Cape Garrison Artillery
Encyclopedia
The Cape Garrison Artillery (CGA) is an artillery
regiment
of the South African Army
. There have been two regiments of the name: one a coast artillery regiment, the other an anti-aircraft regiment. The latter is part of the South African Army Artillery Formation
.
in 1859. The unit was later called the Cape Engineers or Cape Town Volunteer Engineers. It disbanded around 1866.
in 1879. It served in the Transkei
campaign in 1880 and 1881. In 1889, it added a coast artillery company, and the title was later changed to Garrison Artillery & Engineer Volunteer Corps. Engineering was discontinued in 1896, and the title was then changed to Cape Garrison Artillery.
The commanding officer of the unit at that time was Major le Vicomte de Montfort. The Regiment had an authorised strength of 320 men and was trained by the Royal Garrison Artillery. In 1898 the CGA was changed to a partially-paid unit and thus lost its volunteer status.
During 1900 the CGA was mainly used on the main western railway line of Cape Colony, as well as west of that line, assisting in garrisoning important posts. A small number of CGA members were also under the command of Sir Charles Warren
in Griqualand West
. Parts of the Regiment also joined Kitchener’s Horse.
Elements of the CGA were also involved in the attack on Jacobsdal
on 25 October 1900.
During 1901 detachments of the Regiment were often stationed alongside the Cape Town Highlanders
as well as other local troops in the west of Cape Colony
and other areas, up to the German South West Africa border.
Other actions that elements of the CHA were involved in during the war were: Brugspruit (October 1900), Wonderfontein (February 1901), Naauwpoort (February 1901), Mafeking (November 1901), Omkyk (January 1902), Okiep (April 1902) and Daspoort near Pretoria
(May 1902).
The CGA was embodied in the Coast Garrison Force of the Union Defence Force
in 1913 as the 1st Division, South African Garrison Artillery (CGA). CGA manned batteries at Sea Point
, Fort Wynyard and the Castle of Good Hope
in Cape Town
as well as at "Noah's Ark" and other batteries at Simon's Town
.
On the successful conclusion of the South West Africa Campaign, many members of the CGA joined the Heavy Artillery Brigade of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force
, which served with great distinction in France and was later commemorated by the South African Heavy Artillery memorial below the Union Buildings
in Pretoria
.
From 1916 until the war ended, the CGA as such manned the Cape Peninsula
defences.
The approach of World War II
led to the expansion of the South African military and in 1934 the Cape Garrison Artillery became 1 Heavy Battery (CGA) (in Cape Town) and 2 Heavy Battery (CGA) (in Simon's Town). They formed part of the Coast Artillery Brigade (later called the Cape Peninsula Artillery Brigade). A 5th Heavy Battery (CGA) was formed in 1938/39 to man the new batteries on Robben Island
.
in 1942. No South African port was actually attacked during the war; the only instance of a shot being fired in anger was when the Portuguese
frigate
Alfonse d'Albuquerque did not respond to signals when she passed a shore station. However, one round brought her to, and she was identified.
Many troops of the CGA were released for service in North Africa and Italy
.
until 1949, when they were transferred to the Army.
In 1951, the anti-aircraft units were transferred to the new South African Corps of Marines. When the SACM was disbanded in 1955, 50, 51 and 52 Anti-Aircraft Batteries were amalgamated to form 4 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
In 1960, 4 HAA was affiliated to the University of Cape Town
under a new system designed to enable students to co-ordinate their studies and their military training. The regiment was renamed University of Cape Town Regiment. Although the "university regiment" system was discontinued when national service conscription was introduced in 1968, UCTR retained its name until 1974, when it was allowed to adopt the name of the former Cape Garrison Artillery.
The CGA served in the Border War
in the 1970s and 1980s. Since the end of conscription in 1993, it has been a volunteer unit again, as part of the Reserve Force
Since a 2005 revival initiative, the regiment now has become active in key initiatives such as Force Preparation, Force Support and Force Training, which are some of the current main focus areas of the South African National Defence Force.
The regiment is housed in Fort Wynyard. In December 2005, the regiment began an unofficial initiative to save the Fort from further decay.
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the South African Army
South African Army
The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...
. There have been two regiments of the name: one a coast artillery regiment, the other an anti-aircraft regiment. The latter is part of the South African Army Artillery Formation
South African Army Artillery Formation
The South African Army Artillery Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army artillery units.-Regular units:* Artillery Formation Headquarters* School of Artillery* 4 Artillery Regiment...
