[Traist]

Hi Brian, this is great info. You must forge ahead with this project. It is needed. Have a great day. Andrew

Originally Posted by Brian Conyngham

Hi Andrew

I am yet to find a close up picture of the DGA wearing insignia in WW1. However as the DGA were made up of NFA gunners of all ranks I have often considered that they might well of worn the NFA badge the same way the Cape Garrison Artillery wore the Cape Colony badge during WW1. It would make me a happy collector to one day verify this.

See below for some info on the DGA that comes out a manuscript I have been compiling for 10 or more odd years on SA Artillery regiments and formations.

Regards
Brian

Durban Garrison Artillery (DGA). The DGA was raised in 1912 from personal of “A” and “B” Batteries of the Natal Field Artillery under Lt-Col. C Wilson as a unit of the Union Defence Force (UDF). Strength consisted of six officers and 75 other ranks. It was the Second Division of the South African Garrison Artillery (SAGA), the First Division of the South African Garrison Artillery being the Cape Garrison Artillery. The Durban Garrison Artillery initially manned four 15-pounder guns mounted on the concrete gun-pits on Durban’s Bluff, which had been abandoned a few years previously by the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and another emplacement at the “Back Beach” opposite to where Natal Command is today. These “Back Beach” gun emplacements still exist today minus their armaments.

In August 1914 within 13 months of being formed they mobilized and manned the batteries defending Durban Harbour under war conditions at the outbreak of the World War 1. In 1915 it supplied men for “N” Battery armed with 6-inch 30-cwt howitzers for service in German South West Africa, and also for “K” Heavy Battery under Lt. Vowles. K. Battery with two 12 pr. Naval guns on field carriages with ox draught, served with Berrange’s Eastern Force, which moved across the desert into the south-east of German South West Africa.

After the German South West African campaign these troops became available for service in other War theatres, including France. In France many of these Natal gunners formed a large part of the 75th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery and because of this they became known as the 75th Natal Siege Battery RGA.

By 1918 the Durban Bluff garrison had been upgraded with two 6-inch guns, and two 3-inch QF Naval guns in new emplacements and were manned by the members of the Durban Garrison Artillery.

In 1921 their duties were taken over by the South African Permanent Garrison Artillery, staffed mainly by Permanent Force members and by the outbreak of the World War 2 the various garrisons had been once again been upgraded. It was due to the effective coastal defences along the coast that no German raiders ever engaged any targets at our ports during the war years.