Regiment De Wet

Regiment de Wet was an infantry battalion of the South African Army. As a reserve force unit, it had a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit.

History
Regiment de Wet was one of six Afrikaans-speaking Citizen Force regiments established as part of the expansion of the then Union Defence Force of South Africa. The regiment was named after the Orange Free State Boer War commandant, Christiaan de Wet. The regiment’s headquarters was located in Kroonstad, a large town in the Orange Free State and a vital railway junction which gave some strategic importance. Recruits were enlisted from the entire Orange Free State province. The Regiment was used to reinforce the ranks or Regiment President Steyn during World War two, both of which were infantry units at the time.

Disbandment and incorporation
Regiment President Steyn was converted to an armored car regiment and in 1975 to a tank regiment but Regiment de Wet remained infantry. Regiment de Wet was finally absorbed into Regiment Bloemspruit around April 1997.

Battle honours
The unit also served in numerous deployments in the Border War in SWA/Namibia

Freedom of the City
Freedom of Kroonstad