The Durban Light Infantry Regiment is a Mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army

South African Army

The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...

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

United States Army Reserve

The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....

 Unit unit.

Formation and Name

The Regiment was formed as the D’Urban Volunteer Guard, in May 1854.
In 1859 it became the Durban Rifle Guard.
In 1873 it became known as the Royal Durban Rifles.
In 18]] it became known as the Natal Royal Rifles (Left half Battalion).
In 1895 it became the Durban Light Infantry.

On the constitution of the Union Defence Force in 1912, the Unit became the Durban Light Infantry, renamed the 1st Infantry, (Durban Light Infantry). In consequence the Unit was permitted to add to its badge “Primus in Africa”.

In 1953, King George VI

George VI of the United Kingdom

George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...

 conferred the title Royal on two Regiments being the Royal Durban Light Infantry and the Royal Natal Carbineers, as a recognition of their seniority and service. In 1961 with the formation of the Republic, the title "Royal" was considered incompatible and the Regiment reverted back to being the Durban Light Infantry.

Regimental Colours

At the centre of the 'Regimental Colour' is the badge worn by the Regiment since 1961. It consists of the recognised Infantry Silver Bugle with tassels and a shield with two wildebeest

Wildebeest

The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...

 and a crown. The wildebeest are symbolic of the Province, while the crown retained as a traditional device is reminiscent of the title “Royal” bestowed upon the Regiment by King George V

George V of the United Kingdom

George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....

 in 1935.

The words “Primus in Africa” are superimposed within a scroll.

The crest is composed of a lion passant guardant on three mounds – the centre mound being charged with a pyramid. The lion is symbolic of strength, courage and fortitude. The three mounds are symbolic of the battles fought in World War II – Monte Stanco, Monte Peza and Monte Sole/Caprara. The pyramid is symbolic of the 1941–1943 Egyptian Campaign.

The garland which surrounds the coloured badge comprises the Thistle

Thistle

Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...

 of Scotland, the Tudor Rose

Tudor rose

The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...

 of England and the Shamrock

Shamrock

The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover ....

 of Ireland – symbols taken from the old colour – and the other two flowers, the Protea

Protea

Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes.-Etymology:...

, the National flower of South Africa

National flower of South Africa

The giant or king protea is widely distributed in the south-western and southern areas of the Western Cape, from the Cedarberg up to just east of Grahamstown. South Africa's national flower is the largest of the proteas, which make up an important part of the Cape Floral Region, a major global...

 and the Strelitzia

Strelitzia

Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. The genus is named after the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, birthplace of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower, because of a supposed resemblance of its...

, the flower of Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal).

Active Service

1. South Africa, Anglo-Zulu War 1879
2. South Africa, Anglo-Boer War 1899 -1902
3. Relief of Ladysmith 1900
4. Natal, Bambatha Rebellion 1906
5. South West Africa 1914 – 1915
6. East Africa 1916 -1918
7. Rand Miners’ Revolt 1922
8. Western Desert 1941 – 1943 (See 1st SA Infantry Division)
9. Bardia
10. Gazala
11. Alamein Defence
12. Alamein Box
13. El Alamein
14. Italy 1944 – 1945
15. Casino II
16. Florence
17. Gothic Line
18. Monte Stanco
19. Monte Pezza
20. Sole/Caprara
21. PO Valley
22. South West Africa – Namibia 1976 -1994, five tours.
23. Internally in South Africa in support of the SAPS (SA. Police Service) in the following actions;
    1. 1949, 1960, 1961
    2. 1985, 1986, 1987 ,1989 ,1991, 1992 (mainly rural areas)
    3. 1994 Elections.
    4. 1996 Elections.
    5. 1999 Elections.
    6. 2006 Op in Burundi. Detached members to Standing Army control structures.

Colonels-In-Chief

H.R.H Arthur, Duke of Connaught	HM Queen Elizabeth II
1905–1938	1947–1961

Honorary Colonels

Maj General Sir George Dartnell KCB CMG	Col the Hon. Sir Matthew Nathan PG GCMG	Brig General GMJ Molyneux DSO VD	Col C Metcalfe SSA JCD ED JP
1903–1913	1914–1939	1940–1959	1960–2004

----

Current Staff

Current Honorary Colonel	Officer Commanding
Col E Richardson.	Lieut Col MJ Whitson MMM JCD

Officers Commanding

The Commanding Officers of the Regiment were:

DURBAN VOLUNTEER GUARD

• Colonel, the Hon George Rutherford

DURBAN RIFLE GUARD

• Colonel HJ Meller
• 1863 Major AW Evans
• 1866 Capt BW Greenacre

ROYAL DURBAN RIFLES

• Capt Edward Randles
• 1874 Capt William Randles
• 1879 Capt PS Flack
• 1884 Capt JF King
• 1886 Capt T McCubbin

