Traditional South African Regiments
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Traditional South African Regiments
South Africa has a number of Traditional Regiments. These are mostly South African Army Reserve Force (formerly Citizen Force) regiments that were established either under previous colonial governments or by the Apartheid regime and which have continued to exist by accepting the authority of the government-of-the-day - be it colonial, union (i.e. pre-Apartheid), Apartheid, or fully democratic (i.e. post-Apartheid). Generally, the traditional regiments are those who were formed before the establishment of South Africa as a unified country, although there are a few which are much more recent. The traditional regiments have a number of elements which are different from the other units, such as certain peculiarities of dress. The most noticeable of these is the wearing of the Sam Browne belt and Sword by officers. Western Cape The Traditional Cape Regiments are the five traditional South African Army Reserve Force (formerly Citizen Force) regiments of Cape Town, South Africa which are ...
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South African Army
The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. The Army is commanded by the Chief of the Army, who is subordinate to the Chief of the SANDF. Formed in 1912, as the Union Defence Force in the Union of South Africa, through the amalgamation of the South African colonial forces following the unification of South Africa. It evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by Boer Commando (militia) forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies. Following the ascension to power of the National Party, the Army's long-standing Commonwealth ties were afterwards cut. The South African Army was fundamentally changed by the end of Apartheid and its preceding upheavals, as the South African Defence Force became the SANDF. This process also led to ...
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South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * World War I * World War II East African campaign (World War II), East African Campaign North African campaign, North African Campaign Battle of Madagascar, Madagascar Italian campaign (World War II), Italy Balkans campaign (World War II), Balkans * Korean War * South African Border War * Angolan Civil War, Angolan Bush War , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , flying_hours = , website = , commander1 = President of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa , commander1_label = Commander-in-chief#South Africa, Comman ...
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South African Irish Regiment
The Andrew Mlangeni Regiment (formerly South African Irish Regiment) is a reserve infantry regiment of the South African Army. History Origins Although all the regular units of Irish origin in the British Army have served in South Africa at some time during its colonial involvement in South Africa, the first autonomous South African units shaped by Irish influences were the Cape Town Irish Volunteer Rifles (raised by a Major O'Reilly in 1885) and Driscoll's Scouts (raised by Capt D.P. Driscoll during the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899 – 1902). However, an Irish Brigade also fought on the side of the Boer republics. World War I The South African Irish was formed at the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 when three officers (Major George Twomey, Captain J. Jeoffreys and a Captain MacDonald) met at the Irish Club in Johannesburg to raise an Irish regiment from among the citizens of Johannesburg and its surrounding areas. After a request to The Union Defence Force (UDF) ...
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Transvaal Scottish Regiment
Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, links=no), a Boer republic also known as the Transvaal in English * Transvaal Colony (1902–1910), British colony * Transvaal Province (1910–1994), province of the Union and Republic of South Africa See also * Transvaal Park, a Russian waterpark (2002–2004) * Golden Lions, the modern South African rugby team formerly known as "Transvaal" * Gauteng cricket team, the modern South African cricket team formerly known as "Transvaal" * S.V. Transvaal, a football club located in Suriname, named after the South African region * Gauteng Division The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law which has general jurisdiction over the South African province of Gauteng and the east ...
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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 ...
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1 Medical Battalion Group
1 Medical Battalion Group (1 Med) is a Medical Battalion in the South African Medical Health Services (SAMHS), part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is based in the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. History 1 Medical Battalion Group can trace its roots back to the Militia units of old Natal, dating back to 1895, when the Ambulance detachments of Durban Light Infantry, Natal Mounted Rifles and Natal Carbineers were merged to form the Natal Volunteer Medical Corps (NVMC). Anglo-Boer War and early years – 1914 1899 saw the first active mobilisation of the Natal Volunteer Medical Corps in the Anglo Boer War where the Corps served with distinction with Imperial forces including the Seaforth Highlanders, their first association with the Highland Tartan. The Militia Act of 1904 saw the change in name to Natal Me ...
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Natal Field Artillery
NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (other), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony (1843–1910) ** Natal (province), a former province (1910–1994) ** KwaZulu-Natal, a province (since 1994) * Mandailing Natal Regency, a regency in Indonesia ** Natal, North Sumatra, a town in the above regency * Natal, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Natal, British Columbia, a coal-mining community in the East Kootenay region of Canada Biology * Of or relating to birth ** Childbirth * Natal banana frog, a species of frog (''Afrixalus spinifrons'') * Natal dwarf puddle frog, a species of frog (''Phrynobatrachus natalensis'') * Natal ghost frog, a species of frog (''Heleophryne natalensis'') * Natal sand frog, a species of frog (''Tomopterna natalensis'') Military * Ingobamakhosi Carbineers, an infantry regiment of the ...
