Andrew Mlangeni Regiment
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The Andrew Mlangeni Regiment (formerly the South African Irish Regiment) is a reserve
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
regiment of the
South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
.


History


Origins

Although all the regular units of Irish origin in the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
have served in South Africa at some time during its colonial involvement in South Africa, the first autonomous South African units shaped by Irish influences were the Cape Town Irish Volunteer Rifles (raised by a Major O'Reilly in 1885) and Driscoll's Scouts (raised by Capt D.P. Driscoll during the Second
Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...
of 1899 – 1902). However, an Irish Brigade also fought on the side of the
Boer Boers ( ; ; ) are the descendants of the proto Afrikaans-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled the Dutch ...
republics.


World War I

The South African Irish was formed at the outbreak of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in August 1914 when three officers (Major George Twomey, Captain J. Jeoffreys and a Captain MacDonald) met at the Irish Club in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
to raise an Irish regiment from among the citizens of Johannesburg and its surrounding areas. After a request to The Union Defence Force (UDF) Headquarters, authority was granted to form the regiment and Lieutenant-Colonel Brennan was appointed as its first commanding officer. Major Twomey was appointed as its recruiting officer. The wife of General
Louis Botha Louis Botha ( , ; 27 September 1862 – 27 August 1919) was a South African politician who was the first Prime Minister of South Africa, prime minister of the Union of South Africa, the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer war v ...
(a lady of Irish descent with the maiden name of Emmett) was appointed as the regiment's first honorary colonel. Sources are not clear on the official date of formation of the South African Irish, but it is either 9 September or 1 December 1914. In any case, the battalion, consisting of six companies, first formed up at Booysens Camp in Johannesburg on the former date. After training, the regiment was made part of 4 South African Infantry Brigade (part of the Northern Force) and embarked from
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
to the (then)
German South-West Africa German South West Africa () was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. German rule over this territory was punctuated by ...
on 21 December 1914. On 25 December 1914, the Force landed at
Walvis Bay Walvis Bay (; ; ) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the List of cities in Namibia, second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The city covers an area of of land. The bay is a ...
and went into action immediately. The Regiment itself first came into contact with their German enemy on the following day, barely three months after it was raised. At the end of the campaign in South-West Africa, Active Citizen Force regiments were by law not permitted to proceed to other theatres of war as such. Special war service units were thus created to fight in East Africa and Europe. Volunteers from the South African Irish Regiment were formed, together with members of other units, into the composite 9 South African Infantry Regiment. 9 SAI campaigned in East Africa, where it earned the honours ''
Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...
'' and ''East Africa 1916–17''. The SA Irish were formally disbanded on 31 December 1919. On 29 January 1921, at a ceremony in Johannesburg, the regiment was posthumously presented with the King's Colour by
Prince Arthur of Connaught Prince Arthur of Connaught (Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert; 13 January 1883 – 12 September 1938) was a British military officer and a grandson of Queen Victoria. He served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 20 November 19 ...
, the (then)
Governor-General of the Union of South Africa The governor-general of the Union of South Africa (; ) was the highest state official in the Union of South Africa between 1910 and 1961. The Union of South Africa was founded as a self-governing Dominion of the British Empire in 1910 and the o ...
, in recognition of its service in South-West Africa.


World War II


Mobilisation

At the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in 1939 the 1st South African Irish Regiment was reformed through the efforts of Major Twomey, Captains Jeoffreys and Cullinan (the latter was the son of Sir Thomas Cullinan, of diamond fame). Although the unit was designated as the 1st South African Irish a second battalion was never formed as the men intended for this second battalion were drafted to the first. In practice, the usual designation for the regiment was thus the South African Irish Regiment. The South African Irish Regiment initially consisted of a regimental HQ, a Support Company and three infantry companies; a pipe band was later added. After a period of training, the regiment was mobilised on 16 June 1940 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel D.I. Somerset. It was grouped together with 2 Regiment Botha and 3 Transvaal Scottish to form the 5th South African Infantry Brigade. In July of the same year, the brigade was shipped to
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
via the port of
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
to become part of 1st South African Infantry Division.


East Africa

After concentrating at the town of Gilgil in Kenya, the regiment took part in the invasion of Southern
Abyssinia Abyssinia (; also known as Abyssinie, Abissinia, Habessinien, or Al-Habash) was an ancient region in the Horn of Africa situated in the northern highlands of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sven Rubenson, The survival of Ethiopian independence, ...
on 1 February 1941, part of the East African campaign; it distinguished itself during the fighting at El Gumu, Hobok and Banno in early February as well as during the capture of Mega on 18 February. 5 Brigade, including the South African Irish, then returned to Kenya and embarked at
Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
on 18 April. The Brigade reached
Suez Suez (, , , ) is a Port#Seaport, seaport city with a population of about 800,000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. It is the capital and largest c ...
in Egypt on 1 May.


