The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force (the Rhodesian Army), the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police, and various personnel affiliated to the Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Despite the impact of economic and diplomatic sanctions, Rhodesia was able to develop and maintain a potent and professional military capability.[1]
The Rhodesian Security Forces of 1964–80 traced their history back to the British South Africa Company armed forces, originally created during company rule in the 1890s. These became the armed forces of the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia on its formation in 1923, then part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland military in 1953. After the break-up of the Federation at the end of 1963, the security forces assumed the form they would keep until 1980.
As the armed forces of Rhodesia (as Southern Rhodesia called itself from 1964), the Rhodesian Security Forces remained loyal to the Salisbury government after it unilaterally declared independence from Britain on 11 November 1965. Britain and the United Nations refused to recognise this, and regarded the breakaway state as a rebellious British colony throughout its existence.
The Lancaster House Agreement and the return of Rhodesia to de facto British control on 12 December 1979 changed the security forces' role altogether; during the five-month interim period, they helped the British governor and Commonwealth Monitoring Force to keep order in Rhodesia while the 1980 general election was organised and held. After the internationally recognised independence of Zimbabwe in April 1980, the Rhodesian security forces, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army were integrated to form the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces. Around 5,000 Rhodesian military and intelligence personnel were recruited by South Africa in 1980 as part of Operation Winter.
Rhodesian Army
Rhodesian Army
Flag of the Rhodesian Army, used during the late 1970s.
A Rhodesian Light Infantry trooper, circa 1979. The primary infantry weapon of the Rhodesian Army was the FN FAL battle rifle, which was camouflaged as seen here.
The majority of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers were disbanded in 1920 for reasons of cost, the last companies being disbanded in 1926. The Defence Act of 1927 created a Permanent Force (the Rhodesian Staff Corps) and a Territorial Force as well as national compulsory military training.[2] With the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers disbanded in 1927, the Rhodesia Regiment was reformed in the same year as part of the nation's Territorial Force. The 1st Battalion was formed in Salisbury with a detached "B" company in Umtali and the 2nd Battalion in Bulawayo with a detached "B" Company in Gwelo.[3] Between the World Wars, the Permanent Staff Corps of the Rhodesian Army consisted of only 47 men. The British South Africa Police were trained as both policemen and soldiers until 1954.[4]
Southern Rhodesia's own units, most prominently the Rhodesian African Rifles (made up of black rank-and-filers and warrant officers, led by white officers; abbreviated RAR), fought in the war's East African Campaign and in Burma.[6] During the war, Southern Rhodesian pilots proportionally earned the highest number of decorations and ace appellations in the Empire. This resulted in the Royal Family paying an unusual state visit to the colony at the end of the war in thanks to the efforts of the Rhodesian people.[citation needed]
The Southern Rhodesia Air Force (SRAF) was re-established in 1947 and, two years later, Prime MinisterSir Godfrey Huggins appointed a 32-year-old South African-born Rhodesian Spitfire pilot, Ted Jacklin, as air officer commanding tasked to build an air force in the expectation that British African territories would begin moving towards independence, and air power would be vital for land-locked Southern Rhodesia. The threadbare SRAF bought, borrowed or salvaged a collection of vintage aircraft, including six Tiger Moths, six North American Harvard trainers, an Avro Anson freighter and a handful of De Havilland Rapide transport aircraft, before purchasing a squadron of 22 Mk. 22 war surplus Supermarine Spitfire from the Royal Air Force (RAF) which were then flown to Southern Rhodesia.[7]
In April 1951, the defence forces of Southern Rhodesia were completely reorganised.[8] The Permanent Force included the British South Africa Police as well as the Southern Rhodesia Staff Corps, charged with training and administering the Territorial Force. The SRAF consisted of a communication squadron and trained members of the Territorial Force as pilots, particularly for artillery observation. During the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s, Southern Rhodesia contributed two units to the Commonwealth's counter-insurgency campaign: the newly formed Rhodesian SAS served a two-year tour of duty in Malaya starting in March 1951,[9] then the Rhodesian African Rifles operated for two years from April 1956.[10]
The colony also maintained women's auxiliary services (later to provide the inspiration for the Rhodesia Women's Service), and maintained a battalion of the RAR, officered by members of the Staff Corps. The Territorial Force remained entirely white and largely reproduced the Second World War pattern. It consisted of two battalions of the Royal Rhodesia Regiment, an Armoured Car Regiment, Artillery, Engineers, Signal Corps, Medical Corps, Auxiliary Air Force and Transport Corps. In wartime the country could also draw on the Territorial Force Reserve and General Reserve. Southern Rhodesia, in other words, reverted more or less to the organisation of the Second World War.
