The Nelson Mandela Artillery Regiment (formerly the Cape Field Artillery) is a reserve

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

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 ...

and part of the

South African Army Artillery Formation The South African Army Artillery Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army artillery units. It draws much of its history from the South African Artillery, established in 1934 but with roots that reach back to 1921. The formati ...

History

Origins

After news of the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the form ...

reached Sir

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Gov ...

, Governor of the Cape, he sent every available military unit in the Cape Garrison to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

which left the Cape's military forces badly depleted of manpower. The volunteers of the Cape Royal Corps soon found themselves drilling on the guns stationed in Table Bay. As a result of their work on these batteries the Cape Town Volunteer Artillery (''CVA'') was born on 26 August 1857 at the old

Town house A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residen ...

Greenmarket Square Greenmarket Square is a historical square in the centre of old Cape Town, South Africa. The square was built in 1696, when a burgher watch house was erected. Many historic buildings surround the square, including the Old Town House, which now h ...

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 ...

. The regiment is one of the oldest volunteer artillery regiments in the world still in existence today, after it celebrated its 160th anniversary on 26 August 2017. Major Duprat (Chevalier Alfredo Duprat; 21 June 1810 in Lisbon, Conceição Nova – 24 August 1881 in London, Kensington) was the first Commanding Officer. In 1867 the

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...

was escorted to Cape Town from Simonstown by the

Cape Town Cavalry A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used thr ...

and upon his arrival the Cape Town Volunteer Artillery, drawn up on Caledon Square, fired a Royal Salute as he passed towards Adderley Street. The great occasion of the

royal visit A state visit is a formal visit by the head of a sovereign country (or representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or representative) of that foreign country, with th ...

was on 24 August, when the Prince laid the foundation stone of the

graving dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

and the ''CVO'' thundered out again in salute on the laying of the stone. The Duke of Edinburgh was so impressed with the bearing of Cape Town's volunteer soldiers that, a few weeks later on 3 October 1867, a Government Notice No 318 was promulgated to the effect that he had conferred on the gunners the future designation of Prince Alfred's Own Cape Town Volunteer Artillery (''PAOCTVA''). The words "Cape Town" were later dropped, and the title became Prince Alfred's Own Volunteer Artillery. In 1896, the title was changed again, to Prince Alfred's Own Cape Artillery. The unit served in several regional campaigns, including the 9th Frontier War of 1877 - 1879 and the Tambookie Campaign of 1880 - 1881 on the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

frontier, then the

Basutoland Rebellion Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River Colony until 1910 and completely surrounded by South Africa from 1910. Though the Basotho ...

Basutoland Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River Colony until 1910 and completely surrounded by South Africa from 1910. Though the Basot ...

and 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. In 1903, the title was changed to Prince Alfred's Own Cape Field Artillery. Ten years later, in 1913, the unit was embodied in the Citizen Force of the new Union Defence Forces as the 6th Citizen Battery (PAOCFA).

World War I

Although the Regiment did not serve on the

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an continent during

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 ...

, it did take part in the

South-West Africa Campaign The South West Africa campaign was the conquest and occupation of German South West Africa by forces from the Union of South Africa acting on behalf of the British imperial government at the beginning of the First World War. The South Afric ...

. The regiment was mobilised for war in August 1914. They spent three months with 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 ...

's forces to suppress the Maritz Rebellion, after which they were sent to

Upington Upington () is a town founded in 1873 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was originally called Olijvenhoutsdrift ('Olive wood drift'), due to the abundance of olive wood trees i ...

where they acted as garrison troops while waiting to join Col van Deventer's Southern Force to move into

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 ...

. Here they carried out patrols in the region and the artillery guns fought the Germans during a small action at Schuits Drift. While they were garrisoned in

the Republican Rebel,

Manie Maritz Manie Maritz (26 July 1876 – 20 December 1940), also known as Gerrit Maritz, was a Boer officer during the Second Boer War. He was also a participant in the Herero and Nama genocide and later a leading participant in the pro-German Maritz reb ...

, attempted to attack the town with a force of rebels accompanied by a battery of German artillery guns and two

QF 1-pounder pom-pom The QF 1 pounder, universally known as the pom-pom due to the sound of its discharge, was a 37 mm British autocannon, the first of its type in the world. It was used by several countries initially as an infantry gun and later as a light an ...

s. After a four-hour battle the rebels surrendered. The unit also took part in the South African invasion of

in 1915 where it earned the battle honour "South West Africa 1915". The battery was renumbered "1st" in 1926. In 1932, the name was changed to Cape Field Artillery (Prince Alfred's Own). From 1934 until 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 CFA formed part of the Coast Artillery Brigade.

World War II

The Cape Field Artillery was reorganised as the 1st Field Brigade (CFA) in February 1940 and in January 1941, 1 Field Regiment (V), South African Artillery (PAOCFA). It fought during

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 ...

Bardia Bardia, also El Burdi or Bardiyah ( or ) is a Mediterranean seaport in the Butnan District of eastern Libya, located near the border with Egypt. It is also occasionally called ''Bórdi Slemán''. The name Bardia is deeply rooted in the ancient ...

, Sollum,

Halfaya Pass Halfaya Pass ( ) is in northwest Egypt, 11.5 kilometres east of the border with Libya and 7.5 kilometres south of the other, more major pass in the ridge today. A high, narrow escarpment extends south then southeastwards for a total of from a ...

and at

Gazala Gazala, or ʿAyn al-Ġazāla ( ), is a small Libyan village near the coast in the northeastern portion of the country. It is located west of Tobruk. History In the late 1930s (during the Libya as Italian colony, Italian occupation of Libya), th ...

during the

Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala, also the Gazala Offensive (Italian language, Italian: ''Battaglia di Ain el-Gazala'') was fought near the village of Gazala during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, f ...

