774:
733:
682:
828:
386:
sought to change the strategic dispositions of units and to appoint, promote, and transfer both officers and other ranks, without sufficient knowledge of their qualifications and without reference to the
General Staff, of which I was the head. Without reference to me, he created posts for the absorption of persons in whom, irrespective of their unsuitability or otherwise, he personally reposed political confidence. Political ambitions ... should not be allowed to intrude into the responsibility of command and functions of military organizations.
326:, the military nature of the pre-1994 South African Prisons Service was put in place with the appointment of Beyers as Director of Prisons. The structure, mode of dress and the institutional culture was military in every respect, indicated by a rank structure similar to that used in the army and the requirement that
385:
My resignation was in fact tendered as far back as
November 1949, in protest against the unconstitutional and unwarranted interference in the functions of the Chief of General Staff who, in fact and in law, is the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in South Africa. The facts are that the Minister
393:
The fact that at times he acted as Chief of the
General Staff during the Second World War indicates that Van Ryneveld had immense trust in Beyers' abilities. However, Van Ryneveld was such a dominating personality that any meaningful delegation of his authority was never even discussed.
373:. On 2 May 1949, he succeeded Van Ryneveld as Chief of the General Staff. He remained in this position for only a short time, resigning on 15 March 1950. The reason for his resignation was the interference in military matters and appointment of staff without consultation by
508:
Commission of
Inquiry into Alleged Incidents of Corruption, Maladministration, Violence Or Intimidation into The Department of Correctional Services Appointed By Order of the President of the Republic of South Africa in Terms of Proclamation No. 135 of 2001, As
368:
Beyers gave up his post as
Adjutant-general in 1945 owing to ill health and was placed on the retired list four months later. His retirement was short lived, however, for in 1949 he was appointed acting Chief of the General Staff with the rank of
33:
892:
541:
907:
817:
902:
322:
In 1932, Beyers was appointed director (military) of Prison
Services. As a result of this move he was placed on the reserve of officers. According to the 2005
650:
414:
for the Second World War. Probably because he never saw active service in the field during the two world wars he would not wear ribbons on his uniform.
290:
666:
610:
350:
342:
177:
128:
882:
821:
773:
732:
681:
274:
Garrison in 1922, he saw active service on the only occasion in his entire life. He served as a member of the force which suppressed the
675:
545:
181:
580:
506:
489:
184:
in 1949. He resigned after only a short time in this position, citing the interference in military matters by
Minister of Defence
334:
members. The demilitarisation of the correctional system was finally effected by the post-Apartheid government on 1 April 1996.
643:
827:
225:
377:, the Minister of Defence. Before resigning, Beyers had lengthy correspondence with both Erasmus and the Prime Minister,
311:
In 1928, Beyers was promoted to the rank of major and as a result of his increased responsibilities he was promoted to
767:
726:
346:
308:
of the college and of
Roberts Heights. This gave him the opportunity to develop his abilities as a military leader.
636:
349:. On the outbreak of the Second World War, he relinquished his post in favour of becoming director-general of the
887:
423:
80:
327:
197:
60:
255:. He was stationed in Cape Town for the greater part of the First World War. In 1917, he was transferred to
362:
357:. He visited South African troops in the Middle East and acted as Chief of the General Staff when General
331:
300:
On his return to South Africa in 1927, Beyers was appointed officer instructor at the
Military College at
275:
252:
221:
146:
427:
213:
897:
877:
411:
173:
797:
695:
603:
358:
802:
705:
620:
370:
316:
312:
166:
118:
100:
176:
soldier. Although he never saw active service in the field during the two world wars, he became
856:
746:
576:
485:
407:
403:
792:
751:
741:
715:
354:
294:
286:
260:
150:
846:
710:
338:
236:
212:
After his schooling, Beyers followed a career in the army. In 1913 he was attached to the
142:
516:
204:
on 22 January 1894 to Pieter
Gerhard Beyers and his wife, Anna Maria Elizabeth Bredell.
841:
628:
271:
871:
836:
807:
782:
756:
690:
569:
374:
185:
787:
301:
282:
256:
232:
217:
422:
Beyers married Evelyn Alice Jess Hunter and had a son and a daughter. He died in
851:
378:
201:
64:
305:
244:
248:
32:
264:
240:
542:"History of Transformation of the Correctional System in South Africa"
484:. Vol. V. Human Sciences Research Council. 1987. pp. 50–51.
