Editorial
Been a busy last quarter. The RLIRA gathers
worldwide momentum on a weekly basis, driven of course by the
dynamism and vision of the South African branch. My time has
been taken up with Keith Bartlett’s miraculous resurrection
and handling a barrage of emails from ouens across the globe.
It really is heartwarming, and humbling, to deal with such correspondence
and for the first time in a long, long time to truly ‘feel’
our brotherhood. It’s something very, very special and something
for which I am grateful on a daily basis; something which is
a gift and a privilege.
Oops: In the last e-Cheetah,
we erroneously reported the death of Keith Bartlett.
Keith is very much alive and kicking. We heave a massive sigh
of relief and sincerely regret the error. We had been given
this information from a normally very reliable 1 Commando source
(an oxymoron if ever there was), so didn’t bother to verify
it. In future we will. (Our chairman adds his comment in the
‘The Last Post’ section.) Keith, like The Trooper statue, is
therefore officially ‘unValed’, and is advised he may now claim
back pay at www.sars.org.za
Your committee has as always been hard at work. As proof,
herewith the minutes of one of our O Groups:
Scribe
to John van Stan and Skippy Michell: I see Skippy’s and
John van Stan’s pics were left out by mistake in the recent
e-Cheetah. My apologies.
JvS: Ah, you guys just don’t
like 1 Commando, that’s all!
Skippy: Yeah, I think
it’s a 1 Commando AND Durban thing!
Scribe: Where’s
Durban?
JvS: I see there’s a lack of love and admiration
being shown for both the best commando AND Durban. Lots of guys
out there just couldn’t make it into 1 Commando … but they mustn’t
still be jealous of us.
Scribe: I know—I applied for
1 Commando, but was rejected because my IQ was in double figures.
JvS: Ah ha! You have a point, but at least our knuckles
didn’t drag along the ground like others in the Battalion …
a prerequisite was that we had to stand upright on our hind
legs, a characteristic sometimes not seen in our other less
fortunate commandos. Plus we were only occasionally banned from
Coq d’Or, Lion’s Den and other drinking holes and we carried
only the prettiest nurses over the back gate at night, into
the lines.
Scribe: Admittedly we did have to shave
our palms before spitting on them.
Lastly, I’d like to
offer my gratefully thanks to our webmaster George Dempster
and his team for all their support, particularly his son
Colin who does all our comms notices and e-Cheetah design
and layout. These okes are the crucial glue that keeps us all
in comms.
Out to you all and see you in Durban, which I’ve
spotted on the map, in a couple of weeks.
Chris Cocks
Resident clipboard-wielder of Biro-stained digits
YOUR TEAM OF OUENS
FROM OUR PATRON
The
RLI Regimental Association’s presentation to Jill Landrey, the
initiator of the Troopies’ Canteen, Mt Darwin, 1973
On
6 November 2009 I received an email from Bill Wiggill
and Phil Kaye, advising me that the Chairman of the RLIRA,
Ian Buttenshaw, had decided (with his committee) to acknowledge
Jill Landrey for establishing the first Troopies’ Canteen
in Mount Darwin in 1973. I, as Patron of the RLI Association,
was requested to make a belated presentation to Jill, in recognition
of her work. The presentation took the shape of an engraved
silver medal and a scroll making her an Honorary Member of the
RLIRA. I was OC Support Group at the time, who were the first
Rhodesian troops (except for area border-control operations)
to be stationed at Mount Darwin. This happened after the terrorist
attacks on 21 December 1972 in the Centenary area where Support
suffered some severe casualties from a landmine when responding
to an attack on Whistlefield Farm.
Brigadier John Hickman,
the recently established JOC Commander at Centenary, decided
that Support Group needed some R&R. But instead of sending us
back to Salisbury he told me, to my astonishment, to establish
Support Group at Mount Darwin where we were to indulge in some
light training, and plenty of sport! At this time the Rhodesian
Army was in such a state that there were no tents available.
So when we arrived at Mount Darwin I immediately made contact
with the Member-in-Charge BSAP Dave Parry to try and secure
some accommodation in the shape of some old farm buildings.
Dave Parry, who had received information that Mount Darwin was
going to be attacked, thought that we had been sent to prevent
this. I told him that I had been sent for R&R and knew nothing
about an impending attack; furthermore, I did not believe that
there was any foundation in his information. Famous last words!
The only accommodation Dave Parry was able to secure
for us was the courthouse! A number of the troopies found this
somewhat ironic. The stipulation was that we had to vacate the
premises every Tuesday so that the magistrate could conduct
his trials. The nearby Country Club allowed us to use their
toilets and showers so we became fairly comfortable. Then on
the night of 8 January 1973 terrorists launched an abortive
attack on Mount Darwin. I mention this to set the background
to the close relationships which built up over the subsequent
seven years between the civilian community of Mount Darwin and
the RLI. After the attack on Mount Darwin a JOC was quickly
established next to the courthouse and became the RLI’s second
home for the rest of the war.
It was at this time that Jill
Landrey started a small canteen for the troopies. This eventually
built up into a sizeable operation, which the RLI and other
members of the Rhodesian Army really appreciated. With this
background, it was only a great pleasure to be able to participate
in Jill’s presentation. Phil Kaye proved to be an absolute star
in organizing this presentation. Jill’s family had never been
together as a family group for 29 years. When they got to hear
of the RLI’s impending presentation they decided that they would
also attend. But they wanted their attendance to be a total
surprise to their mother/sister and great secrecy was attached
to their movements.
On Saturday 5 December Phil Kaye picked
me up and we set out to Melkbosstrand where Jill lives to make
the presentation. We met Jill’s family group at a prearranged
venue and did the final briefing. Jill has a large family who
came from all corners of the world including the United States.
Phil and I, resplendent in our RLI blazers and ties, went ahead
and located Jill’s house. Phil knocked at the door and asked
for Jill. When she appeared, he introduced me and told her that
we had arrived to make a presentation from the RLI Association.
She was thrilled, and I could see tears in her eyes. I told
her that there were some other people who wanted to be present
and would she mind if we brought them in. She readily agreed.
Jill’s family, meanwhile, had parked behind an adjoining building,
and when we called them they appeared in pairs, one group after
another. The expression on Jill’s face as she watched her relatives
appear was something very special to see, and I am not ashamed
to say that I had a tear or two in my eyes. After the whole
family had been re-united, and it was a really emotional scene,
we went into the house to make the presentation. I read Ian
Buttenshaw’s citation/letter to her, and then presented her
with her scroll making her an Honorary Member of the RLI Association.
