South African Naval College

He donated the ship to the South African government and stipulated that it had to be used for the full-time training of boys for careers at sea.

The presence of German submarines in the southern oceans in 1942 caused the naval authorities to become concerned for the safety of the cadets living on board the TS General Botha.

On 13 May 1947 she was towed into False Bay to a position nine nautical miles ESE of the Roman Rock lighthouse and sunk by gunfire from Scala battery.

The name of the establishment was changed to The South African Nautical College General Botha and the new Captain-Superintendent was Captain G V Legassick RNR.

This difficult relationship between the two services continued until 1966, when the new South African Merchant Navy Academy was established at Granger Bay.