Isaac Pierre de Villiers

Major-General Isaac Pierre de Villiers CB MC (1898-1967) was a South African military commander and police official. Originally an attorney by profession, he served in the Royal Field Artillery during World War I, and was awarded the Military Cross. [LondonGazette|issue=31093|supp=yes|startpage=56|date=31 December 1918|accessdate=2007-12-10] In 1928, he was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the South African Police, later succeeding to the post of Commissioner.

Maj Gen De Villiers volunteered for military service in World War II, and served as General Officer Commanding 2nd South African Infantry Division from 1940 to 1942. He trained the division, which incorporated a police battalion, and commanded them in internal security operations at the beginning of the war, then commanded the division in North Africa in 1941 and 1942, for which he was made a Companion of the Bath (CB). [LondonGazette|issue=35697|startpage=3945|date=8 September 1942|accessdate=2007-12-10] During this campaign units under his command, including New Zealand cavalry, [cite book|first=R. J. M.|last=Loughnan|url=http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2DiCa.html|chapter=Chapter 9 — The Capture of Bardia|pages=pp149–168|chapterurl=http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2DiCa-c9.html|title=Divisional Cavalry|work=The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945|publisher=Historical Publications Branch|location=Wellington|year=1963|accessdate=2007-12-10] were responsible for the capture of Bardia, [cite web|url=http://www.lonesentry.com/bardia_intel/index.html|title=The British Capture of Bardia (December 1941 - January 1942): A Successful Infantry-Tank Attack (Information Bulletin No. 21, U.S. War Department, WWII)|publisher=LoneSentry.com (originally a US War Department publication)|accessdate=2007-12-10] but many of the South African division's personnel were taken prisoner of war at Tobruk. From 1942 to 1945, he commanded the Coastal Area Command, responsible for the coastal defence of South Africa.

In addition to the honours for his military service he was appointed a Commander in the Venerable Order of Saint John in 1936, [LondonGazette|issue=34297|startpage=401313|endpage=4014|date=23 June 1936|accessdate=2007-12-10] and a Knight in the same order in 1943. [LondonGazette|issue=36315|startpage=114|date=4 January 1944|accessdate=2007-12-10]

References

* "Militaria" - Official Professional Journal of the SADF (Vol 12/2: 1982)
* [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0198273827&id=SaoyfBMj9JIC Black and Blue: Policing in South Africa] , by John D. Brewer, 1994, Oxford University Press