List of Helmet and Shoulder Flashes and Hackles of South African Military Units

Military units in South Africa have a long tradition of using unit insignia to visually identify themselves through the use of helmet and shoulder flashes, as well as hackles. This page serves as an informative overview of the various flashes and hackles utilized by different military units in the South African Military. The insignia were predominantly worn from the post-World War I period until approximately 1943, when the use of cloth helmets ceased and were replaced by berets in the Union Defence Force (UDF). These visual symbols represent the identities and histories of each unit and are unique in their design and colors. The page provides detailed descriptions and images of the different flashes and hackles, as well as their origins and meanings.

Description
As a general guide to flashes of the period, the colours had meaning. For Corps/Arm of service, these were, generally, the following:
 * Grey - Mounted Units
 * Black - Infantry
 * Yellow - Artillery

The bottom colour would be the arm of service, the top colour the province.


 * Blue - Natal
 * Yellow - OVS
 * Red - Cape
 * Green - Transvaal