SOUTH AFRICA DEFENCE FORCE, ARMY FLAGS 1951-94

SOUTH AFRICA

FLAGS OF THE ARMY • 1951-94

The South African Army adopted a distinctive flag in 1951 and its basic design remained unchanged until 1994. The field was "chili red," the Army branch color, with the 1928 national flag as a canton. In the lower fly was placed the Army's badge, a springbok's head. This badge was modified in 1966, when the artistic rendition of the springbok was changed and crossed swords were added. In 1973, the national flag canton received a white fimbriation and the badge was changed again to depict the springbok's head within a representation of the Castle of Good Hope. This fortification, constructed by the Dutch in the seventeenth century, is the oldest military installation in South Africa. The 1994 SA Army Flag retained the chili red field and badge of the 1973 flag, but with the new South African national flag in the canton. A swallowtailed version of the 1951-66 flag served as the car flag of the commanding general of the Army and was probably updated along with the Army flag. General officers with command appointments had a swallowtailed car flag striped like the 1947-66 SADF flag.

Flags for the various branches of the Army were introduced in the 1970s. All displayed the springbok's head in white on a triangular chili red field at the hoist, with the remainder of the flag being horizontally striped in the branch colors. The Commando Organization was South Africa's citizen militia, a voluntary part-time reserve force charged with local defense and internal security.

Flag Proportions: Most 1951-94 SA Army flags had 2:3 proportions. The branch flags, however had approximate 3.5: 2 proportions.

Images Added November 2024

Branch Flags: Mechanized Infantry Units, Antiaircraft Artillery, Reconnaissance Corps