251:. In 1915, at the latter posting, he was promoted to the rank of
632:
231:
In 1914, after four months service at the Military School in
390:
Beyers was once again placed on the retired list in 1954.
611:
Chief of the General Staff of the Union Defence Force
406:
for his services during the First World War, and the
129:
Chief of the General Staff of the Union Defence Force
816:
765:
724:
673:
353:, a post he held for almost a year before becoming
156:
138:
124:
114:
106:
94:
86:
70:
47:
39:
23:
568:
345:. Later that year he was promoted to the rank of
304:. In the next four years he acted on occasion as
893:South African military personnel of World War II
383:
644:
8:
651:
637:
629:
592:
402:During his career, Beyers was awarded the
239:with the rank of lieutenant. He served as
216:, with whom he trained while they were at
31:
20:
908:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley
341:as assistant commandant-in-chief, Burger
270:While Beyers was a staff officer to the
172:(22 January 1894 – 15 April 1959) was a
475:
473:
471:
469:
467:
465:
463:
439:
259:and in 1918 he became deputy assistant
505:Jali, Mr Justice TSB (December 2005).
461:
459:
457:
455:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
16:South African Army general (1894–1959)
667:List of South African military chiefs
482:Dictionary of South African Biography
319:of No. 5 Military District Pretoria.
7:
903:People from Kimberley, Northern Cape
659:Chiefs of the South African military
220:. After his initial training he was
571:The Rise of the South African Reich
315:in 1930. In 1931, he was appointed
188:as the reason for his resignation.
14:
826:
772:
731:
680:
567:Bunting, Brian (December 1986).
337:In 1937, Beyers returned to the
825:1994 – present
235:, Beyers was appointed to the
1:
293:in 1924–25. He then attended
515:. p. 42. Archived from
883:South African Army generals
771:1973 – 1994
730:1958 – 1973
679:1912 – 1957
196:Leonard Beyers was born in
924:
725:Commandant General of the
243:of units in Bloemfontein,
178:Chief of the General Staff
664:
617:
608:
600:
595:
351:Defence Rifle Association
263:at Defence Headquarters,
132:Defence Rifle Association
81:East London, Eastern Cape
30:
160:Evelyn Alice Jess Hunter
604:Sir Pierre van Ryneveld
359:Sir Pierre van Ryneveld
134:No. 5 Military District
388:
276:Bondelswarts Rebellion
147:Bondelswarts Rebellion
837:Georg Lodewyk Meiring
808:Georg Lodewyk Meiring
428:Eastern Cape Province
214:Royal Scots Fusiliers
107:Years of service
412:Africa Service Medal
297:courses in England.
226:Witwatersrand Rifles
798:Johannes Geldenhuys
696:Pierre van Ryneveld
291:the Earl of Athlone
182:Union Defence Force
803:Andreas Liebenberg
706:Christiaan du Toit
621:Christiaan du Toit
575:. Mayibuye Books.
480:"Leonard Beyers".
430:on 15 April 1959.
371:lieutenant general
317:commanding officer
313:lieutenant colonel
180:in command of the
167:Lieutenant General
119:Lieutenant General
101:South African Army
865:
864:
857:Rudzani Maphwanya
747:Pieter Grobbelaar
627:
626:
618:Succeeded by
596:Military offices
408:War Medal 1939-45
404:British War Medal
381:, on the matter:
347:brigadier general
164:
163:
915:
888:Afrikaner people
830:
793:Constand Viljoen
776:
752:Rudolph Hiemstra
742:Stephen Melville
735:
716:Stephen Melville
684:
653:
646:
639:
630:
601:Preceded by
593:
587:
586:
574:
564:
558:
557:
555:
553:
544:. Archived from
538:
532:
531:
529:
527:
521:
514:
502:
496:
495:
477:
355:Adjutant-general
328:non-commissioned
287:Governor-General
281:Beyers acted as
261:adjutant-general
151:Second World War
96:
77:
57:
55:
35:
21:
923:
922:
918:
917:
916:
914:
913:
912:
868:
867:
866:
861:
847:Godfrey Ngwenya
824:
812:
770:
761:
729:
720:
711:Hendrik Klopper
678:
669:
660:
657:
623:
614:
606:
591:
590:
583:
566:
565:
561:
551:
549:
540:
539:
535:
525:
523:
519:
512:
504:
503:
499:
492:
479:
478:
441:
436:
