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Bambatha Rifles Witwatersrand Rifles
SANDF Witwatersrand Rifles emblem
Active	1 May 1903–present
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Union of South Africa Republic of South Africa Republic of South Africa
Branch	South African Army  South African Army  South African Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Mechanised infantry
Size	One battalion
Part of	South African Infantry Formation Army Reserve
Garrison/HQ	Germiston
Mottos	Pro Deo et Patria (Latin) (For God and Country)
March	Within a mile O' Edinburgh town
Anniversaries	1 May 1903 (Regimental Day)
Commanders
Colonel of the Regiment	Col. (Hon) J.L. Job,SM MMM JCD
Insignia
Company level Insignia
SA Mechanised Infantry beret bar circa 1992	SA mechanised infantry beret bar circa 1992
Abbreviation	BR

TheBambatha Rifles (formerly theWitwatersrand Rifles) is a reserve mechanisedinfantryregiment of theSouth African Army.

TheWitwatersrand Rifles (often familiarly known as the "Wits Rifles or the Wit Rifles") was formed by proclamation on 1 May 1903 and absorbed the members of the Railway Pioneer Regiment and the Rand Rifles, both of which had fought on the British side during theSecond Anglo-Boer War of 1899 – 1902.

As befitted a regiment based from the gold-richWitwatersrand region, it had a very close relationship with the mining establishment of the time; and its cap badge further emphasised this link.

The regiment first saw action during theBambata Rebellion of 1906, when it deployed a contingent to (the then)Zululand.

In 1907 the regiment was further strengthened when it absorbed the Transvaal Light Infantry Regiment.

The regiment was mobilised again whenWorld War I broke out.

The first action that it took part in was theSouth African invasion ofGerman South-West Africa (now Namibia).

After the successful conclusion of this campaign, virtually all members volunteered for overseas service.

Most of the volunteers were consequently assigned to the 3rd South African Infantry Battalion. (Due to the South African military law of the time, soldiers could not be forced to serve overseas, nor could existing military units be deployed there.) The most well-known action that this unit took part in was the Battle ofDelville Wood in theSomme.

Other members of the regiment served in the Witwatersrand Rifles company of 7th Infantry ACF, which served inGerman East Africa against the forces ofGeneral von Lettow-Vorbeck.

The inter-war years saw the regiment deployed during the1922 Rand Revolt, when rebelliousSouth African Communist Party miners attempted to overthrow the government of GeneralJan Smuts.

In the early 1930s the regiment affiliated with theCameronians (Scottish Rifles) Regiment of theBritish Army. As a consequence, the Witwatersrand Rifles adopted the uniform and many of the traditions of this Scottish Lowland regiment. Despite the Cameronians' disbandment in 1968, the Wits Rifles still continues this heritage today.

As a result of the outbreak ofWorld War II in 1939, the regiment was expanded to twobattalions. However, due to the battalions being used to supply replacements in a piecemeal fashion to depleted South African units taking part in theNorth African campaign, the Witwatersrand Rifles was only deployed as a coherent unit (to Egypt) in 1943.

During its service in North Africa, the Witwatersrand Rifles was amalgamated withRegiment de la Rey. This combined regiment, was nicknamed the "Royal Boere" and saw extensive action in Italy as part of theSouth African 6th Armoured Division, particularly at Monte Caprara and Monte Stanco.

From 1970 until the first all-race democratic elections in 1994, the regiment saw action in theSouth African Border War inSouth-West Africa (now Namibia) and Angola as well as on the South Africa/Botswana border and in South Africantownships.

When conscription ended in 1993, the regiment began an active recruitment drive to maintain reserve troop strength.During South Africa's second democratic election in 1999, the regiment deployed 180 volunteers in support of theSouth African Police Service (SAPS).

Late in its history the Witwatersrand Rifles Regiment attracted volunteers for regular part-time training.

To maintain its Scottish links, the regiment had formed alliances with theCameronians (Scottish Rifles) and theKing's Own Scottish Borderers. Up to the disbandment and name change, members of the regiment continued to maintain their traditional Scottish Lowland uniforms and traditions and uphold very high standards of discipline and effective military training.

The regiment also had an active pipe band as well as one of the top shooting teams in the country and was ably supported by a Regimental Council, a very active Regimental Association and a Ladies Committee up to the point of the renaming process.

The Witwatersrand Rifles Regiment provided troops for internal operations in support of theSouth African Police Service and on the border (as part of Operation Corona) as well as forUnited Nations peacekeeping operations in the DRC and the Sudan.^[1]

In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa.^[2] The Witwatersrand Rifles became theBambatha Rifles, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia.^[3]

The Regiment holds the Freedom of the Cities of Johannesburg and Germiston as well as the town of Barberton.

(This Honorary post officially fell away in 1961 when the Union of South Africa became a Republic)

• HM Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) (1947–1961) (unofficially 1947 – 2002)

• Lt Col.J.E. Capper, RE (1899–1903) (Later Maj Gen. J.E. Capper,KCB KCVO)

• Regimental motto: "Pro Deo et Patria" (For God and Country). This motto was adopted in 1961, when the Republic of South Africa became a republic, prior to 1961 the motto was "Pro Deo et Rege et Patria" (For God, King and Country).
• Regimental march: "Within a Mile O' Edinburgh Town".
• Regimental anniversaries: Regimental Day (1 May), Monte Stanco Day (20 April).
• Regimental Freedoms:Germiston,Johannesburg,Barberton.
• Regimental badge: AMaltese cross within a wreath of tenProtea flowers, with a rifle on each side of the cross. The cross was surmounted by a stringed bugle and in the centre of the cross is a mine shaft in a circlet. At the top of the wreath is the Cameronian Star and on the base of the wreath is a scroll with the inscription "Pro Deo et Patria".
• Regimental headdress:Glengarry or Kilmarnoch with blackhackle.
• Regimentaltartan:Douglas (trews).

As a Rifle regiment, the Witwatersrand Rifles did not carry colours. Instead the honours banner was displayed on the pipes of thePipe Major. The Witwatersrand Rifles had the following battle honours:

• First World War:

South West Africa 1914–1915

• Second World War:

Italy 1944–45, Cassino II, Allerona, Florence, Monte Querciabella, Monte Fili, The Greve, Gothic Line, Monte Stanco, Monte Salvaro, Sole/Caprara, Po Valley, Campo Santo Bridge

Battle Honours

Awarded to Witwatersrand Rifles

•  South Africa –Transvaal Scottish Regiment
•  South Africa –Regiment de la Rey

•  United Kingdom –The Royal Scots Borderers
•  United Kingdom –Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

• Witwatersrand Rifles Regimental History Archive

• South African Army
• Infantry regiments of South Africa
• Military units and formations in Germiston
• Military units and formations established in 1903
• Military units and formations of South Africa in World War I
• Regiments of South Africa in World War II
• Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War

• Use South African English from May 2013
• All Wikipedia articles written in South African English
• Use dmy dates from April 2022
• Articles needing additional references from January 2021
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• Short description matches Wikidata