Forged in Battle

In 1975, 32 Battalion was formed in great secrecy from a group of badly trained, ill-disciplined remnants of the Angolan guerrilla movement, the FNLA. Founding commander Colonel Jan Breytenbach, a former Recce, tells of the birth and early history of this elite “Buffalo” Battalion led by South African officers. He turned these unwanted orphans from the Angolan guerrilla war into one of the most respected and feared units to fight in Angola. His method was a simple one ? he instilled in his soldiers a total commitment and loyalty to the unit, rather than to a country or cause. Nicknamed Os Terríveis (the Terrible Ones), they became one of the best counter-insurgency forces in the SADF. Forged in Battle follows the birth and growth of 32 Battalion from former enemies and terrorists into decorated soldiers.