NATAL ROYAL RIFLES

• 1889 Major T McCubbin
• 1893 Major HR Bousfield

DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• Lieut Col T McCubbin MG VD
• 1902 Lieut Col J Scott-Wylie MVO VD
• 1914 Colonel J Scott-Wylie MVO VD
• 1914–1915 Lieut Col J Dick VD (Second Battalion)
• 1914–1915 Lieut Col RL Goulding VD (First Battalion)
• 1915 Lieut Col GMJ Molyneux DSO VD (First Battalion)
• 1915 Colonel J Scott- Wylie DSO MVO VD
• 1920 Lieut Col GMJ Molyneux DSO VD
• 1925 Lieut Col JFR Lauth DSO VD
• 1930 Lieut Col CE Borain MC VD

ROYAL DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• 1935 Lieut Col CE Borain ^{MC VD}
• 1936 Lieut Col IW Nolan ^VD (First Battalion)
• 1936 Lieut Col LGC Bayliss ^VD (Second Battalion)
• 1937 Lieut Col J Butler-Porter ^VD (1/2 Battalion)
• 1940 Lieut Col LC Wendt ^VD (Second Battalion)
• 1942 Lieut Col J Butler-Porter ^{DSO VD} (1/2 Battalion)
• 1943 Lieut Col C Metcalfe ^ED (1/2 Battalion)
• 1946 Lieut Col C Metcalfe ^ED (First Battalion)
• 1946 Lieut Col LC Wendt ^{DSO ED} (Second Battalion)
• 1947 Lieut Col AC Martin ^{MC VD} (Second Battalion)
• 1950 Commandant OS Hampson ^ED(Second Battalion)
• 1952 Commandant C Metcalfe ^ED
• 1952 Commandant OS Hampson ^ED
• 1956 Commandant G Jaaback ^ED
• 1961 Commandant JH Smallwood ^JCD

DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• Commandant JH Smallwood ^{SM JCD}
• 1969 Commandant DN Deavin ^JCD
• 1974 Commandant JJ Hulme ^JCD
• 1980 Commandant MJ Adrain ^{MMM JCD}
• 1984 Commandant DI Moe ^{SM MMM CD}
• 1989 Commandant WJ Olivier ^{SM MMM JCD}
• 1995 Lieut Col GPD De Ricquebourg ^{MMM JCD}
• 2004 Lieut Col MJ Whitson ^{MMM JCD}

Regimental Sergents Major – RSM

The Regimental Sergeants Major of the Regiment were:

DURBAN VOLUNTEER GUARD

• G Russell

DURBAN RIFLE GUARD

• 1861 A MilIett
• 1862 T Green
• 1863 WK Packman
• 1864 A Curle
• 1866 W Geere

ROYAL DURBAN RIFLES

• 1873 AJ Court
• 1873 DI Nolan
• 1876 SB Kemp
• 1877 W Goodal
• 1880 J Archibald
• 1886 H Hatchell

NATAL ROYAL RIFLES

• A Forbes

DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• 1895 RSM A Forbes
• 1910 RSM AL Pepper
• 1913 RSM A Eales

DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• RSM A Eales (First Battalion 1914–1915)
• 1914 RSM WJ Simpson (Second Battalion 1914–1915)

DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• RSM A Eales
• 1927 RSM G Sime
• 1932 RSM PH Johnson
• 1933 RSM CA Carlyle

ROYAL DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• RSM CA Carlyle
• 1936 RSM CA Carlyle (First Battalion)
• 1942 RSM LPA Boxhall
• 1936 RSM JWH McGreavey (Second Battalion)
• 1942 RSM LPA Boxhall (1/2 Battalion)
• 1943 RSM NJR Punch (1/2 Battalion)

ROYAL DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• First Battalion:
  • 1946 RSM LPA Boxhall
  • 1948 RSM JF Potgieter
• Second Battalion
  • 1946 RSM JE Law
  • 1950 RSM WH Ward

ROYAL DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• RSM JF Potgieter ^ED
• 1956 RSM JJ WilIemse
• 1957 RSM C Krause
• 1959 RSM AR Miles

DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY

• 1962 RSM AR Miles ^JCD
• 1968 RSM SMJ Swanepoel ^JCD
• 1974 RSM RI Francis ^{PMM MMM JCD}
• 1993 RSM MJ Whitson ^{MMM JCD}
• 1995–1999 RSM WJ Smith ^{MMM JCD}
• 2000–2005 RSM B Freeman ^JCD
• 2005 RSM Q LATEGAN ^PMM
• 2006 – 2011 RSM A VORSTER
• 2011 – RSM Vilikazi

Regimental Headquarters

East Wing	Clock Tower	Ross Regimental Chapel of St. Michael and St. George	Officers' Mess

Deployments & Training

The Regiment is being deployed in Africa, Burundi

Burundi

Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...

; in support of the African Union mandate.
All members of the Regiment are volunteers.

Regimental history

"Durban Light Infantry" by Lieut Col AC Martin ^{MC VD} was published in 1969. It is out of print.

An illustrated history of the 150 years of the Regiment is in course of preparation by Prof. Brian Kearney, Mr Dave Matthews and Lieut Col "Bill" Olivier ^{SM MMM JCD} (Retd.). The book is due to be released soon.

See also

• Record of the Durban Light Infantry