Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment

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Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment
SANDF 6 Field Artillery Free State emblem
Active 1854 to present
Country  South Africa
Allegiance <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Branch <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Type Reserve Artillery
Part of South African Army Artillery Formation
Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQ Kroonstad
Battle honours
  • Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902
  • Tobruk
  • El-Alamein
  • South-West Africa
Insignia
Collar Badge Bursting grenade with seven flames
Beret Colour Oxford Blue
Artillery Battery Emblems SANDF Artillery Battery emblems
Artillery Beret Bar circa 1992 SANDF Artillery Beret Bar

The Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment (Afrikaans for Free State Artillery Regiment) is an artillery regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Artillery Formation.

History

In 1854 the Free-State became an independent Republic. The British forces withdrew, leaving behind four 9-pounder garrison guns in the Queen's Fort in Bloemfontein. This was for many years the only ordnance the Free State Republic had. The Free State Artillery Corps was founded in 1864 and housed in Queen's Fort. By the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, the corps was commanded by Major FW Albrecht. The unit served on the Western front, Natal front and into the Guerrilla phase of the War in 1902.

In 1922 3 Permanent Battery was formed. This unit was split up on 1 July 1926 into two units namely 4 Burgher Battery and 5 Burgher Battery. In 1932 these two were renamed 1 Oranje-Vrystaat Veldartillerie and 2 Oranje Vrystaat Veldartillerie.

On 1 February 1940 these units were joined as 12th Field Battery and did sterling service in Egypt. They took heavy casualties at Tobruk and El-Alamein.

On 18 April 1946 the unit was renamed 6 Field Artillery Regiment. It was based at Tempe, Bloemfontein, but relocated to Kroonstad in 2007.

Current

There is a possibility that the regiment might have to change its name.[1]

Regimental Symbols

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Battle honours

  • Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902
  • Tobruk
  • El-Alamein
  • South-West Africa

References

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Bibliography

  • Ultima Ratio Regum; the Artillery History of South-Africa, South-African Army Information Bureau 1987
  • D Swemmer, Die Geskiedenis van die Vrystaatse Artillerie, Unpublished Manuscript, 1946


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