Galeshewe Anti-Aircraft Regiment

(PREVIOUSLY REGIMENT VAAL RIVIER) 

The Regiment was established on 1 January 1960 as one of the Afrikaans-medium anti-aircraft units.

The Headquarters of the unit was in Vereeniging. It replaced 1 Anti-Aircraft Regiment which was shortly afterwards dis-established but most of the personnel of the new unit were transferred from the latter.

Regrettably the seniority of 1 AA Regiment did not devolve upon RVR. In March of 1960 the Regiment was undergoing continuous training at Young’s Field when a State of Emergency was declared. Personnel found themselves manning cordons at Lange and Nyanga until the regiment was relieved by Cape Field Artillery.

From the outset the Regiment was a combined 35mm Oerlikon and 40mm Bofors unit but by the beginning of 1975 it had become a three battery 35mm unit of 12 guns per battery.

The unit provided air defence on the SWA/Namibian border in 1976, with batteries at Grootfontein, Rundu, Ondwanga and Ruacana and at Oshakati and once again Ruacana in 1980.

Again called up in 1983 and 1984, it served Oshakati, Ondangwa and Ruacana and was involved in a later cross border operation.

A National Colour was presented to the regiment on 31 October 1992 and a Regimental Colour was presented by the then State President, Mr FW de Klerk, on 24 July 1993.

It had earlier received the Freedom of Vereeniging on 27 April 1963 and the Freedom of Vanderbijlpark on 31 October 1970.

Personnel of Regiment Overvaal were absorbed when the latter was disbanded in 1997. In 2008 the HQ was moved to Apex Military Base, Brakpan and subsequently to Kimberley.

RVR is currently equipped with the OQF 35mm MKV gun.