Original Border War era South West Africa Territorial Force Pilot Wings.
Embroidered and unissued, very scarce!
The SWATF (South West Africa Territorial Force) served as an auxiliary division of the SADF (South African Defence Force) and encompassed the military of South West Africa (now known as Namibia) between 1977 and 1989. This entity emerged as a result of South Africa's political dominance over the territory, which had been mandated to them by the League of Nations after World War I.
Between 1966 and 1989, South African security forces faced a prolonged and contentious counterinsurgency struggle against native nationalists in what was then South West Africa. The primary opposition came from the Marxist South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) and its military wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). As the guerrilla war intensified, it became apparent that the local police force alone could not manage the increasing SWAPO/PLAN attacks and civil unrest. Consequently, for the first time, military units were deployed, with 60,000 South African combat troops involved in South West Africa by the late 1970s.
The creation of the South West African Territorial Force on August 1, 1980, incorporated South West African citizens who were already a part of the South African Defence Force. The SWATF was organized into various components, including a Permanent Force infantry sector, logistics and administrative divisions, a training division, and a Citizen Force which consisted of at least 3 motorized infantry battalions. The 'permanent force' was primarily made up of volunteer auxiliaries and national servicemen who were divided into 8 battalions. Additionally, a militia system was established for local security, which included more than 20 'area protection units'.
In 1981, SWATF consisted of 10,100 soldiers divided into tribal-based battalions, such as Ovambo, Herero, and Colored ethnic groups, as well as multiethnic units with at least 10,000 white South West African personnel. By 1987, the estimated number of troops in SWATF had increased to 22,000, which included engineers, signals personnel, mounted units, a parachute battalion, and a commando squadron. The SWATF was completely demobilized on 1 June 1989.