The infantry regiments were raised with men from the four provinces of the Union: the 3rd Regiment troops were from the Transvaal and the then Rhodesia. Many volunteers for the B Company originated from the Witwatersrand Rifles Regiment while C Company were men from the Rand Light Infantry. Most of the recruits already had military training or experience. They were, in general, middle class, well-educated and well-bred men.
It was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel E.F. Thackeray.
The regiment was led by serving officers of the Union Defence Force, while the whole of 1st South African Brigade part of the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force coming under the command of Brigadier-General Henry Lukin DSO, a previous Inspector General of the UDF. The Brigade was attached to the 9th (Scottish) Division.
After formation, the 3rd Regiment departed Cape Town on a number of ships between 28 August and 17 September 1915 and sailed for Great Britain. Once disembarked, they travelled to their new base at Bordon Camp in Hampshire. Here they began three months of training to bring them up to combat readiness with the expectation then being they would enter the fighting in France at some point in early 1916.
However, their orders were changed at short notice towards the end of their training and on 30 December 1915 they boarded ships in Devonport and sailed for Egypt. Here they would take part in Senussi Campaign, fighting in the action of Agagia where 14 men died.
After their deployment in Egypt, the 3rd Regiment was deployed to France where it helped capture the village of Longueval and was deployed in the adjacent Delville Wood on 15 July 1916. The regiment then served with the Brigade at Arras during April 1917 and was part of the offensive at Ypres and Passchendale in September 1917. It was disbanded on 18 February 1918 due to a shortage of recruits.
South African Army Units
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| Air Assault Infantry | |
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| Seaborne Infantry | |
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| Light Infantry | |
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| Mechanised Infantry | |
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| Motorised Infantry | |
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| Training | - School of Artillery (South Africa)
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| Reserve | |
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| Training | - School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa)
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- Army Support Bases (Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, Kimberley, KZN, Limpopo, Potcheftstroom, Western Cape, Mpumalanga)
- Mobilisation Centre
- Main Ordnance Depot
- National Ceremonial Guard
- Logistical Support Unit
- General Andrew Masondo Maintenance Unit
- Madiba Bay Maintenance Unit
- 15 Maint Unit
- Other Maintenance Units
- Doman Field Workshop
- General Sipho Binda Field Workshop
- Sabelo Phama Field Workshop
- Chris Hani Field Workshop
- Sekhukhune Field Workshop
- Ngungunyane Field Workshop
- Other Field Workshops
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| Regular | - 1 Signal Regt
- 2 Signal Regt
- 3 Signal Regt
- 4 Signal Regt
- 5 Signal Regt
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| Reserve | 6 Signal Regt - Gauteng Reserve Signal Unit
11 Field Postal Unit - Western Cape Signal Unit
- Kwa-Zulu Natal Signal Unit
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| Commands | |
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| Corps | |
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| Divisions | |
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| Brigades | - 16 Brigade (see 81 Armoured Brigade)
- 17 Brigade (see 71 Motorised Brigade )
- 18 Brigade (see 72 Motorised Brigade)
- 19 Brigade (see 82 Mechanised Brigade)
- 20 Brigade
- 60 Brigade (Battlegroups HQ Lohatla)
- 71 Motorised Brigade SADF era
- 72 Motorised Brigade SADF era
- 73 Motorised Brigade SADF era
- 74 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 8th Armoured Division)
- 75 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 9th Division)
- 81 Armoured Brigade SADF era
- 82 Mechanised Brigade SADF era
- 83 Brigade (planned but never existed)
- 84 Motorised Brigade SADF era
- 10 Artillery Brigade SADF era
- Other brigades
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| Battlegroups | |
