The South African Infantry Corps is the largest combat corps within the South African Army.
The unit originated as the Infantry Branch of the Union Defence Forces in 1913.
In 1915, the defence forces established the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force for war service outside southern Africa. It included the South African Infantry, comprising twelve battalions, and the Cape Corps, comprising two battalions of Coloured volunteers. These units were disbanded in 1919.
The Infantry Branch was enlarged in 1934, and the mounted rifles regiments were converted to infantry in 1935.
In 1943, the Infantry Branch was incorporated into the new South African Armoured Corps, which was divided into armour and infantry branches after World War II. In 1954, the SAAC's infantry branch, and the personnel of the South African Instructional Corps, were formed into the South African Infantry Corps.
In 2000 the Corps became known as the Army Infantry Formation.
Read more about South African Infantry Corps: Units, Alliances
Famous quotes containing the words south, african and/or corps:
“I don’t have any doubts that there will be a place for progressive white people in this country in the future. I think the paranoia common among white people is very unfounded. I have always organized my life so that I could focus on political work. That’s all I want to do, and that’s all that makes me happy.”
—Hettie V., South African white anti-apartheid activist and feminist. As quoted in Lives of Courage, ch. 21, by Diana E. H. Russell (1989)
“The treatment of African and African American culture in our education was no different from their treatment in Tarzan movies.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)
“Ce corps qui s’appelait et qui s’appelle encore le saint empire romain n’était en aucune manière ni saint, ni romain, ni empire. This agglomeration which called itself and still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire was in no way holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.”
—Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)