List of Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Military Units

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Military units in South Africa have a long tradition of using unit insignia to visually identify themselves through the use of helmet and shoulder flashes, as well as hackles. This page serves as an informative overview of the various flashes and hackles utilized by different military units in the South African Military. The insignia were predominantly worn from the post-World War I period until approximately 1943, when the use of cloth helmets ceased and were replaced by berets in the Union Defence Force (UDF). These visual symbols represent the identities and histories of each unit and are unique in their design and colors. The page provides detailed descriptions and images of the different flashes and hackles, as well as their origins and meanings.[1][2][3]

Description[edit]

Flash - Natal Infantry in the 1920s and 1930s. Blue on top for Natal and Black on the bottom for Infantry

As a general guide to flashes of the period, the colours had meaning. For Corps/Arm of service, these were, generally, the following:[4]

  • Grey - Mounted Units
  • Black - Infantry
  • Yellow - Artillery[3]

The bottom colour would be the arm of service, the top colour the province.

  • Blue - Natal
  • Yellow - OVS
  • Red - Cape
  • Green - Transvaal[3]

Reserve Force[edit]

See also: South African Army corps and branches
Reserve Force Units
Corps / Unit From To Flash
SA Staff Corps (SAStC) 1912 1920 Flash - South African Staff Corps - 1912 - 1920
SA Staff Corps (SAStC) 1920 1935 Flash - South African Staff Corps - 1920 - 1935
SA Staff Corps (SAStC) 1935 1942 Flash - South African Staff Corps - 1935 - 1942
South African Field Artillery (SAFA) 1923 1935 Flash - South African Field Artillery - 1923 - 1935
South African Garrison Artillery (SAGA) 1923 1935 Flash - South African Garrison Artillery - 1923 - 1935
Artillery Units 1935 1942 Flash - South African Artillery - 1935 - 1942
South African Instructional Corps 1923 1942 Flash - South African Instructional Corps - 1923 - 1942
South African Mounted Riflemen (SAMR) 1922 1926 Flash - South African Mounted Riflemen - 1922 - 1926
Infantry Branch (Citizen Force) 1923 1942 Flash - South African Infantry - 1923 - 1942[a]
Infantry Branch (Citizen Force) 1942 1945 Flash - South African Infantry - 1942 - 1945[b]
South African Engineers (SAEC) 1923 1928 Flash - South African Engineer Corps (SAEC) 1923 - 1928[c]
South African Engineers (SAEC) 1928 1939 Flash - South African Engineer Corps (SAEC) 1928 - 1939
South African Engineers (SAEC) 1940 1945 Flash - South African Engineer Corps (SAEC) 1940 - 1945
Field Engineers and Signals 1923 1931 Flash - South African Field Engineers and Signals - 1923 - 1931
South African Army Ordnance Corps (SAOC) 1923 1939 Flash - South African Army Ordnance Corps (SAOC) - 1923 - 1931
South African Service Corps (SASC) 1923 1939 Flash - South African Service Corps (SASC) - 1923 - 1939
South African Army Pay & Clerical Corps (SAAP & CC) [d] 1923 1939 Flash - South African Army Pay & Clerical Corps (SAAP & CC) - 1923 - 1939
Technical Services Corps (TSC) 1939 1942 Flash - Technical Services Corps (TSC) - 1939 - 1942
Technical Services Corps (TSC) 1942 1945 Flash - Technical Services Corps (TSC) - 1942 - 1945
Quartermaster Services Corps (QSC) 1939 1942 Flash - Quartermaster Services Corps (QSC) - 1939 - 1942
South African Medical Corps (SAMC) 1923 1942 Flash - South African Medical Corps (SAMC) - 1923 - 1942
South African Veterinary Corps (SAVC) 1923 1942 Flash - South African Veterinary Corps (SAVC) - 1923 - 1942
South African Corps of Signals (SACS) 1923 1942 Flash - South African Corps of Signals (SACS) - 1923 - 1942
South African Corps of Signals (SACS) 1942 1945 Flash - South African Corps of Signals (SACS) - 1942 - 1945
South African Corps of Military Police (SACMP) 1939 1942 Flash - South African Corps of Military Police (SACMP) - 1939 - 1942
South African Army Band[e] _ _ Flash - South African Army Band[f]
South African Permanent Force Cadets 1920 1939 Flash - South African Permanent Force Cadets - 1920 - 1939
South African Air Force (SAAF) 1920 1942 Flash - South African Air Force (SAAF) - 1920 - 1932

Active Citizen Force (ACF)[edit]

