Hendrik Klopper

Hendrik Balzazar Klopper
Hendrik Balzazar Klopper
	Major General Hendrik Klopper in June 1942
Born	25 September 1903
Died	30 December 1977 (aged 74)
Allegiance	South Africa
Service/branch	South African Army
Years of service	1924–1958
Rank	General
Commands held	Commandant General of the Union Defence Force (1956–58); Army Chief of Staff (1950–53); Northern Command (1945–50); South African Army College (1944–45); 2nd Infantry Division (1942); 3rd Infantry Brigade (1942); 1 Special Service Battalion (1938–39)
Battles/wars	Second World War Western Desert Campaign;
Awards	Distinguished Service Order

General Hendrik Balzazar Klopper (also Balthazar), DSO (25 September 1903 – 31 December 1977)[1] was a South African military commander. He commanded the 3rd Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Division during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, was Army Chief of Staff from 1950 to 1953, and Commandant General of the Union Defence Force from 1956 until his retirement in 1958.

Military career

Klopper joined the South African Army in 1924.

World War II

During the Second World War, he commanded the 3rd Infantry Brigade in the North African Campaign,[2] for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.[3] He then briefly commanded 2nd Infantry Division. As fortress commander, Klopper was forced to surrender Tobruk and its garrison to Axis forces on 21 June 1942. He escaped from captivity in 1943 and was exonerated by a 1942 Court of Inquiry into the Tobruk disaster.[4]^:138

South African Army College

Klopper was Officer Commanding the South African Army College from 1944 to 1945, before being appointed in command of Northern Command in 1945.[5]

Post-war

Klopper served as Army Chief of Staff from 1951 to 1953, as Inspector-General from 1953 to 1956, and as Commandant General of the Union Defence Force from 1956 to 1958.

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References

"KLOPPER H.B. 1903–1977". eGGSA Library. The Genealogical Society of South Africa:eGGSA Branch. 24 February 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
"The Generals of WWII: Klopper, Hendrik Balzazer". generals.dk. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
"The London Gazette, Issue 35697, page 3948". The Gazette. The London Gazette. 8 September 1942. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
Hartshorn, Eric P. (1960). Avenge Tobruk. Cape Town: Purnell & Sons. OCLC 26084683. The fact that Tobruk fell must undoubtedly be attributed to the eleventh-hour reversal of policy leading to the decision to hold the Fortress, regardless of the fact that Eighth Army was then in full retreat in the face of an enemy who had been uniformly successful and whose morale must in consequence have been high. It was impossible in the time available to make adequate preparations for the completely new role imposed upon the Garrison... Hartshorn's book reveals in detail the Court of Inquiry's terms of reference and relevant findings.
Uys, Ian (1992). South African Military Who's Who 1452–1992. Fortress Publishers. ISBN 0-9583173-3-X.

Military offices
Preceded by Christiaan du Toit	Commandant General of the Union Defence Force 1956–1958	Succeeded by Stephen Melville
New title Retitled from Director-General of Land Forces	Army Chief of Staff 1951–1953	Succeeded by Pieter Grobbelaar
Preceded by Christiaan du Toit	Director-General of Land Forces 1950–1951	Retitled Army Chief of Staff
Preceded by Jock Kriegler	Officer Commanding South African Army College 1944–1945	Succeeded by SJ Joubert
Preceded by JR Wocke	Commanding Officer 1 Special Service Battalion 1938–1939	Succeeded by Pik van Noorden

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[1] "KLOPPER H.B. 1903–1977". eGGSA Library. The Genealogical Society of South Africa:eGGSA Branch. 24 February 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2014.

[2] "The Generals of WWII: Klopper, Hendrik Balzazer". generals.dk. Retrieved 3 October 2014.

[3] "The London Gazette, Issue 35697, page 3948". The Gazette. The London Gazette. 8 September 1942. Retrieved 3 October 2014.

[hartshorn-4] Hartshorn, Eric P. (1960). Avenge Tobruk. Cape Town: Purnell & Sons. OCLC 26084683. The fact that Tobruk fell must undoubtedly be attributed to the eleventh-hour reversal of policy leading to the decision to hold the Fortress, regardless of the fact that Eighth Army was then in full retreat in the face of an enemy who had been uniformly successful and whose morale must in consequence have been high. It was impossible in the time available to make adequate preparations for the completely new role imposed upon the Garrison... Hartshorn's book reveals in detail the Court of Inquiry's terms of reference and relevant findings.

[5] Uys, Ian (1992). South African Military Who's Who 1452–1992. Fortress Publishers. ISBN 0-9583173-3-X.

Chiefs of the South African military
List of South African military chiefs
Chief of the Union Defence Force 1912–1957	Andries Brink Pierre van Ryneveld Leonard Beyers Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper Stephen Melville
Commandant General SADF 1958–1973	Stephen Melville Pieter Grobbelaar Rudolph Hiemstra Hugo Biermann
Chief of the SADF 1973–1994	Hugo Biermann Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Lodewyk Meiring
Chief of the SANDF 1994–present	Georg Lodewyk Meiring Siphiwe Nyanda Godfrey Ngwenya Solly Shoke

Chiefs of the South African Army
List of South African military chiefs
Director-General of Land Forces	Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper
Army Chief of Staff	Hendrik Klopper Pieter Grobbelaar Nick Bierman W. R. Van der Riet (acting) Sybrand Engelbrecht Petrus Jacobs Charles 'Pop' Fraser
Chief of the Army	Charles 'Pop' Fraser Willem Louw Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Meiring Hattingh Pretorius Reginald Otto Gilbert Ramano Solly Shoke Vusumuzi Masondo