. 2 Field Battery was lost during the fall of Tobruk in June 1942, when the 1st Field Brigade (CFA) fought as part of the

South African 2nd Infantry Division The South African 2nd Infantry Division was an infantry Division (military), division of the South African Army, army of the Union of South Africa during Military history of South Africa during World War II, World War II. The division was for ...

under the command of General Hendrik Klopper. It fired the first and last rounds before the Fortress at

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� ...

surrendered on 21 June 1942. 1 and 3 Field Batteries, joined by 14 Field Battery, fought in the

First Battle of El Alamein The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of World War II, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marshal Erwin ...

in July 1942 and in the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...

that lasted between 23 October to 11 November 1942, as part of

1st South African Division The 1st South African Infantry Division was an infantry Division (military), division of the South African Army, army of the Union of South Africa. During World War II the division served in East Africa from 1940 to 1941 and in the Western D ...

. On one day during the first battle the three batteries fired over 9000 shells to break up several German attacks. After these engagements the regiment returned to South Africa briefly in December 1942. The regiment returned to North Africa in 1943 where it merged with 6th Field Regiment to form 1/6 Field Regiment (V), South African Artillery (PAOCFA). It joined 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 moved to Italy in April 1944 where it fought in the

Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

and all the other battles and engagements in which the 6th Armoured division were involved.

Post-War

The units title was changed again, in 1960, to Regiment Tygerberg. This title, imposed on the regiment, was not popular, and in 1963 it was changed back to Cape Field Artillery, but without the princely style, which was no longer appropriate as South Africa had become a republic. During the post-war period the regiment was mobilised several times for duty in the

South African Border War The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...

(1966 to 1989), including

Operation Savannah Operation Savanna (or Operation Savannah) was the first insertion of SOE trained Free French paratroops into German-occupied France during World War II. This SOE mission, requested by the Air Ministry, was to ambush and kill as many pilots as ...

in 1976. In August/September 1988 the Cape Field Artillery provided a battery for 10 Artillery Brigade in order to counter Cuban Forces who were threatening the South-West African Border.

Role in the 21st Century

Currently the regiment is classed as a reserve unit in the

. Members of the Nelson Mandela Artillery Regiment regularly undergo refresher training to maintain physical fitness levels and to ensure that they remain well versed with the

R4 assault rifle The Vektor R4 is a South African 5.56×45mm assault rifle. History It entered service as the standard service rifle of the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1980. In South African service, the R4 replaced the R1, a variant of the 7. ...

. Members are also required to receive training in computer literacy. To qualify as an artillery gunner in the Nelson Mandela Artillery Regiment, members receive three weeks of decentralised training from the School of Artillery at Fort iKapa in the use of the GV5 Luiperd 155mm Towed Howitzer. The regiment also fulfils many ceremonial duties. Its Ceremonial Gun Troop maintains several GV1, 25 pounder guns which it fires on certain occasions such as during the annual Opening of Parliament in central Cape Town, the annual Gun Run and the annual Robertson Agricultural Show. As part of the opening of the

2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...

, the Ceremonial Gun Troop fired its 25-pounder guns on Friday 11 June at 18:00 in front of the

Castle of Good Hope A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This i ...

. The guns were fired once more on Sunday 11 June at 18:40 in front of the Castle, marking the final day of the 2010 World Cup. During the course of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Staff Sergeant Andrew Imrie of the Cape Field Artillery Pipes and Drums played 'Nightfall in Camp' from the Leerdam Bastion. The regiment has received the Freedom of Bellville and of the City of Cape Town, a mark of honour that permits military units to parade through the city streets with fixed bayonets, drawn swords, drums beating and colours flying on all ceremonial and other occasions.

Name Change

In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa. The Cape Field Artillery became the

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

Artillery Regiment, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia. The new title was in honor of the man who for many was the symbol of the long battle for a diverse South Africa for over three decades and later own assumed not just the presidency of the republic but also became the first modern commander in chief of the SANDF.

Regimental Symbols

*The NMAR has received the Freedom of Cape Town. *The NMAR claims to be the oldest volunteer artillery regiment in the world that is still in existence. *Regimental

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

s: ''Ubique'' (Everywhere), ''Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt'' (Whither right or glory), ''Spes Bona'' (Good Hope).

Dress Insignia

Battle honours

Although artillery units in the South African Army do not usually receive

battle honours 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 operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military ...

, the CFA was awarded the honour *

South-West Africa South West Africa was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990. Renamed ''Namibia'' by the United Nations in 1968, it became independent under this name on 21 March 1990. South West Africa bordered Angola ( a Portu ...

1915

Leadership

Armament

* hand drawn 12 pounder brass ML * 6-pounder brass ML * 7-pounder RML * 12-pounder RBL * 15-pounder RBL * 15-pounder BLC * 18-pounder QF * GV1 25-pounders * GV5 Luiperd 155mm Towed Howitzer

Weapons

* Swords * Tranter revolvers * Martini-Henry carbines * Turner rifle * Snider cavalry carbines * Snider rifles * Wesley Richards BL carbines *

References

Bibliography

*
History of Cape Field Artillery.
{{SAArmy Units Artillery regiments of South Africa Military units and formations in Cape Town