Cape Corps
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The Cape Corps and its predecessor units were the main military organisations in which the
Coloured Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...
members of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
's population served.


History

As one of the military units of South Africa with one of the longest histories, the Cape Corps reflects the history of South Africa's Coloured population to a great extent.


1781–1782

The first Coloured unit to be formed was the ''Corps Bastaard Hottentoten'' (
Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
: "Corps of Bastard Hottentots"), which was organised in 1781 by the Dutch colonial administration of the time. Based in
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
and drawing its members from men of mixed Hottentot and White ancestry, this unit had about 400 members under the command of Hendrik Eksteen and Gerrit Munnik. The unit was disbanded in 1782 when French mercenaries arrived in the Cape.


1793–1870

In 1793 this unit was re-formed in Cape Town as the ''Corps van Pandoeren'' (Pandour Corps) with 200 men under the command of Captain Jan Cloete, only to be disbanded again in 1795. The unit was re-formed again under the
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, ...
colonial administration in May 1796, this time under the name ''Hottentot Corps''. It was headquartered in Wynberg and consisted of about 300 men. In 1798 the headquarters were moved to
Hout Bay Hout Bay ( af, Houtbaai, meaning "Wood Bay") is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometres south of Cape Town. The name "Hout Bay" can ...
. On 25 June 1801 the ''Cape Regiment'' was formed. It was organised as a
British imperial The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
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 ten
companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
and retained all the personnel of the ''Hottentot Corps''. With the Dutch taking over colonial administration of the Cape once again, the ''Corps Vrye Hottentotten'' ("Corps of Free Hottentots") was formed on 21 February 1803. It was later renamed the ''Hottentot Ligte Infanterie'' ("Hottentot Light Infantry"). When the British returned to the Cape, they formed ''The Cape Regiment'' in October 1806. Headquartered in Cape Town, it was organised as a typical colonial unit with British officers and Coloured other ranks. In later years, the Regiment also had a troop of light
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
added. On 24 September 1817 the Regiment was reduced in size (a previous order to completely disband having either been ignored or rescinded) to two small units of about 200 men for the defence of the
Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...
's eastern frontier. The two units were named the ''Cape Cavalry'' (consisting of one troop of
dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...
s) and the ''Cape Light Infantry''.
Mathew Richmond Major Mathew Richmond (1801 – 5 March 1887) was a New Zealand colonial administrator and a politician. He was the first Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Council. Born in England to Scottish parents, he had a military career sp ...
, coming from the Royal Military College, joined them in 1817. In 1820 these two units were again combined under a unified command and renamed the Cape Corps. The ''Cape Mounted Riflemen (Imperial)'' were formed on 25 November 1827; the cavalry wing was disbanded and the Corps reorganised as
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
of mounted
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 ...
. In 1850 some soldiers effectively mutinied by joining Coloured rebellion in the
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 ...
; the regiment was subsequently reconstituted as mixed unit with both White and Coloured members. Some years later, in 1854, the recruitment of Coloured members for the battalion was completely halted. The battalion was completely disbanded in 1870 when military service was abolished for Coloureds, although its name and traditions were appropriated in 1878 by another (all-White) ''Cape Mounted Riflemen''.


1915–1918

As part of South Africa's efforts for
World War I 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 ...
, the ''Cape Corps'' was re-formed in the
Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...
by Sir Walter Stanford, as a single battalion in December 1915 as part of the Union Defence Force. In 1916 the Corps was expanded and a second battalion raised. The original battalion was redesignated the ''1st Battalion'' and the new unit (which was disbanded in 1918) as the ''2nd Battalion''.


1940–1950

In order to provide additional troops for South Africa's participation in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the ''Cape Corps'' was reconstituted again on 8 May 1940, partly from the Association of the 1915-1918 Corps. This unit was assigned the role of a non-combatant service corps with a pioneer battalion and five motor transport companies. It was later expanded to include several motorised infantry battalions, infantry battalions,
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
(POW) guard battalions and POW escort battalions. At its peak strength, the Corps had about 23,000 members. On 13 October 1942 the Corps absorbed the South African ''Indian and Malay Corps'' but was disbanded at the end of hostilities in 1945. In 1947 the ''Cape Corps'' was reconstituted as a Permanent Force Coloured service corps only to be disbanded in 1950 by the newly elected National Party, which abolished military service for Coloureds.


