Pretoria Armour Regiment

Pretoria Regiment Pretoria Armour Regiment
SANDF Pretoria Regiment emblem
Active	1 July 1913 – present
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Republic of South Africa Republic of South Africa
Branch	South African Army South African Army
Type	Armoured Regiment
Part of	South African Armoured Formation Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQ	Magazine Hill, Patriot Street, Salvo Kop, Pretoria
Motto(s)	Nulli Secundus ("Second to None")
Equipment	Stuart light tank (retired) Sherman tank (retired) Eland Mk7 (retired) Ratel Olifant
Commanders
Commanding Officer	Lt Col MJB Chabalala (2017 – Current)
Insignia
Beret Colour	Black
Armour Squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992
Abbreviation	PAR

The Pretoria Armour Regiment (formerly the Pretoria Regiment) is a reserve armoured regiment of the South African Army.

History

Origin

The Pretoria Regiment was formed on 1 July 1913 as the 12th Infantry (Pretoria Regiment) – a unit of the Active Citizen Force – by the amalgamation of several units: the Pretoria Company of the Transvaal Scottish, the Central South African Railway Volunteers, the Northern Mounted Rifles and the Pretoria detachment of the Transvaal Cycle and Motor Corps. The Regiment began as an Infantry Bn and served the UDF in this capacity for 30 years from 1913 to 1943.In 1943, the PR converted to Armour at the RAC depots in Egypt - for the Italian Campaign, as part of the 6 SA Armoured Division - and has served the UDF, the SADF and the SANDF in both these capacities since then.

World War One

The Regiment landed from the sea and served in German South West Africa at Aus and Tschaukaib in the south. They were part of the advance on Tsumeb in July 1915.

Rand Revolt

The regiment prevented a force of armed strikers from damaging the Pretoria-Germiston Railway line in May 1922.

Renamed

In 1928, it was renamed the Pretoria Regiment.

The Royal Colonel

On 24 October 1930 it was once again renamed, to the Pretoria Regiment (Princess Alice's Own) after Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone. The Regiment became fully bilingual with the addition of a 2nd Battalion staffed predominantly by Afrikaners.

World War Two

During World War II, the Regiment was converted to an armoured formation attached to the 11th South African Armoured Brigade, South African 6th Armoured Division. The unit was demobilised after the war, and in 1946 it was re-organised as a part-time force, consisting of two separate regiment-sized formations. These were re-integrated in 1954.

Tanks of the Pretoria Regiment, 1944

Renamed again

After the establishment of the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961, the unit was again renamed Pretoria Regiment by the South African Defence Force. In the 1960s, recruits were trained on Centurion tanks and the new Eland armoured cars. The regiment assisted in the development of the Olifant MBT.

Border War

The regiment was placed under the command of the 8th Armoured Division (South Africa) in this period.

The regiment saw service in the Border War in operations such as Operation Prone.

One squadron of the regiments tanks was attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group for operations near Cuito Cuanavale sustaining no personnel or vehicle casualties.

SADF era Regiment Pretoria commemorative letter

SANDF era

Name Change

In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa. The Pretoria Regiment became the Pretoria Armour Regiment, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia. Unlike others it was only a confirmation of the regiment's armoured role.

Equipment

Name	Type	Country of Origin	In Service	Notes
Ford CMP	Utility truck	Canada	Retired
Bedford MK	Utility truck	United Kingdom	Retired
SAMIL	Utility truck	South Africa	Yes	SAMIL 20, 50, and 100 variants.
Morris C8	Artillery tractor	United Kingdom	Ceremonial
Eland	Armoured Car	South Africa	Retired
Ferret	Scout Car	United Kingdom	Ceremonial	Mk 2.
Marmon-Herrington	Armoured Car	South Africa	Retired	Mk IV.
Ratel	Infantry Fighting Vehicle	South Africa	Yes
Sherman Firefly	Medium Tank	United Kingdom	Retired
Centurion	Main Battle Tank	United Kingdom	Retired
Skokiaan	Main Battle Tank	United Kingdom/South Africa	Retired
Semel	Main Battle Tank	United Kingdom/South Africa	Retired
Olifant	Main Battle Tank	United Kingdom/South Africa	Yes	Mk 1A.

SANDF Oliphant mark 2 main battle tank at AAD 2016

Insignia and honours

Regimental Symbols

• Badges: An impala on a mountain representing the Magaliesberg range to north of Pretoria, with in the foreground some succulents. Beneath the impala and the mountain is a ribbon bearing the regiment's motto, Nulli Secundus ("Second to None"). This motto was granted to the regiment by the then Prime Minister Louis Botha after the 1914 – 1915 campaign.

Previous dress insignia

UDF and SADF eras Pretoria Regiment insignia

An unusual backing appeared on the regiment's cap badge around 1945 when it was associated with a British unit, the 24th Guards Brigade, when they were both part of the 6th South African Armoured Division. The two units had fought side by side on the Italian Front and ended their association by celebrating their co-operation; the 24th Guards Brigade gave their arm badge as a present to the unit. The two wings are therefore those depicted on the Guards Brigade arm patch.

• The regiment has been allied with The Royal Welsh Fusiliers since 1995 (as it was previously from 1927 to 1961).

Divisional Affiliation

• 8 South African Armoured Division
  • 81 Armoured Brigade

SADF 81 Armoured Brigade Regiment Pretoria Flash

Alliances

• United Kingdom – The Royal Welsh

Battle honours

Main article: Battle honours of South Africa

Conflict	Honour	Year(s)
World War I	South-West Africa Campaign	1914–1915
World War II	Battle of Madagascar	1942
World War II	Bagnoregio	1944
World War II	Sarteano (Trasimene Line)	1944
World War II	La Foce	1944
World War II	Florence	1944
World War II	Gothic Line	1944
World War II	Caterelto Ridge	1944
World War II	Po Valley (Spring offensive)	1945
South African Border War	Battle of Cuito Cuanavale	1988

Battle Honours

Awarded to Pretoria Regiment

Official mascot

Class 21 no. 2551

During the Second World War, the sole Class 21 2-10-4 Texas type locomotive of the South African Railways (SAR) was often used to haul long and heavy military trains, troop trains and sometimes Italian prisoners-of-war to the military unit and prisoner-of-war camp at Sonderwater near Cullinan. In the process it was made the official mascot of the military unit in Pretoria, the Pretoria Regiment (Princess Alice's Own). The Class 21 was the only SAR locomotive to be honoured in this way by the armed forces.

Leadership

Leadership

From	Honorary Colonel	To
nd	Unknown	Unknown
From	Officer Commanding	To
2017	Lt Col MJB Chabalala	To Date
From	Regimental Sergeants Major	To
Unknown	MWO PF Louw	2022
2023	MWO MJ Moshebi	To Date