6 South African Infantry Battalion Explained

Unit Name:6 South African Infantry Battalion
Dates:1 January 1962
Country: South Africa
Allegiance:
Branch:
    Type:Air assault infantry
    Size:Battalion
    Command Structure:South African Army Infantry Formation
    RSA Battalion
    Date:20132014
    Parent:United Nations Force Intervention Brigade
    Subordinate:
    • Alpha Company (6 SAI)
    • Bravo Company (6 SAI)
    • Charlie Company (1 Para)
    • Reconnaissance Platoon (Call-Sign 90)
    • Anti Tank Platoon (Call-Sign 50)
    • Mortar Platoon (Call-Sign 60)
    • Engineer Troop
    • Medical Personnel
    Garrison:Grahamstown, Eastern Cape
    Motto:Aliis Melius
    Battles:
    Label:South African Border War
    Partof:South African Army
    Operations:
    Label:Peacekeeping
    Partof:United Nations Force Intervention Brigade
    Commanders:Lt Col Altin John Gysman
    Operations:
    • Kibati
    • Triple Towers
    • Niyabiyondo
    Commander1:Lt Col Altin John Gysman
    Identification Symbol Label:Company level insignia
    Identification Symbol 2 Label:SA Motorised Infantry beret bar circa 1992

    6 South African Infantry Battalion is an air assault infantry unit of the South African Army.

    History

    6 SAI was established on 1 January 1962, at Grahamstown, Eastern Cape.[1] The new training unit was housed on the property previously used by 44 Air School established by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

    Bush War/ Namibia

    The battalion became operational in 1970.[1] 6 SAI took part in Operation Protea and Operation Daisy in Angola.

    1984 Grahamstown riots

    The Unit was involved in quelling the 1984 Grahamstown riots. The army had been called in to assist the South African Police who had failed to contain the situation.

    Air Assault Infantry

    The battalion has since become an air assault infantry unit specifically trained to deploy via helicopters.[1]

    The battalion was deployed in April 2013 to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade and also in Mozambique under Operation Vikela 2023-2024.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

    Battle for Kibati

    In 2013, 850 members of 6 SAI were part of the United Nations (UN) Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) authorised to use lethal force to achieve peace in the DRC. 6 SAIs involvement in the FIB saw the defeat of the M23 rebel group during the Battle of Kibati and other skirmishes. The first elements moved into the DRC on 28 April 2013 and the rest following from 15 June, with all 850 South African troops ready for action by 18 June.[9] [10]

    Special Forces elements such as snipers were also attached to 6 SAI. When the FIB came under mortar fire, 6 SAI established an observation post at the triple towers site and engaged enemy targets up to 1400 meters.[11]

    Freedom of Grahamstown

    On 28 August 2014, after their return from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the battalion was honoured with a Freedom of the City parade through Grahamstown.[12]

    Insignia

    Current Dress Insignia

    Notes and references

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Engelbrecht. Leon. Fact file: 6 SA Infantry Battalion. Defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWeb. 25 September 2014. 2 March 2010.
    2. Nsele,S
    3. Web site: 5 South African Infantry Battalion Deploys to DRC. African Defence. African Defence. 25 September 2014. 14 May 2014.
    4. Web site: Olivier. Darren. The FIB Goes To War. African Defence Review. African Defence Review. 25 September 2014. 29 August 2013. At 07h50 yesterday morning, the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) fired the opening shots of the first ever direct attack on rebel forces in UN peacekeeping history..
    5. Web site: Stupart. Richard. The Last Days of M23. AfricanDefence.net. AfricanDefence.net. 25 September 2014. It was an assault that few DRC cynics thought possible. Last week, with the assistance of the United Nations’s newly established Force Intervention Brigade, troops from the FARDC drove the M23 rebel faction to the Ugandan border and forced what has been effectively their total and unconditional surrender..
    6. Web site: Olivier. Darren. How M23 was rolled back. AfricanDefence.net. African Defence Review. 25 September 2014. 30 October 2013.
    7. Web site: Olivier. Darren. Casualties in APCLS attack on MONUSCO/FARDC positions. Africandefence.net. African Defence Review. 24 September 2014. 1 May 2014. The SANDF soldiers … stood their ground and defended their position with great courage and determination..
    8. Web site: South Africa at war in the DRC - The inside story. 22 August 2014. 22 September 2014. Times Live. Sunday Times. Hofstatter. Stephan. Oatway. James.
    9. Web site: Grahamstown welcomes back 6 SAI peacekeepers from DRC. 1 September 2014. 23 June 2019.
    10. Web site: How M23 was rolled back. Darren. Olivier. 30 October 2013. African Defence Review. 23 June 2019.
    11. Web site: South African SOF Sniper Kills Rebels at 2125m - SOFREP. 26 August 2014. NEWSREP. 23 June 2019. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180823105548/https://thenewsrep.com/36666/south-african-special-forces-sniper-takes-congo-rebels-2125m-shot/. 23 August 2018.
    12. News: 6SAI honoured in Grahamstown parade . Daily Dispatch . 29 August 2014 . 3 October 2014.

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