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South African Overseas Expeditionary Force
The South African Overseas Expeditionary Force (SAOEF) was a volunteer military organisation in World War I. Organisation The South African government formed the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force (''SAOEF'') in July 1915, as part of its contribution to the British war effort against the Central Powers. As South African legislation restricted the Union Defence Forces (UDF) to operating in southern Africa, an entirely new force, made up of volunteers, had to be raised for service in other theatres of war. As they were not officially a South African force, the SAOEF was placed under British operational command for operations on the Western Front.The South African Union Defence Act of 1914 prohibited the deployment of South African troops beyond the borders of the South Africa and its immediate neighbouring territories. In order to send troops to Europe to support the Commonwealth in World War I, Generals Botha and Smuts created the South African Overseas Expeditionary F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and about above its plateau base. It is the highest volcano in Africa and the Eastern Hemisphere. Kilimanjaro is the fourth most topographically prominent peak on Earth. It is part of Kilimanjaro National Park and is a major hiking and climbing destination. Because of its shrinking glaciers and ice fields, which are projected to disappear between 2025 and 2035, it has been the subject of many scientific studies. Toponymy The origin of the name Kilimanjaro is not known, but a number of theories exist. European explorers had adopted the name by 1860 and reported that Kilimanjaro was the mountain's Kiswahili name. The 1907 edition of ''The Nuttall Encyclopædia'' also records the name of the mountain as Kilima-Njaro. Johann Ludwig Krapf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in 1994 out of the Xhosa homelands or bantustans of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province. The central and eastern part of the province is the traditional home of the indigenous Xhosa people. In 1820 this area which was known as the Xhosa Kingdom began to be settled by Europeans who originally came from England and some from Scotland and Ireland. Since South Africa's early years, many Xhosas believed in Africanism and figures such as Walter Rubusana believed that the rights of Xhosa people and Africans in general, could not be protected unless Africans mobilized and worked together. As a result, the Eastern Cape is home to many anti-apartheid leaders such as Robert Sobukwe, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4th SA Infantry Regiment
4th SA Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the South African Army, during World War One. History Origin To join the British Imperial Forces for the war in Europe, the South African Infantry Regiment was raised (also known as the South African Scottish) because the 1912 Defence Act restricted its Active Defence Force from operating outside South Africa. Volunteers The regiment's companies were formed from volunteers from various units: * A Company mainly from volunteers of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment. * B Company mainly from volunteers of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment's 1st Battalion. * C Company mainly from volunteers of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment's 2nd Battalion and * D Company from Caledonian Societies of the Free State and Natal. Totalling 160 officers and 5648 other ranks, the regiment embarked for England from Cape Town and were quartered at Bordon in Hampshire for about two months for refresher training. Command The 4th SA Infantry Regiment a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rand Light Infantry
The Rand Light Infantry (RLI) is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve unit or United States Army National Guard unit. History Origin The history of this Regiment dates back to the ''Transvaal Cycle Corps'', which was formed in Johannesburg on 1 October 1905 from the Bicycle Section of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment. A small section of this unit subsequently took part in the suppression of the Bambata Rebellion in Zululand. After its return from this conflict the unit recognised the possibilities of mechanisation and members of the Regiment manufactured three armoured cars, creating a motorised fighting unit. This led to the renaming of the unit in 1909 to the ''Transvaal Cycle and Motor Corps''. On 1 July 1913 the Regiment was renamed the ''11th Infantry (Rand Light Infantry)'' and transferred to the Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence Force. Simultaneously, the unit was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Witwatersrand Rifles
The Bambatha Rifles (formerly the Witwatersrand Rifles) is a reserve mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army. History Origin The Witwatersrand Rifles (often familiarly known as the "Wits Rifles or the Wit Rifles") was formed by proclamation on 1 May 1903 and absorbed the members of the Railway Pioneer Regiment and the Rand Rifles, both of which had fought on the British side during the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899 – 1902. As befitted a regiment based from the gold-rich Witwatersrand region, it had a very close relationship with the mining establishment of the time; and its cap badge further emphasised this link. Bambatha Rebellion The regiment first saw action during the Bambata Rebellion of 1906, when it deployed a contingent to (the then) Zululand. Absorption of the Transvaal Light Infantry In 1907 the regiment was further strengthened when it absorbed the Transvaal Light Infantry Regiment. World War 1 The regiment was mobilised again when World War I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of Southern Rhodesia, which had been self-governing since achieving responsible government in 1923. A landlocked nation, Rhodesia was bordered by South Africa to the south, Bechuanaland (later Botswana) to the southwest, Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia) to the northwest, and Mozambique ( a Portuguese province until 1975) to the east. From 1965 to 1979, Rhodesia was one of two independent states on the African continent governed by a white minority of European descent and culture, the other being South Africa. In the late 19th century, the territory north of the Transvaal was chartered to the British South Africa Company, led by Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes and his Pioneer Column marched north in 1890, acquiring a huge block of territory that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transvaal Colony