This was followed by the presentation of her medal. After a
few glasses of sparkling wine we went to a very good restaurant
for a long lunch. I don’t know whose brainchild this was, but
I would like all branches of the RLI Association to know that
we were instrumental in giving Jill Landrey one of the happiest
days of her life.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ron Reid-Daly
[See Phil Kaye’s report under Comd & Sigs: ‘36
years on – The RLI says thank you’]
SA CHAIRMAN’S HOWZIT!
Skippy Michell, Bill Holmes, Dave Hosking and Bill Wiggill
Since the first e-Cheetah published this last quarter, there
has been a great deal of activity throughout the Association
and in particular the SA Branch. A fair number of new members
have come into the fold as detailed later. New men and woman
are joining on a regular basis. So, six months down the line
since the AGM we have already surpassed our first goal of increasing
membership by 10%.
The QM Gary Huxham has also been
as busy as a beaver and the webpage has been updated with some
of the latest merchandise now available to members. The numbers
of members appearing at our gatherings wearing Association merchandise
has indeed grown considerably in the last six months. This is
very pleasing to see as it indicates a definite rekindling of
the regimental esprit de corps. This has been further enhanced
by the volunteers coming forward to offer help in any way possible
and others giving substantial donations to the Association coffers.
Insofar as the preparations for the birthday reunion on 6 February
are concerned, Skippy Michell and his KZN team are hard
at it. I met with Skippy in Durban for a recce of the venue.
Also while there I had the great pleasure to see Robin Tarr
again (last seen when I was a recruit). Robin kindly showed
me a video of the Trooping of the Colour. This DVD was made
off the original 16mm film. Robin has consented to let us make
a copy and we hope to have this, among others, on view at the
birthday. (Robin should also be commended for voluntarily taking
up the duty of representing the RLI at the SAS Remembrance Service
each year in November.) It also appears that we have at least
one RLI ouen coming from Australia and about five from the UK
with the possibility of at least one man from the USA. Rumour
has it that about four ouens from north of the Limpopo will
also attend, after skirmishing south.
Phil Kaye (3
Cdo: not his fault), arranged for Troopies’ Canteen organizer
Jill Landrey to receive a Rhodesian Commemorative Medal and
RLIRA Honorary Life membership. Well done Phil. A report on
this event is also in this edition.
SA Branch Secretary
Chris Ras (1 Cdo and QM Stores) has stepped forward to
take up the post of the Nominal Roll Officer for the whole Association.
This is a crucial function as most original records are missing
so Chris has a mammoth task facing him. He will need every ounce
of help from all you members in ensuring data is accurately
captured. A big thank-you Chris from all the Exco on your regimental
spirit it taking on this vital duty.
On a serious note, while
in Durban, Sylvia and I visited Bev Taylor (wife of Kevin,
3 Cdo / Selous Scouts) in Parklands Hospital. Bev has cancer
and is having a tough time of it. She has been released for
now but the Taylors should be kept in our collective thoughts.
John van Stan (1 Cdo) was also hospitalized at the same
time for gallstones but has now been released. I am sure they
asked him to leave, which disappointed the nursing staff.
Many thanks to you guys already sending in photos for the proposed
RLI Pictorial History in the planning and research phase. Please
keep these coming in, giving a spiel on each photo (including
date, place, names etc.) along with your name and regimental
details.
Stay good until we see you all in Durban on 6 February.
Bill Wiggill
PAYMASTER’S
SITREP
Our Treasurer Mervyn Kluckow reports:
It has been a fairly smooth handover-takeover from George. The
Association accounts are now fully operational on a recognized
accounting system: Pastel. All statements raising the 2010 subscriptions
have now been sent out. But of course quite a few have returned
undelivered so I am busy tracing members to update the respective
contact addresses. I would appreciate that should any members’
contactable address change that they advise us accordingly.
Without a doubt the EXCO have an excellent working relationship
and Bill, Chris and all other appointees are gelling and YES,
things are happening. I am really looking forward to the coming
year with all it may have to offer to all our members.
The
RLIRA (SA) gratefully thanks and acknowledges the following
who have made generous donations to the Colours and/or Benevolent
funds:
- Des Archer
- Neville Craig-Smith
- Lloyd-Evans Trio
- Phil Kaye
- Mervyn Kluckow
- Several covert manne
WEBMASTER’S SITREP
George Dempster reports: The RLIRA website averages 2,000
unique visitors per month from all corners of the world. Key
activities on the website include registering to become a member,
viewing the event gallery and requesting merchandise. If you
are a regular visitor to the website take a minute to click
on the navigation button ‘Branches’. This is where you will
find new merchandise including caps, ties, golf shirts, waterproof
jackets, The Saints book and the Rhodesia Remembered DVD. We
have recently introduced a ‘Join a Branch’ initiative. This
is intended for those individuals who do not belong to one of
the existing branches and wish to receive regular communications.
A number of visitors to the site are trying to establish contact
with long-lost mates. This will be made possible during the
first quarter of 2010 by the introduction of an address book.
An individual’s details will not be released unless that individual
has given prior permission. Suggestions on how we can improve
the website can be sent to gd@e2.co.za
QM STORES
Our QM, Hux, reports: We
will be adding shortly to our merchandise list the following,
therefore keep an eye out on the RLI website to see when available.
We will also send out a comms notification:
- RLI key rings
- Commando key rings
- RLI licence disc holders
- RLI stickers
- RLI plaques
- Commando plaques
- RLI ties
- Berets
- Beret badges
- Lapel wings
- CIBs – Combat infantry badges which, when available,
we will have to explain what it is for and who is eligible
to wear it.
We now have available green dry-mac lightweight jackets with
the RLI emblem embroidered on. Check out the website for photo.
J.O.C. SITREPS
GAUTENG
PROVINCE
Gary ‘Hux’ Huxham reports: Please
note that the first ‘official’ RLIRA Gauteng region ‘watering
hole’ has now been established. We request that members meet
if possible at the watering hole on the first Friday of each
month, commencing 6 November 2009.
Time: 15hOO onwards or
sooner if you wish.
Venue: Newton’s Pub 7 Grill (upstairs)
Address: 17 Newton Street, Kempton Park (Spartan) Gauteng.
GPS coordinates: X: 28º 13’ 25”; Y: 26º 6’ 55”
Owner’s name:
Chris Bloom to whom I am grateful for making his pub
available to us.
All members and guests welcome.
