Umvoti Mounted Rifles

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Umvoti Mounted Rifles
SANDF Umvoti Mounted Rifles emblem
Active16 May 1864 to present (159 years)
Country South Africa
Allegiance
Branch
Type
Battle honours
  • South Africa 1879
  • South Africa 1899–1902
  • Relief of Ladysmith
  • Natal 1906
  • South West Africa 1914–1915
  • Gibeon
  • Western Desert 1941–43
Websitehttp://www.umrhistory.com/
Commanders
Current
commander
Lt Col M.S.C. Magigaba
Insignia
Beret ColourBlack
Armour Squadron emblemsSANDF Armour squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992SANDF Armour beret bar

The Umvoti Mounted Rifles (named after the

South African Army Armour Formation and is based in the town of Pinetown
.

History

Origin

On 16 May 1864, 159 years ago, the Umvoti Mounted Rifles (UMR) was founded in Greytown as the Greytown Mounted Rifles.[1] There were some 45 men in the original unit, under command of Capt A.S. Wyndham who was also the Magistrate of Greytown at the time.

The Umvoti Mounted Rifles Hall is the oldest hall in Greytown. It was built in 1880 as a

Masonic
Hall, but later became the headquarters of the Regiment. It is currently used by the Greytown public works department.

The Umvoti Mounted Rifles was formed in 1893 at Greytown,

Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence Force. In 1934 the Regiment was redesignated as the Umvoti Mounted Rifles and converted to infantry
.

Engagements and Wars

The Natal Mounted Rifles served in the

South-West Africa from 1914 to 1915), World War II and South Africa's post-war internal conflicts and "Border War".[2]

Various musterings

The UMR since 1920 served under command of the OC,

1st South African Brigade of the Natal Command.[3] During the Second World War the Regiment served as an Infantry unit and in 1954 was converted to a Tank Regiment and subsequently in 1962 into an armoured car regiment.[4]

Affiliation with 8th Armoured Division

During 1984 the UMR was brigaded as the Armoured Car Regiment of

8th South African Armoured Division 84 Motorised Brigade. This necessitated conversion from a county-insurgency unit to a conventional force and ended 74 years service with Natal Command. The unit was then the Armoured Car Reconnaissance regiment of 8 SA Division
and was then part of 84 SA Brigade based in Durban, Natal.

Regimental Colours

In 1866 the first Regimental Colours of blue silk were presented to the Grey-town Mounted Rifles. In 1901 the regiment was again honoured by the presentation of colours by two Greytown ladies. In 1904 HRH Princess Helena, third daughter of Queen Victoria, presented the King's Colours to UMR. These have been consecrated and are housed in St James Church in Greytown for safekeeping. In 1964 the latest presentation of the Colours took place during the regiment's 100th birthday celebrations by Commandant-General P H Grobbelaar and incorporates the regimental badge in gold on a blue background which signi¬fies an armoured regiment.

National Colours

On 14 July 1990, National Colours were presented to the Regiment by Major General D J Mortimer.

Under the SANDF

In 1999,

South African Army Armoured Formation
, and Umvoti Mounted Rifles was transferred to the new armoured 'type' formation, the South African Army Armoured Formation. The Regiment currently uses the Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle, equipped with a 76 mm quick-fire gun.

Rooikat Armoured Car

In 2012 the long-awaited new history of the regiment, written by historian Mark Coghlan, was published by Just Done Productions Publishing.[5]

Insignia

Previous dress insignia

SADF era Umvoti Mounted Rifles insignia

Leadership

Leadership
From Honorary Colonels To
1927 Maj Gen Alexandra Cambridge, Earl of Athlone c. 1957
1957 Col W S Slatter c. 1967
1968 Col C L J Crookes c. 1985
1995 Col S R Meyer c. 2000
2000 Col W R L Wilson c. 2015
2015 Lt Col L Palmer Present
From Officers Commanding To
1946 Lt Col V.H.E. Reiche c. 1947
1947 Lt Col W.S. Slatter c. 1949
1949 Cmdt O.C. Oftebro c. 1957
c. 1957 Cmdt C.L.J. Crookes[a] c. 1959
c. 1959 Cmdt R.G. Norman Smith c. 1965
c. 1965 Cmdt A.Z. Titiestad c. 1967
c. 1967 Cmdt A.J.S. Slatter c. 1972
c. 1972 Cmdt P.T. Menne c. 1977
c. 1977 Cmdt S.R. Meyer[a] c. 1980
c. 1980 Cmdt D.N.E. Leitch c. 1984
c. 1984 Cmdt D.H.E. Tweedie c. 1987
c. 1987 Cmdt J.W. Allchin c. 1992
c. 1992 Cmdt L.F. Stapelberg c. 1994
c. 1994 Cmdt W.R.L. Wilson[b][a] 2000
2000 Lt Col W. Pat Titlestad 2015
2015 Lt Col David Quinton 2017
2017 Lt Col M.S.C. Magigaba Present
From Regimental Sergeants Major To
c. 1946 WO1 J.S.S. Martens c. 1955
c. 1955 WO1 P.G. Renaud[c] c. 1984
c. 1984 WO1 J.L. Shardelow c. 1988
c. 1988 WO1 P.G. Renaud[d] c. 1995
c. 1995 WO1 C.A. Greef c. 1997
c. 1997 WO1 C.E. Wilson c. 2005
c. 2005 WO1 A.R.J Morrison c. 2017
c. 2017 WO1 V.R. Chamier Present

Freedom of entry

  • Greytown
  • Melmoth
  • Empangeni
  • Eshowe
  • Pinetown
  • Pietermaritzburg
  • Ladysmith

Alliances

  •  
    The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish)

Battle honours

South Africa 1879, South Africa 1899–1902, Relief of Ladysmith, Natal 1906, South West Africa 1914–1915, Gibeon, Western Desert 1941–43

Battle Honours
Awarded to Umvoti Mounted Rifles
South Africa 1879
South Africa 1899-1902
Relief of Ladysmith
Natal 1906
South West Africa 1914–1915
Gibeon
Western Desert 1941-43

As virtually the whole Regiment was captured at Tobruk in June 1942, there were no more World War II battle honours.

References

  1. ^ a b "Umvoti Mounted Rifles". Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  2. . Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  3. ^ Reference see Natal Command article
  4. ^ "African and African American history - Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekizulu Newsletter May 2014" (PDF). www.africanafrican.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Umvoti Mounted Rifles". UMR. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Later Honorary Colonel
  2. ^ Later Colonel
  3. ^ First term
  4. ^ Second term