The Transvaal Colony () was the name used to refer to the Transvaal region during the period of direct British rule and military occupation between the end of the Second Boer War in 1902 when the South African Republic was dissolved, and the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910. The borders of the Transvaal Colony were larger than the defeated South African Republic (which had existed from 1856 to 1902). In 1910 the entire territory became the Transvaal Province of the Union of South Africa. History Both the Boer republics, the South African Republic (ZAR) and the Orange Free State were defeated in the Anglo-Boer War and surrendered to the UK. The peace treaty (Treaty of Vereeniging) contained the following terms: # That all burghers of the ZAR and Orange Free State lay down their arms and accept King Edward VII as their sovereign. # That all burghers outside the borders of the ZAR and Orange Free State, upon declaring their allegiance to the King, be transpo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3rd South African Infantry Regiment
The 3rd South African Infantry Regiment (3 SAI) was an infantry regiment of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force during the First World War. History Formation The infantry regiments were raised with men from the four provinces of the Union: the 3rd Regiment troops were from the Transvaal and the then Rhodesia. Many volunteers for the B Company originated from the Witwatersrand Rifles Regiment while C Company were men from the Rand Light Infantry. Most of the recruits already had military training or experience. They were, in general, middle class, well-educated and well-bred men. It was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel E.F. Thackeray. The regiment was led by serving officers of the Union Defence Force, while the whole of 1st South African Brigade part of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force coming under the command of Brigadier-General Henry Lukin DSO, a previous Inspector General of the UDF. The Brigade was attached to the 9th (Scottish) Division. Enga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orange Free State (province)
The Province of the Orange Free State ( af, Provinsie Oranje-Vrystaat), commonly referred to as the Orange Free State ( af, Oranje-Vrystaat), Free State ( af, Vrystaat) or by its abbreviation OFS, was one of the four provinces of South Africa from 1910 to 1994. After 27 April 1994 it was dissolved following the first non-racial election in South Africa. It is now called the Free State Province. Its predecessor was the Orange River Colony which in 1902 had replaced the Orange Free State, a Boer republic. Its ''outside'' borders were the same as those of the modern Free State Province; except for the bantustans ("homelands") of QwaQwa and one part of Bophuthatswana, which were contained on land ''inside'' of the provincial Orange Free State borders. Districts in 1991 Districts of the province and population at the 1991 census. * Zastron: 14,122 * Rouxville: 11,904 * Bethulie: 9,333 * Smithfield: 7,946 * Wepener: 12,964 * Dewetsdorp: 13,521 * Reddersburg: 6,070 * Edenburg: 6,96 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Natal Province
The Province of Natal (), commonly called Natal, was a province of South Africa from May 1910 until May 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. During this period rural areas inhabited by the black African population of Natal were organized into the bantustan of KwaZulu, which was progressively separated from the province, becoming partially autonomous in 1981. Of the white population, the majority were English-speaking people of British descent, causing Natal to become the only province to vote "No" to the creation of a republic in the referendum of 1960, due to very strong monarchist, pro-British Commonwealth, and anti-secessionist sentiment. In the latter part of the 1980s, Natal was in a state of violence between the Inkatha Freedom Party and the African National Congress, with violence subsidising soon after the first non-racial election in 1994.Taylor, Rupert. "Justice denied: political violence in Kwazulu‐Natal after 1994." African Affairs 101, no. 405 (2002): 473-508. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd South African Infantry Regiment
2nd South African Infantry Regiment (2 SAI) was an infantry regiment of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force during the First World War. History Origin The infantry regiments were raised with men from the four provinces of the Union: the 2nd Regiment troops were from Natal and Orange Free State. Many volunteers were from the Kaffrarian Rifles. Most of the recruits already had military training or experience. They were, in general, middle class, well-educated and well-bred men. The regiment was led by serving officers of the Union Defence Force, while the whole of 1st South African Brigade part of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force coming under the command of Brigadier-General Henry Lukin DSO, a previous Inspector General of the UDF. The Brigade was attached to the 9th (Scottish) Division. Engagements The Regiment was deployed to France where it capture the village of Longueval and was deployed in the adjacent Delville Wood on 15 July 1916. The regimen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
