Regiment Mooirivier

Regiment Mooirivier / Molopo Armour Regiment (named after the Mooi River) is an armoured 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 Armour Formation and is headquartered in the South African university town of Potchefstroom.

Molapo Armoured Regiment
SANDF Regiment Mooi River emblem
Active1941 to present
Country South Africa
Allegiance
Branch
TypeArmoured Car Regiment
SizeOne Battalion
Part of
  • South African Armoured Formation
  • Army Conventional Reserve
Garrison/HQPotchefstroom
Motto(s)Semper Prorsum
Ever Forward[1][2]
EquipmentEland 90, Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt Col S.J.B. Brooks
Honorary ColonelColonel Rory Hollins
Insignia
Beret ColourBlack
Armour Squadron emblems
Armour beret bar circa 1992

History

Origin

The Regiment was founded in 1941 as 2 Anti Tank Regiment and re-instituted in 1954 by the first vice-rector of the Potchefstroom University, Professor Fanus du Plessis.[3]

Regiment Mooirivier was re-instituted as 2 Antitank Regiment, South African Army/Active Citizen Force (ACF).

During 1955 the regiment was converted to an armoured car regiment and renamed Regiment Hendrik Potgieter. In 1959 the Regiment was renamed Regiment Mooirivier.[2]

Under the SADF

This unit served in South Africa's various internal conflicts as well as during the South African Border War, including duty in South-West Africa and cross-border raids into Angola between 1975 and 1984. The regiment participated in Operations Askari, Modular, Hooper and Packer. The regiment was equipped with Eland 90s at that stage.

Divisional affiliation

Under the SANDF

82 Mechanised Brigade Division was disbanded, and Regiment Mooirivier was transferred to the new armoured 'type' formation, the South African Army Armoured Formation.

Current equipment

The Regiment currently uses the Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle, equipped with a 76 mm quick-fire gun.

Rooikat Armoured Car

Name Change

In August 2019 52 units of the Reserve Force had their names changed to reflect the diversity of the current SANDF.[4]

This unit had its name changed to the Molapo Armoured Regiment.

Regimental Symbols
  • Regimental motto: Semper Prorsum.

Previous dress insignia
SADF era Regiment Mooirivier insignia

Battle honours
  • None known

Leadership
Leadership
From Honorary Colonel To
7 August 2020 Colonel Gert van der Walt December 2015
From Acting Honorary Colonel To
August 2018 Colonel Rory Hollins MMM Present
From Commanding Officer To
April 1954 Commandant J.S. du Plessis January 1967
January 1967 Commandant C.W.A. Steyn May 1971
May 1971 Commandant C.H. Heenop May 1979
December 1979 Commandant S.G. Greyling December 1987
January 1988 Lt Col. W.H. van Zyl March 2001
May 2001 Lt Col. T. du P Snyman May 2005
May 2005 Lt Col. B.J. de Klerk January 2014
January 2014 Lt Col. H.H-P.J. Stark September 2017
September 2017 Maj. S.J.B. Brooks July 2018
July 2018 Lt Col. S.J.B. Brooks Present
From Regimental Sergeant Major To
April 1954 WO1 P.F. Smit July 1966
July 1966 WO1 S.W. van der Merwe March 1993
April 1993 WO1 W.J. Wagner Present
January 2019 WO1 U.K. Koaishe Present

{Post-end}}

References
  1. http://www.saarmourassociation.co.za/regiment-mooirivier.aspx Archived October 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Fact File: Regiment Mooi Rivier". defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWeb. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. Tylden, Major G (1954). The Armed Forces of South Africa. Frank Connock Publication No 2. Johannesburg: City of Johannesburg Africana Museum.
  4. https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/new-reserve-force-unit-names/


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.