Active Citizen Force (ACF) Units
Corps / Unit From To Flash
Cape Field Artillery (CFA) 1923 1939 Flash - Cape Field Artillery (CFA) - 1923 - 1939
Natal Field Artillery (NFA) 1923 1939 Flash - Natal Field Artillery (NFA) - 1923 - 1939
Transvaal Horse Artillery (THA)[2] 1904 1939 Flash - Transvaal Horse Artillery (THA) - 1904 - 1939
1 Oranjie Vrystaat Veld Artillerie[g] (1OVSVA)[h] 1926 1926 Flash - 1 Oranjie Vrystaat Veld Artillerie (1OVSVA) - 1926
2 Oranjie Vrystaat Veld Artillerie[i] (2OVSVA)[h] 1926 1926 Flash - 2 Oranjie Vrystaat Veld Artillerie (2OVSVA) - 1926
Cape Garrison Artillery (CGA) 1923 1939 Flash - Cape Garrison Artillery (CGA) - 1923 - 1939
Cape Town - 1 Medium Battery 1934 1939 Flash - Cape Town - 1 Medium Battery - 1934 - 1939
Armoured Train (Cape) 1934 1939 Flash - Armoured Train (Cape) - 1934 - 1939
Armoured Train (Transvaal) 1935 1939 Flash - Armoured Train (Transvaal) - 1934 - 1939
Royal Natal Carbineers (RNC) 1923 1942 Flash - Royal Natal Carbineers (RNC) - 1923 - 1942
Natal Mounted Rifles (NMR) 1923 1940 Flash - Natal Mounted Rifles (NMR) - 1923 - 1940[j]
Natal Mounted Rifles (NMR)[k] 1940 1943 Flash - Natal Mounted Rifles (NMR) - 1940 - 1943
Umvoti Mounted Rifles (UMR)[5] 1923 1942 Flash - Umvoti Mounted Rifles (UMR) - 1923 - 1942
Imperial Light Horse (ILH) 1905 1942 Flash - Imperial Light Horse (ILH) - 1905 - 1942
Imperial Light Horse (ILH) 1942 1942 Flash - Imperial Light Horse (ILH) - 1942
Royal Durban Light Infantry (RDLI) 1923 1942 Flash - Royal Durban Light Infantry (RDLI) - 1923 - 1942
Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles (DEOR) DHQ[l][m] - - Flash - Flash - Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles (DEOR) - DHQ
Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles (DECOR) 1902 1942 Flash - Flash - Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles (DEOR) - 1902 - 1942
Prince Alfred's Guard (PAG) 1902 1942 Flash - Prince Alfred's Guard - 1902 - 1942
First City Regiment (FC) 1924 1935 Flash - First City Regiment - 1924 - 1935
Kaffrarian Rifles (Kaff R) 1923 1942 Flash - Kaffrarian Rifles (Kaff R) - 1923 - 1942
Kimberley Regiment (KR) 1923 1942 Flash - Kimberley Regiment (KR) - 1923 - 1942
Cape Peninsula Rifles (CPR)[n] 1914 1926 Flash - Cape Peninsula Rifles (CPR) - 1914 - 1926
Witwatersrand Rifles (WR) 1923 1942 Flash - Witwatersrand Rifles (WR) - 1923 - 1942
Rand Light Infantry (RLI) 1923 1942 Flash - Rand Light Infantry (RLI) - 1923 - 1942
Rand Light Infantry (RLI) 1942 1942 Flash - Rand Light Infantry (RLI) - 1923 - 1942 - Traverse Bar
Pretoria Regiment (PR) 1923 1926 Flash - Pretoria Regiment (PR) - 1923 - 1926
Pretoria Regiment (PR) 1926 1942 Flash - Pretoria Regiment (PR) - 1926 - 1942
Pretoria Regiment (PR)[o] 1942 1942 Flash - Pretoria Regiment (PR) - 1942 - Traverse Bar
Regiment Botha (RB) 1934 1942 Flash - Regiment Botha (RB) - 1934 - 1942
Regiment de la Rey (RDLR) 1934 1942 Flash - Regiment de la Rey (RDLR) - 1934 - 1942
Regiment De Wet (RDW) 1934 1939 Flash - Regiment De Wet (RDW) - 1934 - 1939
Regiment Louw Wepner (RLW) 1934 1939 Flash - Regiment Louw Wepner (RLW) - 1934 -1939
Regiment President Steyn (RPS) 1934 1942 Flash - Regiment President Steyn (RPS) - 1934 - 1942
Regiment Suid Westerlike Distrikte (RSWD) 1934 1942 Flash - Regiment Suid Westerlike Distrikte (RSWD) - 1934 - 1942
Regiment Westelike Provincie (RWP)[p] 1934 1942 Flash - Regiment Westelike Provincie (RWP) - 1934 - 1942
Die Middlelandse Regiment (DMR) 1934 1942 Flash - Die Middlelandse Regiment (DMR) - 1934 - 1942
1 South West Africa Infantry Regiment (SWA1) 1939 1942 Flash - 1 South West Africa Infantry Regiment (SWA1) - 1939 - 1942
Railways and Harbours Brigade HQ (R&H BDE HQ) 1910 1924 Flash - Railways and Harbours Brigade HQ (R&H BDE HQ) - 1910 - 1924
Railways and Harbours Brigade (R&H BDE) 1923 1923 Flash - Railways and Harbours Brigade (R&H BDE) - 1923

