Chief Maqoma Regiment was established on 19 September 1856[1] as the Port Elizabeth Volunteer Rifle Corps.[2] In 1860 the title Prince Alfred's Guard was assumed unofficially (after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh) and on 11 July 1874 this name was officially sanctioned as Prince Alfred's Volunteer Guard. The name was later changed to Prince Alfred's Guard.
Xhosa Wars
The regiment first saw action on 2 December 1877, against the Gcaleka tribesmen in the Battle of Umzintzani during the Ninth Xhosa War. The next conflict that the unit participated in was the Basutoland Campaign of 1880 to 1881, during which a 500-metre bayonet charge by the regiment which led to the capture of the village of Lerotholi, an enemy village. The regiment also took part in the Bechuanaland Campaign of 1897.[3]
Members of the unit volunteered for service in World War I, but there was dissension in the ranks after a long deployment on sentry duty in Cape Town. As a result, the contingent was disbanded and most of its members saw active service during the war in other South African units.
With the Union Defence Force
In 1913 the regiment was redesignated the 3rd Infantry Regiment (Prince Alfred's Guard) of the Active Citizen Force of the Union Defence Force, but regained its former name in 1934.
World War Two
During World War II, the regiment first served as link battalion for the 2nd Brigade, South African Infantry in North Africa, sending drafts of men to the fighting units, among which many went to the Field Force Battalion.
Armour
The PAG was subsequently converted to an armoured unit and saw further active service with the 11th South African Armoured Brigade,[4]South African 6th Armoured Division[4] in Italy as a tank unit.
On 20 April 1944, equipped with Mark V Shermans and Stuarts, the regiment landed at Taranto in the heel of Italy. They were to reinforce the Allies still trapped at Anzio, and worn out by bitter fighting at Cassino and along the Gustav line.
Eland 90 armored cars as ceremonial gate guards, Prince Alfred's Guard Drill Hall, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Post 1994 and the SANDF
The PAG was converted to a reserve infantry regiment in the SANDF. Its members are currently trained to a large extent as air assault infantry.
Name Change
In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa.[5] The Prince Alfred's Guard became the Chief Maqoma Regiment, and had 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia.[6]
Regimental Symbols
The Prince Alfred's Guard Museum in Port Elizabeth houses military exhibits in the Regiment's Victorian Drill Hall (built in 1880). It is a national monument and one of the finest surviving examples of its type.
^Orpen, Neil D. (1967). Prince Alfred's Guard, 1856-1966. illustrated by P. Miller. Prince Alfred's Guard in conjunction with Books of Africa. OCLC457923. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
