Hugo Biermann

Hugo Hendrik Biermann SSA , SD , OBE , GCIH , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Born	(1916-08-06)6 August 1916 Johannesburg
Died	Cape Town, South Africa
Allegiance	South Africa
Service/branch	South African Navy
Years of service	1945–1976
Rank	Admiral
Service number	01222819PE
Commands held	Chief of the South African Defence Force Chief of the South African Navy SAS Bloemfontein HMSAS Gamtoos
Awards	Star of South Africa (SSA) Southern Cross Decoration (SD) Order of the British Empire (OBE) Order of Prince Henry (GCIH) (Portugal)
Relations	Peggy Cruwys (wife) R Adm Stephanus Biermann

Admiral Hugo Hendrik Biermann SSA SD OBE GCIH (6 August 1916 – 27 March 2012) was a former Chief of the South African Navy who later served as Chief of the South African Defence Force, the only Naval officer to have served in this post.

Early life

Biermann's father, also named Hugo Hendrick, joined the Orange Free State postal service at the age of 12 and later joined the SA Railways and Harbours as a telegraphist. Born in Johannesburg, Biermann started school in the Transvaal until his father was transferred to Cape Town and he completed his schooling at Jan van Riebeck High School After leaving school at the age of 16 he join the South African Training Ship General Botha

Biermann was one of four children. His brothers Phillip and Stefanus (Chips) served on whalecatchers that had been converted to minesweepers during World War II. His brother Stefanus reached the rank of Rear Admiral in the SA Navy.

Merchant Marine

After two years training on the South African Training Ship General Botha from 1932 to 1933, he entered the British Merchant Navy as a cadet and served until 1938 when he was transferred to the Maritime Department of the South African Railways and Harbours.

Naval career

He began his naval career in 1938 as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In January 1940 he was called up for full-time service and transferred to the Seaward Defence Force. Promoted lieutenant in mid 1941 he commanded HMSAS Imhoff, HMSAS Roodepoort and HMSAS Aristea before being promoted to Lieutenant Commander in command of the salvage vessel HMSAS Gamtoos.

The crew of the HMSAS Gamtoos' cleared several Mediterranean ports of sunken and scuttled ships, and at Marseilles, Biermann blew a hole in the harbour wall so that he could enter the Vieux Port and begin work. The Gamtoos went on to salvage the Sidi Aissa, towing it away to clear the valuable graving dock at La Ciotat by 14 December 1944. This earned Lt Cdr Biermann the Order of the British Empire, an honour he shared with the entire ship's company

The citation for his OBE reads:

On the recommendation of the British Admiralty, the then Lieutenant-Commander H. H. Biermann, an officer in the South African Naval Forces [SANF], was appointed an Officer of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire [OBE] “for distinguished service during the invasion of Southern France.”

After the War

After the war and with the establishment of the South African Navy (Permanent Force) in May 1946, he was appointed Lieutenant-Commander and Captain of the Algerine class minesweeper, SAS Bloemfontein, commissioning her in Devonport on 8 September 1947 and as Senior Officer of the minesweeping squadron.

In 1950, he was transferred to Defence Headquarters and served on the staff of the then Director-General of the SA Naval Forces. Two years later he attended the British Naval Staff Course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and was appointed as naval attaché at South African House, London with the rank of Commander.

Frans Erasamus reshuffle

Minster Frans Erasmus embarked on a process of ridding the Defence Force of officers associated with the Smuts government and replacing them with others whom he considered more Nationalist, one which Afrikaners would feel more at home.

In 1952 Erasmus posted Brigadier Pieter de Waal as a Military attache to the United States, replacing him with Biermann, one of only seven Afrikaans officers in the Navy in 1948. Then Commander Biermann was appointed naval and marine chief of staff on 1 December 1952 and promoted to the rank of Commodore, jumping two ranks. During his tenure the Simonstown Agreement was signed on 30 June 1955. He held that rank until 1 April 1957, with the handing over of the Simon’s Town Naval Base, he was promoted to Rear-Admiral.

On 1 December 1965, Rear-Admiral Biermann was promoted to Vice–Admiral and Chief of the Navy, the first time this title was used in South Africa.

In 1972, he took over the position of Commandant General, South African Defence Force and promoted to Admiral, the first time this rank was used in the South African Navy. The title was changed to Chief of the South African Defence Force a year later.

In 1977 he authored "The South African Response." The Southern Oceans and the Security of the Free World: New Studies in Global Strategy (1977).

The navy's submarine base was named after him.

Contribution to Yachting in South Africa

Following the success of Bruce Dalling and the yacht Voortrekker in the 1968 Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, Admiral Biermann, then chairman of the Springbok Ocean Racing Trust, suggested that South Africa hosted an ocean race of its own.

The South African Ocean Racing Trust (as the SAORT became known) selected the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro, who were willing to co-operate in the organising of the race and the race would be known as the Cape to Rio. The first race was organised for 1971, with the organisers anticipating at most 15 entries into the race. However the race attracted a large amount of interest and 58 boats entered the 1971 race.

Awards and Decorations

He received the Star of South Africa Decoration on 13 May 1960 in recognition of his exceptionally meritorious services, as well as the Order of May To Naval Merit in the grade of “Grand Cross Admiral Guillermo Brown from Argentina and the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique of Portugal. He was the first recipient of the Southern Cross Decoration, which he received upon his retirement as Chief of the SADF in 1976

• Star of South Africa (SSA)

• Southern Cross Decoration (SD)

• Union Medal

• Order of the British Empire (OBE)

• 1939–45 Star

• Atlantic Star

• Africa Star with NORTH AFRICA 1942–43 clasp

• Italy Star

• War Medal 1939–1945

• Africa Service Medal (WWII)

• Order of Prince Henry (GCIH) (Portugal)

Personal life

In 1940 Biermann married Margaret (Peggy) Cruyws. She passed away in 2008 at the age of 90. The couple had two children, Hugo Hendrik and Diana. Biermann died at the age of 95 at a retirement home, Silvermine Village, near Cape Town. He was buried with full military honours.

See also

• List of South African military chiefs

References

Military offices
New title	Chief of the South African Defence Force 1973 – 1976	Succeeded by Magnus Malan
Preceded by Rudolph Hiemstra	Commandant General of the SADF 1972 – 1973	Renamed C SADF
New title	Commander Maritime Defence (COMADEF) 1965 – 1972	Succeeded by James Johnson
New title	Chief of the South African Navy 1966 – 1972	Succeeded by James Johnson
New title	Naval Chief of Staff 1955 – 1966	Renamed Chief of the Navy
Preceded by Pieter de Waal	Naval & Marine Chief of Staff 1952 – 1955	Renamed Naval Chief of Staff