early 1990s, in contrast to the recruitment and appointment of Africans in the Army during the early 1970s comprise the various aspects investigated. The measure and nature of integration and how de-segregation was implemented on board ships and ashore are also examined. This allows a more nuanced understanding of the mutually reciprocal impacts that these appointments had on the service personnel and the organisation as a whole.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse Vlootmagte is ná die Tweede Wereldoorlog op 1 April 1946 hersaamgestel as 'n permanente eenheid van die Unieverdedigingsmag (UVM) en staan vanaf 1 Januarie 1951 bekend as die Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot. Net soos ander militere magte van die era het die vloot aanvanklik 'n tipiese mans-gedrewe organisasie gebly. In Suid-Afrika het die beleid van die Nasionale Party, wat in 1948 aan bewind gekom het, voorts die permanente magskomponent van die UVM as 'n oorwegend wit manlike Afrikaner-gedomineerde organisasie gerig. Twee wereldoorloe het egter noemenswaardige uitsonderings gebied. Om ‘n oplossing te bied vir die skielike behoefte aan meer mannekrag, is swart, bruin en Asiatiese mans gewerf om tydens die Eerste en Tweede Wereldoorlog te dien. Hulle bydrae was beduidend en tydens die Tweede Wereldoorlog alleen was 36% van die heeltydse vrywilligers nie-blank. Geslagsperke is ook verslap en meer as 21 000 vroue is gewerf om tydens die Tweede Wereldoorlog in die UVM te dien. Hul benutting was meestal van sekondere aard, maar diens in uniform het nietemin bygedra om 'n belangrike militere nalatenskap na die oorlog daar te stel. Die weermag se voortdurende behoefte aan meer "mannekrag" en die aanwending van anderskleuriges, in 'n land wat segregasie onderskryf het, was ‘n teenstrydigheid. Nie-blanke soldate en vroue was nodig geag tydens tye van konflik, maar is nie oorweeg vir soortgelyke aanstellings in die tussen- en naoorlogse jare nie. Die nasionalistiese militere opbou van die Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag (SAW) het snelle uitbreiding van die Vloot vanaf die laat 1950's ingesluit, maar weer die militere leierskap gedwing om alternatiewe werwingsbronne te identifiseer in die lig van soortgelyke mannekrag tekorte. Die eerste groep Kleurling soldate is dus vanaf 1963 vir die Leer en vanaf 1965 vir die Vloot gewerf. Vroue is vanaf 1972 in ‘n permanente hoedanigheid gewerf terwyl Indier rekrute die eerste keer in 1974 aangestel is. Swart mans is meestal gebruik in die SAW se hulpdiens, maar ook vanaf 1975 permanent by die SAW aangestel. Die eerste doelgerigte werwing van Swart mans vir die Vloot het eers in die vroee 1990’s gevolg. Hierdie proefskrif het ten doel om omvattende dekking te bied van hierdie menslike transformasie gebeure wat homself in die Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot afgespeel het, te midde van en as gevolg van ‘n veranderende Suid-Afrikaanse politieke en strategiese landskap van 1957 tot 1993. Dit is 'n geskiedenis van die Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot, maar ook van die mense wat die organisasie in hierdie tyd gedien het. Voorafgaande historiese studies oor die vloot het uitsluitlik gefokus op die ontwikkeling van die organisasie, die toerusting (skepe) en vlootoperasies. Die sosiale geskiedenis van die vloot het tot dusver bitter min aandag geniet in akademiese studies en veral waar dit verband hou met die groepe wat bespreek word in hierdie proefskrif.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse Vlootmagte is ná die Tweede Wereldoorlog op 1 April 1946 hersaamgestel as 'n permanente eenheid van die Unieverdedigingsmag (UVM) en staan vanaf 1 Januarie 1951 bekend as die Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot. Net soos ander militere magte van die era het die vloot aanvanklik 'n tipiese mans-gedrewe organisasie gebly. In Suid-Afrika het die beleid van die Nasionale Party, wat in 1948 aan bewind gekom het, voorts die permanente magskomponent van die UVM as 'n oorwegend wit manlike Afrikaner-gedomineerde organisasie gerig. Twee wereldoorloe het egter noemenswaardige uitsonderings gebied. Om ‘n oplossing te bied vir die skielike behoefte aan meer mannekrag, is swart, bruin en Asiatiese mans gewerf om tydens die Eerste en Tweede Wereldoorlog te dien. Hulle bydrae was beduidend en tydens die Tweede Wereldoorlog alleen was 36% van die heeltydse vrywilligers nie-blank. Geslagsperke is ook verslap en meer as 21 000 vroue is gewerf om tydens die Tweede Wereldoorlog in die UVM te dien. Hul benutting was meestal van sekondere aard, maar diens in uniform het nietemin bygedra om 'n belangrike militere nalatenskap na die oorlog daar te stel. Die weermag se voortdurende behoefte aan meer "mannekrag" en die aanwending van anderskleuriges, in 'n land wat segregasie onderskryf het, was ‘n teenstrydigheid. Nie-blanke soldate en vroue was nodig geag tydens tye van konflik, maar is nie oorweeg vir soortgelyke aanstellings in die tussen- en naoorlogse jare nie. Die nasionalistiese militere opbou van die Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag (SAW) het snelle uitbreiding van die Vloot vanaf die laat 1950's ingesluit, maar weer die militere leierskap gedwing om alternatiewe werwingsbronne te identifiseer in die lig van soortgelyke mannekrag tekorte. Die eerste groep Kleurling soldate is dus vanaf 1963 vir die Leer en vanaf 1965 vir die Vloot gewerf. Vroue is vanaf 1972 in ‘n permanente hoedanigheid gewerf terwyl Indier rekrute die eerste keer in 1974 aangestel is. Swart mans is meestal gebruik in die SAW se hulpdiens, maar ook vanaf 1975 permanent by die SAW aangestel. Die eerste doelgerigte werwing van Swart mans vir die Vloot het eers in die vroee 1990’s gevolg. Hierdie proefskrif het ten doel om omvattende dekking te bied van hierdie menslike transformasie gebeure wat homself in die Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot afgespeel het, te midde van en as gevolg van ‘n veranderende Suid-Afrikaanse politieke en strategiese landskap van 1957 tot 1993. Dit is 'n geskiedenis van die Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot, maar ook van die mense wat die organisasie in hierdie tyd gedien het. Voorafgaande historiese studies oor die vloot het uitsluitlik gefokus op die ontwikkeling van die organisasie, die toerusting (skepe) en vlootoperasies. Die sosiale geskiedenis van die vloot het tot dusver bitter min aandag geniet in akademiese studies en veral waar dit verband hou met die groepe wat bespreek word in hierdie proefskrif.
Description
Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
Keywords
South Africa. Navy -- History -- 20th century, Armed Forces -- Manpower -- South Africa, Sea-power -- South Africa, UCTD