117 Battalion

January 2015 117 Battalion SADF 117 SA Battalion shoulder flash version 2.png 200 117 Battalion emblem 1993-1997 South Africa 1928 South Africa 1981 Motorised infantry South African Army Infantry Corps Soekmekaar Tiro sano Buffel APC, Samil 20 Lt Col L Scheepers, Lt Col P de Vos Viljoen, Lt Col T Snyman 200px Company level insignia thumb|SA Motorised Infantry beret bar SA Motorised Infantry beret bar circa 1992 111 Battalion was a motorised infantry unit of the South African Army. History Origin of the black battalions By the late 1970s the South African government had abandoned its opposition to arming black soldiers.http://sabctrc.saha.org.za/reports/volume2/chapter5/subsection9.htm Truth Commission - Special Report - TRC Final Report - Volume 2, Section 1, Chapter sabctrc.saha.org.za By early 1979, the government approved a plan to form a number of regional African battalions, each with a particular ethnic identity, which would serve in their homeland or under regional SADF commands.Nöthling C. J. Steyn L. The Role of Non-Whites in the South African Defence Force Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies 1986 16 2 10.5787/16-2-457 4754 https://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/457/484 free thumb|right|300px|Location of the 100 Battalions in relation to their respective homelands Development of the Lebowa Defence Force Two additional Northern Sotho Battalions were established, the 117 and the 118. Troops for 117 SA Battalion were recruited from the self-governing territory of Lebowa. Higher Command 117 Battalion initially resorted under the command of Group 45 but was eventually transferred to Group 14 at Pietersburg.Matloa Abbey Oupa February 2015 The formation of the SANDF: Integration experiences of former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei Defence Force Members https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/18829/dissertation_Matloa_AO.pdf University of South Africa center|thumb|140px|SADF Group 14 emblem The unit's HQ were situated in Soekmekaar with companies "deployed" in "steunpunte" or platoon base's throughout Lebowa. Alpha Company had its HQ in Seshego at the platoon one base, platoon two was based in Mankweng (close to the University of the North and Moria mountain of the ZCC) and platoon 3 was based in Ga-Matapo. Disbandment 117 Battalion was converted into a training unit around 1997 and was finally amalgamated into 3 South African Infantry Battalion as part of the new SANDF. Insignia center|thumb|600px|SADF era 117 Battalion insignia Notes Peled, A. A question of Loyalty Military Manpower Policy in Multiethinic States, Cornell University Press, 1998, 0-8014-3239-1 Chapter 2: South Africa: From Exclusion to Inclusion References 2 South Africa Category:Infantry battalions of South Africa Category:Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War Category:Military units and formations established in 1993 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1997