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Durban Regiment
The King Shaka Regiment (formerly the Durban Regiment) is a reserve motorised infantry battalion of the South African Army. History Origin Established in 1923 as the Durban Volunteer Guides, the unit was disbanded after World War Two but reformed on paper in 1959 as an armoured infantry unit. Durban Regiment was officially proclaimed in 1959 and the first posting to the unit was on 1 January 1960 with Colonel M.B. Williams as its first officer commanding. Internal operations The Regiment's first mobilisations were on 31 March 1960 to combat unrest in Natal's Cato Manor area. They were, in fact, the first regiment mobilised and committed to this action. On 31 May 1961 the unit was again mobilised for participation in the ceremonies accompanying the Declaration of the Republic of South Africa. Type conversion First formed as an armoured infantry regiment, the Durban Regiment was later converted to motorised infantry. The regiment received its Regimental Colours on 10 October 1 ...
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Umvoti Mounted Rifles
The Umvoti Mounted Rifles (named after the Umvoti River) is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation and is based in the town of Pinetown. History Origin On 16 May 1864, years ago, the Umvoti Mounted Rifles (UMR) was founded in Greytown as the Greytown Mounted Rifles. There were some 45 men in the original unit, under command of Capt A.S. Wyndham who was also the Magistrate of Greytown at the time. The ''Umvoti Mounted Rifles Hall'' is the oldest hall in Greytown. It was built in 1880 as a Masonic Hall, but later became the headquarters of the Regiment. It is currently used by the Greytown public works department. The ''Umvoti Mounted Rifles'' was formed in 1893 at Greytown, Natal by the redesignation of the left Wing of the Natal Carbineers. On 1 July 1913 the Regiment absorbed the ' ...
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Natal Mounted Rifles
NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (other), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony (1843–1910) ** Natal (province), a former province (1910–1994) ** KwaZulu-Natal, a province (since 1994) * Mandailing Natal Regency, a regency in Indonesia ** Natal, North Sumatra, a town in the above regency * Natal, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Natal, British Columbia, a coal-mining community in the East Kootenay region of Canada Biology * Of or relating to birth ** Childbirth * Natal banana frog, a species of frog (''Afrixalus spinifrons'') * Natal dwarf puddle frog, a species of frog (''Phrynobatrachus natalensis'') * Natal ghost frog, a species of frog (''Heleophryne natalensis'') * Natal sand frog, a species of frog (''Tomopterna natalensis'') Military * Ingobamakhosi Carbineers, an infantry regiment of the ...
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Durban Light Infantry
The Durban Light Infantry is a Motorised Infantry regiment of the South African Army. It lost its status as a Mechanised infantry regiment in 2010 in line with the rationalisation of resources. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. History Origin The Regiment was formed as the ''D’Urban Volunteer Guard'', in May 1854. In 1859 the unit became the ''Durban Rifle Guard''. In 1873 the unit became known as the ''Royal Durban Rifles''. In 1889 the unit became known as the ''Natal Royal Rifles (Left half Battalion)''. In 1895 it became the ''Durban Light Infantry''. With the Union Defence Force On the constitution of the ''Union Defence Force'' in 1912, the Unit became the ''Durban Light Infantry'', renamed the ''1st Infantry, (Durban Light Infantry)''. In consequence the Unit was permitted to add to its badge " ''in Africa"'', the motto retained by the unit today in recognition of its foun ...
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Natal Carbineers
The Ingobamakhosi Carbineers (formerly Natal Carbineers) is an infantry unit of the South African Army. History Origins The regiment traces its roots to 1854 but it was formally raised on 15 January 1855 and gazetted on 13 March of that year, as the Natal Carbineers. With the Union Defence Force In 1913, the regiment’s two ‘wings’ became known as the First and Second Mounted Rifles (Natal Carbineers) and in 1934 they re-assumed the name 1st and 2nd Natal Carbineers. The following year, they became the Royal Natal Carbineers, a title which remained in use until the country became a republic in 1961. Present The regiment has been active since 1994 in internal duties in support of the police as well as border protection. They have also contributed to external peace-keeping missions to inter alia MONUSCO in the DRC. Name change In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa. The Natal Carbineers became ...
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