CAPE PROVINCE
Peter
Gombart reports from Port Elizabeth: As news is very scarce
this side, I thought I would include an amusing incident (amusing
now, but then not so amusing) that happened to me in 1972. I
was going to ask my father-in-law-to-be for permission to marry
his daughter and as I was a bit nervous decided to go to the
Quorn Hotel to build up a bit of Dutch courage. Anyway, after
many little brown bottles, I managed to pluck up the courage
and everything went according to plan. The next day I drove
to RLI with birds singing in the sky, brilliant blue skies,
feeling on top of the world. As I pulled up to the Main Gate,
L/Cpl Johnny Vrey informed me that the RSM Springer
wanted to see me URGENTLY. I thought, “How nice; Harry wants
to congratulate me on getting engaged!” Right! Anyway, I proceeded
to the HQ and did a smart halt outside the RSM’s office and,
with a huge grin, said “Good morning, sir”, only to be bellowed
at: “Get in here you f%*#**g little shit.” He then went off
at a tangent and yelled who the bleep bleep did I bleeping think
I bleeping was and how dare I bring a bleeping whore and her
Alsatian into the camp and then just leave her and go home.
He said the aforementioned lady had then gone to Training Troop
and began soliciting the rookies. When the BOS tried to remove
her, the lady-in-question’s dog bit him. Of course I was dumbfounded.
I explained that I had been at my In-Laws’ house asking permission
to marry their daughter and he asked if I could prove it. I
gave him my chick’s telephone number and my mother-in-law’s
telephone number with trembling hands—no more flipping blue
birds in the sky; only dark thunder clouds. For once I was innocent.
Anyway, the RSM told me to make a sexual departure and that
he’d let me know if my story panned out. I didn’t hear from
him again and eventually forgot about the incident until …
Picture this, the year 1980; Zanza Buildings, Proes Street,
Pretoria; Defence Headquarters for the Recces; me and Dennis
Boyd sitting waiting for the Admin Officer when in walks
Jimmy May (ex-RLI medic and resident soak). The conversation
went as such:
Jimmy: “Hey, Pete! Howzit going, china? Long
time no see.”
Me: “Hey, Jim! Good man, good to see you again.”
Jimmy: “Hey, Pete, I’ve been meaning to apologize to you for
years, man.”
Me: “For what, Jim?”
Jimmy: “Well, some years
ago I picked up this slut in town with her dog and I told her
my name was Pete Gombart.”
KZN
PROVINCE
Skippy Michell reports from call
sign SLV (Sweaty Little Vlei):
Since the last report from
the ‘Last Outpost’, KZN has held two meetings in an effort to
stir up some form of a crowd, and we are slowly getting the
guys on board but it’s like pulling teeth. The first get-together
in November was at the Shamwari Club, which happened to coincide
with the SAS memorial weekend, thus there was a good sprinkling
of all units present. There was obviously a good turnout of
‘Saturday Afternoon Soldiers’ as their patron General Walls
was in attendance, plus Scouts, Air Force and BSAP. The RLI
numbered approx 12 guys and were unusually well behaved and
avoided getting into a punch-up with the Police for old time
sakes! It was great to see Dawn Doughty who had just
arrived from New Zealand and who came along with Dave Hosking
and company. The RLI was represented the following day at the
SAS service by Robin Tarr and myself. It must be mentioned
here that a big thank-you goes out to Robin who has taken it
upon himself for the last 12 years or so to represent the RLI
at this service and has laid a wreath every year for those who
paid the ultimate sacrifice. The second get-together in December
was attended by fewer members, but apologies were forthcoming
which indicates to me that the interest is still there to build
the KZN region, and thanks must also go to the stalwarts of
our get-togethers: Dave Hosking, Ian Scott and Bill
Holmes who are a great help in motivating the ouens and
coming up with ideas for future jols. Mike Longuet-Higgins
is a regular at all our meetings and has a long history with
the RLI having been instrumental in forming A Company (1 Cdo)
and marching them off on the final parade.
Plans are well
under way for the Birthday Bash and the venue has been set at
DHS Old Boys Club in Durban North. The venue is central and
fits the bill in terms of accommodating the number of people
expected. KZN membership is currently 68 on record, with responses
from 34 and active participation from 13 members. With guys
stationed as far north as Pongola and as far south as Shepstone,
logistically it is not easy to meet with all. We have ‘unearthed’
two new members: Alan Lukan and Graham Black (1
Cdo). We welcome them and trust they will ‘fall in’ at our regular
functions.
I received an email out the blue from Paul
Mindry (1 Cdo 1978–1980) who packed his bags eleven years
ago and went to live in that small wet island called England.
He works in a hotel in Woburn, Milton Keynes and says that he
thoroughly enjoys life in the UK. (I think he must have lost
it!) Dave Strivens is in regular contact and he too lives
in UK; he is still on his quest to rid the world of beer by
drinking it all himself.
The Shamwari Club, which has been
the hub of Rhodesian gatherings in Durban, I suspect has had
a fallout with the Germans (with whom we share the facility)
so we have been requested to move our army memorabilia to a
new locstat. This is a good opportunity for the RLIRA to find
a new ‘home’ that is ours and not shared with other organizations.
Two possibilities are being pursued in the form of the Durban
Light Infantry and the Natal Mounted Rifles. Both units have
welcomed us as an association and I will put out a comms in
the New Year confirming where we will be refreshing ourselves
in future.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Bev Taylor
(Kevin Taylor’s wife) who is extremely ill in Umhlanga Hospital.
Mike Longuet-Higgins, Jacqui Kirrane and Skippy Michell
Ian Scott and Graham Black in ambush
Robin Tarr, Skippy Michell and Skippy’s dad WO1 Jeremy
Winch at the SAS Durban reunion, Flame Lily Park, November 2009
Robin Tarr, who laid the RLI wreath at the SAS Remembrance
Service, Durban, November 2009
CHINAS SIGNING
ON
FALL IN! Welcome to the following who have registered
recently with the RLIRA:
- Geoffrey Banham (Lt, 1 Commando, 1961–80)
- Mick Jeffrey (Tpr, Support Commando, 1976–79)
- Hugh Gatland (Tpr, 2 Commando, 1976–77)
- Steve Rowley (Support Commando, 1975–77)
- James Wessels (L/Cpl, Support Commando, 1979–80)
- Debbie Behr (affiliate, ex-wife of late Bruce Firkin)
- Lora Venter (affiliate)
- Isidore ‘Izzy’ Mok (Tpr, 3 Commando, 1974-75)
- Graham Black (Tpr, 1 Commando, 1973-75)
- Jan Stander (honorary)
- Kerrin Cocks (honorary)
- Jannie Ferreira (Cpl, 3 Commando, 1979–80)
- Andy Schwenk (Tpr, 1 Commando, 1963–67)
- Jill Landrey (honorary life)
- Leon Alexander du Rand (Tpr, 2 Commando, 1973)
- Shaun Philp (honorary)
- Eric Rhodes (honorary, 116Bn, 8SAI Infantry School)
- Clive Dredge (Sgt, Support Commando, 1974–79)
- Charmayne Ferreira (affiliate, daughter of late Lionel
Ferreira, Support Group)
- Lionel Radloff (Tpr, 1 Commando, 1975–76)
- Allan Sawyer (Sgt, Support Commando, 1972–80)
- Shaun Huxham (honorary)
- Jacques Olivier (honorary)
- Rob Marsh (Tpr, 2 Commando, 1976–77)
What is very lekker is the amount of wives, but more so, members’
children who are registering. This means the RLIRA will hopefully
survive for another generation.
