Still Under Construction

In the beginning, the soldiers of Bravo Group wore a huge assortment of uniforms, ranging from Portuguese Lizard camo, to Communist Block uniforms.  

An official camo uniform was designed for 32 Battalion based on the Portuguese Lizard Pattern camo uniform, which was in turn based on French Lizard Pattern.  32 Bn was to be the only unit in the SADF that had its own, distinctive camo uniform.  All other units wore the standard Nutria (Browns) uniform.  Of note is that the camo uniform was intended for use behind enemy lines, as it gave the 32 soldiers the appearance of Enemy troops who wore similar uniforms.  When at base, troops wore Nutria or camo uniforms with their distinctive camo berets.  When they were operational with other SADF units, the soldiers usually wore Nutria uniforms.  This was to avoid confusion and being contacted by friendly forces.

All 32Bn camo items were “sterile”.  There were no manufacturers’ labels, writing on buttons or any other way to identify it as South African made.  This was so that if captured, the troops could not be traced to a SA unit.  The only markings were an ink stamp or small silk label stating the size, L (Large), M (Medium) or S (Small). Some had paper labels.  

1 Recce 1^st Pattern

This camo was used by 32 Bn, especially the Recce Wing and was adopted by the Recces (Reconnaissance Commandos) post 1976. The Recces made their own version and this had a slightly different coloration from the 32Bn version. It was made of a polly/cotton blend. It is also referred to as 32Bn 1^stPattern Recce Wing camo.  There was quite a variation in dye colours with the different lots.  It was officially called Pattern 1. In this camo there are the following items:

Early style trousers – standard SADF style cut but with metal waist adjusting tabs on both hips. Two bellous cargo

pockets.

Type 1 and 2 sets trousers – as far as I’m aware both these sets were of the same design, being standard SADF

cut. Wide belt loops, waist adjustment draw string, two hand pockets, two cargo pockets, draw string bottom of

trousers leg. No Field Dressing pouch on right hip.  

 

Portuguese style shirt – similar in cut to Portuguese shirt with the double lined elbows.  Two breast pockets with

V-shaped flaps, pleats and exposed buttons.

 

 

Type 1 shirt – similar to Portuguese shirt but no double lining on elbows.  Two breast pockets have V-shaped flaps, pleats and exposed buttons

 

Type 2 shirt – Field First Aid Dressing pouch on the right sleeve and a pen pocket on the left sleeve.  Two breast pockets with straight flaps and exposed buttons.  

All buttons SADF type.

 

                           Swallow tail/Kiko cap.

 

 

Type 1 jacket – rounded collar, four front bellous  pockets with V-shaped flaps, reinforced elbows.  All buttons are covered.

 

Type 2 jacket – similar to standard SADF bush jacket cut.  Two non bellous front pockets with straight flaps and covered buttons.  Drawstring hem, First Aid Field Dressing pouch on right sleeve, pen pocket on left sleeve.

 

Smock – Four front pockets with V-shaped flaps and covered buttons.  Two vertical zip pockets

 behind top breast pockets.  First Aid Field Dressing pouch on Right sleeve, pen pocket on left sleeve.  Hood tucked into the back of jacket.  Access through a zip.

Sgt Ponciano G Silva Soeiro

(Insert)

1st Pattern jacket Type 2

                          With special thanks to Roan Gouws

                            for his initial input and support!!

Summer and Winter camo -Pattern 2 (First Issued November 1976)

Used by all 32 Bn soldiers.  These camos were based on Pattern 1.  The Summer camo had a predominantly green colour base and the Winter camo a predominantly brown colour base.  There have been suggestions that the two camos were the other way around, with Summer being brown and Winter green but nobody has substantiated this, so I will stay with the widely accepted version.  These two camos were officially called Pattern 2.  In these camos there are the following items:

. 

U

U

B

A

           Of note, these items were supplied too late to be used  in operations and  were only delivered after the unit left the Angolan conflict.

There was also a great deal of tailor made items in all the camo patterns but these were not standard issue.

And then there is the famed camo beret (not worn on operations).  Once again 32 Bn stood out in that they were the only unit in the SADF with a como fabric beret.  The original camo was the South African Police 1^st pattern.  Due to material shortages, it was not uncommon to see SAP 2^nd pattern material versions and eventually the Beret material (pattern) was manufactured exclusively for 32 Battalion by a company in Bophuthatswana. The beret had a Buffalo head badge with a Corps balkie (Infantry was green yellow and black) underneath it.

Unfortunately the actual colours of the camouflage items below may vary from the original colours due to different lighting conditions and website editing however we aim to highlight the different patterns

ORIGINALITY!

All items shown on this page are original 32 Battalion issue (except where indicated and only used as an example) Many other "tailor made" items were fabricated and used by members over the years which was due to lack of supplies or based on personal preference & practicality

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!

Any corrections, supplementary information and photographs of additional items will be greatly appreciated.