While Marcus is taking us to sea with the SA Navy, I’ve been looking at the arms of the Army’s commando units, which existed until recently. There were about 275 of these home defence units - one in each district and several in each city. Most had unit coats of arms, which collectively form an interesting branch of this country’s heraldry.
Many were fairly bland - simply a buck, a bird, a tree, or a flower on a coloured field - but some were more imaginative. I’ve put together a small selection, using images which I’ve collected from the Bidorbuy (www.bidorbuy.co.za) and African Military Collection (www.the-amc.co.za) dealer websites.
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo1.jpg
Alexander Bay Commando - this small Northern Cape town’s economy is based on alluvial diamond mining.
Barberton Commando - the flower is a Barberton daisy. The dog is ‘Jock of the Bushveld’, a fox terrier owned by Percy Fitzpatrick when he was a transport rider in the region in the 1890s. Fitzpatrick’s book about Jock, published a century ago, is a SA classic.
Boegoeberg Commando - a nice canting design: the name means ‘Buchu mountain’. Buchu is a medicinal plant.
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo2.jpg
Broederstroom Commando - the atom no doubt alludes to the Pelindaba nuclear reactor near the town.
Bronkhorstspruit Commando - ‘spruit’ means ‘stream’. I’ve no idea what the plant is.
Caledon River Commando - the river forms part of the boundary between the (Orange) Free State and (Northern) Cape provinces. In SA military heraldry, the OFS is represented by Tenné or Or, and the Cape by Gules.
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo3.jpg
Delareyville Commando - the town and district were named after the Boer general Jacobus de la Rey, who was known as ‘the lion of the Western Transvaal’. I wonder if the rayonny border is a cant on ‘rey’, which is pronounced ‘ray’?
Durban North Commando - the seahorse probably comes from the Umhlanga civic arms (Umhlanga is a seaside town north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal).
Gately Commando - this unit was in the port city of East London, from whose civic arms the rising sun no doubt comes. The strange-looking creature in chief is a coelacanth, a prehistoric fish which was thought to be extinct until one was found off East London in the 1930s. It is on display in the city museum.
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo4.jpg
Hoopstad Commando - this Free State farming district produces mealies and breeds Afrikander bulls.
Letaba Commando - to quote a description of these arms: "the representation of a Modjadji palm, and the suggestion of water and mountains link this commando with the realm of the rain queen." The traditional "rain queens", all of whom are styled Modjadji, live in this region of what is now Mpumalanga province.
Otjiwarongo Commando - I think the unusual-looking charge must be one of the vicious thorns that grow on trees in this district in what is now Namibia.
Thank you very much Arthur, as I have Black and White drawings of these Arms I have be looking for information regarding the colours. So this post is most welcome.
Some more:
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo5.jpg
Paarl Commando - Paarl is a wine- and fruit-growing district north of Cape Town. This is an interesting coat of arms: the gryphon comes from the Paarl civic arms (which are based on those of the Dutch barons Van Reede tot Drakenstein); the wagon-wheels represent the town of Wellington, originally called Wagenmakersvallei (Wagon-makers’ Valley); the arches represent the monument to the 17th-century French Huguenot settlers at Franschhoek; the partition line is based on the gables found on old Dutch colonial farmhouses in the district; and the tinctures are those of the infantry.
Riversdale Commando - the aloe plant is found in many districts along the southern and eastern Cape coasts.
Secunda Commando - this town in Mpumalanga is the site of a plant which manufactures oil and petroleum from coal. Sable lozenges (‘black diamonds’) often represent coal in SA heraldry.
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo6.jpg
South Coast Commando - jackals aren’t very common as heraldic charges. To quote from a description which I found, jackals are clever, cunning, and effective - "characteristics which are all to be found in the commando system."
Springbok Commando - this Northern Cape mining town, surrounded by mountains, is in a region famous for its wild flowers, which are a major tourist attraction. Once again, the tinctures are those of the infantry.
Van Rhynsdorp Commando - this Western Cape country town is also in the wild flower region. The elephant’s head no doubt alludes to the Olifants River which flows through the district.
And the last half-dozen:
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo7.jpg
Vereeniging Commando - this town is situated on the Vaal River, which forms the boundary between the (Orange) Free State and Transvaal provinces.
Warmbaths Commando - the town (now called Bela-Bela) was named after the hot mineral springs in the area. I’m guessing that the rayonny edges of the pale in the arms are an allusion to the warmth of the water in the ‘fountains’.
Waterberg Commando - the name means ‘water mountain’, which no doubt explains the dancetty line and the colour scheme.
http://www.geocities.com/heraldrysa/Forum/comdo8.jpg
Wepener Commando - this (Orange) Free State district produces wheat. The bugle horns, which were in the old provincial arms, are the badge of the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange.
Worcester Commando - the town was named after the Marquess of Worcester (family name: Somerset), and the portcullis comes from the civic arms, which derived them from the crest of the Somerset family arms, dating from 14th century England.
Zastron Commando - I’m guessing that the sun alludes to the district’s location in the east of the (Orange) Free State province.
Marcus K;70077 wrote:
Thank you very much Arthur, as I have Black and White drawings of these Arms I have be looking for information regarding the colours. So this post is most welcome.
Glad the pics have come in useful.
Yes they where much appreciated.