.
1859-1866
The forerunner of the regiment was the Volunteer Sappers and Miners, formed in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in 1859. The unit was later called the Cape Engineers or Cape Town Volunteer Engineers. It disbanded around 1866.
1879-1899
A new unit, called the Cape Town Volunteer Engineers was formed in the Cape Colonial ForcesCape Colonial Forces
The Cape Colonial Forces were the official defence organisation of the Cape Colony in South Africa. Established in 1855, they were taken over by the Union of South Africa in 1910, and disbanded when the Union Defence Forces were formed in 1912....
in 1879. It served in the Transkei
Transkei
The Transkei , officially the Republic of Transkei , was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa...
campaign in 1880 and 1881. In 1889, it added a coast artillery company, and the title was later changed to Garrison Artillery & Engineer Volunteer Corps. Engineering was discontinued in 1896, and the title was then changed to Cape Garrison Artillery.
The commanding officer of the unit at that time was Major le Vicomte de Montfort. The Regiment had an authorised strength of 320 men and was trained by the Royal Garrison Artillery. In 1898 the CGA was changed to a partially-paid unit and thus lost its volunteer status.
1899-1902
The CGA was mobilized for participation in the Second Anglo-Boer War in 1899. Initially the Regiment had 373 members, but the figure increased to 560 (with some recruits arriving from overseas) by February 1900.During 1900 the CGA was mainly used on the main western railway line of Cape Colony, as well as west of that line, assisting in garrisoning important posts. A small number of CGA members were also under the command of Sir Charles Warren
Charles Warren
General Sir Charles Warren, GCMG, KCB, FRS was an officer in the British Royal Engineers. He was one of the earliest European archaeologists of Biblical Holy Land, and particularly of Temple Mount...
in Griqualand West
Griqualand West
Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province. It was inhabited by the Griqua people - a semi-nomadic, Afrikaans-speaking nation of mixed-race origin, who established several states outside the expanding frontier...
. Parts of the Regiment also joined Kitchener’s Horse.
Elements of the CGA were also involved in the attack on Jacobsdal
Jacobsdal
Jacobsdal is a small farming town at in the Free State province of South Africa with various crops under irrigation, such as grapes, potatoes, lucerne and groundnuts...
on 25 October 1900.
During 1901 detachments of the Regiment were often stationed alongside the Cape Town Highlanders
Cape Town Highlanders Regiment
The Cape Town Highlanders Regiment is a mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit.-History:...
as well as other local troops in the west of Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and other areas, up to the German South West Africa border.
Other actions that elements of the CHA were involved in during the war were: Brugspruit (October 1900), Wonderfontein (February 1901), Naauwpoort (February 1901), Mafeking (November 1901), Omkyk (January 1902), Okiep (April 1902) and Daspoort near Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
(May 1902).
1902-1913
On 30 June 1902 the unit was demobilised; it continued as a part-time volunteer unit.The CGA was embodied in the Coast Garrison Force of the Union Defence Force
Union Defence Force
The Union Defence Force may refer to a former or current military organization:* the South African Army from 1912 to 1957* the military of the United Arab Emirates...
in 1913 as the 1st Division, South African Garrison Artillery (CGA). CGA manned batteries at Sea Point
Sea Point
Sea Point is one of Cape Town's most affluent and densely populated suburbs, situated between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean, a few kilometres to the west of Cape Town's Central Business District . Moving from Sea Point to the CBD, one passes through first the small suburb of Three Anchor Bay,...
, Fort Wynyard and the Castle of Good Hope
Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope is a star fort which was built on the original coastline of Table Bay and now, because of land reclamation, lies nearer to the Cape Town city centre in South Africa.-History:...
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
as well as at "Noah's Ark" and other batteries at Simon's Town
Simon's Town
Simon's Town , sometimes spelled Simonstown; is a town in South Africa, near Cape Town which is home to the South African Navy. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. For more than two centuries it has been an important naval base and harbour...
.
1914-1918
Members of the CGA served with the Heavy Artillery Brigade in the German South West Africa Campaign in 1915.On the successful conclusion of the South West Africa Campaign, many members of the CGA joined the Heavy Artillery Brigade of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force
South African Overseas Expeditionary Force
The South African Overseas Expeditionary Force was a volunteer military organisation in World War I.-Organisation:The South African government formed the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force in July 1915, as its contribution to the British war effort against the Central Powers...
