6 South African Infantry Battalion

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6 South African Infantry Battalion
SADF 6 SAI emblem.jpg
6 SAI emblem
Active1 January 1962
CountryFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Allegiance
Branch
TypeAir assault infantry
SizeBattalion
Part of South African Army Infantry Formation
Garrison/HQ Grahamstown, Eastern Cape
Motto(s)Aliis Melius
Engagements
South African Border War
Part of South African Army
Operations
Peacekeeping
Part of United Nations Force Intervention Brigade
Commanders Lt Col Altin John Gysman
Operations
  • Kibati
  • Triple Towers
  • Niyabiyondo
Commanders
Current
commander
Lt Col Altin John Gysman
Insignia
Company level insignia SA Army Company Insignia.png
SA Motorised Infantry beret bar circa 1992
SA Motorised Infantry beret bar SA motorised infantary beret bar.jpg
SA Motorised Infantry beret bar

6 South African Infantry Battalion is an air assault infantry unit of the South African Army.

Contents

History

6 SAI was established on 1 January 1962, at Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. [1] The new training unit was housed on the property previously used by 44 Air School established by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

Bush War/ Namibia

The battalion became operational in 1970. [1] 6 SAI took part in Operation Protea and Operation Daisy in Angola. [1]

SADF 6 SAI Commemorative letter SADF 6 SAI Commemorative letter.jpg
SADF 6 SAI Commemorative letter

1984 Grahamstown riots

The Unit was involved in quelling the 1984 Grahamstown riots. [2] The army had been called in to assist the South African Police who had failed to contain the situation.

Air Assault Infantry

The battalion has since become an air assault infantry unit specifically trained to deploy via helicopters. [1]

The battalion was deployed in April 2013 to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade and also in Mozambique under Operation Vikela 2023-2024. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Battle for Kibati

In 2013, 850 members of 6 SAI were part of the United Nations (UN) Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) authorised to use lethal force to achieve peace in the DRC. 6 SAIs involvement in the FIB saw the defeat of the M23 rebel group during the Battle of Kibati and other skirmishes. The first elements moved into the DRC on 28 April 2013 and the rest following from 15 June, with all 850 South African troops ready for action by 18 June. [10] [11]

Special Forces elements such as snipers were also attached to 6 SAI. When the FIB came under mortar fire, 6 SAI established an observation post at the triple towers site and engaged enemy targets up to 1400 meters. [12]

Freedom of Grahamstown

On 28 August 2014, after their return from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the battalion was honoured with a Freedom of the City parade through Grahamstown. [13]

Leadership

6 SA Infantry Battalion Leadership
FromCommanding Officers - 6 SAI BNTo
21 January 1962Cmdt S.J. Terblanche31 July 1963
1 August 1963Cmdt M.N. Horner19 December 1963
20 December 1963Cmdt H.N. Norton18 September 1966
19 September 1966Cmdt F.A. Patten30 November 1967
1 December 1967Cmdt C.J. Lloyd1 November 1968
2 November 1968Cmdt H.F.P. Riekert29 September 1972
30 September 1972Cmdt E.J.J. Nel11 January 1976
12 January 1976Cmdt G.C.MG. Fourie19 April 1979
20 April 1979Cmdt M.J. Grobler31 December 1981
1 January 1982Cmdt F. Oelschig18 October 1984
FromCommanding Officers - 6 SAI Training UnitTo
18 October 1984Cmdt F. Oelschig28 February 1986
1 March 1986Cmdt P. J. Stroebel31 December 1990
FromCommanding Officers - 6 SAI BNTo
1 January 1991Cmdt G. P. Nel20 December 1991
21 December 1991Cmdt H. D. Du Plessis17 December 1993
18 December 1993Lt Col J. Du Buisson8 December 1995
9 December 1995Lt Col E. R. Rabie7 July 1999
8 July 1999Lt Col A. P. J. Du Preez31 January 2008
31 August 2008Lt Col M.S. Gopane18 March 2010
18 March 2010Lt Col S.S. Ntsunguzi23 February 2012
23 February 2012Lt Col Altin J. Gysman29 January 2019
29 January 2015Col V.D. Maseko22 February 2017
22 February 2017Lt Col M.A. Saki2017
2017Lt Col Yandisa GaxeniaPresent
FromRegimental Sergeants Major - 6 SAI BNTo
8 January 1962WO1 P. J. Grove31 December 1963
1 January 1964WO1 F. P. Smit31 December 1964
1 January 1969WO1 D.J. Maritz16 June 1964
17 June 1974WO1 J. J. Gous31 December 1979
1 January 1980WO1 D. J. Oosthuizen31 December 1981
1 January 1982WO1 J. M. Goodrich18 October 1984
FromRegimental Sergeants Major - 6 SAI Training UnitTo
18 October 1984WO1 J.M. Goodrich31 December 1987
1 January 1988WO1 W. van Onselen31 December 1990
FromRegimental Sergeants Major - 6 SAI BNTo
1 January 1991WO1 J.F.E. Van Zyl1993
1993WO1 W.R. Botha1998
1999WO1 C.C. Richardson2008
10 October 2008MWO C. H. "Cassie" CoetzeePresent

Insignia

Previous Dress Insignia

SADF era 6 SAI insignia SADF era 6 SAI insignia ver 2.jpg
SADF era 6 SAI insignia

Current Dress Insignia

SANDF era Infantry Formation insignia SANDF era Infantry Formation insignia.jpg
SANDF era Infantry Formation insignia
Air Assault
(Qualification)
SANDF Qualification Air Assault badge embossed.png
Black on Thatch beige, Embossed
Small Helicopter with wings

Notes and references

    1. 1 2 3 4 Engelbrecht, Leon (2 March 2010). "Fact file: 6 SA Infantry Battalion". Defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWeb. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
    2. Cowell 1984.
    3. Nsele,S
    4. "5 South African Infantry Battalion Deploys to DRC". African Defence. African Defence. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
    5. Olivier, Darren (29 August 2013). "The FIB Goes To War". African Defence Review. African Defence Review. Retrieved 25 September 2014. At 07h50 yesterday morning, the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) fired the opening shots of the first ever direct attack on rebel forces in UN peacekeeping history.
    6. Stupart, Richard. "The Last Days of M23". AfricanDefence.net. AfricanDefence.net. Retrieved 25 September 2014. It was an assault that few DRC cynics thought possible. Last week, with the assistance of the United Nations's newly established Force Intervention Brigade, troops from the FARDC drove the M23 rebel faction to the Ugandan border and forced what has been effectively their total and unconditional surrender.
    7. Olivier, Darren (30 October 2013). "How M23 was rolled back". AfricanDefence.net. African Defence Review. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
    8. Olivier, Darren (1 May 2014). "Casualties in APCLS attack on MONUSCO/FARDC positions". Africandefence.net. African Defence Review. Retrieved 24 September 2014. The SANDF soldiers … stood their ground and defended their position with great courage and determination.
    9. Hofstatter, Stephan; Oatway, James (22 August 2014). "South Africa at war in the DRC - The inside story". Times Live. Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
    10. "Grahamstown welcomes back 6 SAI peacekeepers from DRC". 1 September 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
    11. Olivier, Darren (30 October 2013). "How M23 was rolled back". African Defence Review. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
    12. "South African SOF Sniper Kills Rebels at 2125m - SOFREP". NEWSREP. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
    13. "6SAI honoured in Grahamstown parade". Daily Dispatch. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.


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