The 3rd South African Infantry Regiment (3 SAI) was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

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 ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

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 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 ...

while C Company were men from the

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 o ...

. 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

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 The 9th (Scottish) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener to serve on the Western Front during the First World War. A ...

Engagements

After formation, the 3rd Regiment departed Cape Town on a number of ships between 28 August and 17 September 1915 and sailed for Great Britain. Once disembarked, they traveled to their new base at Bordon Camp in Hampshire. Here they began three months of training to bring them up to combat readiness with the expectation then being they would enter the fighting in France at some point in early 1916. However, their orders were changed at short notice towards the end of their training and on 30 December 1915 they boarded ships in Devonport and sailed for Egypt. Here they would take part in Senussi Campaign, fighting in the

action of Agagia The Action of Agagia (also Agagiya, Aqqaqia or Aqaqia) took place east of Sidi Barrani in Egypt on 26 February 1916, during the Senussi Campaign between German and Ottoman-instigated Senussi forces and the British army in Egypt. On 11 December ...

where 14 men died. After their deployment in Egypt, the 3rd Regiment was deployed to France where it helped capture the village of

Longueval Longueval () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Longueval is located northwest of Amiens on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8. Longueval is found in the north-east of the départeme ...

and was deployed in the adjacent

Delville Wood The Battle of Delville Wood was a series of engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War, between the armies of the German Empire and the British Empire. Delville Wood , was a thick tangle of trees, chiefly beech and ...

on 15 July 1916. The regiment then served with the Brigade at

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

during April 1917 and was part of the offensive at

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...

and

Passchendale Passendale () or Passchendaele (; obsolete spelling, retained in English; vls, Passchendoale) is a rural Belgian village in the Zonnebeke municipality of West Flanders province. It is close to the town of Ypres, situated on the hill ridge sepa ...

in September 1917. It was disbanded on 18 February 1918 due to a shortage of recruits.

Regimental emblems

Dress Insignia

Union Defence Force 3 SA Infantry Regiment Insignia

References

* Reprinted 1992 by Imperial War Museum,

External links

South African forces in the British Army at Long, Long Trail
{{DEFAULTSORT:3rd South African Infantry Regiment Infantry regiments of South Africa Military units and formations established in 1915 Military units and formations disestablished in 1918