South African badge ID

[Jean-Loup]

Anyone recognise what this is?
JL

[Jean-Loup]

I think its south African, because of the bilingual inscriptions.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,
it is South African, I cannot remember what though...

[leigh kitchen]

It's Regiment Botha, formed 1st April 1934.

Named after Louis Botha, the Boer War (as we like to call it) Commander in Chief & first Prime MInister of the Union of South Africa.
The HQ was at Morgenzon, Eastern Transvaal, the 2nd Battalion were based at Petersburg.
The regiment fought in East Africa, North Africa & Italy during WWII.

This looks like a locally manufactured or workshop cast version?

[Jean-Loup]

Ah! At last a real pro has spoken. thanks for the tip. Any other regimental trivia availlable? (I will try a google myself)

I didnt even know what this was from, so I dont know if its local or not. Maybe you want to see the back?

[Jean-Loup]

I tried a google search, and there was a different insignia shown for the Botha. A star in a wreath. Are you sure about your info? Did they have two different insignias one after an other? I didnt manage to find any details about the unit. Does anyon,e know any?


JL

[leigh kitchen]

I'm not clued up on these badges, but this is the only design I've ever seen in illustrations or in the hands of dealers - maybe there are differences in detail, I don't know, but I've only seen this general design of star & wreath.

The badge does represent a star (with an image of Botha on it) in a wreath (of Proteas, South Africa's national flower), it's just that the wreath is in the form of a pentag
gon rather than a circle or oval, so the leaves run in straight lines between the points of the star.

I would think that this badge is a cast version made because of a lack of supplies of die struck ones, or perhaps there were some official issues cast rather than struck?

[Jean-Loup]

This is the image I found on the web, for the Botha regiment.
JL

[leigh kitchen]

Never seen that one before, but the badge that you have is definitely Regiment Botha.

I can't quote a reference at the moment, but the privately published book "The Military Badges Of Southern Africa" by Colin Owen will probably show the badge.