Matters evolved greatly over twenty years. The regular army was always a relatively small force, but by 1978–79 it consisted of 10,800 regulars nominally supported by about 40,000 reservists. While the regular army consisted of a professional core drawn from the white population (and some units, such as the Rhodesian SAS and the Rhodesian Light Infantry, were all-white), by 1978–79 the majority of its complement was actually composed of black soldiers. The army reserves, in contrast, were largely white.[11]
The Rhodesian Army HQ was in Salisbury and commanded over four infantry brigades and later an HQ Special Forces, with various training schools and supporting units. Numbers 1,2, and 3 Brigade were established in 1964 and 4 Brigade in 1978.[12]
1 Bde – Bulawayo with area of responsibility in Matabeleland
2 Bde – Salisbury with area of responsibility in Mashonaland
3 Bde – Umtali with area of responsibility in Manicaland
4 Bde – Fort Victoria with area of responsibility in Victoria province
The Rhodesia Regiment (eight battalions, numbered 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10); also National Service independent companies numbered 1–6 and, briefly, 7), though at times one or more of these independent companies were attached to the RAR during the Bush War.[13][14]
Three Medical Companies (1, 2, 5) and the Army Health Unit
Tsanga Lodge
Five Provost Platoons (numbered 1 to 5) and the Army Detention Barracks
Six Pay Companies (numbered 1 to 5, 7)
Rhodesian Army Education Corps
Rhodesian Corps of Chaplains
Army Records, and Army Data Processing Unit
Rail Transport Organisation Platoon
1 Military Postal Platoon
Training establishments: School of Infantry, 19 Corps Training Depot, School of Military Engineering, School of Signals, Services Training School, Services Trade Training Centre, Medical Training School, School of Military Police, Pay Corps Training School, School of Military Administration.
The Royal Rhodesian Air Force (RRAF), as it was named in 1954, was never a large air force. In 1965, it consisted of only 1,200 regular personnel. It was renamed as the Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) in 1970. At the peak of its strength during the Bush War, it had a maximum of 2,300 personnel of all races, but of these, only 150 were pilots actively involved in combat operations. These pilots, however, were rotated through the various squadrons partly to maintain their skills on all aircraft and partly to relieve fellow pilots flying more dangerous sorties.
The police force of Rhodesia was the British South Africa Police. They were the main first line of defense in both Southern Rhodesia and, later, Rhodesia, with the specific responsibility of maintaining law and order in the country.[12]
While not a part of the Security Forces, Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs officers were heavily involved in implementing such civic measures as the protected villages programme during the Bush War. The INTAF consisted by District Assistants and District Security Assistants, and led by District Commissioners.
This was the fourth arm of the Rhodesian Security Forces. It consisted of both black and white troops whose initial role was to provide protection for villagers in the Protected Village system. During the latter stages of the Bush War they provided a role in the protection of white-owned farmland, tribal purchase lands and other strategic locations. They also raised three infantry Battalions and provided troops in every facet of the war in each of the Operational Areas. It was a large component of the Security Forces, with a strength of over 7,200 personnel. Its headquarters were in North Avenue, Salisbury. Its training establishment was based at Chikurubi in Salisbury.
The guard force cap badge was a castle on top of a dagger, below the castle was a scroll reading 'Guard Force'
Map showing operational areas of the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Bush War.[19][20]
The Rhodesian Bush War required that each of the security forces work in a combined effort to combat the enemy. Therefore, it became essential to establish an organisation known as Combined Operations Headquarters (COMOPS) in Salisbury to co-ordinate the efforts of each service. The Rhodesian army took the senior role in Combined Operations and was responsible for the conduct of all operations both inside and outside Rhodesia. COMOPS had direct command over the Joint Operational Centres (JOCs) deployed throughout the country in each of the Operational Areas. There was a JOC per Operational Area.[12]
The operational areas were known as:
Operation Hurricane – North-east border, started in December 1972
Operation Thrasher – Eastern border, started in February 1976
Operation Repulse – South-east border, started in May 1976
Operation Tangent – Matabeleland, started in August 1976
Operation Grapple – Midlands, started in August 1977
Operation Splinter – Kariba, started in June 1977
Salops – Operations in and around Salisbury, started in 1978
Senior military officials in Rhodesia
Source: original regiments.org (T.F. Mills) via webarchive.
