Another Gear Blog: June 2024

If you have any interest in South African militaria or LBE you will have heard of the name Johann Niemoller. Johann was an officer in the SADF Reconnaissance Commandos, he designed some unique equipment for the Recce's based on his experience. Johann is a busy man and owns and operates several chrome, coal, and manganese mines. He very kindly took time out of his busy schedule to chat with me about his time designing gear.

I asked Johann how he got into designing gear.
"When I was in Special Forces many years ago, the army sent me to Mozambique up to the north of Tanzania, to train the Renamo army and then walk from the north to the south back to South Africa, about 1500km, which took me 4 months. Finally arriving back in South Africa, I bought a sewing machine and started making my clothing and webbing as I thought it should be. So I had to make it for everybody with me in the Recces, and so It became the standard. I am unchanged till today, I am making new designs but the collapse of the SA Army does not warrant manufacture on a larger scale. I have the original drawings, I will look for them and send you a copy."

Johann designed the light assault webbing to carry four mags. Another three would be carried in chest webbing that he designed and was made from a 350-gram nylon fabric with a coating. The rear pouch was for the roll up medical kit and a 1 litre drip. The small pouches on the yoke and the top of the side pouches were to give quick access for three bomb bandages. The two front pouches at the sides were for white phos or M26 grenades and the smaller front pouch was for a pocket knife. The two large side pouches could take a 2-litre water bottle a radio or extras. On the left front yoke strap was provision for a knife.

Type one Niemoller Light Assault Webbing.

Johann also designed other items such as bags, including several medical bags, a set of Fire Force webbing, the hot extraction harness, a pistol pocket and some clothing. Johann got his sewing machine around 1983. "It was a brother walking foot machine. I bought in Cape Town and transported to Phalaborwa 5 Recce Base and put it in my room next to my bed." The type two webbing was made for 4 recce and designed for sea operations.

Type two Niemoller Light Assault Webbing.

Hot extraction vest designed by Johann Niemoller and Mike Du Toit in 1987.

I asked Johann if he was involved in the Pathfinder/ 32 Battalion/ S2000 or the cabbage patch 90 webbing. He replied, "Even today governments takes your design and then give it to army contractors without asking or talking to you, and then the webbing has the same look but completely different, every officer in 32 or army is better than you and he is the commanding officer and so he wants a say as well, so I never intended if the requirement or price they offer was not acceptable."

I also asked how it felt knowing that his designs were so influential? They were still being used long after the introduction of the Pattern 90 webbing. "I never thought it would be so popular, the long walks in the Recces were quite memorable events."

Rare Niemoller webbing designed for use with R1 magazines.

Johanns gear was very popular in the Recces and used for many years. Andy from Andys gasworks on IG passed on this from a discussion with an SF Operator.

“In essence he said he liked it and it was a popular webbing system. His use of pouches was driven by his position as a team leader. There was no water carried on his setup, which surprised me as it’s a very risky strategy in that part of Africa. I assume that although carried in his Bergen he would have had at least 1 2l container attached externally in a removable pouch that could be slung over his shoulders if he had to ditch his pack and go on the run."

"On the Niemoller the two 2L pouches were used for ground to air radio and ground to ground radio. Then a Tacbe was carried in a pouch on his left upper, while the Zip pocket on his right held more comms kit (pocket torch, heliograph, pencil flares and launcher)."

"The ‘flatpack’ zip pouch held a small but comprehensive med kit, saline drip and giving kit. Magazines were held in mag pouches, grenades, binoculars in other GP pouches. He also wore a chest rig beneath the Niemoller containing 2 more AK mags, an E&E kit, and his Sidearm.”

While Johann was not involved both the Pathfinders and 32 Battalion designed their own webbing inspired by his work.