THE LAST POST (VALE)
We reported the death of Keith Bartlett in the October
issue of e-Cheetah. We received an e-mail from Keith’s brother
Allan, as follows: “Just for your info, Keith Bartlett is my
brother, saw his name in the Vale and nearly fell off my chair;
phoned him a few minutes ago, he is alive and well and contactable
at 039-695 1588 or 079-492 9270.”
Our sincere apologies to
Keith and all who know him / knew him / want to get to know
him.
Bill Wiggill
Neill Jackson reports:
In this time of family togetherness, love and goodwill, please
keep our comrade-in-arms, Graham Enslin, in your thoughts
and prayers. Graham was the Commando Sergeant-Major of Support
Commando, RLI, on Op Uric, and was flying in the same formation
as his brother Brian Enslin, a trooper in 1 Commando,
aboard Puma 164, when it was shot down in September 1979. Graham
and his son, Brian, leave Queenstown on Thursday 17 December,
on a pilgrimage to the war grave of his brother at the Puma
crash site located by Rick van Malsen near Mapai,
in Gaza Province. They will be at the gravesite on Saturday
19 December, and will affix a brass plaque to a tree at the
head of the grave in memory of Brian, read out the Roll of Honour
of the men who died with Brian, and read a special poem and
say a prayer for them all. Please keep Graham and young Brian
in your thoughts and prayers as they undertake this difficult
and emotional pilgrimage.
BRIAN ENSLIN
This is the poem
written by Vera Phillips Mealing that was read out at
the gravesite by Graham:
An ode to the RLI
Sad, yet peaceful, dusty and hot
The rustling of leaves,
on msasa trees
The glitter of brass, with names etched in
black
A haze of white stones, simply standing at ease
Muffled voices, afloat in the air
Sounding persistent, their
bodies unseen
In unison, murmuring, “We died not in vain
Man knows life’s story, only till death
We who have fallen,
now know the rest
Honour our going, deep in the heart
Remember the wounded, they played a great part”
The voices
receded ’neath indigenous trees
The ground then camouflaged,
in shadows of leaves
An ominous silence, clung all around
From clouds in the heavens, to the dust on the ground
Boots
now are silent, many lives just a dream
Hallowed their uniforms,
white, silver and green
Dear Mark (types Pilbeam, chairman
of RLIRA UK)
Always nice to read up on what’s going out there
in the outer regions of the Old Regiment, and I’m also glad
to hear Martyn Hudson got over to RSA to attend their
get-together as well. Got to be some rewards for all the effort
he has put into the Association on our behalf. I think the UK
Branch attempting to combine the Pioneers weekend and one of
ours an excellent idea, and I’m sure even if not the start of
a regular thing it would add a touch of spice and impetus to
their event. Nothing worse than the same thing every year for
turning away the crowds—apart from the UK weather that is! On
another subject: I came across an old photo the other week from
a friend of mine who served for many years in the Sultan of
Oman Armed Forces in the 1960/70s—it was of Spike Powell
in 1971 in Salalah (Southern Oman), and he has his RLI flashes
on his shoulder. He had served with the RLI and then went off
to the SOAF before returning to Rhodesia for another period
of service—something I didn’t know he had done until my friend
told me about it. Spike as you probably know served in numerous
roles in the Commandos and I have many fond memories of him
at Grand Reef with 2 Commando before he was tragically killed
in the second downing of a Viscount en route from Kariba. Today
being Remembrance Day, I thought it nice if it were possible
to pass the picture onto the Australian Branch as, I am sure
him being an Aussie, there are many there who would also remember
him fondly (author of the photo gives permission for it to be
passed on). A great soldier and a real character.
Fraser
Brown
UK
SPIKE POWELL
Geoffrey Bond,
author of The Incredibles and Remember Mazoe, among others,
passed away on Boxing Day 2009, in Chippenham, UK, aged 89.
Originally with the Grenadier Guards, Geoffrey served as a regular
captain at Army HQ (KGIV Barracks), i/c public relations from
1975 to 1980 before moving to England in 1989. He was a prolific
writer, having written a staggering 31 books as well as many
plays for radio. The RLI will always retain special memories
of him, a true friend of the Battalion, as The Incredibles was
for many years the only published, and accurate, account of
the regiment (and is still much sought after today by collectors).
Our sympathies to Stella.
John Foran. David Armstrong
in Western Australia recently received this letter from the
late John Foran’s sister: Dear David, my name is Joan Young
and I am John’s older sister. John was born on the 28/11/1941
in Brisbane, the fourth child of seven, and died on the 13/07/2002.
He had heart problems and suffered a major stroke while undergoing
a bypass operation. He was married before he went to Rhodesia
but that broke up prior to his going, and he married again while
over there and his wife Lorraine came home with him but that
also didn’t last although they remained friends.
Les ‘Punchy’ Belstead, 3 Commando 1969–1975, passed away
in Pietermaritzburg on 7 January 2010 after a long battle with
diabetes. Les is survived by three children. The RLIRA extends
our sincere condolences to the Belstead family.
COMD & SIGS
36
years on – The RLI says thank you
By Phil Kaye (12 Troop,
3 Cdo)
On 5 December our Patron Ron Reid-Daly
and I were able to thank Jill Landrey for the services
she and her helpers provided to all members of the armed forces
during the war years. Jill was the founder of the first Troopies’
Canteen in Rhodesia, located in Mt Darwin, a facility that many,
if not all, members of the armed forces benefited from at some
time during their service in the area. The RLI had a long relationship
with Jill and her husband Dan in the Mt Darwin area. Our Chairman
Ian Buttenshaw clearly remembers the help that Dan
Landrey gave when the RLI first moved into the Darwin area
in 1972. Dan had spent most of his life farming in the area,
having bought his farm there at the ripe old age of 19. The
Ruya River, a well-recognized infiltration route, ran through
his farm and Dan was involved with PATU for a number of years
and gained a detailed knowledge of terrorist activities. Dan
was also well recognized for his superb tracking skills and
bushcraft.
