The Durban Light Infantry is a

Motorised Infantry Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, which ...

regiment of the

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. ...

. It lost its status as a

Mechanised infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...

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 British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...

or United States

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

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 foundation.

Seniority

In 1935,

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

conferred the title ''Royal'' on two Regiments being the ''Royal Durban Light Infantry'' and the Royal Natal Carbineers, as a recognition of their seniority and service. In 1961 with the formation of the Republic, the title "Royal" was considered incompatible and the Regiment reverted to being the ''Durban Light Infantry''.

Regimental Colours

At the centre of the '

Regimental Colour In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt som ...

' is the badge worn by the Regiment since 1961. It consists of the recognised ''Infantry Silver Bugle'' with tassels and a shield with two

wildebeest Wildebeest ( , , ), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toe ...

and a ''crown''. The wildebeest are symbolic of the Province, while the crown retained as a ''traditional device'' is reminiscent of the ''title "Royal"'' bestowed upon the Regiment by

in 1935. The words " ''in Africa"'' are superimposed within a scroll. The crest is composed of a lion

passant guardant In heraldry, the term attitude describes the ''position'' in which a figure (animal or human) is emblazoned as a charge, a supporter, or as a crest. The attitude of an heraldic figure always precedes any reference to the tincture of the figure a ...

on three mounds – the centre mound being charged with a pyramid. The lion is symbolic of strength, courage and fortitude. The three mounds are symbolic of the battles fought in World War II –

Monte Stanco Monte may refer to: Places Argentina * Argentine Monte, an ecoregion * Monte Desert * Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province Italy * Monte Bregagno * Monte Cassino * Montecorvino (disambiguation) * Montefalcione Portugal * Mont ...

, Monte Peza and Monte Sole/Caprara. The pyramid is symbolic of the 1941–1943 Egyptian Campaign. The ''garland'' which surrounds the coloured badge comprises the

Thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves. ...

of Scotland, the

Tudor Rose The Tudor rose (sometimes called the Union rose) is the traditional floral heraldic badge, heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the House of Tudor, which united the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The Tudor ...

of England and the

Shamrock A shamrock is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of ...

of Ireland – symbols taken from the old colour – and the other two flowers, the

Protea ''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). Etymology The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form a ...

, the

National flower of South Africa ''Protea cynaroides'', also called the king protea, is a flowering plant. It is a distinctive member of ''Protea'', having the largest flower head in the genus. The species is also known as giant protea, honeypot or king sugar bush. It is widely ...

, and the

Strelitzia ''Strelitzia'' is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. The genus is named after Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom, who was born a princess of the house of Meckle ...

, the flower of Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal).

Previous Dress Insignia

SADF and UDF era Durban Light Infantry insignia

Current Dress Insignia

Active Service

Battle Honours

Service

# South Africa, Anglo-Zulu War 1879 # South Africa, Anglo-Boer War 18991902 # Relief of Ladysmith 1900 # Natal, Bambatha Rebellion 1906 # South West Africa 19141915 # East Africa 19161918 # Rand Miners' Revolt 1922 # World War II ## Western Desert 19411943 (See 1st SA Infantry Division) ## Bardia ## Gazala ## Alamein Defence ## Alamein Box ## El Alamein ## Italy 19441945 ## Casino II ## Florence ## Gothic Line ## Monte Stanco ## Monte Pezza ## Sole/Caprara ## Po Valley # South West Africa – Namibia 19761994, five tours. # Internally in South Africa in support of the SAPS (SA. Police Service) in the following actions; ## 1949, 1960, 1961 ## 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992 (mainly rural areas) ## 1994 Elections. ## 1996 Elections. ## 1999 Elections. # 2006 Op in Burundi. Detached members to Standing Army control structures. # 20072014. Internal operations.

Leadership

Regimental Headquarters

The regimental headquarters of the DLI has been declared as a National Monument. File:dli east wing.jpg, East Wing of the Drill Hall File:Durban Light Infantry (DLI) HQ entrance detail of logo, Durban.JPG, Durban Light Infantry (DLI) HQ entrance detail of logo, Durban File:RDLI Bowling Club.jpg, RDLI Bowling Club Entrance File:DLI Logo Window - Sgts Mess.jpg, DLI Logo Window - Sgts Mess File:DLI Concecrated Flag.jpg, DLI Consecrated Flag File:DLI Clock Tower.jpg, DLI Clock Tower File:DLI Clock Tower Plaque.jpg, DLI Clock Tower Plaque

Peacekeeping deployments and training

The Regiment is being deployed in Africa,

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

DRC The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

; in support of the United Nations and African Union mandate All members of the Regiment are volunteers, with employment in the civilian roles, they fulfil their responsibilities and duties on top of their duties and responsibilities to their Families and Employers. An enormous commitment to the safety and security of the Republic of South Africa. Training is mandatory with the current requirements of Equality and Equity in line with the SANDF Policy. The duration of training places an enormous pressure on members to get Employers to relieve them to attend the courses and training exercises.

Regimental history

"Durban Light Infantry" by Lieut Col AC Martin BA (Cape) Hon.PhD (Natal) was published in 1969. It is out of print. An illustrated history of the 150 years of the Regiment has been prepared by Prof. Brian Kearney, Mr Dave Matthews and Lieut Col "Bill" Olivier (Retd.). The book is being sold by the Headquarters Board.

Affiliations

The Rifle Brigade The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...

1920. *

The Royal Green Jackets The Royal Green Jackets (RGJ) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two large regiment, "large regiments" within the Light Division#The Light Division reformed, Light Division (the other being The Light Infantry). History The Royal ...

RGJ 1966

Notes

References

External links