Western Desert

In November 1941
Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert campaign during World War II by the British Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) against the Axis forces (German and ...
, the invasion of
Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
and relief of
Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop ...
, began. 5 South African Infantry Brigade, together with the Transvaal Horse Artillery Regiment, took part in the fighting at Sidi Rezegh culminating on 23 November 1941 with the German armour overwhelming the Allied forces, destroying 5 Brigade, and breaking through to the Eighth Army's rear areas on the Libyan border with Egypt. The casualties of the South African Irish were extremely heavy (only 140 men of all ranks survived), including its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Dobbs who was wounded in the early stages of the battle (he was replaced by Major C. McN. Cochran). Major Cochran then led the remnants of the battalion, along with the remaining five guns of 9th Field Battery eastwards towards the lines of the Scottish (these were the only guns in 5 Brigade which were not captured!), in an attempt to escape. In addition, several members of the unit drowned while on their way to Italy by ship as
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. The survivors of the regiment served with
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
forces until the end of November when they rejoined the remnants of the decimated Brigade at Mersa Matruh. Due to their heavy losses, the South African Irish and 3 Transvaal Scottish ceased to exist as independent infantry units. In February 1942, the survivors of these two battalions joined to form a composite battalion and it was later reconstituted as 2nd Regiment Botha under command of Lt-Col Boerstra. 2nd Regiment Botha was then further reinforced with replacements coming from the 2nd Witwatersrand Rifles after which, the battalion moved by rail and in New Zealand troop carriers from
Mersa Matruh Mersa Matruh (), also transliterated as Marsa Matruh ( Standard Arabic ''Marsā Maṭrūḥ'', ), is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway from the Nile ...
to El Adem. In this form, the remnants of the South African Irish were once again in action during September 1942, during the fighting at El Alamein. 11 Battery, 4 Field Regiment, South African Artillery, returned to the
Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa (; , ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day South Africa, Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the British Cape Colony, Cape, Colony of Natal, Natal, Tra ...
in 1943 and was reconstituted as 4/22 Field Regiment, South African Artillery. This unit later returned to North Africa as a component of the
South African 6th Armoured Division The 6th South African Armoured Division was the second armoured warfare, armoured division (military), division of the South African Army and was formed during World War II. Established in early 1943, it was based on a nucleus of men from the ...
and also took part in the subsequent fighting in Italy. The regiment received four battle honours (see below) for its service during World War II, but they were not awarded immediately because, at the time of the publication of the honours, the unit was an artillery regiment – artillery regiments in the South African Army do not carry any honours. However, when the regiment was later converted back to an infantry unit it became entitled to those honours and they were incorporated into the colour of the regiment.


Post-War

At the end of World War II, it was requested that the regiment be reformed as an infantry unit. However, as there was no intention at that time to establish additional
Active Citizen Force The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service ...
infantry battalions, this request was refused. However, as a form of compensation, authority was granted for the formation of an artillery unit with the designation of 22 Field Regiment (South African Irish), South African Artillery. This unit was formed in June 1946 and it operated until 31 December 1959 as an artillery regiment. However, on 1 January 1960, the regiment was converted back to an infantry unit and regained its old nomenclature, the ''South African Irish Regiment''. The period from 1960 to 1974 saw the regiment entrenching its traditions as an infantry regiment and during this period received the Freedom of the City of Johannesburg (Nov 1966), and their Regimental Colours (Nov 68). During this period the regiment formed and trained the Hunter Group, a volunteer special force unit, which was the precursor to the Reconnaissance Regiments. In 1971 members of the regiment and Regimental Association started the annual visit or "raid" to Barberton. In 1966 and 1971 the regiment participated in the 5th and 10th respective anniversaries of the Republic.


Citizen Force Divisions and the Border War

The period from 1974 to 1988 saw the regiment being part of 7th South African Infantry Division's 72nd Motorised Brigade and being re-established as a conventional force. During these years the regiment saw active duty in Angola during Operation Savannah and Operation Protea as well as undertaking operational duties during the Border war, together with internal security duties within South Africa; and exercises at the Army Battle School, e.g. Quicksilver and Thunderchariot. In 1987, the regiment underwent conversion from a motorised infantry regiment to a mechanised infantry regiment. In 1979 the regiment was granted the Freedom of entry to the City of Barberton because of the WWII training period and the frequent "raids" to the town. In 1984 the regiment, as part of 72 Motorised Brigade, participated in the parade celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the brigade's Formation. In 1989, due to the reorganisation of the forces within the conventional force brigades, the regiment was transferred to the 8th South African Armoured Division's 81st Armoured Brigade. This year was also the 75th anniversary of the formation of the regiment and this event was celebrated by a battalion parade in Barberton. In 1991 the regiment organised the National 50th anniversary of the Battle of Sidi Rezegh Parade in Johannesburg. In the same year, due to further restructuring of the conventional forces the regiment was transferred to Northern Cape Command and reverted to a motorised infantry regiment. During this period the regiment successfully completed township unrest camps as well as training exercises at the Army Battle School.


