THE 155 MM G5 SOUTH AFRICAN TOWED GUN-HOWITZER (SINCE 1986)
By: Michael Tobolo, Junior Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Introduction During the South African incursion into Angola in 1975, The South African Defence Force (SADF) realized that their 88 mm G2 (25 Pounder) and 140 mm (5,5 inch) field gun
THE GIFTS AND COMFORTS FUND
By: David Rilley-Harris, Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (DNMMH) Isie “Ouma” Smuts (Picture: X.com). The Ouma Gifts and Comforts Fund was created shortly after the beginning of the Second World War (1939-1945) and was charged with sending morale packages to
Kgoŝi Mampuru II – King of the Pedi people
By: Abraham Mohale, Junior Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Figure. Statue of Kgoŝi Mampuru II in Mamone village, Sekhukhune District, Limpopo Province. Introduction Kgoŝi Mampuru II was born in 1824 and died on 22 November 1883. Kgoŝi Mampuru died brutally by
THE DISRUPTIVE PATTERNS OF CAMOUFLAGE COMBAT DRESS
By: Mpho Khalo, Junior Curator - DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Introduction Camouflage uniforms are clothing items designed to help the wearers blend into their surroundings in order to avoid detection. They are commonly worn by military personnel in the army. The camouflage
OLIFANT MK 1 ARMOURED RECOVERY VEHICLE (ARV)
By: Michael Tobolo, Junior Curator - DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Introduction The Olifant tank was locally developed and produced by the Olifant Manufacturing Company. The Olifant was developed in 1976 with some help from Israel and first entered service with
SHAKA ZULU’S FAMOUS IMPONDO ZENKOMO/THE BULL HORNS TACTICAL BATTLE FORMATION
By: Tinyeko Captain Ndhlovu - Curator: Insignia, Memorial Plaques, Postal History, Indigenous Military History, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Shaka Zulu is still considered a great military genius, nation-builder, and Zulu kingdom founder-king who ruled from circa 1816 - 1828.
THE MERRYWEATHER FIRE ENGINE
By: David Rilley-Harris - Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (DNMMH) The Merryweather fire engine at the DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (DNMMH). The DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (DNMMH) was founded in 1947. Over the next few years,
THE SOUTH AFRICAN NAVY 1946 – 1994 ILLUSTRATED USING ITEMS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE DITSONG
By: Allan Sinclair - DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Introduction A previous article, published on the DMSA website in August 2023, concentrated on South Africa’s Naval Forces during the Second World War (1939 – 1945) using a number of works
THE M23 REBELLION
By: David Rilley-Harris - Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (DNMMH) The conflict area within the Democratic Republic of Congo (www.berejst.dk/389/Goma.htm). The end of the Great African War (1998-2003) did not end conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
MEDAL OF CARNAGE: BATTLE OF WATERLOO 1815
By: Anzel Veldman- Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History A watercolour sketch of a wounded man at the Battle of Waterloo by Sir Charles Bell, a military surgeon who recorded wounded men on the warfront between 1809–1815. During the 17th and