5 South African Infantry Battalion

5 South African Infantry Battalion
Active 1 January 1962
Country  South Africa
Branch  South African Army
Type Motorised infantry
Part of

South African Army Infantry Formation

 
RSA Battalion (FIB) (2014 – 2015)
Parent unit
Components
  • Battalion Headquarters (5 SAI)
  • Alpha Company (5 SAI)
  • Bravo Company (5 SAI)
  • Charlie Company
  • Machinegun Platoon (Call-Sign 50)
  • Mortar Platoon (Call-Sign 60)
  • Reconnaissance Platoon (Call-Sign 90)
  • Engineer Troop
  • Medical Personnel
Garrison/HQ Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Motto(s) Avante!
Equipment Mamba APC
Engagements South African Border War
Insignia
Company level Inisgnia
SA Motorised Infantry beret bar circa 1992
SA Motorised Infantry beret bar

5 South African Infantry Battalion is a motorised infantry unit of the South African Army.

History

Based in Ladysmith

5 SAI was established on January 1, 1962 at Ladysmith, Natal Province.[1] The battalion became operational on the 1 April 1962.[1]

The Insizwa Proficiency

5 SAI had a very unusual proficiency in the 1970s, called the Insizwa, the Zulu word for a strong young man. The criteria required that only sharpshooters on a tabel 4 level were allowed to compete. A 2,4 km run had to be done under ten mins with battle kit on, followed by 20km route march also with battle kit. The route march would end at the 200 meter firing line where the competitor would have to shoot 8 shots in the bull. The soldier would also have to successfully complete all other shooting exercises with a 80 % success rate.

SADF 5 SAI Insizwa proficiency

Bushwar

5 SAI took part in Operation Savannah during 1975 in Angola,[1] and deployed companies continuously on rotation to the operational area, taking part in many of the large operations across the border into Angola in the years which followed, right up to the withdrawal of South African forces from Namibia in 1989.

Peacekeeping on the continent

In 2009, the battalion was one of several South African units who took part as peacekeepers in the United Nations Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).[2] The battalion was deployed again in May 2014 to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade.[3]

SANDF's Motorised Infantry

SANDF’s Motorised Infantry is transported mostly by Samil trucks, Mamba APC’s or other un-protected motor vehicles. Samil 20,50 and 100 trucks transport soldiers, towing guns, and carrying equipment and supplies. Samil trucks are all-wheel drive, in order to have vehicles that function reliably in extremes of weather and terrain. Motorised infantry have an advantage in mobility allowing them to move to critical sectors of the battlefield faster, allowing better response to enemy movements, as well as the ability to outmaneuver the enemy.

Insignia

Previous Dress Insignia

Standard Dress
5 SAI beret badge 
5 SAI Nutria shoulder flash with Natal Command Bar 
5 SAI Stapel belt 

Current Dress Insignia

Standard Dress
SANDF Infantry wide shoulder flash 

Leadership

Leadership of 5 South African Infantry Battalion
From Commanding Officers To
1962-04-01 Cmdt M.N. Horner 1963-07-30
1963-08-01 Cmdt H.K.J. Van Noorden SM 1966-09-28
1966-09-29 Cmdt J. Marshall MC 1968-08-07
1968-08-08 Col M.N. Horner 1968-09-15
1968-09-16 Cmdt J.P.F. Botha 1970-06-24
1970-06-25 Cmdt G.P.H. Kruys SM 1973-08-16
1973-08-17 Cmdt L.C. vd B. Heap 1975-03-31
1975-04-01 Cmdt A.J.M. Joubert 1976-12-01
1976-12-02 Cmdt D. C. Benade 1977-12-30
1977-12-31 Cmdt T.J. Van Schalkwyk 1981-01-02
1981-01-03 Cmdt K.V. Harris 1983-12-31
1984-01-01 Col K.V. Harris 1986-12-31
1987-01-01 Col M.S. Smuts 1989-12-31
1990-01-01 Col J.B. Pieterse 1992-12-31
1993-01-01 Col P.M. Smythe MMM 1995-05-05
1995-05-06 Col S.P. Zeeman MMM 2000-08-04
2000-08-05 Lt Col V.E. White 2004-12-31
2005-01-01 Lt Col N.P. Bobelo 2007-12-31
2008-01-01 Lt Col C. Els 2011-10-23
2011-10-24 Lt Col S.T. Hloka c. 2013
c. 2013 Lt Col M. Dyakopu 2014
From Regimental Sgts Major To

Roll of Honour

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 This person is marked on the Fort Klapperkop Memorial wall with an * as having died during operations or in combat.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Fact file: 5 SA Infantry Battalion". defenceWeb. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "SA Army Infantry Formation". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "5 South African Infantry Battalion Deploys to DRC". African Defence. African Defence. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 Dovey, John. "SA Roll of Honour: 5th South African Infantry". justdone.co.za. Just Done Productions Publishing. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 29, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.