Looking for information on Regiment Westelike Provinsie

Discussion in 'South African' started by GatoGato123, Oct 21, 2021.

  1. GatoGato123

    GatoGato123 Member

    Hello everyone,

    I am looking for some information on the RWP. Primarily whether or not it was infantry during the second world war, and maybe other information.
     
  2. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    Hi GatoGato123,

    I have extremely limited information and help I can offer, but here I go.

    According to 'THE BLACK BERET – The History of South Africa’s Armoured Forces' a two-volume set, written by Willem Steenkamp, published by Helion [ISBN: 9781910294680 (Vol 1), 9781911512400 (Vol 2)], on pages 206-7 of Vol. 1, it indicates in 1940 that the RWP formed an Armoured Car company designated 12 Armoured Car Company, which was amalgamated with 11 Armoured Car Company (Regiment Sudwestlike Provinsie) to form 5 Armoured Car Regiment. There is no further mention of the RWP in that volume.

    On page 326, of Volume 2, it indicates that Regiment Onze Jan, founded as RWP, was converted to armoured cars in 1954, but reverted to motorised infantry, after 'much lobbying regained its original name along the way'. This would suggest they operated as motorised infantry. I hope this helps a little.

    Mark
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2021
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  3. GatoGato123

    GatoGato123 Member

    Thank you very much Mark, it did indeed help a little.
     
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  4. DianeE

    DianeE Member

    There is more info here
    General Jan Smuts Regiment | Wikiwand
     
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  5. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

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  6. MarkN

    MarkN Banned

    RWP was raised in 1934 as an Afrikaans language infantry unit.

    When volunteers were called for service overseas in 1940, the number who came forward were not sufficient to justify the RWP forming a deployable infantry battalion nor even an amalgamated battalion with another unit. Hence, those that did step forward were 'selected' to rerole into an armoured car company. That body of men deployed overseas but never fought as a unit.

    Long story short, the RWP continued to exist throughout the war in South Africa as a (nominal) infantry unit whilst some of its members served overseas as individuals in armoured cars and later tanks backfilling other units.

    Post WW2, it continued as an infantry battalion for a while before a series of new roles and names came its way.
     
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