Pretoria Highlanders

Pretoria Highlanders Regiment
Active 1939 to present
Country  South Africa
Allegiance
Branch
Type Reserve Artillery
Size Battery
Part of South African Army Artillery Formation
Army Conventional Reserve
Nickname(s) Jacaranda Jocks
Insignia
Collar Badge Bursting grenade with seven flames
Beret Colour Oxford Blue
Artillery Battery Emblems
Artillery Beret Bar circa 1992


The Pretoria Highlanders Regiment [1]is a 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

World War 2

The regiment was founded by Peter Lawrence Goudie on the outbreak of World War II in 1939. He recruited 1,400 men within six weeks and also raised the funds to equip them with Highland uniforms.

During World War II the regiment, as part of 7 South African Infantry Brigade, took part in "Operation Rose", the invasion of Madagascar by South African forces in June 1942. As far as is known, this is the first (and only) amphibious operation in which South African troops ever participated.

Post World War and into Border War

In 1946, the PH were converted to artillery and renamed 1 Anti-Tank Regiment (PH). When the Army was reorganised in 1960, for internal security duties, the regiment was converted to armour and reverted to its original name of Pretoria Highlanders.

Pipe Band

The Regimental Pipe band [2]has been part of the regiment since shortly after it was raised.[3]

Regimental Symbols

Battle honours

References

  1. http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol021ce.html
  2. http://www.pretoriahighlanders.co.za/
  3. "Pipe Band History". www.pretoriahighlanders.co.za. Pretoria Highlanders Pipe Band. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.