The security situation in Mt Darwin in 1973 was
such that Jill, like most farmers’ wives with young families,
would spend the day in the relative security of the village
while the children attended school and until their husbands
were back from patrol to escort them home. This obviously entailed
packing food for the children. Jill felt concerned for the welfare
of Dan’s PATU stick as there was no food available for them,
which prompted her to approach the local BSAP Member-in-Charge
with the idea of setting up a kitchen in which she could cook
food for the local troops and police patrols. The MIC assisted
and in short time $1,000 was raised to purchase a deep freeze
and other kitchen essentials: so was born the first Troopies’
Canteen in Rhodesia. This concept spread throughout the country
and soon every town sported one, staffed by willing volunteers.
How well I remember enjoying the canteen offerings which, in
addition to providing food when it was difficult to prepare
your own, such as when in convoy, also gave a welcome relief
from camp food. In RLI we ate very well compared to the other
units (personal experience of both!).
In recognition of
the service to the unit a very emotional Jill was presented
with Honorary Life membership to the RLIRA as well as an engraved
Rhodesian Commemorative Medal. Jill’s daughter Astrid
was very instrumental in organizing the presentation which had
been kept a secret right up until the arrival of Ron and me.
We had a brief meeting at a restaurant just prior to meeting
at Jill’s house to finalize matters and all went according to
plan. From what I can ascertain there were a number of people
involved in the deception: well done to Astrid and all those
involved. The final cherry on top was this event brought all
the siblings together in Jill’s home for the first time in 29
years! They all travelled in for the presentation which added
even further to making the event special for Jill. It was an
honour and a privilege to have had the opportunity to recognize
Jill on behalf of the RLI Association. Thank you to Ian Buttenshaw,
Ron Reid-Daly, Billy Wiggill and Martyn Hudson
(Puds) for their total support of this from the beginning.
Responses from Jill and Astrid:
Dear Phillip
This
is a thank-you letter. There are never enough words to express
my utmost gratitude and joy. You went through so much organizing
and painstaking effort, which are all beyond my comprehension.
It’s hard for me to believe that someone who did not know me
would do so much for me. I am truly honoured and overjoyed at
the award bestowed on me. I would like to add though that I
received numerous awards every day when I worked in the canteen:
each and every member of the security forces, no matter colour
or creed, would bless me with their smiles and appreciation.
God bless you Phillip and your beloved family. Thank you, dear
friend.
Jill Landrey
Dear Phil
Words can
never express the gratitude I feel for meeting you and for what
you have done for my Mom and our family. The effort you went
to was really beyond your call of duty and we sincerely appreciate
your efforts. It was a day I will never forget. I hope you and
your family got home safely.
Astrid
Ron Reid-Daly reads out Ian Buttenshaw’s letter of
appreciation (see letter below) to an emotional Jill Landrey.
Ron Reid-Daly, Jill Landrey and Phil Kaye, posing
with Jill’s framed RLIRA Honorary Membership certificate.
The chairman’s letter to Jill.
Click here to download
and read [Doc]
Jill Landrey and cook Ravu in the Mt Darwin Troopies’
Canteen, 13 November 1973.
Hell, what a great
site. I was in 2 Commando from 1978–1980. My older brother,
Braam Kruger, was also in 2 Commando. It is great to
hear from all you men again. It seems such a long time ago.
Still the best time of my life. Go well, you all.
Paddy
Kruger
My Daddy used to fight for the Green & White,
and I would like to know if anybody can remember him—Lionel
William Ferreira (Support Group, 1st Battalion RLI). I am also
looking for anybody who knew Trevor Wentzel (killed in action,
27 April 1971) as I am looking for his wife Jacqueline and daughter
Aurene. Thank you.
Charmayne Ferreira
sharky.ferreira@gmail.com
Please receive our sincere thanks for the Association’s
support and help during the time of seeking employment. It is
with great joy and pleasure and a heartfelt gratitude that I
am able to inform you Veronica has finally found employment.
We have relocated to Brits which for a start is hot and the
environment is green and lush, with plentiful bird life. The
people are wonderfully friendly and helpful. Now we can slowly
find our feet. Please convey our heartfelt thanks for all the
assistance and prayers during our trying period. This means
that unfortunately we are not able to attend the 8th November
memorial service but once settled we will definitely endeavour
to attend future meetings.
Trevor & Veronica Schoultz
Brits
Dear Chris
Your kind invitation to me for 2007
The Saints book launch in London remains in my heart and I was
with all of you in spirit. Fifteen copies of John’s journal
remain—a 35-year journey. I’m 82 and recovering from a broken
hip but my spirit for John’s witness and all of you who served,
is willing to move on with the journal if it is the Lord’s will.
God bless.
Phyllis Coey
Ohio, USA
[Ed: Mrs
Coey is the mother of Corporal John Coey (2 Commando
medic, KIA 19 July 1975). She writes to me on a regular basis,
and would really appreciate it if any of the ouens, especially
2 Cdo ouens who knew John, would drop her a line. She also has
a few copies left of John’s journal, A Martyr Speaks, if anyone
would like to acquire one. Her address is: Apt E 14, 6555 US
Hwy. 68 South, West Liberty, Ohio 43357, USA]
Hi Mark [types Pilbeam, chairman of RLIRA UK]
Came
across this picture of us removing the trooper from its plinth
prior to packing for shipping. Taken early morning with my old
P&S camera, it is a slide so not a great picture but a little
history which I doubt whether anyone else has. Please pass on
to the ouens. I am also enquiring what happened to the new Regimental
Colours. I notice that at the unveiling at Hatfield, Marcus
[types Austin] was carrying the President’s Colour and
although authorized it was never presented. Both colours were
made and displayed at last inter-commando rugby competition.
I have a photo of them. They were sewn by a very nice lady,
Mrs Meiring, I believe. The CO and I visited her at home
where she was doing all the work. She gave us a long technical
talk on all her work and a nice cup of tea, but what she failed
to tell us was that she was very ill and in fact I think she
passed away soon after completing them. Back to the question
what happened to Regimental Colours. I think both sets were
sent to RSA in our boxes and yes there was a difference between
the two: centre top of the flame lily wreath had a crown and
the new one had complete circle of flame lilies. Enough waffle.
