Rand Light Infantry

Rand Light Infantry
File:Rand Light Infantry (RLI) cap badge.gif
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Republic of South Africa Republic of South Africa
Branch	South African Army South African Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Light Infantry
Part of	South African Infantry Corps Army Conventional Reserve
Motto	Vincit qui patitur (He conquers who endures)
Engagements	World War I World War II South African Border War
Battle honours	German South West Africa 1914 – 1915 Western Desert 1941 – 1943 Bardia Gazala El Alamein Alamein Defence
Website	http://1rli.wordpress.com/
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col John Mellitchey
Insignia
Company level Insignia
SA Motorised Infantry beret bar circa 1992	SA Motorised Infantry beret bar

The Rand Light Infantry (RLI) is an infantry regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve unit or United States Army National Guard unit.

History

The history of this Regiment dates back to the Transvaal Cycle Corps, which was formed in Johannesburg on 1 October 1905 from the Bicycle Section of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment. A small section of this unit subsequently took part in the suppression of the Bambata Rebellion in Zululand.

After its return from this conflict the unit recognised the possibilities of mechanisation and members of the Regiment manufactured three armoured cars, creating a motorised fighting unit. This led to the renaming of the unit in 1909 to the Transvaal Cycle and Motor Corps.

On 1 July 1913 the Regiment was renamed the 11th Infantry (Rand Light Infantry) and transferred to the Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence Force. Simultaneously, the unit was converted to a normal infantry regiment. The Regiment's Pretoria detachment was transferred to the 12th Infantry (Pretoria Regiment).

During World War I the Regiment took part in the South-West Africa, suffering light casualties – only two dead and eleven wounded.

In 1932 the Regiment was renamed the Rand Light Infantry.

The RLI was mobilized for World War II in June 1940 and gained fame in North Africa where it took part in many front line engagements and earned battle honours at Bardia, Gazala and El Alamein. (See 1st SA Infantry Division) After the defeat of Rommel’s Afrika Korps, the RLI returned to South Africa and was merged with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Rifles. The remaining members of the Regiment were trained in armour, and sent as reinforcements to the South African 6th Armoured Division in Italy.

The Regiment took part in the South African Border War.

Regimental Symbols

• Regimental motto: "Vincit qui patitur" (He conquers who endures)
• The RLI were allied to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1932. This alliance later fell into abeyance but was resurrected in April 1995, when the Regiment became allied with The Light Infantry Regiment
• Regimental March: One and All and Trelawney.
• Regimental slow march: Duke of York and Preobajensky March.
• Regimental double march: Keel Row.

Alliances

• United Kingdom – The Rifles

Battle honours

See also: List of South African Battle Honours

The RLI has been awarded the following Battle Honours:

• South West Africa 1914-1915
• Western Desert 1941 – 1943
• Bardia
• Gazala
• El Alamein
• Alamein Defence

Leadership

Leadership

From	Colonels in Chief	To
1906	Field Marshall, His Royal Highness, The Duke of Connaught KG KT GCSI GCMG GCIE GCVO	1942
1947	Her Royal Highness, The Princess Margaret	n.d.
From	Honorary Colonels	To
1910	Col Sir William van Hulsteyn KT VD	1939
1940	Col A.D. Viney	1968
1971	Col G.B. Brown JCD MC || n.d.
From	Commanding Officers	To
1905	Lt Col H.A. Woolf	1909
1909	Lt Col G.H. Hamilton-Dickson MVO || 1912
1912	Lt Col J.M. Fairweather DSO || 1915
1915	Lt Col W.J. Thompson DSO VD Croix de Guerre	1920
1920	Lt Col J.H. Blaney DSO DCM	1922
1923	Lt Col W.A. Abbott VD	1925
1925	Lt Col W.A.D. Cherrington VD	1927
1927	Lt Col H.E. Jackson DCM VD	1931
1931	Lt Col W.J. Endean MC	1932
1932	Lt Col A.A. Hayton DSO VD	1937
1937	Col J.O. Henrey MBE VD	1942
1942	Lt Col A.C. Thomas	1943
1944	Amalgamated with CTR	1945
1946	Lt Col C.D. Hancock ED	1950
1950	Cmdt W.P.F. Clark ED	1955
1955	Cmdt G.B. Brown JCD MC || 1962
1963	Cmdt R.S. Munton JCD || 1966
1967	Cmdt B.G. Simpkins JCD with 30 Yr Clasp || 1969
1969	Cmdt J.D. Vos SM JCD || 1975
1975	Cmdt A.B. Dalgleish JCD || 1977
1977	Cmdt J.M. Smuts JCD || 1980
1981	Cmdt C.E. Story JCD || 1983
1983	Cmdt Kevin G.E. Mulligan	n.d.
n.d.	Lt Col John Mellitchey	Present
From	Regimental Sergeants Major	To
1906	RSM E. Evans	1910
1911	H.A.E. Hall	1914
1914	S. Piggott	1917
1918	A.H. Miller	1923
1924	J.S. Porter	1925
1925	D. Suttie	1925
1925	R.G.B. Heydenrych	1928
1929	H.R. Lahner	1942
1942	G. Trobridge	1943
1944	Amalgamated with CTR	1945
1946	G.C. Webb	1947
1948	V. Dove	1951
1952	D.N. Rathbone	1962
1963	E.L. Hansen	1964
1964	J.H. Honey	1967
1968	J.L. Keene PMM || 1979
1980	S. Rogoff JCD || 1984
1985	N.P. Wegener	n.d.

External links

• RLI Roll of Honour
• Rand Light Infantry Blog
• RLI Facebook page
• Lt Col Kevin Mulligan Past Commanding Officer