Blaauwberg Armoured Regiment

The Blaauwberg Armoured Regiment (formerly Regiment Oranjerivier) is a reserve armoured regiment of the South African Army.

Regiment Noordwes-Kaap
Regiment Hertzog
Regiment Oranjerivier
Blaauwberg Armoured Regiment
SANDF Regiment Orange River emblem
Active1 July 1952 to present
Country South Africa
Allegiance
Branch
TypeArmoured Car Regiment
SizeOne Battalion
Part ofSouth African Army Armoured Formation
Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQCape Town
Fort iKapa
Motto(s)Occuli et Auris
(Eyes & Ears)[1]:78 & 136
Anniversaries1 July (Regimental Day)
EquipmentMklV Marmon Harrington armoured car, Ferret scout car, Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle
Insignia
Beret ColourBlack
Armour Squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992
AbbreviationBAR

History

Origin

The Regiment was founded as an Afrikaans language unit on 1 July 1952 as Regiment Noordwes-Kaap ("Regiment North-West Cape"), but this name was changed in the same year to Regiment Hertzog.

Citizen Force Unit

Due to a reorganisation of the Citizen Force the unit was redesignated Regiment Oranjerivier (Regiment Orangerivier) on 1 January 1960. At this time the unit was part of 17 Brigade.

In 1961 after considerable discussion a regimental motto, Occuli Et Auris ("Eyes and Ears") was officially adopted.[1] This motto was inspired by the eagles that hunt over the Kalahari Desert.

Equipment Upgrade

In the early 1970s the regiment's Marmon-Herrington Armoured Cars were replaced by the far more versatile and effective Eland 60.

Under 7th South African Infantry Division

Regiment Oranjerivier became the armoured car regiment of 71 Motorised Brigade (part of 7th South African Infantry Division) on 15 November 1974. A year later the headquarters of the regiment was moved to Cape Town.

The regiment was mobilized together with most other the other units of 71 Brigade to serve in Southern Angola during Operation Savannah. Sub-units of the ROR were located from Katima Mulilo in the east to Chitado in the west. Members of one of these sub-units were the first South African Citizen Force troops to make contact with a conventionally deployed foreign battle group when they were fired on by a Russian T-54 tank at Cahama in March 1976. During the same period the unit lost its first member ever to enemy fire.

The regiment went on to serve several more times on the South-West Africa/Namibia border as well as inside Angola. This included Operation Prone in Southern Angola during August/October 1988, where the regiment used a large number of Ratel 90 infantry fighting vehicles.

On 2 November 1990, the ROR was awarded the Rooikat Floating Trophy - the first time the trophy had been awarded - as the best unit in the South African Armoured Corps. In November 1991 the regiment moved to Wingfield and gained an independent unit HQ with their own facilities, separated by some distance from that of 71 Brigade headquarters.[1]:80 & 136

Under 9th South African Division

Sometime since 1974 regimental headquarters appears to have moved to Cape Town. The regiment appears to have been transferred with much of the rest of 71 Motorised Brigade to * 9th South African Division on the brigade's upgrading to a division on 2 January 1992.

Under the SANDF

9th S.A. Division was disbanded in 1997, and ROR 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 76mm Armoured Car

Name Change

In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa.[2] Regiment Oranjerivier became the Blaauwberg Armoured Regiment, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia.[3]

Regimental Symbols
  • Regimental badge: An eagle with outspread wings with the regimental motto beneath. The badge is worn on the traditional Armoured Corps black beret.
  • The Regiment received the Freedom of Upington on 4 May 1966 and the Freedom of Keimoes on 11 June 1968.
  • The symbol of command of the Regiment's Commanding Officer is a silvered 90mm practice round.

Previous Dress Insignia
SADF era Regiment Oranjerivier insignia

Leadership
Leadership
From Honorary Colonel To
From Commanding Officers To
1952 Cmdt M.N. Slabber 1956
1956 Cmdt J.A.B. Strauss 1967
1967 Cmdt M.D. Radford 1968
1968 Cmdt G. van Rooyen JCD 1975
1975 Cmdt J. Lourens JCD 1980
1980 Cmdt H.A.C. Bremer JCD 1983
1984 Cmdt J. Maltez JCD 1989
1989 Lt Col C.G. van Zyl JCD 1996
1996 Lt Col W.A. Rall JCD 2003
2003 Lt Col H.M. Matthee 2005
2005 Lt Col W.A. Rall JCD 2009
2009 Lt Col J.S. Olivier 13 February 2015
14 February 2015 Lt Col J.P. Wessels Present
From Regimental Sergeants Major To

Freedom of Entry
  • 4 May 1966 Upington,
  • 11 June 1968 Keimoes,

References
  1. Crook, Lionel, Col (Rtd) (1994). Greenbank, Michele (ed.). 71 Motorised Brigade: a history of the headquarters 71 Motorised Brigade and of the citizen force units under its command. Brackenfell, South Africa: L. Crook in conjunction with the South African Legion. ISBN 9780620165242. OCLC 35814757.
  2. "New Reserve Force unit names". defenceWeb. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  3. "Renaming process has resulted in an Army structure that truly represents SA". IOL. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
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