Ken Reed
UK
[Ed: Former RSM and ultra scary guy.]
Neill Storey replies to Ken’s email:
Please put
Ken’s concern to rest and tell him we have the post-UDI Regimental
Colour and are hoping to have copies made of both so that the
originals can be on permanent / fixed display. Great pic for
the museum of Trooper uplift. Can Ken give an approximate date?
[Ed: 1980]
There are two errors in the recent e-Cheetah:
Sam Cassidy was always going AWOL and thought of joining
up with the Congo mercenaries; it was later found out that he
was a deserter from the Irish Navy! No one knew the Irish had
a navy and Army HQ (Central Africa Command) were told to keep
in touch because the cost involved of getting him back was too
costly. And lastly, nothing has been mentioned about the RLI’s
Drum and Pipe band under direction of Drum Major (Sgt Colhoun);
he of all 4 foot tall! This little bit is for our QM who publishes
all the stock he has in the store but I reckon he should have
stock taken every day. (No harm meant: only said as a joke;
wait until my undertaker gets hold of him.)
John Dollman
What an outstanding e-Cheetah you guys have produced! It
brought back so many memories especially Nigel Rittey’s
most amusing and accurate recollections of so many of the chaps
I served with early on in the regiment, circa 1965 onward. Please
pass my on congratulations to all for the fine job they have
done. What fun it has been to read and will form part of my
collection from now on. I am so pleased that Keith Bartlett
is alive and well! He was a fine NCO I had the pleasure of serving
with in 1 Cdo.
Dick Lockley
Tom Thomas,
secretary of the Selous Scouts Association, says: Fine newsletter
and some great comments from some great ouens. In your next
one, please put a note, for any ex-Scouts who are not members
of The Selous Scouts Association and who want to be, to please
contact me on thomas@selfcopypapers.co.za
or julius@ancyl.org.za
Thank you very much for the first e-Cheetah. Very good
and I appreciate all the effort gone in to this publication.
I have one correction I would like to draw your attention to.
The Chinas Signing On list has a spelling error on my name:
there should be an ‘s’ at the end of Andrie to make it that
very uncommon South African name Andries. Most know me as Jo.
I also appreciate your recognition of the superior brain power
of the chaps from 2 Commando in admitting to their ability to
use modern technology (relatively speaking) like cassette tapes
as opposed to the 3 Commando’s use of the analogue printing
system of pencil and paper, and then snail-mail post. Thanks
for that. I was in 2 Commando when Major Charlie Aust
was OC and Ed Fouché was my Troop Sergeant. Keep it going.
I am in Kabul at the moment and will still be here for a while.
If any other ouens are
here please get in touch with me.
Jo van Tonder
Andries Johannes van Tonder (88553,
Rfn, 2 Commando, Jan–Dec 1974)
[Ed: Sorry about the spelling
mistake, Andrie. Must have been the Base Group Roneo machine.]
Many, many thanks to all for the e-Cheetah. Really appreciate
you keeping me in the picture with great memories.
Charlie
Aust
UK
0158 ex-Major Digger Essex-Clark ex 1
Training Unit to the RLI from 1 January 1961 to 3 December 1962
(before that 396 Pte, Cpl, Sgt Rhodesian Staff Corps 18 January
1951 to 8 October 1954; 2Lt, Lt, Capt 1RAR 9 October 1954 to
1 November 1960), reporting as requested. First: I offer my
mighty congratulations on your e-Cheetah. It was informative,
witty, well crafted and a delight to receive. May it continue
in the same vein: often ribald but never crass or insulting.
Digger Essex-Clark
Canberra, Australia
For
anybody interested, Stu Taylor, having weathered the
storm in current-day Zimbabwe, is alive AND well!, still married
to the best wife he’s ever had, knows Zimbabwe like the back
of his hand, and believes that his whole guard of honour are
still with us: Mike Slater, Paddy Gallagher, ‘The late’
Keith Bartlett (!!). Also Colin Welch, Tony Edwards,
John van Stan, Pete Lang and Neville Fourie. Stu
spent most of his serving life in 1 Cdo (Little Pink) and it
was whilst in 2 Troop that the expression MMWC (Main Manne What
Count) was first coined. If anyone would care to dispute that,
come and see Stu in Zim! He was one of them. It was when the
late Alistair Boyd-Sutherland handed over command of 1 Commando
to ‘Fearless Fred’ Watts that he explained to the new
incumbent that 1 Cdo was like a machine that ran on beer and
if that beer was not made available, the machine would stop.
Fact of life, 1 Commando always worked hard, played hard and
always went that extra mile, as I’m sure the rest of the Battalion
did in all they undertook, whether at a beer drink, on operations,
on the sports field, or the parade square. It was good to be
a member of that elite bunch of ouks. Just to put the record
straight, ‘the late’ Keith Bartlett and Taylor were good mates
in 2 Troop, and Keith’s regimental number was 4458, I think
and Stu’s was 4178 and Stu joined in 1967, so I think Keith
must’ve joined in late 1967 or early 1968. Just a bit of trivia
really, but there it is. All the best to you all. By the way,
Stu wrote a book Lost in Africa, available from our illustrious
Scribe. It takes a lighthearted look at Stu’s life in the region
and includes a few humorous moments. If you feel like crying
OR laughing, get a copy, you'll enjoy. Be good.
Stu Taylor
[ … we presume, as this is written in the third person]
Zimbodia
[Ed: Stu’s book is brilliant. You WILL laugh and cry. Order
it from www.30degreessouth.co.za,
or get hold of QM Hux who has copies.]
Am very impressed
with e-Cheetah and what a great idea. Am also impressed that
Hux appears at last to be doing some work. Anyway, keep it up
and all the best.
Terry Griffin
Hey Chris
Congratulations. Maiden voyage! Excellent. Crack and humour
is even better. Fracken cutting edge stuff.
Bruce Kidd
Francistown
Good work in compiling the e-Cheetah. Some
interesting stuff.
Rob Scott (Tpr, 3 Commando 1976/77)
Western Australia
Outstanding email publication! I look
forward to the upcoming info.
Cheers mates
Ken Gaudet
(730199, Recce Troop, Support Commando)
USA
Great
work on the new e-Cheetah—an excellent production which will
fill a huge void in our lives. Lance-Corporal Cocks, take a
step forward, fall out and report to the Commando Barman to
draw an extra ration of cold Castles. Excellent job, sir, and
I look forward to the next episode.
