"South African Brigade in World War One" Topic

Hey all,

Does anyone have any information about the uniform/insignia of any of the four South African regiments that served at the Somme during WW1? I'm assuming they wore the same uniform as the rest of the Brits, but I am looking for a way to differentiate them from other units in my collection.

If anyone has any info or pics, please let me know.

Thanks!

Jared

There was a South African General -- Smitts or Smutts that served as a British Staff officer for a time. He wrote at least one memoir of the war, perhaps more. Might want to see if you can find this.

mjc

Here ya go.

The General I was trying to remember was Jan Smutts.

link

Was Smuts (1 "t") ever on the Western Front? I thought he spent all of his time (after South West Africa) in German East Africa. He was CinC for that campaign. I think he later served on some Imperial War Cabinet, but not in Europe.

I dunno exactly how Smutts spent his time.

I first ran across him when he was in London during the Gotha raids. He was asked to prepare a plan to counter the Gotha raids and subsequently prepared a paper for the Brit Government. I thought this a curious assignment to be bestowed upon a former Boer commando leader.

So . . . I do know he spent time in London -- how much? No idea.

They were part of the 9th (Scottish) Division for the Somme, so I suspect if they were wearing anything especially distinctive it would have been the divisional patch, which, later in the war, was a blue thistle set in a white circle inside a black square. Thta said, I don't think that divisional sign would have been in existence at the time of the Somme. Uniforms were still relatively plain at that time.

The Osprey makes reference on units within 9th Div in 1916 using coloured arc shaped company patches worn on the upper sleeve. Red for A; B, yellow; C, blue and D coy, green. Whether the South Africans followed suit I have no idea.

The brigade did have a distinctive cap badge, a gazelle inside a ring. Australians called this 'the goat in the porthole'.

Sorry not much but hope that helps.

They wore British uniform in Europe, one of the regiments wore a kilt like Scottish ones.

link

Jan Smuts was a very good Boer general who advised the British in W1 and W2, his statue stands in Parliament Square btw.

Their WW1 memorial is at Delville Wood, there are somem pictures there.

It was a sprinbock looking through laurel leaves, and Australians are just rude and uncouth :)