Chief Albert Luthuli Regiment
| Regiment de Wet Chief Albert Luthuli Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Regiment de Wet emblem | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Allegiance |
|
| Branch | |
| Size | Battalion |
| Part of |
|
| Garrison/HQ | Kroonstad |
| Motto | "Trouheid hou die wag" (Loyalty will protect us) |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | CALR |
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Chief Albert Luthuli Regiment (formerly Regiment De Wet) is a reserve infantry battalion of the South African Army.
History
Origins
Regiment de Wet was one of six Afrikaans-speaking Citizen Force regiments established in 1934 as part of the expansion of the then Union Defence Force of South Africa.[1]
The regiment was named after the Orange Free State Boer War commandant, Christiaan de Wet.
The regiment's headquarters was located in Kroonstad,[1] a large town in the Orange Free State and a vital railway junction that gave some strategic importance,[2] and recruits were enlisted from the entire Orange Free State province.
World War 2
In June 1940, the regiment, volunteered 117 men, and was used to reinforce the ranks of Regiment President Steyn, and the later included men from the Louw Wepner and the Oranje-Vrystaatse Veldartillerie regiments, during World War II, the two former were infantry units at the time.[1] It served in Egypt and Libya.[1]
Reorganisation
In 1960 it was renamed Noord-Vrystaat, but resumed its original name on 1 September 1966.[1] Regiment President Steyn was converted to an armored car regiment and in 1975 to a tank regiment but Regiment de Wet remained infantry.
Incorporation
Regiment de Wet was absorbed into Regiment Bloemspruit around April 1997.[3]
Name change
After having been raised again; in August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa.[4] Regiment De Wet became the Chief Albert Luthuli Regiment, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia.[5]
Battle honours
The unit also served in numerous deployments in the Border War in SWA/Namibia
Freedom of the City
Freedom of Kroonstad
Leadership
{Officer Commanding: Lt Col A. M Mosehlana from 10 November 2023 to Date RSM: MWO M. G. Mokgothotso from 01 January 2021 to date}
Regimental emblems
Dress Insignia
Roll of Honour
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Standard encyclopaedia of Southern Africa / 4 Dev - For. Vol. 4. Internet Archive. Cape Town: Nasou. 1971. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-625-00320-4.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ↑ "South African Unit Profiles". warinangola.com.
- ↑ "Fact file: Regiment Bloemspruit". 17 June 2010.
- ↑ "New Reserve Force unit names". defenceWeb. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ↑ "Renaming process has resulted in an Army structure that truly represents SA". Independent Online. South Africa. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.