Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment
| Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment | |
|---|---|
SANDF Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment emblem
|
|
| Active | 1854 to present |
| Country |
 South Africa
|
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| Type | Reserve Artillery |
| Part of |
South African Army Artillery Formation Army Conventional Reserve |
| Garrison/HQ | Kroonstad |
| Motto(s) | Aequo Animo Ac Virtute " Power gives peace of mind" |
| Battle honours |
|
| Insignia | |
| Collar Badge | Bursting grenade with seven flames |
| Beret Colour | Oxford Blue |
| Artillery Battery Emblems |  |
| Artillery Beret Bar circa 1992 |  |
The Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment (Afrikaans for Free State Artillery Regiment) is an artillery 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 Artillery Formation.
In 1854 the Free-State became an independent Republic. The British forces withdrew, leaving behind four 9-pounder garrison guns in the Queen's Fort in Bloemfontein. This was for many years the only ordnance the Free State Republic had. The Free State Artillery Corps was subsequently founded in 1864 on a request by President J.H. Brand and housed in Queen's Fort.
By the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, the corps was commanded by Major FW Albrecht. The unit served on the Western front, Natal front and into the Guerrilla phase of the War in 1902. The unit finally lost its guns to the British at Paardeberg.
In 1922 3 Permanent Battery was formed. This unit was split up on 1 July 1926 into two units namely 4 Burgher Battery and 5 Burgher Battery. In 1932 these two were renamed 1 Oranje-Vrystaat Veldartillerie and 2 Oranje Vrystaat Veldartillerie.
On 1 February 1940 these units were joined as 12th Field Battery and did sterling service in Egypt. They took heavy casualties at Tobruk and El-Alamein.
On 18 April 1946 the unit was renamed 6 Field Artillery Regiment.
Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment was based at Tempe, Bloemfontein, but relocated to Kroonstad in 2007.
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Wikipedia