Neill Jackson
781105, Gobshite subbie, Support Commando
I am just writing
a quick note to thank you all, for all your hard work on the
new Cheetah mag. I have just finished reading it and it is truly
first class. The association can only get stronger when members
see this sort of thing happening and it certainly adds to the
likes of the Lion & Tusk. Well done again everybody.
Martyn
Hudson
UK
First of all: Very well done with the
publication of the e-Cheetah. Most informative and it does bring
memories good and bad to me, mostly good ones. Secondly, some
time ago I paid up 50 bucks as a full member and although lots
has been said about sending me a membership card nothing has
yet materialized at my fortress gates: whether this is our postal
service (I’ve written to the address you mentioned in the e-Cheetah
(julius@ancyl.co.za) but doubt if he is interested until about
2014 when he be comes our President. Thank heavens I’ll be with
those ouens who are there already. Hope they will have some
beer stacked away, or this person ‘Crouks’ who is still
looking for the green bag in Gaansbaai with the cards in it:
more than likely he used the bag for shark fins, perlemoen or
crayfish tails! No worries, it can wait until next year’s R200
bucks which will be coming later on. The only big worries are
when they put me down I want to be dressed in a green blazer,
RLI pocket badge, green beret with silver cap badge and this
QM is still waiting for stocks and I haven’t too much time in
waiting for it. If you want to know my number (regimental),
the first one was P11667: SA ARMY 1946, then 1130 Federation
of Rhodesia 1956–1963, then again RLI 1979–1980: 721130 and
in between that lot, SA Army and odd-job man having children
and grandchildren with one great-grandchild on its way Nov/Dec
2009. I can’t write any longer and although my legs still move
they won’t allow me to do PE tests or run. I love my favoured
beer Budweiser but can’t get it any more although it is the
beer chosen for the 2010 Soccer World Cup; it is off the market
because the importer has been liquidated. I am uncertain if
the 2010 games will also be liquidated as our team’s coach is
presently liquidated.
John Brian Dollman
PS. It
time we get together here in Kaapstad
[Ed: John – Crouks
has said he has found the green memberships cards and is happy
to flog you one for 50 bucks. Don’t get too set on wearing your
RLI greens in the grave: the 2 Commando ouens will scale them
before you’re cold. It is an honour to have you on board, sir.]
ADMIN & LOG
Museum Project Bedford
During 2009 the UK Branch has
been planning the RLIRA Museum project, which was given the
go-ahead during the AGM held at Hatfield; the project was to
be split between two locations with two high-quality cabinets
going into bar at The Rifles’ home in Davis Street, Mayfair,
London and a larger display in Bedford covering the top floor
of the local RAF Club. Both locations are fully owned by the
respective regiments and will give us no cause of concern about
having to move in the future.
The pictures of The Rifles’
bar are already on the website as are pictures from Bedford;
however, after the appeal went out for artifacts to put in both
locations the response has been very slow and as a result the
Exco has decided temporarily to go ahead with the Bedford location
first. And, as you will see from the photos, the work in progress
is coming along nicely and it is planned to do a lot more work
between Christmas and New Year. We have now had the date confirmed
to clear all the Regimental artifacts from the British Empire
& Commonwealth Museum down in Bristol and this will happen on
7 January, with the initial date for the opening of the Bedford
Museum being 30 January 2010.
Most of the artifacts at the
BECM are hanging, i.e. lots of photos and pictures, but we are
looking for all the other items that went missing from the Battalion
e.g. that odd bit of silver you might have in your loft, including
trophies, beer tankards, china and cutlery, the drums etc. Quite
a lot of similar items have now been located and hopefully will
arrive in the UK for early March. Anything else that you might
have which you feel should be displayed will be gratefully accepted.
The Presidential Colours have been sent off to be encased and
will also be displayed in Bedford. But we also need hardware
such as weapons; we currently have three: an AK-47, a G3 and
a PPK, but for security reasons and costs we have managed secure
a deal on replicas which will also be delivered in the New Year.
If you can help with any of the items below, please let me know:
- stable belts: all regiments
- badges: all regiments, types cloth and stay-bright
- uniforms: sands, camo, greens and CT
- RLI berets (3 types)
- boots, stick boots, clandestines / para takkies
- compasses, binos, bayonets (incl CT), rifle slings,
cleaning kits, field dressings, webbing (incl CT), and any
other souvenirs you might have picked up from the QM/CQ
stores ‘by mistake’ or on the battlefield
If you live in the UK we can help get parcels sent free of charge;
if you live in RSA, send to either George Dempster or
Bill Wiggill (or your nearest JOC rep); and in Australia
to Bruce McGregor. If you cannot help with any of these
items a small cash donation would be very welcome as some of
these items can easily be purchased in the UK. To those of you
who already sent items we are very grateful. Thanks to John
Thomson for the £1,000.00 to purchase the two cabinets in
London and the anonymous donation received late December to
purchase the cabinets for Bedford. I would also like to thank
David Heppenstall and John Wynne-Hopkins of the
Rhodesian Army Association for their generous help and the loan
of mannequins, uniforms and model aircraft used by the Fireforces.
Lastly, thanks to Neill Storey who has put in endless
hours trying to locate items and doing the manual labour.
If you need labels for free posting, email
martyn.hudson2@btinternet.co.uk
with your address; if you are sending parcels off your own bat,
please address them to:
Martyn Hudson
Cornerview
Bolnhurst
Bedford
MK44 2EN
UK
We need your help
for this worthy project!
Martyn Hudson
Invitation to the official
opening of the RLI Museum
Dear Member
The committee of the Rhodesian Light Infantry
Regimental Association would like to take this opportunity to
invite you and your guests to the official opening of the Rhodesian
Light Infantry Museum in Bedford on 30 January, 2010.
Venue
Royal Air Force Association Club
93
Ashburnham Road
Bedford
MK40 1EA
Travel and
parking
Travelling from St Pancreas Station in London
to Bedford is approximately 45 minutes by train.
The RAFA
club is approximately:
2-minute walk from the train station;
5-minute walk from the bus station.
Parking for the club
is available outside of the club as well as to the rear of the
club on Guru Ravidass Lane, off Ashburnham Lane, MK40 1ED.
Warning order
The RAFA Club will be open from
11:00 to 23:59 on the day of the opening.
Official ceremony
and opening of the museum will take place at 13:00 and members
and guests are asked to be there at least twenty minutes before
the ceremony begins.
