Pieter de Waal


Pieter de Waal

Colonel Pieter de Waal
Born(1899-12-31)December 31, 1899[1]
Zeerust, South African Republic
DiedJune 1977
Wynberg, Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa (now Western Cape)
AllegianceSouth Africa
Service/branchSouth African Navy
RankBrigadier
Service number179910V
AwardsOrder of the Bath CB Order of the British Empire CBE

Brigadier Pieter de Waal CB CBE (31 December 1899, Zeerust – June 1977, Wynberg)[2] was a South African military commander. He joined the Union Defence Forces as a coastal gunner in 1922.

Military career[edit]

From 1934 to 1940, he was Director of Operations and Training (under various titles) at Defence Headquarters. He served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff from 1940 until 1944, when he was seconded to the staff of General Dwight Eisenhower as South African Liaison Officer[3] to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces in England for the rest of World War II.

After the war, Brig de Waal served as Quartermaster-General from 1945 to 1951, and as Naval and Marine Chief of Staff from 1951 to 1952.[4] As NMCS he was in command of both the South African Navy and the short-lived South Africa Marine Corps.

He served as Military & Naval Attaché to the US from 1953 to 1954[3]

Awards and decorations[edit]

Companion of the Order of the Bath[edit]

On 1 January 1946, Brigadier de Waal was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. The Notice in the London Gazette reads as follows:[5]

The KING has been graciously pleased, on the advice of His Majesty's Ministers for the Union of South Africa, to give orders for the following appointment to the Most Honourable Order of the Bath: —

To be an Additional Member of the Military Division of the Third Class, or Companions, of the said: Most Honourable Order: —

Brigadier Pieter de WAAL, C.B.E. (P.179910V) South African Staff Corps (V).

Commander of the Order of the British Empire[edit]

On 1 January 1944, Brigadier de Waal was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The Notice in the London Gazette reads as follows:[6]

The KING has been graciously pleased, on the advice of His Majesty's Ministers for the Union of South Africa, to give orders for the following appointments to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire:

To be Additional Commanders of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order:

Brigadier Pieter de Waal, South African Staff Corps (V)

List[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Uys, Ian (1992). South African Military Who's Who 1452-1992. Fortress Publishers. p. 64. ISBN 0-9583173-3-X.
  2. ^ Who's Who of Southern Africa 1976. The Argus Printing and Publishing Company. 1976.
  3. ^ a b "Biography of Brigadier Pieter J. De Waal (1899-1977), South Africa". Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  4. ^ Bredenkamp, J.D. (1982). "Die Onstaan en Ontwikkeling van die Vloot 1912-1982" [The origin and development of the Navy, 1912-1982]. Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies (in Afrikaans). 12 (2). doi:10.5787/12-2-620. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  5. ^ "No. 37409". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1945. p. 153.
  6. ^ "No. 36311". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1945. p. 57.
Military offices
New title Naval & Marine Chief of Staff
1951–1952
Succeeded by
Preceded by Director, South African Naval Forces Renamed Naval & Marine Chief of Staff
Preceded by OC SA Military College
1933–1934
Succeeded by
DJ Roux
Preceded by OC Special Service Battalion
1933–1934
Succeeded by