The fallen remembered

The annual Witwatersrand Rifles Parade and Commemoration Service was held at the regiments headquarters Fort Bear in Germiston, recently.

This year’s ceremony was named “Operation SWA 1914-1915” after the battle honour which was awarded to the regiment after World War One (WW1).

The Witwatersrand Rifles was formed in 1903, out of the Railway Pioneer Regiment, which was founded in 1899 and saw service in the Anglo Boer War.

The Witwatersrand Rifles celebrated 112 years in service this year with the Germiston based regiment still serving the country.

An example of this is the members currently on deployment in the Sudan.

The regiment’s members were drawn mainly from the mining industry across the Witwatersrand, and it was mobilised on

Tuesday, August 18, 1914, with a total of 751 personnel, including officers and NCOs, for active service in German South West Africa (SWA), now Namibia.

Witwatersrand Rifles was the first of the Active Citizen Force units to be sent to SWA to engage the Germans after the declaration of war.

The regiment distinguished itself in WW2, being awarded a further 13 battle honours and subsequently served in the SWA border war, as well as undertaking internal deployments.

In later years, the regiment completed numerous peacekeeping deployments in Africa, as well as border protection duty.

It is supported by a very active regimental association, which meets monthly at the headquarters.

During the ceremony Col John Job reminded the regiment to be thankful they are active and needed in the South African army.

The day also marked the handing over of command to Major Albert Mabotha Mosehlana.

The day’s proceedings ended with an emotional wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph.