SA Badge Cards

[Milmed]

Hi Dudley,
You can use any of the info. I can also forward larger pics to you if needed.

Steven

[Arthur R]

Your collection of badge cards is very impressive, Dudley. Once finalised, they would make an interesting guidebook.

Some additional information which may be of interest :

ASC and PSC
- SA Administrative, Pay & Clerical Corps was formed on 1 February 1923 and incorporated into the Q Services Corps in November 1939; the QSC was renamed 'Administrative Services Corps' in November 1949, and was given a new badge in 1954
- Finance Services Corps was established on 1 July 1972, it became the tri-service SA Military Finance Service in 1975, and reverted to the army and its original name on 1 August 1979
- Personnel Service Corps was formed on 1 July 1975, following the disbandment of the ASC.

Dukes/Cape Town Rifles
- the metal shoulder title dated "1932-50" is still worn today, so can be dated "1932-date"
- the cloth shoulder title dated "1940s-60" was worn by officers and WOs until the mid-1970s, and was revived around 1990 for wearing on the nutria pullover.

Pretoria Highlanders : disbanded around 2000.

Q Services Corps : formed on 10 November 1939 by amalgamating (a) the SA Service Corps, (b) the SA Administrative Pay & Clerical Corps and (c) the stores branch of the SA Ordnance Corps; renamed 'Administrative Services Corps' in November 1949; disbanded on 30 June 1975 and replaced with Personnel Services Corps, Ordnance Services Corps and SA Corps of Professional Officers.

Rand Light Infantry : WWII "marriages" (as they quaintly termed the temporary amalgamations) were (a) with the Dukes 1943-45 to form "1 DEOR/1 RLI" and (b) with 1 TS in 1945 to form the "DSR" ("Dukes/Scottish/Rand").

Regiment Bloemspruit/Regiment Dan Pienaar : 2nd battalion RBS became a separate unit, as RDP, on 1 June 1978.

Regiment Smuts/RNN
- Regiment Smuts was established on 1 July 1951 (Gen Smuts had died nine months earlier)
- renamed 'Regiment Noord Natal' in January 1960, as part of a general renaming of CF regiments
- the coat-of-arms badge was worn when it was Regiment Smuts (they are Smuts family arms), and the eagle badge was adopted some time after the change of name
- I don't think the regiment still exists.

Regiment University Stellenbosch : established on 1 January 1954 as Regiment Tobie Muller, renamed 'Regiment Universiteit Stellenbosch' on 1 January 1960, disbanded 1997.

Regiment WP : the helmet flash is upside down : provincial colour (red) should be on top.

SA Corps of Signals : established in the ACF on 1 October 1923 and in the PF on 18 October 1946.

SA Ordnance Corps/OSC
- SAOC was established on 1 February 1923, the stores having previously been run by the PF Staff and civilians
- it was divided into stores and technical branches in 1933
- in 1939, the stores branch was incorporated into the new QSC, and the technical branch became the T Services Corps
- OSC is not so much a "continuation" of the SAOC as a revival, as it arose out of the disbandment of the ASC in 1975.

SA Service Corps : established as a branch of the CF on 1 January 1913 and as a branch of the PF on 1 February 1923, incorporated into the Q Services Corps on 10 November 1939.

[Brian Conyngham]

Originally Posted by Arthur R

Your collection of badge cards is very impressive, Dudley. Once finalised, they would make an interesting guidebook.

Some additional information which may be of interest :

ASC and PSC
- SA Administrative, Pay & Clerical Corps was formed on 1 February 1923 and incorporated into the Q Services Corps in November 1939; the QSC was renamed 'Administrative Services Corps' in November 1949, and was given a new badge in 1954
- Finance Services Corps was established on 1 July 1972, it became the tri-service SA Military Finance Service in 1975, and reverted to the army and its original name on 1 August 1979
- Personnel Service Corps was formed on 1 July 1975, following the disbandment of the ASC.

I was called up to Services School in June 1978 and those of us who were to be trained into the PSC side of things were were given the new "Baby $&%* " colour berets as they were known, however, we were still issued the old ASC badge. The chefs and stores personal wore blue berets with the old ASC badge. It was not until about 1980 that the new Crane "bottle opener" badge made its appearance for PSC staff. I was never issued with one and continued to wear my old ASC badge but with a green beret as I had been transferred to a Motorised Brigade, the OC insisted we wear green infantry berets as HQ staff.

Brian

[milhistry]

This confirms what I have seen in photographs c. 1980/81 where the ASC badge was still being worn.

The PSC beret was officially called 'Cranberry' I think, though I think the unofficial 'pampoenkleur' (pumpkin-coloured) is I think more apt.

I was always under the impression that the PSC badge was a Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius). A crane would also make sense though as the Blue crane (Anthropoides paradiseus) was South Africa's National Bird once-upon-a-time.

[Arthur R]

AFAIK, the PSC badge is indeed a secretary bird's head, being appropriate for an administrative branch.

I too recall the old ASC "varkpan" badge being worn by PSC and OSC members for quite a few years after the ASC had been split up.

[Brian Conyngham]

Apologies..... yes Secretary Bird for PSC.