420:
400:
339:Permanent Force
330:members salute
324:Jali Commission
302:Roberts Heights
237:Permanent Force
218:Roberts Heights
210:
208:Military career
194:
149:
145:
143:First World War
133:
131:
79:
75:
59:
58:22 January 1894
53:
51:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
921:
919:
911:
910:
905:
900:
895:
890:
885:
880:
870:
869:
863:
862:
860:
859:
854:
849:
844:
842:Siphiwe Nyanda
839:
833:
831:
814:
813:
811:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
779:
777:
763:
762:
760:
759:
754:
749:
744:
738:
736:
722:
721:
719:
718:
713:
708:
703:
701:Leonard Beyers
698:
693:
687:
685:
671:
670:
665:
662:
661:
658:
656:
655:
648:
641:
633:
625:
624:
619:
616:
607:
602:
598:
597:
589:
588:
581:
559:
548:on 21 May 2008
533:
522:on 4 June 2011
497:
490:
438:
437:
435:
432:
419:
416:
399:
396:
272:Cape Peninsula
209:
206:
193:
190:
170:Leonard Beyers
162:
161:
158:
154:
153:
140:
136:
135:
126:
122:
121:
116:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
98:
92:
91:
88:
84:
83:
78:(aged 65)
72:
68:
67:
49:
45:
44:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
25:Leonard Beyers
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
920:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
884:
881:
879:
876:
875:
873:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
834:
832:
829:
823:
819:
815:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
783:Hugo Biermann
781:
780:
778:
775:
769:
766:Chief of the
764:
758:
757:Hugo Biermann
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
739:
737:
734:
728:
723:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
691:Andries Brink
689:
688:
686:
683:
677:
674:Chief of the
672:
668:
663:
654:
649:
647:
642:
640:
635:
634:
631:
622:
613:
612:
605:
599:
594:
584:
582:0-904759-74-1
578:
573:
572:
563:
560:
547:
543:
537:
534:
518:
511:
510:
501:
498:
493:
491:0-7969-0420-0
487:
483:
476:
474:
472:
470:
468:
466:
464:
462:
460:
458:
456:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
444:
440:
433:
431:
429:
425:
417:
415:
413:
409:
405:
397:
395:
391:
387:
382:
380:
376:
375:Frans Erasmus
372:
366:
364:
360:
356:
352:
348:
344:
340:
335:
333:
329:
325:
320:
318:
314:
309:
307:
303:
298:
296:
292:
288:
284:
279:
277:
273:
268:
266:
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258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
229:
227:
223:
219:
215:
207:
205:
203:
199:
191:
189:
187:
186:Frans Erasmus
183:
179:
175:
174:South African
171:
168:
159:
155:
152:
148:
144:
141:
137:
130:
127:
123:
120:
117:
113:
109:
105:
102:
99:
93:
89:
85:
82:
74:15 April 1959
73:
69:
66:
62:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
788:Magnus Malan
700:
609:
570:
562:
550:. Retrieved
546:the original
536:
524:. Retrieved
517:the original
507:
500:
481:
421:
401:
392:
389:
384:
367:
363:North Africa
336:
332:commissioned
323:
321:
310:
299:
283:aide-de-camp
280:
269:
257:Johannesburg
233:Bloemfontein
230:
222:commissioned
211:
195:
169:
165:
139:Battles/wars
90:South Africa
76:(1959-04-15)
18:
898:1959 deaths
878:1894 births
852:Solly Shoke
552:17 February
526:17 February
424:East London
418:Family life
379:D. F. Malan
202:Cape Colony
65:Cape Colony
40:Nickname(s)
872:Categories
615:1949–1950
434:References
306:commandant
245:Standerton
192:Early life
87:Allegiance
54:1894-01-22
343:Commandos
249:Cape Town
198:Kimberley
157:Spouse(s)
110:1913–1954
61:Kimberley
265:Pretoria
241:adjutant
125:Commands
95:Service/
820:of the
509:Amended
361:was in
285:to the
253:captain
224:in the
579:
488:
398:Medals
97:branch
822:SANDF
818:Chief
520:(PDF)
513:(PDF)
295:staff
768:SADF
727:SADF
577:ISBN
554:2009
528:2009
486:ISBN
410:and
247:and
115:Rank
71:Died
48:Born
676:UDF
43:Len
874::
442:^
426:,
365:.
289:,
278:.
267:.
228:.
200:,
63:,
652:e
645:t
638:v
585:.
556:.
530:.
494:.
56:)
52:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