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UDF and SADF
Regiments and Battalions | |
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| Homeland Battalions | |
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| Military Areas | | Training Areas | - Boschhoek
- Grahamstown
- Hellsgate
- Mosita
- Pomfret
- Riemvasmaak
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| UDF and SADF Commando System | |
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| State Presidents Guard | |
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| Mobilisation Units (Reception Depots) | |
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Bantustan Defence Forces (1977/1981–1994) |
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Bophuthatswana Defence Force
1977–1994 | - 1 BDF Infantry Battalion
- 2 BDF Infantry Battalion
- BDF Parachute Battalion
- BDF Military School
- BDF Special Forces
- 1 BDF Military Area
- 2 BDF Military Area
- 3 BDF Military Area
- BDF Signals Unit
- BDF Bafokeng base
- BDF Mankwe base
- BDF Odi base
- BDF Thaba'Nchu base
- BDF Taung base
- BDF Air Wing
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Venda Defence Force
1979–1994 | - VDF Headquarters Sibasa
- 1 VDF Battalion Manenu
- 2 VDF Battalion Maunavhathu
- VDF Vuwani Military Base
- VDF Signals Unit
- VDF Air Wing
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| Ciskei Defence Force 1981–1994 | - 1 CDF Battalion
- CDF Special Forces
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Transkei Defence Force
1981–1994 | - 1 TDF Battalion
- TDF Special Forces
- TDF Mounted Battalion
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- Regular Infantry Battalions
- 31/201 Battalion
- 33/701 Battalion
- 34/202 Battalion
- 35/101 Battalion
- 301 Battalion
- 36/203 Battalion
- 37/102 Battalion
- SWATF Brigade
- 91 Reaction Force Brigade
- 41/911 Battalion/Regiment Windhoek
- 912 Battalion/Regiment Erongo
- 913 Battalion/Regiment Namutoni
- 91 Armoured Car Regiment
- 91 Composite Field Regiment
- 91 Engineers Squadron
- 91 Field Ambulance
- 91 Mobilisation Centre
- 91 Technical Workshop
- 91 Maintenance Workshop
- Support Structures
- Logistics Brigade
- SWA Mil School
- SWA Military Academy
- Special Forces
- 1 SWA Specialist Unit
- 2 SWA Specialist Unit
- 1 SWA Parachute Battalion
- Air Component
- 1 SWA Commando Squadron
- Alte Feste Commando (SWATF)
- Aranos Commando (SWATF)
- Auob Commando (SWATF)
- Bo-Nossob Commando (SWATF)
- Etosha Commando (SWATF)
- Gobabis Commando (SWATF)
- Grootfontein Commando (SWATF)
- Hochi Commando (SWATF)
- Karasburg Commando (SWATF)
- Keetmanshoop Commando (SWATF)
- Maltahohe Commando (SWATF)
- Mariental Commando (SWATF)
- Okanhanja Commando (SWATF)
- Omaruru Commando (SWATF)
- Oranjemund Commando (SWATF)
- Otjiwarongo Commando (SWATF)
- Outjo Commando (SWATF)
- Rehoboth Commando (SWATF)
- Swakopmund Commando (SWATF)
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Union Defence Force 1912–1957 |
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| Brigades | - 1st Reserve
- 4th Field
- 7th Motorised
- 1st Armoured
- Field Artillery
- Coast Artillery
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| Citizens Batteries | - 1st Citizen Battery
- 2nd Citizen Battery
- 3rd Citizen Battery
- 4th Citizen Battery
- 5th Citizen Battery
- 6th Citizen Battery
- 7th Citizen Battery
- 8th and 9th Citizen Batteries
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| Military Districts | - 1st (Cape Town)
- 2nd (Port Elizabeth)
- 3rd (East London)
- 4th (Pietermaritzburg)
- 5th (Durban)
- 6th (Standerton)
- 7th (Potchefstroom)
- 8th (Johannesburg)
- 9th (Pretoria)
- 10th (Kroonstad)
- 11th (Bloemfontein)
- 12th (Prieska)
- 13th (De Aar)
- 14th (Worcester)
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World War I 1914–1918 |
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| Europe Campaign 1914–1918 | |
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| East Africa Campaign 1914–1915 | - 1st Infantry ACF
- 2nd Infantry ACF
- 5th Infantry ACF
- 9th Infantry ACF
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| German South West Africa Campaign 1915 | |
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Volunteer Militias 1903–1909 |
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Non-Statutory Forces 1961–1994 |
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Colonial Armies 1885–1902 |
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Union of South Africa 
Southern Rhodesia
United Kingdom
South Africa portal
