Natal Mounted Rifles

Natal Mounted Rifles
SANDF Natal Mounted Rifles emblem
Active	1854–Present
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Colony of Natal  Republic of South Africa  Republic of South Africa
Branch	South African Army  South African Army
Type	Armour
Role	Armour / Tank and Mechanised Infantry Regiment
Size	Regiment
Part of	South African Armoured Formation Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQ	Durban
Motto(s)	Rough but Ready
Anniversaries	Regimental Birthday - 23 March each year.
Equipment	Marmon Herrington Mk1V / Ferret armoured cars / Olifant mk1 A and B tanks
Battle honours	Battle Honours Awarded South Africa 1879 South Africa 1899-1902 Defence of Ladysmith Natal 1906 South West Africa 1914 - 1915 Gibeon East Africa 1940-41 Dadaba Western Desert 1941-43 Gazala Springbok Road Paliano Bir Temrad Best Post Alamein Defence El Alamein Italy 1944-45 The Tiber Celleno Florence The Greve Gothic Line Po Valley El Yibo South West Africa/Angola 1975-1976
Website	www.saarmour.co.za
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col M.J. Rowe
Colonel of the Regiment	Lt Col M.J. Rowe
Insignia
Beret Colour	Black
Armour Squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992

The Natal Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation and is based in the city of Durban.

The original and accepted "Parent / Unit" of the Natal Mounted Rifles is the "Royal D'Urban Rangers" which was formed at a meeting of the public in the town of Durban, at "Boltbee's Hotel" on 23 March 1854. Other ante-cedant Units that were then subsequently amalgamated into the NMR since 1854 are as follows:

In May 1868 the Regimental Committee of the Durban Mounted Rifles, presided over by Captain WH Addison, held a meeting to discuss the forming of the Natal Mounted Rifles. The formation of the regiment would entail the amalgamation of four Volunteer Units; Royal D’urban Rangers (1854), Victoria Mounted Rifles (1862), Alexander Mounted Rifles (1865) and Durban Mounted Rifles(1873).

The regiment was re-activated in Durban during February and March 1901 for service in the South African War. It was originally called the 2nd Natal Volunteer Composite Regiment but the name was soon changed to Natal Mounted Infantry. The unit was armed and equipped by the Natal Volunteer Department and horsed by the Imperial Remount Department. The first depot was at Dundee, but, on the unit changing its name, this was transferred to Newcastle.

At the outbreak of WW1, the regiment became the 3rd Mounted Rifles and was attached to the 8th Mounted Brigade with the Central Force in the German South West African Campaign.

On 1 July 1913 the Regiment was re-amalgamated with the Border Mounted Rifles, renamed the 3rd Mounted Rifles (Natal Mounted Rifles) and transferred to the Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence Force. In 1932 the Regiment's name was simplified to The Natal Mounted Rifles and in 1934 it was converted to infantry.