Volunteer Units (1939-1945)[edit]

Volunteer Units (1939-1945)
Corps / Unit From To Flash
2nd Mounted Commando Regiment (2 MCR) 1941 1941 Flash - 2nd Mounted Commando Regiment (2 MCR) - 1941
First City/Cape Town Highlanders Regiment (FC/CTH)[q] 1944 1945 Flash - First City/Cape Town Highlanders Regiment (FC/CTH) (Hackle)- 1944 - 1945
South African Irish Regiment[q] - - Flash - South African Irish Regiment[ (SA Irish) (Hackle)
1 TVL BN (1st Res Bde)[r] 1939 1942 Flash - 1 TVL BN (1st Res Bde) - 1939 - 1942
2 (CPR) BN (1st Res Bde)[r] - - Flash - 2 (CPR) BN (1st Res Bde) - 1940 -1942
5 BN (1st Res Bde)[r] 1940 1942 Flash - 5 BN (1st Res Bde) - 1940 - 1942
6 BN (1st Res Bde)[r] 1940 1942 Flash - 6 BN (1st Res Bde) - 1920 - 1942 Photo of Flash-6 BN (1st Res Bde)-1940-1942
SAEC Survey Company 1940 1945 Flash - SAEC Survey Company - 1940 -1945
Cape Corps (CC) 1940 1945 Flash - Cape Corps (CC) - 1940 - 1945
Indian & Malay Corps (I & MC) 1940 1942 Flash - Indian & Malay Corps (I & MC) - 1940 - 1942
Native military corps (NMC) 1940 1946 Flash - Native military corps (NMC) - 1940 - 1946

Divisional Flashes (1940-1945)[edit]

Divisional Flashes (1940-1945)
Division From To Flash
1st Division 1940 1943 Flash - 1st Division - 1940 - 1943
2nd Division 1940 1943 Flash - 2nd Division - 1940 - 1943
3rd Division 1940 1943 Flash - 3rd Division - 1940 - 1943
6th Armoured Division 1943 1945 Flash - 6th Armoured Division - 1943 - 1945

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Black Flash
  2. ^ The "Traverse Bar" (known colloquially as a "balkie") was usually the colours of the helmet flash. The infantry traverse bar was, in this case, actually the colours of the SSB, which were the colours of the National Flag (Orange, White and Blue)
  3. ^ White Flash
  4. ^ Later the Pay Corps part was split off to become just South African Army Pay Corps in 1942 with no distinct flash
  5. ^ The SSB band was at the time the de facto Army Band
  6. ^ Hackle or arm flash
  7. ^ 1 Orange Free State Field Artillery
  8. ^ a b 6 Field Regiment (Bloemfontein)
  9. ^ 2 Orange Free State Field Artillery
  10. ^ The Numeral 3 was white metal, not sewn or embroidered
  11. ^ This Sea Green flash was for the NMR/SAAF amalgamated unit. Amalgamation was to bring up severely depleted numbers
  12. ^ DHQ Pattern
  13. ^ Never worn
  14. ^ This was a Reserve unit and neither CF nor ACF
  15. ^ Pretoria Regiment wore a very distinctive Traverse Bar (Red & Yellow) below a very distinctive badge Backing. Also, the 1st Battalion at the beginning of the war wore a arm patch
  16. ^ Regiment Western Province
  17. ^ a b Hackle
  18. ^ a b c d 1st Reserve Brigade (1940-1943)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Military Archives Section (1956). Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Units. Pretoria: DHQ - HQ Army Chief of Staff.
  2. ^ a b Orpen, Neil D. (1975). The History of the Transvaal Horse Artillery 1904 to 1974 (1st ed.). Transvaal Horse Artillery Regimental Council (published 1 January 1975). ISBN 978-0620023504.
  3. ^ a b c Tylden, G. Major (1955). "Badges, Buttons and Shoulder Titles of South African Regiments: From the Parkyn Collection". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 33 (136): 162–167. JSTOR 44226309. Retrieved 13 January 2023 – via JSTOR.
  4. ^ Owen, Colin R. (1990). The Military Badges and Insignia of Southern Africa (1st ed.). Chimperie Agencies (published 1 January 1990). ISBN 9780620154383.
  5. ^ Coghlan, Mark (2012). History of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles: 1864–2004. Durban, South Africa: Just Done Productions Publishing (published October 2012). ISBN 978-1920-315-77-1. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2023.

See also[edit]

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