Researching CF-SADF links in the 1960s-70s

[grant]

Hi there,

I am Dr Grant Dawson, a Canadian scholar now based at Aberystwyth University in Wales. Some of you may have heard of me as the author of a scholarly history of the CF's Somalia mission (1992-93). My book was entitled 'Here is Hell: Canada's Engagement in Somalia' (2007). It is a thorough, fair and balanced account of that mission, in case you are interested.

But I am writing because I am looking for articles and books that discuss CF interaction with the SADF in the 1960-70s. In particular, I am interested in how close / not close CF-SADF links were during that period. My hypothesis is that the old Commonwealth tie, and the common goal in the 1960-70s of fighting global communism, led the CF to side with the SADF on certain issues, such as the bush war with SWAPO over the independence of Namibia.

Does anyone in this forum have any leads that might help me pursue my research in this regard? It is for a scholarly article for publication in a scholarly journal. I'd really appreciate the time and assistance.

Yours,

Grant

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

I have no first hand knowledge but talk about an obscure topic.  SWAPO wasn't militant until many years after South Africa was booted from The Commonwealth and I suspect the period coincided with a military embargo by Canada.  Even at the best of times the number of exchange officers jn Africa would be approaching zero. I wouldn't consider it news that a very small number of Canadian soldiers on exchange might have helped put down African liberation movements but I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with Canadian policy which from at least 1957 was decidedly pro human rights.  Diefenbaker was one of the main reasons South Africa got punted from the Commonwealth.

 

[grant]

Hi Denis,

Thanks a lot. I did not mean so much CF soldiers on exchange fighting SWAPO (though that would be interesting to learn more about too), but rather a more general feeling in the CF of 'the South Africans are wrong with their racial policies, but we must grit our teeth because we need them as an ally vs. the USSR.'

Cheers,

Grant

 

[jollyjacktar]

My Dad ran into South African units during WW2.  He said they were despised overall by the Canadians he was with due to the way they treated their Black personnel.  In the 60's there were still men in who were from that period and might have had contact back then, and remembered.

 

[Old Sweat]

Hi Dr Dawson

I served during the sixties and seventies in both regimental and staff appointments in Canada and Europe. During that time I do not recall anyone mentioning contact with the SADF except, perhaps and I say again, perhaps a port visit or intelligence cooperation. Given the political leanings of the Canadian government during that period, I would suspect that little if anything transpired in the area of miliyary cooperation. During that same period we had training teams and/or programs with certain Commonwealth countries in central and west Africa.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I echo Old Sweat's comments - he and I served at the same time.

There was, almost certainly, some "hold your nose and support the anti-communists" feeling, here and there, but our focus was still firmly on Europe. Asia was second; the Middle East came third and Africa was a distant also-ran.

We had training teams in black Africa and we trained black African officers in Canada. But I cannot ever recall anything official about South Africa. I think, as said, the government's formal attitude permeated the public service and the military, too. Everyone knew that South Africa was on the wrong side of history, and great rugby and good wine couldn't change that.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Well I joined in 1974 and re-mustered to the intel branch in 1979 and the only military link I can think of is we did have a military attache at the Canadian High Commission in South Africa and an attache's job is to foster links with the host country's military. Having said that, I have no knowledge of any links between the Canadian and South African military. Now, there were links between Canadian individuals and the South African military. A good example is Gerald Bull who helped develop the G5 155 mm towed howitzer for the SADF. I also remember reading somewhere that the chassis for the  G6 wheeled SP howitzer was based on a Canadian "skidder" which is used by loggers to hull trees out of the bush. But other thazn those examples..nada.