^ abcdefghijChris Cocks (3 April 2002). Fireforce: One Man's War in the Rhodesian Light Infantry (1 July 2001 ed.). Covos Day. pp. 31–141. ISBN1-919874-32-1.
^Steyn, Douw; Söderlund, Arné (2015). Iron Fist From The Sea: South Africa's Seaborne Raiders 1978-1988. Helion and Company. pp. 96, 102. ISBN978-1909982284.
^Special Weapons on Rhodesia by Dana Drenkowski, A Wide Variety of Unique Weapons are used in Rhodesia's fight against terrorism, Soldier of Fortune
^Croukamp, Dennis (2007). "Chapter 10 Border Control & More Operations". Bush War in Rhodesia. Boulder, Colorado: Paladin Press. ISBN978-1-58160-992-9. Rifle Grenade Used as a Hammer: 'While I had been away on leave [in 1969], a new piece of ordnance had arrived. This was a 32Z anti-tank rifle grenade that fitted over the end of a rifle barrel and was propelled by a ballistic cartridge. As everyone else had fired a practice 32Z grenade, I thought it would be a really good idea for me to fire one.'
^ abBaxter, Peter; Bomford, Hugh; van Tonder, Gerry, eds. (2014). Rhodesia Regiment 1899–1981. Johannesburg: 30 Degrees South Publishers. pp. 471–488. ISBN978-1-92014-389-3. The Rhodesian rifle grenade manual (for the 32Z and 28R) was the source
^Walsh, Toc (2014). Mampara: Rhodesia Regiment Moments of Mayhem by a Moronic, Maybe Militant, Madman. Johannesburg: 30 Degrees South Publishers. pp. 74, 140. ISBN978-1-92821-130-3. There is a photo on page 120 of a Rhodesian 28R rifle grenade attached to a rifle
^Anthony Trethowan (2008). Delta Scout: Ground Coverage operator (2008 ed.). 30deg South Publishers. p. 185. ISBN978-1-920143-21-3.
^Gerry van Tonder (1 May 2012). "Operation Aztec: 28 May 1977"(PDF). rhodesianservices.org. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2016. Weaponry included 81mm mortars and a Russian B19[sic] recoilless rifle.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstPeter Locke, David Cooke. Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia 1965–80. pp. 5–152.
Binda, Alexandre (November 2007). Heppenstall, David (ed.). Masodja: The History of the Rhodesian African Rifles and its forerunner the Rhodesian Native Regiment. Johannesburg: 30° South Publishers. ISBN978-1920143039.
Cilliers, Jakkie (December 1984). Counter-Insurgency in Rhodesia. London, Sydney & Dover, New Hampshire: Croom Helm. ISBN978-0-7099-3412-7.
Gale, William Daniel (1973). The years between 1923–1973: half a century of responsible government in Rhodesia. Salisbury: H. C. P. Andersen.
Locke, Peter G; Cooke, Peter D F (1995). Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia 1965–80. Wellington: P & P Publishing. ISBN978-0-47302-413-0. OCLC40535718.
Shortt, James; McBride, Angus (1981). The Special Air Service. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN0-85045-396-8.
Young, Kenneth (1969). Rhodesia and Independence: a study in British colonial policy. London: J. M. Dent & Sons.
Further reading
Cross, Glenn (2017). Dirty War: Rhodesia and Chemical Biological Warfare, 1975–1980. Solihull, UK: Helion & Company. ISBN978-1-911512-12-7.
Hickman, A.S., Rhodesia Served the Queen. Rhodesian Forces in the Boer War, 1899–1902, Volume I, Government Printers, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1970.
Hickman, A.S., Rhodesia Served the Queen. Rhodesian Forces in the Boer War, 1899–1902, Volume II, Government Printers, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1975.
Lovett, John, Contact: A Tribute to Those Who Serve Rhodesia, Galaxie Press, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1977.
MacDonald, J.F., The War History of Southern Rhodesia 1939–45, Volume I. Government of Southern Rhodesia, Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, 1947.
MacDonald, J.F. The War History of Southern Rhodesia 1939–45, Volume II, Rhodesiana Reprint Library, Silver Series Volume 11, Books of Rhodesia, Bulawayo, 1976 reprint.
Wood, J.R.T. (ed.), The War Diaries of Andre Dennison, Ashanti Press, Gibraltar, 1989.
