The Official Natal Mounted Rifles History by Eric Goetzsche, published in 1961, is an authoritative regimental history documenting one of the oldest volunteer military units in southern Africa. Written by Major Eric Goetzsche, a member of the regiment himself, the book chronicles the origins, development, and service of the Natal Mounted Rifles and its related units from their nineteenth-century beginnings through the modern era. Combining archival research with regimental tradition, The Official Natal Mounted Rifles History provides a detailed account of the unit’s role in the military and civic history of Natal.
In The Official Natal Mounted Rifles History, Goetzsche traces the roots of the regiment back to the mid-nineteenth century, when volunteer mounted units were formed in the Colony of Natal to provide local defence. These early units emerged during a time of frontier tensions and colonial expansion, and over the decades they developed into a well-organized regiment with strong ties to the city of Durban and the surrounding coastal region. The narrative explores the evolution of the regiment alongside the growth of Natal itself, reflecting how local military traditions were intertwined with the development of the colony and later province.
Throughout The Official Natal Mounted Rifles History, the author examines the regiment’s participation in many of the conflicts that shaped South African history. These include the Anglo-Zulu War, the South African War, the Zulu Rebellion of 1906, and later service in both World Wars. The book also highlights the role of the regiment in regional defence and its transformation over time from mounted volunteers to a modern armoured unit within the South African military structure.
Richly illustrated and extensively researched, The Official Natal Mounted Rifles History stands as both a military study and a tribute to generations of volunteers who served in the regiment. For collectors of South African military history, regimental histories, and Nataliana, the book provides a comprehensive and engaging record of a distinguished unit whose story reflects more than a century of regional and national history.
