17 Field Artillery

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17 Field Artillery Regiment
SADF era 17 Field Artillery emblem.png
17 Field Artillery Regiment emblem
Active1975–1991
Country South Africa
Allegiance
  •  Republic of South Africa
Branch
  •  South African Army
TypeRegular artillery
RoleField Artillery
SizeRegiment
Part ofSouth African Army Artillery Corps
Army Conventional
Garrison/HQPretoria University of Pretoria Campus, Poynton Building
Motto(s)Eminus Ferimus (From a distance)
EngagementsSouth African Border War
Battle honoursSouth-West Africa
Artillery Battery EmblemsSANDF Artillery Battery emblems
Artillery Beret Bar circa 1992SANDF Artillery Beret Bar

17 Field Artillery Regiment was a reserve South African Artillery unit.

History[]

17 Field Artillery Regiment was formed in 1975 as a Citizen Force unit in Pretoria.

17 Field was originally an offshoot of the Regiment University of Pretoria.

Divisional Support[]

It was a new artillery counter-insurgency unit whose purpose was to provide support for 73 Motorised Brigade from 1975 to 1991. 17 Field Artillery also assisted 81 Armoured Brigade.

Artillery Type[]

The term was not quite descriptive of this unit which comprised a number of artillery elements such as field guns, medium mortars and a locating artillery element being essentially radar. It could also be referred to as a .

Commanders[]

  • Commandant M. van Rooyen
  • Commandant K.R.W. Harrison
  • Commandant A.H. van Tonder

Operations[]

17 Field Regiment received indirect operational experience when it received experienced national servicemen returning from SWA and Angola. Members also did service as infantry in the operational area. The first actual operation duty for the regiment occurred in 1982 when a battery under command of Capt H.J. Bootha was sent to Sector 70. Another battery was sent as well to Sector 10 as Infantry to fill a strength requirement for the Brigade. A battery under Commandant Botha was also sent to the border in Sector 10 in 1988. The expected operation did however not occur.

Renamed[]

17 Field Artillery was also known as the Pretoria Artillery.

Amalgamation[]

17 Field Regiment was eventually amalgamated into the Transvaalse Staatsartillerie in October 1991.

Insignia[]

17 Field Regiment beret badge

Freedom of the City[]

References[]

  • Further reading: Wilsworth, Clive. First In, Last Out: The South African Artillery in Action: 1975–1988. 30 Degrees South. ISBN 978-1-920143-40-4.


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