Contact Artefacts please if you have any comments or more information regarding this record.	Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon		R. N. V. R. Drill Hall - SAS Port Rex KuGompo City (East London), Eastern Cape

Date: 1940 Type: Warehouse Style: Art Deco - Modern Status: Extant   Click to view large map Coordinates: 33°01'19.10" S 27°53'42.98" E Alt: 10m

See more photographs Currently vacant (2016) The building was constructed for the Royal Navy at the East London Harbour in 1940. Subsequently renamed 'SAS Port Rex' and used by the SA Navy until 1989. The cast iron rainwater heads on the front facade record the date 1939 in raised numerals on the front face of each one. The building is currently (2023) the subject of an adaptive reuse proposal by Transnet as a Fire Station. Transcription of English foundation stone: THIS STONE WAS LAID BY COMMODORE D. A. BUDGEN, ROYAL NAVY, ON THE 4TH MAY, 1940. Transcription of Afrikaans foundation stone: HIERDIE STEEN IS GELE DEUR COMMODORE D. A. BUDGEN KONINKLIKE VLOOT, OP 4 MEI 1940. SAS PORT REX - A brief history by Ryan Goslett The history of SAS Port Rex dates back to as early as 1927 when the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve established a base in East London under the command of sub Lieutenant J Jarvis. With the start of WW2 it was decided to build a new Naval Base in East London and this was established near the Buffalo bridge. Throughout WW2 extensive training was carried out at the unit for the then South African Naval Forces and South African Seaward Defence Force. Following the end of WW2 the unit reverted to a peacetime role as the South African Naval Reserve Base East London under command of Cdr C Potgieter. He was succeeded in 1954 by the then Cdr WJ Chambers (later Cdre W Chambers, Director Naval Resources), under whose cormand the unit was officially renamed SAS Port Rex. SAS Port Rex expanded considerably in the late 1970s and in 1978 Naval Base East London was established with SAS Port Rex as tender unit. With the decline of the external threat the SA Navy started closing down SAN Naval Bases and in October 1989 Naval Base East London was officially closed. The responsibility of providing a Naval presence as well as a Citizen Force Unit passed back to SAS Port Rex. An active part of Port Rex, the diving section, has always remained fully operational and the divers always being on the alert and ready in the event their services may be required. In earlier years the divers were always up to their knees (literally) when their services were used extensively by the police force for its requirements, such as searching rivers for discarded weapons or drowned bodies. With the introduction of the SAP's own diving unit this function lessened and they were then able to concentrate more on Naval related dives. In the late 1960s Port Rex personnel were involved in search-and-rescue after the Rietbok disaster (the Skymaster plane which crashed into the sea off East London near Kidds beach). At the time MCM vessels were in the area doing exercises and had many Port Rex personnel aboard. With the help of the MCM's a very successful operation was executed. On the 9th June 1980 a light plane crashed into the sea near the entrance of the East London harbour killing two people. The Port Rex diving unit was called in and over 90% of the wreckage was recovered. The more recent Oceanos disaster once again called for the help of Port Rex and its divers. After a 3 am wake-up call to the Officer Commanding Port Rex Capt Forsythe, from the local army command, divers and other personnel were flown within hours to the Transkei. By the time the Port. Rex divers arrived, divers from Simon's Town were already on the scene and the Port Rex divers were put on standby. Back in East London various other Port Rex personnel helped those returning from the sinking ship and helped take counts of those arriving, as well as helping them at the local Holiday Inn where they were accommodated. These are just some examples of the vast work that Port Rex has been involved in. Acknowledgement: Original typescript provided by the SA Navy Museum via David 'Harry' Harrison. (Submitted by William MARTINSON)