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.