Overview: Military Heraldry

The South African National Defence Force is the most heraldically prolific organisation in South Africa. It has its own heraldry department, and nearly every unit, squadron and ship has its own heraldic device. Hundreds have been created over the past thirty years or so.

Background
The development of South African military heraldry can be traced back to 1664, when the Cape Colony's militia force adopted blue and white flags. The earliest known examples of designs on shields date from the 1780s.

Modern military heraldry might be said to have begun with the helmet flashes which the Union Defence Forces introduced in 1923. These established arm-of-service colours still used today. Quasi-heraldic devices were assigned to the commando units in 1938, and some were converted into unit coats of arms in the 1970s. World War II (1939-45) saw the adoption of cloth formation signs by the army, squadron emblems and unit badges by the air force, and ships' badges by a few naval vessels. These insignia were not heraldic or even systematic, but after the war the defence force gradually brought them under control.

Until the late 1940s, the UDF used the services of the College of Arms in London, but this arrangement was terminated by the Afrikaner nationalist government which took office in 1948, and in 1954 the UDF established its own heraldry section.

In the 1970s, both the army and the air force introduced unit coats of arms. Many of the army arms showed the influence of the pre-war helmet flashes.

At least 1000 army, airforce, navy, and military health service arms and other insignia have been registered at the Bureau of Heraldry. However, their blazons aren't published in the Government Gazette, and nor are they included in the Bureau's armorial database on the National Archives website.

Characteristics
The army began to adopt cloth shields as sleeve patches in 1966. They were replaced by enamelled metal shields in 1973. Artillery, anti-aircraft, infantry, armoured, and commando (home defence) units have individual arms, but in the other branches there are standard designs which are differenced for individual units.

The air force also introduced shields in the late 1970s. There are standard designs for the arms of command headquarters, air force bases, air servicing units, security squadrons, and voluntary air squadrons.

The navy continues to use its RN-style system of badges. Until the early 1970s, badges were individual, but since then a basic badge has been designed for each class of ship, and it is differenced for each vessel in that class.

Legal Protection
Defence force arms are protected under both the Defence Act and the Heraldry Act. It is a punishable offence under the Defence Act to wear or use military insignia without permission, and the penalties are (i) a fine and/or (ii) a term of imprisonment. As the SANDF is a state organisation, the Heraldry Act protects its arms as "official arms", and anyone who uses, wears, sells, barters or trades in unauthorised representations can (i) be stopped by means of a court order, and/or (ii) be sued for damages of up to 1000 rands, and/or (iii) be prosecuted and fined up to 1000 rands.

References/Sources/Links

South African Heraldry Website © Arthur Radburn