34-720: The Rhodesian Defence Regiment (RDR) was a unit of the Rhodesian Army during the last years of the Rhodesian Bush War from 1978 to 1980. It was a guard unit composed of mainly coloured and Asian conscripts. It was formed on 1 January 1978 from existing units known as Reserve Holding Units and Protection Units. The Reserve Holding Units (for support roles) and Protection Units (for escorting supplies in combat zones) contained Rhodesia's coloured (i.e. mixed race) and Asian personnel, including both conscripts and volunteers. The regiment consisted of seven companies, organized into
68-846: 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, then the Rhodesian African Rifles operated for two years from April 1956. The colony also maintained women's auxiliary services (later to provide
102-591: 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. The Rhodesian Security Forces of 1964–80 traced their history back to
136-581: 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. The Rhodesia Prison Service was the branch of the Rhodesian Security Forces responsible for
170-711: 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. 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. During
204-606: A split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) in 1963. ZANU split in 1975 into wings loyal to Robert Mugabe and Ndabaningi Sithole , later respectively called ZANU–PF and ZANU–Ndonga . These two sub-divisions ran separately at the 1980 general election , where ZANU–PF has been in power ever since, and ZANU–Ndonga a minor opposition party. ZANU was formed 8 August 1963 when Ndabaningi Sithole , Henry Hamadziripi, Mukudzei Midzi, Herbert Chitepo , Edgar Tekere and Leopold Takawira decided to split from ZAPU at
238-615: A squadron of 22 Mk. 22 war surplus Supermarine Spitfire from the Royal Air Force (RAF) which were then flown to Southern Rhodesia. In April 1951, the defence forces of Southern Rhodesia were completely reorganised. 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
272-647: 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
306-465: The Bush War , the army included: 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
340-547: The Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) respectively to fight the struggle from neighbouring countries – ZANLA from Mozambique and Zambia , and ZIPRA from Zambia and Botswana . Most of ZANU's operations were planned from exile, where the party leadership was based throughout the 1970s, when the party had offices in Lusaka , Dar es Salaam , Maputo and London. The Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA)
374-534: The 1 Mashonaland Battalion at Cranborne Barracks in Salisbury and 2 Matebeleland Battalion at Brady Barracks in Bulawayo . The regimental training depot was located at Inkomo, near Salisbury. One RDR battalion was attached to each brigade headquarters to guard military installations and lines of communication. It was also tasked with railway patrolling, convoy protection, and regular infantry duties. From its formation,
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#1732851653260408-594: 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. The Southern Rhodesia Air Force (SRAF) was re-established in 1947 and, two years later, Prime Minister Sir 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
442-619: The Joint Operational Centres (JOCs) deployed throughout the country in each of the Operational Areas. There was a JOC per Operational Area. The operational areas were known as: Source: original regiments.org (T.F. Mills) via webarchive. Zimbabwe African National Union The Zimbabwe African National Union ( ZANU ) was a militant socialist organisation that fought against white-minority rule in Rhodesia , formed as
476-948: 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 . 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. About 10,000 white Southern Rhodesians (15% of
510-651: The Zambezi River) where the RDR was the most forward army unit during a major bomb, mortar, rocket and machine-gun attack on Rhodesian army positions at the Chirundu border. In this engagement the RDR contributed, as first line of defence, to the 'neutralisation' of the enemy positions. Rhodesian Army The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of
544-537: The administration of Rhodesian prisons. 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
578-482: 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 security forces fought on behalf of
612-540: 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
646-409: 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
680-579: The government against the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army —the military wings of the Marxist–Leninist black nationalist Zimbabwe African National Union and Zimbabwe African People's Union respectively—during the Rhodesian Bush War of the 1960s and 1970s. The Lancaster House Agreement and the return of Rhodesia to de facto British control on 12 December 1979 changed
714-563: The house of Enos Nkala in Highfield, Salisbury . The founders were dissatisfied with the militant tactics of Nkomo . In contrast to future developments, both parties drew from both the Shona and the Ndebele , the two major tribes of the country. Both ZANU and ZAPU formed political wings within the country (under those names) and military wings: the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and
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#1732851653260748-705: 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
782-520: The more militant wing of ZANU, as Sithole was a proponent of détente. This crisis grew with the Mgagao Declaration, where ZANLA leaders and guerillas declared their opposition to Sithole, and led to the effective split of ZANU into a group led by Sithole, who renounced violent struggle, and the group led by Robert Mugabe and Simon Muzenda , with the support of ZANLA, who continued the murder and intimidation of farmers. Both groups continued to use
816-601: The name ZANU. The Mugabe faction formed the Patriotic Front with ZAPU in 1976, and became known as ZANU-PF . Sithole's faction, dubbed " ZANU Mwenje " or "ZANU Sithole", joined a transitional government of whites and blacks in 1979, led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa . When sanctions remained in place, he joined Muzorewa for the Lancaster House Agreement in London, where a new constitution and elections were prepared. At
850-596: 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 . 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. With
884-402: The regiment was also used to mobilise white reservists over the age of 38, although it was mostly coloured and Asian. The drafts of white reservists and conscripts were usually low quality and were barely trained, and suffered from poor morale due to being attached to notoriously inefficient units. Due to its poor discipline, the RDR was disparagingly nicknamed the "Rhodesian Dagga Regiment", after
918-480: 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
952-745: 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
986-597: The slang term for marijuana . Paul Moorcraft and Pete McLaughlin have written that the RDF units "would have had little chance" if they were ever attacked by a determined enemy force. The RDR was disbanded shortly after the 1980 Southern Rhodesian general election . An example of the Regiment's role in defence of Rhodesia's strategic installations during the Bush War was witnessed in the events of 15 November 1978, at Otto Beit Bridge (on
1020-404: 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. BSAP units: While not
1054-466: 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' The Rhodesian Bush War required that each of
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1088-655: The white population) mustered into the British forces during the Second World War , serving in units such as the Long Range Desert Group , the Rhodesian Armoured Corps , No. 237 Squadron RAF and the Special Air Service (SAS). Pro rata to population, this was the largest contribution of manpower by any territory in the British Empire , even outstripping that of Britain itself. Southern Rhodesia
1122-574: Was ZANU's military wing. There were two splits within ZANU prior to independence. The first was with Nathan Shamuyarira and others leaving to join the Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe (FROLIZI) in 1973 after Shamuyarira's bid for the party leadership was defeated by Chitepo. Following the assassination of Chitepo on 18 March 1975, Sithole assumed leadership of the party, but faced immediate opposition from
1156-613: Was in fact the first Commonwealth country to officially declare war on the Axis powers. 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 . During the war, Southern Rhodesian pilots proportionally earned the highest number of decorations and ace appellations in
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