Pretoria Regiment
Encyclopedia
The Pretoria Regiment is an armour
ed 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. The Regiment is stationed in the city after which it was named, Pretoria
. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation.
- by the amalgamation of several units: the Pretoria Company of the Transvaal Scottish
, the Central South African Railway Volunteers, the Northern Mounted Rifles and the Pretoria detachment of the Transvaal Cycle and Motor Corps. In 1928 it was renamed The Pretoria Regiment.
On 24 October 1930 it was once again renamed, to The Pretoria Regiment (Princess Alice's Own).
During World War II
, the Regiment was converted to an armoured formation attached to the 11th South African Armoured Brigade, South African 6th Armoured Division
. The unit was demobilized after the war, and in 1946 it was re-organized as a part-time force, consisting of a 1st and a 2nd Battalion. The latter was disbanded in 1954.
After the Union of South Africa
became the Republic of South Africa, the unit was renamed The Pretoria Regiment in 1961.
The regiment is commonly known for recruiting the most intelligent and capable soldiers from universities, particularly law and engineering students. Among these would be many of the what is regarded as the SANDF's most professional and hardiest female soldiers.
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
ed 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...
. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
unit. The Regiment is stationed in the city after which it was named, 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...
. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation.
History
The regiment was formed in Pretoria on 1 July 1913 as the 12th Infantry (Pretoria Regiment) - a unit of the Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence ForceUnion 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...
- by the amalgamation of several units: the Pretoria Company of the Transvaal Scottish
Transvaal Scottish Regiment
The Transvaal Scottish Regiment is an 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:...
, the Central South African Railway Volunteers, the Northern Mounted Rifles and the Pretoria detachment of the Transvaal Cycle and Motor Corps. In 1928 it was renamed The Pretoria Regiment.
On 24 October 1930 it was once again renamed, to The Pretoria Regiment (Princess Alice's Own).
During 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...
, the Regiment was converted to an armoured formation attached to the 11th South African Armoured Brigade, South African 6th Armoured Division
South African 6th Armoured Division
The South African 6th Armoured Division was the first armoured division in the South African Army and was formed during World War II. Established in 1943, it was based on a nucleus of men from the former South African 1st Infantry Division who had returned to South Africa after the Second Battle...
. The unit was demobilized after the war, and in 1946 it was re-organized as a part-time force, consisting of a 1st and a 2nd Battalion. The latter was disbanded in 1954.
After the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
became the Republic of South Africa, the unit was renamed The Pretoria Regiment in 1961.
The regiment is commonly known for recruiting the most intelligent and capable soldiers from universities, particularly law and engineering students. Among these would be many of the what is regarded as the SANDF's most professional and hardiest female soldiers.
Regimental Symbols
- Badges: An impalaImpalaAn impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle"...
on a mountain representing the MagaliesbergMagaliesbergThe Magaliesberg is a mountain range extending from Pretoria in the north of the Gauteng Province to a point south of Pilanesberg, in the North West Province, South Africa...
range to north of Pretoria, with in the foreground some succulents. Beneath the impala and the mountain is a ribbon bearing the regiment's motto, Nulli Secundus ("Second to None"). This motto was granted to the regiment by the then Prime Minister Louis BothaLouis BothaLouis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
after the 1914 - 1915 campaign. - The regiment has been allied with The Royal Welsh Fusiliers since 1995 (as it was previously from 1927 to 1961).
Battle honours
- South-West Africa 1914 - 1915
- MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
1942 - ItalyItalyItaly , 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...
1944-1945 - Bagno Regio
- Sarteano
- La Foce
- FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
- Gothic LineGothic LineThe Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
- Caterelto Ridge
- Po Valley
- Cuito Cuanavale 1989