Post 1994

From 1992 to 1998 the regiment went through a period of significant decline as the annual intake of national servicemen dried up with the ending of conscription. In 1998, the regimental muster was only four strong. In 1999, the regiment began to recruit untrained members directly from the streets, training them on a part-time basis. At the completion of internal training, the recruits were then sent to a regular army training establishment for final assessment and evaluation. The success of this approach lead not only to the expansion of the concept, but also the transformation of the regiment, with not only the first black riflemen entering the ranks but black Officers and NCOs joining the unit. By 2004, the regiment had grown back to two companies in strength and a Regimental HQ, the same size it had traditionally been during the 1950s and 1960s.


=Deployments

= By 2005, members of the regiment were being deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in support of UN peace support operations. At the same time the regiment reached an active strength of 532 members. 2006 saw members of the regiment again deployed externally to the DRC, whilst domestically the regiment was tasked with executing conversion training for ex Commando members converting to the conventional reserve following the closure of the ATR. In 2007 SAIR was again tasked with ATR/ACR conversion, while 2008 saw SAIR providing 50 members to the Witwatersrand Rifles company deploying to the
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
. At the same time, the regiment received orders to prepare for further deployment to the DRC in 2009.


Name change

In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa. The South African Irish Regiment became the Andrew Mlangeni Regiment, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia.


Precedence

The regiment at present stands 16th in order of precedence amongst the infantry battalions of the Reserve Force. This precedence, however, may be elevated if a claim to an earlier date of establishment is officially recognized. The original motto of the regiment in 1914 was that of the Royal Irish Rifles (later the Royal Ulster Rifles), 'Quis Separabit?') ('Who will separate us?'). During World War 2 it changed to 'Faugh-A-Ballagh' ('Clear the way'), which has remained to the present time. The motto echoes the history of the Royal Irish Fusiliers the First Battalion of which was known as the 'Faugh-a-Ballaghs', an honorary title conferred upon them during the Peninsular War (1809–1812).


Freedom of Entry

The unit exercised its freedom of entry into Johannesburg on 9 November 2013 as part of the centenary celebrations of the City of Johannesburg with bayonets fixed, colours flying and drums beating.


Regimental Symbols

*A green
hackle The hackle is a clipped plume or short spray of coloured feathers that is attached to a military headdress, with different colours being associated with particular regiments. In the British Army and the armies of some Commonwealth countries, ...
is worn by this regiment. *The regiment wear black boots (as opposed to brown) in recognition of the near-destruction of the regiment in World War II. *The original (1914) motto of the regiment was ''" Quis separabit?"'' ("Who will separate us?"), but during World War II it changed to ''"Faugh-a-Ballagh"'' ("Clear the way"), which it has remained to the present day. *The regimental cap badge consists of the Irish harp and the regimental motto. *The regimental march was ''"The County Down Militia"'' but was later changed to ''" Killaloe"''. *When the regiment was re-formed in 1939 a Pipe Band was raised, which remained with the it until 1949, after which it became the South African Irish Regimental Association Pipe Band. *This regiment was affiliated with the
London Irish Rifles The London Irish Rifles (LIR) was a reserve infantry regiment and then company of the British Army. The unit's final incarnation was as D (London Irish Rifles) Company, the London Regiment. On 1 April 2022 soldiers in the company transferred t ...
in 1949. *The Freedom of the City has been conferred upon the Regiment by both the
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
and Barberton Municipalities.


Dress Insignia


Alliances

* – The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)


Battle honours

The following
Battle Honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...
s have been awarded to the regiment: *
South West Africa South West Africa was a territory under Union of South Africa, South African administration from 1915 to 1990. Renamed ''Namibia'' by the United Nations in 1968, Independence of Namibia, it became independent under this name on 21 March 1990. ...
19141915 *East Africa 19401941 *Mega *Western Desert 19411943 *Sidi Rezegh Note: As the regiment was virtually wiped out during the fighting at Sidi Rezegh in November 1941, no further World War II Battle Honours were awarded.


Leadership

* Honorary Colonel: Colonel B. Molefe * Officer Commanding: Lieutenant Colonel M. P. Mkhize *Second-in-Command: Major J.A. van Straaten * Adjutant: Lieutenant D.W. Chambers * Regimental Sergeant-Major: Master Warrant Officer G.S. Moseki


Notes


References


External links


Regimental Website
{{Greater Johannesburg, mil Infantry regiments of South Africa Irish regiments Military units and formations in Johannesburg Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations of South Africa in World War I Regiments of South Africa in World War II Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War Pages with Battle Honours