School of Artillery (South Africa)
| School of Artillery | |
|---|---|
SANDF School of Artillery Emblem
|
|
| Active | 1934 – current |
| Country |
 South Africa
|
| Branch |
 South African Army
|
| Role | Artillery training school |
| Part of | South African Army Artillery Formation |
| Garrison/HQ | Potchefstroom 26°40′16″S 27°04′28″E / 26.67099°S 27.07446°ECoordinates: 26°40′16″S 27°04′28″E / 26.67099°S 27.07446°E |
| Motto(s) |
Per Scientiam Vires (Strength through Science) |
| Insignia | |
| Collar Badge | Bursting grenade with seven flames |
| Beret Colour | Oxford Blue |
| Artillery Battery Emblems |  |
| Artillery Beret Bar circa 1992 |  |
The School of Artillery is the South African Army's specialized artillery training school
Before the establishment of a South African artillery school in 1934 there were a number of earlier artillery training establishments. The first was formed at the Cape in August 1786 with Lt. Louis-Michel Thibault, later better known as an architect, as head of the ‘Militaire School’. It did not operate for long.
Almost a hundred years later an artillery school was proposed by Capt W E Giles, Royal Artillery, in a document submitted to the Cape Colonial Government in March 1880. It was not accepted.
On 14 September 1912 when the five regiments of the SA Mounted Rifles were about to be established, a School of Gunnery was opened at Auckland Park, Johannesburg, in the lines of the Transvaal Horse Artillery. Its purpose was to train officers and NCO’s for the first three permanent batteries that were to be established. The school closed down when war broke out in 1914 after only two courses had been completed.
The next artillery training institution was the Artillery Training Depot, established at Wynberg Camp, Cape Town, in August 1915 to train the artillery batteries that fought in East Africa, and later in Palestine.
A corps of South African Artillery was established by proclamation on 1 September 1934 to incorporate all the Permanent and Citizen Force units. And on 7 September the two batteries lost their battery status and were formed into an Artillery Training Depot, armed with 4.5 inch howitzers, 18-pdrs and 3.7 inch howitzers.
The Depot staff was responsible for the training of all artillery recruits and all artillery units, except Cape Field Artillery (CFA), which was the responsibility of the Cape Command Training Depot.
By August 1935 the Artillery Training Depot was organized as a Depot Headquarters with three batteries. And on 24 October 1936 the title was altered to that of ‘Artillery School’. War was declared on 6 September 1939 and with no suitable area near Pretoria for gunnery practice the School moved to Potchefstroom.
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Wikipedia