Umvoti Mounted Rifles

The Umvoti Mounted Rifles (named after the Umvoti River) is an armoured regiment of the South African Army. As a reserve unit, it has a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Territorial Army or United States Army National Guard unit. It is part of the South African Army Armour Formation and is based in the town of Pinetown.

History
On 16 May 1864 the Umvoti Mounted Rifles (UMR) was founded in Greytown as the Greytown Mounted Rifles. There were some 45 men in the original unit, under command of Capt A.S. Wyndham who was also the Magistrate of Greytown at the time. The Umvoti Mounted Rifles was formed in 1893 at Greytown, Natal by the redesignation of the left Wing of the Natal Carbineers. On 1 July 1913 the Regiment absorbed the Zululand Mounted Rifles, was redesignated the 4th Mounted Rifles (Umvoti Mounted Rifles) and transferred to Active Citizen Force of Union Defence Force. In 1934 the Regiment was redesignated as the Umvoti Mounted Rifles and converted to infantry.

The Natal Mounted Rifles served in the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), the Zulu Rebellion (1906–1907), World War I (specifically in South-West Africa from 1914 to 1915), World War II and South Africa's post-war internal conflicts and "Border War".

Regimental Symbols

 * Regimental motto: Toujours prêt.
 * The Umvoti Mounted Rifles Hall is the oldest hall in Greytown. It was built in 1880 as a Masonic Hall, but later became the headquarters of the Regiment. It is currently used by the Greytown public works department.

Alliances

 * 🇬🇧 - The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish)

Battle honours

 * South Africa 1879
 * South Africa 1899-1902
 * Relief of Ladysmith
 * Natal 1906
 * South West Africa 1914-1915
 * Gibeon
 * Western Desert 1941-43 (Note: AS virtually the whole Regiment was captured at Tobruk in June 1942, there were no more World War II battle honours.)