The Rand Light Infantry (RLI) is an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and m ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

South African Army 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. ...

. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve unit or

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

unit.

History

Origin

The history of this Regiment dates back to the ''Transvaal Cycle Corps'', which was formed in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

on 1 October 1905 from the Bicycle Section of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment. A small section of this unit subsequently took part in the suppression of the

Bambata Rebellion The Bambatha Rebellion (or the Zulu Rebellion) of 1906 was led by Bambatha kaMancinza (c. 1860–1906?), leader of the Zondi clan of the Zulu people, who lived in the Mpanza Valley (now a district near Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal) against British ...

in Zululand. After its return from this conflict the unit recognised the possibilities of mechanisation and members of the Regiment manufactured three armoured cars, creating a motorised fighting unit. This led to the renaming of the unit in 1909 to the ''Transvaal Cycle and Motor Corps''. On 1 July 1913 the Regiment was renamed the ''11th Infantry (Rand Light Infantry)'' and transferred to the

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. ...

of the

Union Defence Force The Union Defence Force may refer to a former or current military organization: * Union Defence Force (South Africa), the predecessor of the South African Defence Force from 1912 to 1957 * Union Defence Force (UAE) The United Arab Emirates Armed ...

. Simultaneously, the unit was converted to a normal infantry regiment. The Regiment's

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

detachment was transferred to the ''12th Infantry (Pretoria Regiment)''.

World War One

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

the Regiment took part in the

South-West Africa South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola ( Portuguese colony before ...

, suffering light casualties – only two dead and eleven wounded. In 1932 the Regiment was renamed the ''Rand Light Infantry''.

World War Two

The RLI was mobilized for

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in June 1940 and gained fame in North Africa where it took part in many front line engagements and earned

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

s at Bardia, Gazala and El Alamein. (See 1st SA Infantry Division) After the defeat of

Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...

’s

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

, the RLI returned to South Africa and was merged with the ''Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Rifles''. The remaining members of the Regiment were trained in armour, and sent as reinforcements to the South African 6th Armoured Division in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Border War

The Regiment took part 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 ...

Freedom of Entry

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

Regimental Symbols

*Regimental

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mo ...

: (He conquers who endures) *The RLI were allied to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1932. This alliance later fell into abeyance but was resurrected in April 1995, when the Regiment became allied with

The Light Infantry The Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. The regiment was one of four 'large' regiments formed after the 1966 Defence White Paper through the amalgamation of units of the Light Infantry Brigad ...

Regiment *Regimental March: ''One and All'' and ''Trelawney''. *Regimental slow march: ''Duke of York'' and ''Preobajensky March''. *Regimental double march: ''Keel Row''.

Previous Dress Insignia

SADF and UDF era Rand Light Infantry insignia

Current Dress Insignia

Alliances

* –

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerly ...

Battle honours

The RLI has been awarded the following Battle Honours: South West Africa 1914-1915, Western Desert 1941 – 1943, Bardia, Gazala,

El Alamein El Alamein ( ar, العلمين, translit=al-ʿAlamayn, lit=the two flags, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Arab's Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. , it had ...

, Alamein Defence

Leadership

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References

External links

*
RLI Roll of Honour
* * * {{Greater Johannesburg Infantry regiments of South Africa Military units and formations in Johannesburg Military units and formations established in 1932 Military units and formations of South Africa in World War I Military units and formations of South Africa in World War II Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War