Kimberley Regiment

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Kimberley Regiment
SANDF Kimberly Regiment emblem
Active	1890 to present
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Republic of South Africa  Republic of South Africa
Branch	South African Army  South African Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Light infantry
Size	One battalion
Part of	South African Infantry Formation Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQ	Kimberley
Battle honours	Gaika-Gcaleka 1877 - 1878 Griqualand West 1878 Basutoland 1880 - 1881 Transkei 1880 - 1881 Bechuanaland 1896 - 1897 Siege of Kimberley South Africa 1899 - 1902 South-West Africa 1914 - 1915 Italy 1944 - 1945 Cassino II Celleno Florence The Greve Gothic Line Monte Porro del Bagno Monte Vigese Monte Salvaro Po Valley
Insignia
Company level Insignia
SA Motorised Infantry beret bar circa 1992

The Kimberley 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 Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit.

History

Volunteer Forces on the Diamond Fields

The regiment's origins lie in the early, lawless,

Basutoland Gun War in 1880 and 1881.

Regimental traditions have survived from each of the constituent cavalry, artillery and rifle units, with a distinctly Scottish element very much in evidence in the uniforms, pipe band and regimental culture to this day.[1]

Anglo Boer War

During the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902, the Regiment helped to defend the city during the four-month-long Siege of Kimberley. It is one of only two regiments of the British Empire holding as a Battle Honour the defence of its own city - in this instance Defence of Kimberley.^[1]

Union Defence Force

On 1 July 1913 the Regiment was embodied in the Citizen Force of the Union Defence Forces, as the 7th Infantry (Kimberley Regiment).

World War One

During

Kimberley Regiment was the first to become officially bilingual (English and Afrikaans) in South Africa, in 1963. It was later, in 1977, the first South African Regiment to apply to become multiracial, although the request was not approved at the time.[1]

The regiment served in the South African Border War in the 1970s and 1980s.

SANDF Era

Since 1994 it has been deployed in peace-keeping roles in the

•  United Kingdom - The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)

Battle honours

The twenty authorised Battle Honours^[1] on the Regimental Colour include:

Battle Honours

Awarded to Kimberley Regiment

Insignia

Current Dress Insignia

See also

• Kimberley Star

References