, which served with great distinction in France and was later commemorated by the South African Heavy Artillery memorial below the Union Buildings
Union Buildings
The Union Buildings form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. The imposing buildings are located in Pretoria, atop Meintjieskop at the Northern end of Arcadia, close to historic Church Square and the Voortrekker Monument...
in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
.
From 1916 until the war ended, the CGA as such manned the Cape Peninsula
Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula is a generally rocky peninsula that juts out for 75 km into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope...
defences.
1919-1939
Between the two world wars, the CGA was closely linked with the South African Permanent Garrison Artillery.The approach of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
led to the expansion of the South African military and in 1934 the Cape Garrison Artillery became 1 Heavy Battery (CGA) (in Cape Town) and 2 Heavy Battery (CGA) (in Simon's Town). They formed part of the Coast Artillery Brigade (later called the Cape Peninsula Artillery Brigade). A 5th Heavy Battery (CGA) was formed in 1938/39 to man the new batteries on Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
.
1939-1945
The batteries were mobilised on the outbreak of World War II in 1939, and manned the Cape coast defences throughout the war. An 8th Heavy Battery (CGA) was formed at Saldanha BaySaldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The town that developed on the northern shore of the bay, also called Saldanha, was incorporated with five other towns into the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality in 2000. The current population of...
in 1942. No South African port was actually attacked during the war; the only instance of a shot being fired in anger was when the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Alfonse d'Albuquerque did not respond to signals when she passed a shore station. However, one round brought her to, and she was identified.
Many troops of the CGA were released for service in North Africa and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
1945-1958
In 1951, the Cape Garrison Artillery batteries were renamed "coast regiments". 5th Heavy Battery was disbanded, but 1 Coast Regiment (CGA), 2 Coast Regiment (CGA) and 8 Coast Regiment (CGA) were transferred to the newly formed South African Corps of Marines, which was directed by the Navy. The SACM also controlled anti-aircraft units, and when the SACM disbanded in 1955, the anti-aircraft units were transferred to the Army, and the coast regiments were taken over by the Navy. The three CGA units were renamed SAS Ubique, SAS Diaz, and SAS Malgas. They were disbanded in 1958.Cape Garrison Artillery (2nd)
South African home defences were strengthened during 1942, as a result of the threat posed by Japan. Among the new units that were formed were 50 Anti-Aircraft Battery at Saldanha Bay, 51 Anti-Aircraft Battery in Cape Town, and 52 Anti-Aircraft Battery in Simon's Town. These units were controlled by the South African Air ForceSouth African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
until 1949, when they were transferred to the Army.
In 1951, the anti-aircraft units were transferred to the new South African Corps of Marines. When the SACM was disbanded in 1955, 50, 51 and 52 Anti-Aircraft Batteries were amalgamated to form 4 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
In 1960, 4 HAA was affiliated to the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
under a new system designed to enable students to co-ordinate their studies and their military training. The regiment was renamed University of Cape Town Regiment. Although the "university regiment" system was discontinued when national service conscription was introduced in 1968, UCTR retained its name until 1974, when it was allowed to adopt the name of the former Cape Garrison Artillery.
The CGA served in the Border War
Border War
-Military conflicts:*Border War, also referred to as Bleeding Kansas, a series of violent events, involving Free-Staters and pro-slavery elements*Border War , referring to the conflicts between the United States military and Mexico which took place roughly between 1910 and 1918 along the Mexico –...
in the 1970s and 1980s. Since the end of conscription in 1993, it has been a volunteer unit again, as part of the Reserve Force
Since a 2005 revival initiative, the regiment now has become active in key initiatives such as Force Preparation, Force Support and Force Training, which are some of the current main focus areas of the South African National Defence Force.
The regiment is housed in Fort Wynyard. In December 2005, the regiment began an unofficial initiative to save the Fort from further decay.
Regimental Symbols
- As the Garrison Artillery and Engineer Volunteers (1891–96), the original regiment used the Cape ColonyCape ColonyThe Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
coat of arms and motto ("Spes Bona") as its badge. - Later, it adopted the standard artillery badge of a crowned field gun with the motto Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt (Where Right and Glory Lead).
- In the 1950s and 1960s, the current regiment wore the South African Artillery badge - also a field gun, but without the crown - with the coat of arms of the University of Cape Town on the wheel of the gun. Since the 1970s, the badge has been a field gun topped by a three-towered castle.
- The regiment's coat of arms, worn as a shoulder flash, is a shield which depicts a golden castle against a background divided per pale (vertically) into red and sky blue. It dates from the 1970s.