Umvoti Mounted Rifles

Umvoti Mounted Rifles
Umvoti Mounted Rifles
	SANDF Umvoti Mounted Rifles emblem
Active	16 May 1864 to present (159 years)
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Republic of South Africa; Republic of South Africa;
Branch	South African Army; South African Army;
Type	Armoured Car Regiment
Size	One Battalion
Part of	South African Armoured Formation; Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQ	Pinetown
Patron	King Zwelithini Goodwill ka Bhekuzulu
Motto(s)	Toujours Pret; (Always Ready)
Anniversaries	16 May (Regimental Day)
Equipment	Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle
Battle honours	South Africa 1879; South Africa 1899–1902; Relief of Ladysmith; Natal 1906; South West Africa 1914–1915; Gibeon; Western Desert 1941–43;
Website	http://www.umrhistory.com/
Commanders
Current; commander	Lt Col M.S.C. Magigaba
Insignia
Beret Colour	Black
Armour Squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992

The Umvoti Mounted Rifles (named after the Umvoti River) is an armoured 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 Armour Formation and is based in the town of Pinetown.

History[edit]

Origin[edit]

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, Natal by the redesignation of the left Wing of the Natal Carbineers. On 1 July 1913 the Regiment absorbed the Zululand Mounted Rifles, was redesignated the 4th Mounted Rifles (Umvoti Mounted Rifles) and transferred to the 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[edit]

The Natal Mounted Rifles served in the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), the Zulu Rebellion (1906–1907), World War I (specifically in South-West Africa from 1914 to 1915), World War II and South Africa's post-war internal conflicts and "Border War".^[2]

Various musterings[edit]

The UMR since 1920 served under command of the OC, Natal Command as firstly a Mounted Regiment on horseback and then, from 1935 as a motorised infantry unit. In September 1939 they were part of the 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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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

Under the SANDF[edit]

In 1999, 84 SA Brigade was closed and the unit then fell under direct command of the 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.

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

Insignia[edit]

Previous dress insignia[edit]

Leadership[edit]

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