1963–1991

The ''Cape Corps'' was reformed again in 1963, as a non-combatant Coloured service corps; it was considered to be the successor to all the previous Coloured and Cape Corps units since 1796. The Corps was designated a Permanent Force unit of the
South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...
in 1972. In 1973 the unit was renamed the ''South African Cape Corps Service Battalion''. When the South African Defence Act was amended in 1975 to give Coloureds "equivalent status to whites" in 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. ...
, the battalion was renamed the ''South African Cape Corps Battalion'', its combatant status was restored and the first Coloured officers were commissioned. During the period 1979 to 1989 the ''South African Cape Corps'' (SACC) was substantially expanded: * The SACC Maintenance Unit was formed in 1979 from some of the members of the original service battalion. * The original combat battalion was renamed 1st Battalion when the 2nd Battalion was raised in December 1984. * The 3rd Battalion was raised in Kimberley in 1989. * The SACC School and SACC School for Junior Leaders were founded. In 1990 the SACC was reduced to a single battalion and redesignated
9 South African Infantry Battalion 9 South African Infantry Battalion is a motorised infantry unit of the South African Army, designated ''seaborne''. History What was previously known as the South African Cape Corps (SACC) ( af, Suid-Afrika Kaapse Korps (SAKK)) was renamed th ...
which was reroled as a seaborne
light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
unit. Currently, as a result of the post-1994 transformation of South Africa, Coloured soldiers, sailors and airmen serve alongside their fellow South Africans in a fully integrated
South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the Military, armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the Military branch, armed services. They are in turn a ...
.


Corps symbols

* Corps badge: Although there were numerous variants, the Corps badges of the 1915 - 1991 era all consisted of the Crest of the Arms of the Cape of Good Hope Colony, i.e. the figure of Hope with her left hand resting on an anchor and her right hand or elbow resting on
Table Mountain Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...
, with an inscribed scroll below. During 1915 to 1945 the inscription read "CAPE CORPS", while during 1963 to 1991 it read "FORTITER ET FIDELITER". The figure of Hope also appeared on the gorgets of the Dutch Cape regiments up to 1795. * Corps motto: Fortiter et fideliter (Bravely and faithfully) (1963–1991).


Battle honours

* Awarded to the Cape Mounted Riflemen: ** Cape of Good Hope (awarded in 1841 for service in the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth
Kaffir Wars The Xhosa Wars (also known as the Cape Frontier Wars or the Kaffir Wars) were a series of nine wars (from 1779 to 1879) between the Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The ...
). * Awarded to the 1915 Cape Corps: **
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 ab ...
** Behobeho ** Nyangao ** East Africa 1916-1917 ** East Africa 1917-1918 ** Megiddo 1918 **
Nablus Nablus ( ; ar, نابلس, Nābulus ; he, שכם, Šəḵem, ISO 259-3: ; Samaritan Hebrew: , romanized: ; el, Νεάπολις, Νeápolis) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a populati ...
** Palestine 1918 The 1915 Cape Corps did not inherit the battle honour of the Cape Mounted Riflemen.


Operations

The Cape Corps' most famous combat operation is the Battle of Square Hill which took place in what was then known as
Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
on 16, 17 and 18 September 1918. It was this battle in particular which earned the Cape Corps its combat reputation and for which the ''Palestine 1918'' Battle Honour was awarded. While known as the this unit served regularly in Namibia during the
South African Border War The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...
.


See also

*
Military history of South Africa The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. It covers civil wars and wars of aggression and of self-defence both within South Africa and against it. It in ...


References

{{Authority control Military units and formations established in 1781 Infantry regiments of South Africa Disbanded military units and formations in Cape Town Military units and formations of the British Empire Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War Military units and formations of South Africa in World War I Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1991 Pages with Battle Honours