"Whenever I saw them, I was impressed by the large number of decorations and honors they had earned the hard way. Their attacks against strongly organised German positions were made with great élan and without regard for casualties. Despite their comparatively small numbers, they never complained about losses. Neither did Smuts, who made it clear that the Union of South Africa intended to do its part in the War – and it most certainly did" - General Mark W. Clark, 15th Army Group, speaking on the South Africans during the Spring Offensive of 1945
The distinctive unit green-yellow triangle of the South African soldiers of the Italy campaign, with the orange "volunteer" strip in a slip-on full size battle epaulette - as worn during the Italy Campaign in the Second World War.
Formed relatively late in the war in 1943, the 6th South African Armoured Division was created through the refitting and retraining of the former South African 1st Infantry Division. The South African 1st Division had been battle-tested through the rigors of the North Africa campaign, but suffered from logistical issues and a severe shortage of manpower. As a result, the inevitable happened in 1943, with the conversion of the unit into a smaller, better supplied armored unit. It was at this time that the volunteers from Southern Rhodesia would first be fielded as an armored force, dispersed between the various divisional brigades. The unit also incorporated the British 24th Guards Brigade from May 1944, and a US 1st Armored Division brigade (Combat Command B) from September 1944 onwards, until the end of the war.
It would see extensive fighting from the liberation of Rome, and through the deeply entrenched Trasimene and Gothic Lines. During the difficult winter fighting of 1944, the unit fought primarily as infantrymen as the treacherous and snow covered Italian hills stalled armored vehicles. During fighitng along the Gothic Line, the unit notably assaulted up Monte Vigese in September 1944, where it helped defeat the SS Panzer Grenadiers over several days of savage fighting in torrential rains. The unit was withdrawn from the front lines after this action for recovery and maintenance, before being reassigned to directly to the US 5th Army's command and the division was reinforced with an armored brigade from the US 1st Armored Division. It continued to slog through ceaseless freezing rain and flood-like conditions, before entering a defensive/patrolling posture in November 1944. It participated in the final Spring offensive of 1945 and ended the war during the final days of combat in Europe near Bologna, in Northern Italy. It was here in the final days of the war in Europe that the South Africans were credited with the destruction of the German Wehrmacht's 65th Infantry Division. The nearly year long slog through the Italian peninsula cost the 6th South African Armoured Division 711 killed, 2,675 wounded and 157 missing in action.
These reproduced battle slip-on epaulettes are based of original wartime examples, and intended to be worn with our reproduction British khaki-drill (KD) Aertex shirts. These battle slip-ons would allow for the individually soldier to quickly attach or remove identifying markers of their parent division, while in the field. The difficult nature of the Italy Campaign especially necessitated the wear of these quickly interchangeable slip-ons for reasons of operational security, and the somewhat ad hoc nature of certain Commonwealth brigade organization resulting in the need for regular "re-badging" among individual soldiers. This would certainly have been the case for members of the former 1st South African Infantry Division, having to quickly re-badge as members of 6th South African Armoured Division, while in theatre.
Sold as a pair!
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