Brett Hendey
13-08-2009, 06:44
RNVR (SA), Seaward Defence Force & South African Naval Forces
At the outbreak of World War II, the naval defence of South Africa was in the hands of the Royal Navy, together with a small number of RNVR (SA) men who had trained in the 1920's and 1930's.
In January 1940, South Africa established a new naval unit, the Seaward Defence Force (SDF), which was equipped with trawlers and whalers converted to minesweepers and for anti-submarine activities. They also rescued survivors from ships sunk by U-Boats. Initially, these small ships served only in South African waters, but later some were moved to the Mediterranean, where they supported the South African ground and air forces in the North African and Italian campaigns.
In August 1942, the SDF and RNVR (SA) amalgamated to form the South African Naval Forces (SANF), which served out the war and formed the basis for the post-war South African Navy. A total of 10 332 officers and ratings served in the SANF during the war and the fleet was made up of 87 vessels. Twenty-six battle honours were awarded to these ships.
During the war, 2 937 officers and ratings were seconded to the Royal Navy, where they served in most of the RN's theatres of operations and in ships of every description.
Towards the end of the war, South Africa received three Loch Class frigates from Britain, of which two (HMSAS Good Hope and HMSAS Natal) saw active service.
Shown below are the medals of a sailor from Natal (68022 AB G W Carey SANF), who served in the RNVR (SA) before World War II and who spent most of the war seconded to the Royal Navy. His service in the RNVR added to his wartime service qualified him for the award of the RNVR Long Service & Good Conduct Medal. His other medals are:
1939/45 Star, Atlantic Star, Burma Star, War Medal & Africa Service Medal.
Garnet William Carey was a postman from Durban, who served in the RNVR (SA) from 1 July 1927 to 30 June 1931. He enrolled in the War Reserve Division of the RNVR (SA) on 24 April 1939. He was seconded to the RN in 1940 and served on the Armed Merchant Cruiser Asturias in the Atlantic until 1942. He then transferred to the light cruiser HMS Birmingham and served in the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, the latter including the operation to occupy Madagascar in September 1942. From 1943 to 1945 he served in the Flower class corvettes, HMS Aster and HMS Verbena, in the theatre of operations of the Burma campaign. He returned to the SANF on 4 February 1945 and was discharged on 3 December 1945.
This concludes a brief naval history of Natal. I will show the medal groups of other Natal sailors in later posts.
At the outbreak of World War II, the naval defence of South Africa was in the hands of the Royal Navy, together with a small number of RNVR (SA) men who had trained in the 1920's and 1930's.
In January 1940, South Africa established a new naval unit, the Seaward Defence Force (SDF), which was equipped with trawlers and whalers converted to minesweepers and for anti-submarine activities. They also rescued survivors from ships sunk by U-Boats. Initially, these small ships served only in South African waters, but later some were moved to the Mediterranean, where they supported the South African ground and air forces in the North African and Italian campaigns.
In August 1942, the SDF and RNVR (SA) amalgamated to form the South African Naval Forces (SANF), which served out the war and formed the basis for the post-war South African Navy. A total of 10 332 officers and ratings served in the SANF during the war and the fleet was made up of 87 vessels. Twenty-six battle honours were awarded to these ships.
During the war, 2 937 officers and ratings were seconded to the Royal Navy, where they served in most of the RN's theatres of operations and in ships of every description.
Towards the end of the war, South Africa received three Loch Class frigates from Britain, of which two (HMSAS Good Hope and HMSAS Natal) saw active service.
Shown below are the medals of a sailor from Natal (68022 AB G W Carey SANF), who served in the RNVR (SA) before World War II and who spent most of the war seconded to the Royal Navy. His service in the RNVR added to his wartime service qualified him for the award of the RNVR Long Service & Good Conduct Medal. His other medals are:
1939/45 Star, Atlantic Star, Burma Star, War Medal & Africa Service Medal.
Garnet William Carey was a postman from Durban, who served in the RNVR (SA) from 1 July 1927 to 30 June 1931. He enrolled in the War Reserve Division of the RNVR (SA) on 24 April 1939. He was seconded to the RN in 1940 and served on the Armed Merchant Cruiser Asturias in the Atlantic until 1942. He then transferred to the light cruiser HMS Birmingham and served in the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, the latter including the operation to occupy Madagascar in September 1942. From 1943 to 1945 he served in the Flower class corvettes, HMS Aster and HMS Verbena, in the theatre of operations of the Burma campaign. He returned to the SANF on 4 February 1945 and was discharged on 3 December 1945.
This concludes a brief naval history of Natal. I will show the medal groups of other Natal sailors in later posts.