Military Wiki
Regiment Universiteit Oranje-Vrystaat
SADF era OFS University Regiment emblem
Emblem of the Regiment Universiteit Oranje-Vrystaat
Active 1960 – c. 1974
Country Flag of South Africa South Africa
Allegiance
  • Flag of South Africa 1928-1994 Republic of South Africa
Branch
Type Artillery
Size Regiment
Part of South African Army Artillery Corps
Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQ Pretoria
Insignia
Collar Badge Bursting grenade with seven flames
Beret Colour Oxford Blue
Artillery Battery Emblems SANDF Artillery Battery emblems
Artillery Beret Bar circa 1992 SANDF Artillery Beret Bar

The Regiment Universiteit Oranje-Vrystaat (University of the Orange Free State Regiment) was an artillery regiment of the South African Artillery. As a reserve unit, it had a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. It was part of the South African Army Artillery Corps.

History[]

In the 1950s in South Africa, military units were attached to each large university. The University of the Orange Free State acquired an artillery capability. The concept was for long term students to complete their obligatory military training in these units. Training would also be organised so as not to unduly interfere with university work.

This unit could be considered a offshoot of the Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit as that unit's Survey Battery was transferred to the University of the Orange Free State in the early 1950s.[1]

A survey battery would set up the gun line for cannons through determining the horizontal and vertical locations of each piece so that plotting could occur on a firing chart and accurate data correlated.[2][3]

Students completing their academic courses were transferred mainly to the Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment, a active citizen force regiment which had a close association with the University.

This unit was finally amalgamated with 6 Field Regiment around 1974.[4][5]

Insignia[]

SADF era OFS University Regiment insignia

References[]

  1. Crook, Lionel. Regiment Potchefstroom University. p. 28. https://www.gunners.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/The-Gunner-book1-1.pdf. 
  2. Dictionary of Missile and Artillery Terms, 1982, Major Gener5al AP Bogetskiy, Colonel Kusnetsov, Lieutenant Colonel AP Shapovalov; Chief Editor Lieutenant General of Artillery G Ye Perelel'skiy. Foreign Technology Division Translation FTD-ID(RS)T-1988-80
  3. The Development of Artillery Tactics and Equipment, Brigadier AL Pemberton, 1950
  4. "Welcome to the South African Unit Profiles". War in Angola. http://www.warinangola.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1239&ParameterString=south%20african%20army&ParameterString2=Artillery. 
  5. Otto, W (1983). "UBIQUE - THE GUNNERS OF SOUTH AFRICA". pp. 62–76. Digital object identifier:10.5787/13-3-552. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/552/584. 

External links[]

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The original article can be found at Regiment Universiteit Oranje-Vrystaat and the edit history here.