26 Field Artillery Explained

Unit Name:26 Field Artillery Regiment
Dates:1976
Allegiance:
Branch:
    Type:Artillery
    Size:Regiment
    Command Structure:South African Army Artillery Corps
    Army Conventional Reserve
    Garrison:Voortrekkerhoogte
    Identification Symbol:Bursting grenade with seven flames
    Identification Symbol Label:Collar Badge
    Identification Symbol 2:Oxford Blue
    Identification Symbol 2 Label:Beret Colour
    Identification Symbol 3 Label:Artillery Battery Emblems
    Identification Symbol 4 Label:Artillery Beret Bar circa 1992

    26 Field Artillery Regiment was an artillery regiment of the South African Artillery.

    History

    Origins

    This unit was originally formed as the first Field Artillery Regiment for the Northern Transvaal Command on 1 July 1976 and was based in Voortrekkerhoogte, south of Pretoria. [1]

    First Personnel

    Its first intake of personnel came from roughly 100 members of 14 Field Artillery Regiment who had served in Operation Savanah as part of Combat Groups Oranje and Zulu that were involved most notably in the battle for Bridge 14.

    Headquarters

    By 1981 the regiment’s headquarters was transferred to Group 15 in Hendrik Potgieter Street in the CBD, but later returned to Voortrekkerhoogte.

    Command

    The regiment was transferred to the command of Eastern Transvaal Command in 1984 as a conventional field regiment.

    The regiment was also affiliated with 8th Armoured Division in the conventional context.

    Traditions from the Anglo Boer War

    The regiments two senior batteries were named after two guns used in the Anglo Boer War, namely the Martieni and Ras.

    Operations

    Members of the regiment were utilised in the Soutpansberg Military Area on the border area with Zimbabwe.

    Traditions

    On the 100th year celebration of the Ras gun, the regiment celebrated with a salute in Bokfontein near Brits in 1981, the hometown of the guns developer.

    Insignia

    The regiment's insignia is based on the Ras gun of the Anglo Boer War with the typical artillery colours as background.

    References

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Nothling C.J. Editor, Ultima Ratio Regum (The Last Argument of Kings) Military Information Bureau, SADF, Pretoria, 1987.