The March meeting of the Society was addressed by Commander Mac Bisset who presented a slide show on the history of the S. A. Navy and its predecessors.

Our first naval unit was formed in Port ElIzabeth in 1860, but was short lived and probably merged with another local unit in the following year. Fears that Russian warships might. attack Durban and that Great Britain might go to war with Russia over Afghanistan led to the establishment of the Natal Naval Volunteers, now S.A.S. Inkonkoni in 1885. Cape Town's first naval unit was the Sailor's Company of the Cape Town Town Guard raised during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. In 1905 the Cape Naval Volunteers were formed and this unit is now S.A.S. Unitie. During the First World War South Africa's naval volunteers served in German South West Africa, in operations against the Konigsberg, in the Mediterranean, in the North Sea, and Lt. L.R. Heydenrych also served in the Russian Civil War.

Our Navy's role In the Second World War was covered in three parts:
Defending the Cape Sea Route, the Mediterranean theatre and elsewhere, and, our seconded personnel. Rear Admiral G.W. Hallifax, C.M.G., set about converting whalers and trawlers into anti-submarine vessels and minesweepers. These vessels were involved in protection duties and rescued 400 survivors of the U-boat campaign In our waters. Our little ships also served with distinction in the Mediterranean. H.M.S.A.S. Gamtoos played a vital role in clearing the mined and booby trapped harbours of North Africa. For a number of years Mac has been attempting to assemble information on our personnel who were seconded to the Royal Navy and we were shown slides of some of the photographs he has traced.

Of particular interest was the story of Lt. Victor de Kock, M.B.E., D.S.C., the S.A. Navy's most decorated war hero who served with distinction in the evacuation of Greece and Crete, the Tobruk run, in which he commanded a tank landing craft, and finally, Combined Operations Pilotage Parties. He lost his life carrying out a reconnaissance mission off Sicily. The slides reminded us that South African sailors were involved in many of the most import.ant naval actions of the war: the sinking of the Bismarck, the X-craft attack on the Tirpitz, convoys to Russia, operations in the Pacific, the D-Day landings, the invasion of the South of France, the Salerno landings; and, as naval aviators.

Post war developments were covered in some detail and slides of all the types of ships in our Navy were shown. Of special interest was SAS President Steyn's role in Operation Savannah in 1975, when the ship successfully rescued Brig Ben Roos and his team when they were cut off behind the enemy lines.

The meeting on 11th May comprised a "Museum Evening" which was hosted by General Phillip Pretorius and his staff at the S.A. National Museum of Military History. The evening comprised a viewing of a superb video about South African war art and a review of selected exhibits from the Museum's uniform and ordnance collections. Special thanks in this regard are due to Cmdt. "Ossie" Baker, Mr. Hamish Paterson and Miss Celia Kruger. The evening was concluded with tea in the art gallery of the Museum. A very informative and entertaining evening was enjoyed by all.

Future meetings

Johannesburg - June 8th - Mr. G.A. Chadwick - "Shaka's Campaigns against the Ndwandwes."

Durban - June 8th Major Denis Sheil-Small, M.C., will show video tape recordings of "The Gurkhas in Training" and "The Queen's visit to Nepal".

The Johannesburg Meetings take place in the J.C. Lemmer Auditorium, S.A. National Museum of Military History, Saxonwold, Johannesburg at 20h00.

Battlefield tour to Frederikstad 25th June 19189
Please note change of date

Due to circumstances beyond our control the tour to the site of the Battle of Frederikstad (20 - 25 Oct 1900) has had to be delayed to Sunday 25th June (previously 18th June). The tour will comprise a "do it yourself" one day trip with members supplying their own transport and refreshments. We are fortunate in having Major Anthony Gordon, from the Society's Cape Town Branch, joining us. His father was present at the battle with the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He kept a most extensive diary of the events which will form the basis of the tour. Full details of the trip are attached.

STEWART STILES