Regiment Westelike Provinsie
| Regiment Westelike Provincie | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1 April 1934 to present |
| Country | South Africa |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Mechanised infantry |
| Size | One battalion |
| Part of |
South African Infantry Formation Army Conventional Reserve |
| Garrison/HQ | Cape Town |
| Motto(s) | "Non Sibi Sed Patriae" – "Not For Ourselves, But For Our Country" |
| Anniversaries | 1 April (Regimental Day) |
| Commanders | |
| Honourary Colonel | Capt. G.S. van Niekerk (Col) |
| Insignia | |
| Company level Insignia |  |
| SA Mechanised Infantry beret bar circa 1992 | |
Regiment Westelike Provincie is a mechanised infantry 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.
Regiment Westelike Provincie (R.W.P) (originally called Regiment Westelike Provinsie), is one of eight Afrikaner-oriented Traditional Citizen Force infantry units raised by the Union Defence Force on 1 April 1934, as part of a programme to rebuild the UDF after the Great Depression. It was based in the country town of Stellenbosch, 45 kilometres (28 mi) outside Cape Town, and recruited its members from the surrounding districts of the western part of the Cape Province. At that time, Citizen Force service was voluntary.
The new Regiment lost no time in ensuring that the inner man was cared for and in 1936 the first specially bottled R.W.P brandy was produced. The much honoured tradition of toasting the Regiment and dignitaries in pure, undiluted R.W.P brandy is still in use today.
The National Party-voting Western Cape districts generally did not support South Africa's involvement in World War II. In spite of this R.W.P was able to muster enough men who were willing to go on active service. The Regiment mobilised on 1 September 1940 and became No. 12 Armoured Car Company, South African Tank Corps. After months of training in this new role, No12 Armoured Car Company was amalgamated with No. 11 Armoured Car Company (RSWD) Regiment Suid Westelike Distrikte, to form 5th Armoured Fighting Vehicle Regiment, South African Tank Corps. The Regiment moved to Egypt in September 1941 but was disbanded on 13 October 1941 after arrival. The personnel were used as reinforcements for depleted armoured car regiments already operating in the Western Desert with whom they participated in many of the well known battles in North Africa like Sidi Rezegh, Bir Hakeim, Gazala, and El Alamein.
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