Oudtshoorn origin With its establishment as 1 SA Infantry Training Battalion at
Oudtshoorn on 26 January 1951, the unit became part of the
infantry corps. In 1953, the unit consisted of: • a headquarters with companies at: • 1 SAI itself in Oudsthoorn as A Company, • 1 SSB in
Bloemfontein as B Company; • 4 Field Regiment in
Potchefstroom as C Company; and • a supply & transport company, an attempt at all arms training. The unit was reconstituted as 1 SA Infantry Battalion in November 1967 and moved to its current base at Tempe near
Bloemfontein, in November 1973.
1 SAI in the development of modern mechanised infantry By 1976, infantry operations had transformed drastically when the Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) was introduced, with the first Ratel course presented by then Major
Roland de Vries in November at 1 SAI. In 1977, 1 SAI received its first consignment of 42 Ratel IFVs, along with a redesigned shoulder flash, depicting a wild honey badger. For the next four years, mechanised infantry leadership students shared the same lines as 1 SAI's conventional companies, but were required to wear a
nutria brassard on the right arm with a green and yellow embroidered honey badger insignia in order to stand out and ensure
Espirit de Corps. The training wing, identified as the T&D Wing, was where all students attended the same course until the Section Leaders Phase had been completed, where they were then awarded their Lance Corporal stripes and then placed with regular rifle companies. The rest of the future NCOs also received their stripes and future Officers received their white Candidate Officer's tabs. These students were then evaluated and split into the Mechanised Platoon Commanders Course and Specialist Instructors Course. These platoon commanders were destined to either become future leaders of 1 SAIs rifle companies or instructors at the Training Wing, while the Specialist Instructors would become Officers and NCOs responsible for training Ratel gunners and drivers. The Platoon NCOs were responsible for the support of the vehicles, platoon weapons and signal equipment of a specific platoon. Platoon sergeants were responsible for the training and discipline of an allocated platoon. By January 1981, the training wing had been renamed to the Mechanised Leadership Wing and moved to the Akkedisdorp premises outside the lines of 1 SAI and next to 1 SSB. The distinctive honey badger student brassard was discontinued during this period. The mechanised techniques developed at 1 SAI was transferred to two additional mechanised infantry battalions under development at that time, namely
4 SAI and
8 SAI.
Battalion Pioneer Platoon 1 SAI also had an
assault pioneer capability in the 1980s, usually designated Oscar Company. Assault pioneers were the integral combat engineering component of the battalion. Assault pioneers were trained in tasks such as: • Field defences and obstacles • Mine detection and removal • Primary demolitions • Non standard bridging • Anchorages and suspension traverses The Pioneer Platoon provided small tasks and close support capabilities to the battalion ensuring immediacy of response and decreasing the workload of the engineer squadrons. By the 1990s this function was retired to the Engineering Corps however.
Bushwar Operations By 1978, 1 SAI took part in
Operation Reindeer. 1 SAI was also later involved in: •
Sceptic, •
Protea, •
Daisy, •
Askari •
Moduler and •
Operation Hooper.
Honouris Crux recipients The following 1 SAI members were awarded the
Honoris Crux decoration Operation Sceptic; • Lt. J.J. du Toit • LCpl A.T. Rutherford Operation Protea; • Cpl A.D. Burgers
Relationship with 61 Mech 1 SAI was also the main feeder unit for mechanised infantry companies for
61 Mechanised Battalion Group during this period.
Post 1994 Assimilation of 151 Battalion Peled writes that after January 1993,
151 Battalion, formed from the Southern Sothos in the Orange Free area, was assimilated into 1 SAI.
Murder at 1 SAI In September 1999, Lt. S. Madubela from 1 SAI went on a shooting spree through the unit, killing seven personnel and injuring five, before being stopped and killed by his colleagues.
Freedom of Entry 1 SAI received the freedom of entry to Bloemfontein in 1981. == Insignia ==