Established as 1 SA Infantry Training Battalion at Oudtshoorn, (hence the ostrich feathers on the unit insignia) on 26 January 1951, the unit became part of the infantry corps with its establishment in January 1954. The unit was reconstituted as 1 SA Infantry...
Breytenbach attended the Army Gymnasium in 1950, and was awarded the Sword of Peace in 1953 and joined the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm after serving in the Armoured Corps and saw service in the Suez Crisis in 1956. He rejoined the South African Defence Force in 1961 and...
8 South African Infantry Battalion is a mechanized infantry unit of the South African Army. The battalion is equipped with Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) used for fast transport and combat mobility across rough ground. Support weapons for mechanized infantry...
Chris Garland served with distinction with the Rhodesian Light Infantry before joining the SADF as an officer at 121 Zulu Bn (he speaks Zulu fluently). After that, he joined 101 Bn, the Romeo Mike Bn, of the SWATF. In the early 1990s he retired as a Lt Col.
Peter Baxter was the youngest (18 years & 3 months old) Regular Officer Commissioned off a Regular Officer Cadets Course in the Rhodesian Army. This cadet course was extremely lucky to have the training in classical warfare done when Rhodesia had 2 troops of T55...
The Infantry School was established as a self accounting unit on 1 October 1963. On 1 January 1964 the new Infantry School opened its portals in Oudtshoorn. During January 1974 the training of National Service Infantry Leader Group started at this facility.
Simon Campbell-Young, a Craven Week rugby player, posted to Infantry School and then 1 Parachute Battalion, an elite unit, circa1986 to 1987, as a national serviceman. He then became a platoon sergeant in the operational area. Ops Firewood took place on 31 October...
