Signal Units of the South African Corps of Signals and Related Signal Services (Volume 2 of the SACS Trilogy), Walter Volker

The book, entitled Signal Units Of The South Africa Corps Of Signals And Related Signal Services represents one of the most comprehensive collection of regimental and unit histories ever published in one volume in South Africa. It is also the first time that the histories of many of the signal regiments and other units will be published and available to the general public, and will most probably together with its two companion volumes - prove to be the book of reference on army signals in South Africa.

This volume includes a history of each of the major signal units of the SA Corps of Signals, but expands this to include the role of signals elements in special units such as 32 Battalion, the SA Special Forces (the Recces), Military Intelligence, etc. It also reviews the joint signals coordination function of the Directorate Telecommunications and EW, as well as the communications functions in other arms of the SADF such as the SA Air Force and Navy. Signals services in the Portuguese, Rhodesian and SWA Territory Forces are then examined. This is followed by the role of related organizations such as Armscor, the CSIR, the Radio hams and others. For the first time, the signals elements in the liberation movements (the ANC/MK and PAC/APLA) is examined next, and finally the developments related to the post-1994 SANDF. 

Softcover, 820 pages. Also available in hardcover.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I: UNITS OF THE SACS
1. Corps Directorate and the SA Army Signal Formation
2. The School of Signals
3. 1 Signal Regiment
4. The Army Gymnasium
5. 2 Signal Regiment
6. 3 Electronic Workshop
7. 4 Electronic Workshop to 4 Signal Regiment
8. 5 Signal Regiment
9. 6 Signal Regiment
10. 11 Field Postal Unit
11. 7 Signal Group
12. 71 Signal Unit
13. 72 Signal Unit
14. 73 Signal Unit
15. 8 Signal Group
16. 81 Signal Unit
17. 82 Signal Unit
18. 84 Signal Unit
19. 44 Parachute Brigade Signal Unit
20. SA Army Battle School Signal Unit
21. Western Province Command Signal Unit
22. Eastern Province Command Signal Unit
23. Natal Command Signal Unit
24. Orange Free State Command Signal Unit
25. North West Command Signal Unit
26. Northern Transvaal Command Signal Unit
27. Far North Command Signal Unit
28. Eastern Transvaal Command Signal Unit
29. Witwatersrand Command Signal Unit
30. Gauteng Command Signal Unit
31. South Cape Command Signal Unit
32. Northern Cape Command Signal Unit
33. Walvis Bay Military Area Signal Unit
34. Sector 10 Signal Unit
35. Sector 20 Signal Unit
36. Sector 70 Signal Unit
37. 61 Mechanised Battalion Group Signal Troop
38. 32 Battalion Signal Troop
PART II: RELATED SIGNALS SERVICES
39. The Directorate Telecommunications and Electronic Warfare (D Tels and EW)
40. The Chief of Army Staff Logistics and its Directorates
41. Signals Services in the SA Special Forces
42. Signals Services in the South African Air Force (SAAF)
43. Signals Services in the South African Navy (SAN)
44. Signals Services in the South African Medical Services (SAMS)
45. Signals Services in Military Intelligence Division (MID)
46. Signals Services in the South African Police (SAP)
47. Signals Services in the Independent Homelands
48. Links with the SWA / Namibian Corps of Signals
49. Links with the Portuguese Colonial Signals
50. Links with the Rhodesian Corps of Signals
PART III: SPECIAL ROLES AND CONTRIBUTIONS
51. The role of SATEPSA
52. ARMSCOR’s Contribution
53. The Role of the CSIR
54. The Role of Radio Amateurs
55. The SACS Contribution to the Development of the Military Electronics Industry in South Africa
PART IV: SIGNALS SERVICES IN THE LIBERATION MOVEMENTS UP TO 1994
56. SWAPO/ PLAN and its Allies
57. ANC and MK
58. PAC and APLA
PART V: NEW COMMAND STRUCTURES FROM 1999
59. The CMI and CMIS Division
60. The Government IT Officer (GITO

FIRST EDITION - FIRST PRINT

About the author...

Walter V. Volker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA). Prior to this, he worked for Absa Bank for seventeen years, and before that he was with NCR Corporation for seven years.

Walter was born and grew up in the south-eastern Transvaal town of Piet Retief. He started his national service in 1981 with basic training at 3 SA Infantry Battalion, but was later transferred to the Army Gymnasium in Heidelberg, where he also received his officers commission. He was then transferred to 2 Signal Regiment at Wonderboom as a Command and Control Communications officer. He continued being involved with 2 Signal Regiment during his Citizen Force years, with the last major operation being two months border duty in mid-1988 during Operation Prone, based at Ondangwa.

He holds a B.Sc and an MBL degree, and  is married to Trudie (ne du Toit). Walter has already published a number of books on genealogy, including The Cotton Germans of Natal (2007); this series represents his first published work in the area of military history. In 2012 he published Piet Retief Commando the Story of a Border Commando 1880 2007 and Boer War Stories of the Piet Retief Commando and District