- Kaffrarian Rifles
The Kaffrarian Rifles (now the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles (BVR)) is an
infantry regiment of theSouth African Army . As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a BritishTerritorial Army orUnited States Army National Guard unit. It is headquartered in the city of East London.History
This unit was formed in East London in 1876, as the "Buffalo Corps of Rifle Volunteers", for service in the 9th Frontier War. It disbanded in 1879. (East London is situated on the Buffalo River, hence the name).
The unit was re-formed in July 1883 and was named after the region of
Kaffraria , the 19th-century name for the region around East London. There had previously been many other units from this region, from which the Regiment can also claim descent: Kaffrarian Volunteer Corps, Kaffrarian Mounted Rifles (Kaffrarian Rangers), Buffalo Volunteer Rifles Corps, Buffalo Volunteer Engineers, Kaffrarian Volunteer Artillery Corps, Berlin Mounted Volunteers, Cape Mounted Yeomanry (1st Regiment), Frontier Mounted Riflemen (Brabant's Horse), East London Volunteers (Von Linsignen's Buffalo Corps and later Walkers Horse).In 1913 it was embodied in the Citizen Force as the "5th Infantry (Kaffrarian Rifles)", but regained its old name in 1932. The unit was temporarily amalgamated with the
First City regiment, as the "First City/The Kaffrarian Rifles" from 1954 to 1956. In order to keep pace with the changing political climate in South Africa, the regiment was renamed the "Buffalo Volunteer Rifles" in 1999.This Regiment and its predecessors took part in all of South Africa's armed conflicts, including the
Bechuanaland Campaign (1897), theSecond Boer War ,World War I (when it fought in the thenGerman South-West Africa and most of its members went on to serve inEast Africa andEurope ),World War II (when it fought in the Western Desert during 1941 - 1943) as well as in South Africa's "Border War" during 1975 to 1986 (when it fought inSouth-West Africa ,Angola andZambia ).Regimental symbols
* Current regimental colour (since 2001): a dark green background with embroidered in the centre a wreath of ten
protea s and twoking protea s. Beneath the wreath and above the ribbon is analoe with five blooms. This symbolises the BVR link with the Border region, the fact that some of its members areXhosa s from the greaterEastern Cape , and its status of the 5th Infantry Regiment from 1913 to 1933. Within the wreath is the regiment'sMaltese cross (symbolic of the regiment'sKing's Royal Rifle Corps and German affiliations, as many of the Regiment's 19th century members were of German extraction) with a buffalo head in the centre, surrounded by two concentric circles. Between the circles the regimental motto, "Nunc animus" (meaning "Now with courage" or "Now without fear") is inscribed. At the top of the regimental crest is a powder horn, symbolizing the link with the BritishRoyal Green Jackets regiment.
* East London bestowed thefreedom of the city on the regiment on25 May 1957 .Alliances
*GBR -
The Rifles Battle honours
* Gaika-Gcaleka 1877
*Bechuanaland 1897
* South Africa 1899 - 1902
*South-West Africa 1914 - 1915
* Western Desert 1941 - 1943
* Bardia (Due to almost the complete regiment being captured atTobruk in June 1942, no furtherWorld War II battle honours were awarded.)
* South-West Africa/Zambia 1979
* South-West Africa/Angola 1975 - 1976
* South-West Africa/Angola 1976 - 1989The regiment claims four more battle honours, which have not been acknowledged:
*Transkei 1879
* Transkei 1880 - 1881
*Basutoland [1880 - 1881
*Wepener (during the Second Boer War)
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