17 Field Artillery

  •  Republic of South Africa
Branch
  •  South African Army
TypeRegular artilleryRoleField ArtillerySizeRegimentPart ofSouth African Army Artillery Corps
Army ConventionalGarrison/HQPretoria University of Pretoria Campus, Poynton BuildingMotto(s)Eminus Ferimus (From a distance)EngagementsSouth African Border WarBattle honoursSouth West AfricaArtillery Battery EmblemsSANDF Artillery Battery emblemsArtillery Beret Bar circa 1992SANDF Artillery Beret Bar
Military unit

17 Field Artillery Regiment was a reserve South African Artillery unit.

History

17 Field Artillery Regiment was formed in 1975 as a Citizen Force unit in Pretoria.

It was a new artillery counter-insurgency unit whose purpose was to provide support for 73 Motorised Brigade from 1975 to 1991. 17 Field Artillery also assisted 81 Armoured Brigade.

17 Field was originally an offshoot of the Regiment University of Pretoria.

17 Field Artillery was also known as the Pretoria Artillery.

Artillery Type

The term Field Regiment was not quite descriptive of this unit which comprised a number of artillery elements such as field guns, medium mortars and a locating artillery element being essentially radar. It could also be referred to as a composite regiment.

Operations

17 Field Regiment received indirect operational experience when it received experienced national servicemen returning from SWA and Angola. Members also did service as infantry in the operational area. The first actual operation duty for the regiment occurred in 1982 when a battery under command of Capt H.J. Bootha was sent to Sector 70. Another battery was sent as well to Sector 10 as Infantry to fill a strength requirement for the Brigade. A battery under Commandant Botha was also sent to the border in Sector 10 in 1988. The expected operation did however not occur.

17 Field Regiment was eventually amalgamated into the Transvaalse Staatsartillerie in October 1991.

Commanders

  • Commandant M. van Rooyen
  • Commandant K.R.W. Harrison
  • Commandant A.H. van Tonder

Insignia

17 Field Regiment beret badge

References

  • flagSouth Africa portal
  • Further reading: Wilsworth, Clive. First In, Last Out: The South African Artillery in Action: 1975–1988. 30 Degrees South. ISBN 978-1-920143-40-4.
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