1 Special Service Battalion

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 1 Special Service Battalion


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dates= 1 May 1933 - present
country= South Africa
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branch= South African Army
type= Armoured
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motto= "Eendrag Maakt Mag" (Unity is Strength)
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equipment= Ratel armoured personnel carriers
Rooikat armoured cars
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battles= World War II
South African Border War
Operation Boleas
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1 Special Service Battalion (usually abbreviated to "1SSB") is an armoured regiment of the South African Army and only one of two such in its regular forces. The Regiment is based at Tempe near Bloemfontein.

History

The Special Service Battalion was formed on 1 May 1933 as a training unit and a means of employment for young men. It converted to armour in 1943.

As part of the 11th South African Armoured Brigade, South African 6th Armoured Division, 1SSB took part in World War II, seeing service mainly in Italy.

After World War II, the SSB became a training unit.

1SSB also took part in the South African Border War, serving in South-West Africa and Angola.

More recently, the unit also took part in Operation Boleas, which was a South African intervention in its neighbouring country of Lesotho in 1998.

1SSB had a sister unit for a number of years in the post-World War II era, designated "2 Special Service Battalion", which was based in the town of Zeerust. This unit has now been disbanded.

Equipment

The regiment is equipped primarily with Ratel armoured personnel carriers and Rooikat armoured cars.

It will most likely be re-equipped with new Hoefyster armoured personnel carriers (Finnish Patria AMVs) in the near future.

Regimental Symbols

*The cap badge is a spray of three protea flowers, bound by a ribbon bearing the initials and motto.
*Regimental motto: "Eendrag Maakt Mag" (Unity is Strength)

Alliances

*GBR - 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

Battle honours

*Italy 1944 - 1945
*Florence
*Gothic Line
*Celleno
*The Greve
*Po Valley
*Kunene
*South-West Africa 1975 - 1976
*South-West Africa 1976 - 1989

Future

This unit will together with 1 SA Tank Regiment form the Armoured Brigade of the new Mechanized Division to be formed under Army vision 2020.