List_of_Helmet_and_Shoulder_Flashes_and_Hackles_of_South_African_Military_Units

List of Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Military Units

List of Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Military Units

List of Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Military Units

Military units in South Africa have a long tradition of using unit insignia to visually identify themselves through the use of helmet and shoulder flashes, as well as hackles. This page serves as an informative overview of the various flashes and hackles utilized by different military units in the South African Military. The insignia were predominantly worn from the post-World War I period until approximately 1943, when the use of cloth helmets ceased and were replaced by berets in the Union Defence Force (UDF). These visual symbols represent the identities and histories of each unit and are unique in their design and colors. The page provides detailed descriptions and images of the different flashes and hackles, as well as their origins and meanings.[1][2][3]

Description

Flash - Natal Infantry in the 1920s and 1930s. Blue on top for Natal and Black on the bottom for Infantry

As a general guide to flashes of the period, the colours had meaning. For Corps/Arm of service, these were, generally, the following:[4]

  • Grey - Mounted Units
  • Black - Infantry
  • Yellow - Artillery[3]

The bottom colour would be the arm of service, the top colour the province.

  • Blue - Natal
  • Yellow - OVS
  • Red - Cape
  • Green - Transvaal[3]

Reserve Force

See also: South African Army corps and branches
More information Corps / Unit, From ...

Active Citizen Force (ACF)

More information Corps / Unit, From ...

Volunteer Units (1939-1945)

More information Corps / Unit, From ...

Divisional Flashes (1940-1945)

More information Division, From ...

Notes

  1. Black Flash
  2. The "Traverse Bar" (known colloquially as a "balkie") was usually the colours of the helmet flash. The infantry traverse bar was, in this case, actually the colours of the SSB, which were the colours of the National Flag (Orange, White and Blue)
  3. White Flash
  4. Later the Pay Corps part was split off to become just South African Army Pay Corps in 1942 with no distinct flash
  5. The SSB band was at the time the de facto Army Band
  6. Hackle or arm flash
  7. 1 Orange Free State Field Artillery
  8. 6 Field Regiment (Bloemfontein)
  9. 2 Orange Free State Field Artillery
  10. The Numeral 3 was white metal, not sewn or embroidered
  11. This Sea Green flash was for the NMR/SAAF amalgamated unit. Amalgamation was to bring up severely depleted numbers
  12. DHQ Pattern
  13. Never worn
  14. This was a Reserve unit and neither CF nor ACF
  15. Pretoria Regiment wore a very distinctive Traverse Bar (Red & Yellow) below a very distinctive badge Backing. Also, the 1st Battalion at the beginning of the war wore a arm patch
  16. Regiment Western Province
  17. Hackle
  18. 1st Reserve Brigade (1940-1943)

References

  1. [1]
    Military Archives Section (1956). Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Units. Pretoria: DHQ - HQ Army Chief of Staff.
  2. [2]
    Orpen, Neil D. (1975). The History of the Transvaal Horse Artillery 1904 to 1974 (1st ed.). Transvaal Horse Artillery Regimental Council (published 1 January 1975). ISBN 978-0620023504.
  3. [3]
    Tylden, G. Major (1955). "Badges, Buttons and Shoulder Titles of South African Regiments: From the Parkyn Collection". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 33 (136): 162–167. JSTOR 44226309. Retrieved 13 January 2023 – via JSTOR.
  4. [4]
    Owen, Colin R. (1990). The Military Badges and Insignia of Southern Africa (1st ed.). Chimperie Agencies (published 1 January 1990). ISBN 9780620154383.
  5. [5]
    Coghlan, Mark (2012). History of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles: 1864–2004. Durban, South Africa: Just Done Productions Publishing (published October 2012). ISBN 978-1920-315-77-1. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2023.

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