The Sandfontein Artillery Regiment (formerly the Transvaal Horse Artillery) is a reserve artillery regiment of the South African Army.
The Sandfontein Artillery Regiment is currently located in Johannesburg. The main ordnance of the regiment is the G6 self-propelled 155mm gun/howitzer. It consists of four batteries: Regimental Headquarters Battery, 7 Battery, 8 Battery and 9 Battery.
History
Origins
The Transvaal Horse Artillery was formed on 17 March 1904 as Lys' Volunteer Corps (after its first commanding officer, Major Godfrey Lys) and was a regiment dependent on horse transport from the start.[1]: 60 [2] His adjutant was Brevet-Major J.W.F Lamont, Royal Field Artillery.[1]: 60 Lys would resign in January 1905 and Major A. Langebrink took over command.[1]: 60 The uniform was in the style of the Royal Household Artillery with the silver substituted by gold.[1]: 60 Its first honorary colonel was Thomas Cullinan.[1]: 60 The regiment's name was changed six months later to the Transvaal Horse Artillery Volunteers, which it retained until 1911, when the volunteers designation was dropped, to become the Transvaal Horse Artillery.[3]
In 1913, the unit was embodied in the citizen force of the new Union Defence Forces as the 7th Citizen Battery (THA).[3]
World War I
German South-West Africa Campaign
The regiment was part of the Northern Force sent to invade (the then) German South-West Africa at the outbreak World War I. It first saw action in September 1914 at Sandfontein[4] and later distinguished itself at Riet and Namutoni.[3]
Europe
Volunteers from the Transvaal Horse Artillery also later fought as part of the South African Heavy Artillery in Palestine, Egypt and Europe.[3]
Inter-war
In the inter-war period the regiment grew from a single battery to a three battery brigade; it was also mechanised by the introduction of trucks. During the 1922 Rand Rebellion the THA took part in the Battle of Brixton Bridge and in the clearing of Fordsburg.
The unit was renumbered as the 3rd Citizen Battery (THA) in 1926, and reverted to the name Transvaal Horse Artillery in 1932. On the outbreak of World War II in 1939, it became the 3rd Field Brigade (THA).[3]
The regiment's most memorable action during the war was during the battle of Sidi Rezegh in the Western Desert on 23 November 1941. As a part of 5 South African Infantry Brigade Group, the THA suffered considerable losses during heavy action which saw it firing over open sights at the panzers of the Afrika Korps.
After the collapse of Tobruk in June 1942, the regiment lost its headquarters unit as well as its 8th and 9th batteries, except for one troop of 8th Battery. This troop, together with the Coldstream Guards, were the only units to drive out in formation. The remaining (7th) battery of the regiment was first attached to 7 Field Regiment and took part in the fighting at El Alamein in October 1942. It subsequently joined 4/22nd Field Regiment, South African Artillery and saw action throughout the Italian Campaign.[3][2]
During the post-war period, the regiment was often mobilised with 7 South African Infantry Division's 72 Brigade,[5] to take part in South Africa's Border War. The regiment was called up in 1976 for three months active service in Angola and South West Africa and followed this up with two months in the operational area in 1979.[2] Other operations included:
In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa.[6] The Transvaal Horse Artillery became the Sandfontein Artillery Regiment, and had three years to design and implement new regimental insignia.[7]
On 16 December 2013 the THA had the honour of firing a 21 gun national salute for the president at the official parade to commemorate the Day of Reconciliation and also in honour of the late President Nelson Mandela at the occasion of the unveiling of this statue at the Union Buildings.[8][2]
Regimental symbols
Cap badge: a field gun in the centre, with the word "Transvaal" above it and the words "horse artillery" below, with a laurel branch on a curved scroll in between.
Helmet Flash: The Helmet Flash has the red W on a background of Blue. This flash is the opposite way around from all the other artillery units. Orpen explains[3] that the flash was worn on the left side of the helmet and the flash was orientated so that the point of the W pointed to the front.
The Transvaal Horse Artillery was formally affiliated with the Honourable Artillery Company from 1937 to 1961 and then again from 1994 to the present.
^ abcdePraagh, L.V. (1906). The Transvaal and Its Mines: (The Encyclopedic History of the Transvaal). London: Praagh & Lloyd.
^ abcdefg"History of the Transvaal Horse Artillery". THA. Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
^ abcdefghijkOrpen, Neil D. (1 January 1975). The History of the Transvaal Horse Artillery 1904 to 1974 (1st ed.). Transvaal Horse Artillery Regimental Council. ISBN 978-0620023504.
^Warwick, Rodney (28 October 2014). "When South Africa fought the Germans". politicsweb.co.za. PoliticsWeb. Retrieved 29 October 2014. The two Transvaal Horse Artillery guns uncoupled and swung into action; the white gunners and black auxiliaries demonstrated significant courage in fighting back from such an exposed position with ammunition being rushed across from inconveniently parked munition wagons. A German shell burst killed Battery Sergeant-Major Harris and UDF artillery casualties rose; by noon both guns were out of action.
^"A hundred and 10 not out for the Transvaal Horse Artillery". defenceWeb. 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
^"New Reserve Force unit names". defenceWeb. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
^"Renaming process has resulted in an Army structure that truly represents SA". IOL. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
^ abc"A hundred and 10 not out for the Transvaal Horse Artillery". defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWEb. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
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