Accommodation and Refreshments
The club will be offering a subsidized bar together with hot
and cold meals throughout the day.
History of the
museum
It was decided at the AGM of the worldwide RLIRA
in August 2009 that the UK committee would be tasked with the
job of completing the installation of the “working” RLI museum
with memorabilia and artifacts from the Battalion’s history.
In a very short period of time, with help from the RAA, our
members and friends; all enthusiastic volunteers, we have gathered
together an incredibly large, diverse and altogether magnificent
collection of RLI memorabilia from all around the world. Professionally
displayed on the second floor of the RAFA club, the museum with
its exciting and colourful displays of uniformed mannequins,
portraits, paintings and photographs, medals, models , kit and
katundu all expertly displayed and described tells a fitting
and appropriate narrative of our Battalion’s proud history.
Please could you confirm your attendance either by phone call,
or by email; details of which are given below. This will help
us to ensure appropriate catering. However, if you are unable
to confirm, please feel free to turn up on the day. We look
forward to being able to welcome and to share with you a very
special day in the history of the worldwide RLIRA and those
who served and supported the Rhodesian Light Infantry.
Mark Pilbeam
UK Chairman, Rhodesian Light Infantry
Regimental Association
Phone: 077887 88095
email:
Mark.pilbeam@dsl.pipex.com
Songs of the RLI
One of the Scribe’s pet projects
is to gather all our RLI songs together. We have Butch Fourie’s
The Lovers’ Lament, sung to the tune of Mull of Kintyre (below),
but need the others, e.g. Riding down to Salisbury, Don’t let
me cross over, etc. Please send through to me what you can remember—even
bits will be a start. This one, immediately below, an old favourite
sung to the tune of Galway Bay, was submitted by Bill Wiggill
and Stu Taylor. We think Trevor Kirrane wrote
it originally, but would welcome clarification. I don’t think
the words (Bill calls them lyrics) are quite right, so any fine-tuning
will help. Bill and Stu reckon there’s also a verse missing
(Bill calls it a stanza), but we’re unsure.
The RLI
/ Tartan Green
Have you ever been across the sea to Rhodesia
And stood there at the foot of Rhodes’s grave
Or further
north to a place called Bambazonke
There live the men who
wear the Green Beret
Our playground is the great Zambezi
Valley
Our pleasure is the public’s main concern
They
ban us from their nightclubs and their parties
We are the
men who wear the Tartan Green.
Erect we stand on ceremonial
occasions
Our colours fly for all the world to see
Our
pride is our one and own distinction
We are the men who wear
the Tartan Green
The Lovers’ Lament
Far I
have travelled
On land and through sky
Dark are the mountains,
the valleys are green
And oh our colours fly higher than
high
We are the men of the RLI
RLI, you fought for
your country
To see them survive was all that was needed
Oh RLI
Now one lay wounded
He’s so far from home
And all the troopies they pray for his soul
And as his life
leaves him he sees a heavenly choir
Then they carry him back
to the RLI
Now as they give your country away
Fear
not my brother
There will come one more day
When we’ll
be called to give our last fight
For we are the men of the
green and white
THERE WE WERE
… KNEE-DEEP IN GRENADE PINS
Ian Clegg
recalls: I was intake 139, volunteered for RLI, did most of
my training in Training Troop, then four of us were sent to
Brady for a signals course. When we got back the other three
were posted to commandos and I was sent to Darwin. For the first
four weeks Captain Pearse was Pronto; when I got back
from R&R he had disappeared and I ran the show for the rest
of my year except for a week or so when Uncle Ron came
through on the line from Bindura wanting to speak to Pronto
and on finding out I was only a troopie went off his head and
said something like: “Give me bloody Parker.” I thought if someone
can say that about The King he must be someone important so
I put him through … of course listening in now and again. Putting
two and two together, I have a feeling it was about his new
barracks near Bindura that still hadn’t been put up and he was
a bietjie voes. Well, a signals sergeant appeared for a week
and then disappeared, never to be seen in Darwin again. I found
Lt-Col Parker to be fair excellent; he tried many times
to get me to sign on but to no avail. After that I spent more
time in the gungen than I spent out, with one period of 18 months’
continuous; all with F Coy 1RR as a stick leader; all Op Hurricane
and one in Honde. The last camp I did was at Mukkas. Two ex-RLI
sticks (mine and one other) were seconded to RLI at Darwin as
Fireforce for ten days, then to RAR at Rushinga for a couple
of weeks. I had two MAGs in the stick but sadly nothing happened:
we hadn’t had an MAG with F Coy for over a year at that stage
and would have loved to have made use of them. Then I got malaria.
‘Braveheart’
By Titch Brotherton
I was
the CSM Training Troop at the time in 1979/80, after broken
service. My previous post was at Llewellyn but I’d been sent
straight back to the zone, pushing out troopies into the op
areas. One CSM day in Training Troop I received a phone call
from a Support Commando officer, requesting my skills as a mortar
man for an external: Op Tepid in Zambia.
“Hey CSM, this is
Lieutenant … (can’t remember his name).”
“Yes, sir,” I replied.
“We need your services in our mortar team.”
“No problem,
sir,” I replied. But there was.
The problem was I had been
out of action for some time. It reminded me of how I felt with
my first para jump: “No. 1 … CSM …show the way!” and all that
bravado. Well, straight into action by chopper from the Valley
…. can’t remember where … to somewhere in Zambia. Brief was
300+ ZIPRA dug in and +/- 130 1RLI commandos’ battle group to
take them out; with me sitting on mortar bombs on the chopper
over Lake Kariba thinking ‘what if?’ As the training CSM I was
dressed in full battle order with helmet and shovel as well,
while the rest of the lads looked like cloned Rambos. The plan
was that the mortar group would land out of range of the enemy
as they had five 82 tubes over there. Well, we landed within
range of the ZIPRA tubes and we debussed into harassing fire,
with our ammo and tubes. At that point I was the envy of all
the Rambos what with my new camo and helmet, pick and shovel.
We got into position and bedded in as I proceeded to dig in
and fill the ammo boxes with sand with which I surrounded myself.
‘Braveheart Brotherton’ was okay; so was the young mortar man
who joined me: John Doulgeris. If my memory serves me
right I think they flew in helmets and picks and shovels. ‘Always
master the basics’. We were bombed with harassing fire from
the gooks throughout that day and night: the mortar group and
the atts and dets were clapping every time the mortar bombs
landed away from them.
It was about 23h00 that evening when
the ZIPRA gooks decided to do a night withdrawal, not before
unloading itheir arsenal onto our position. Here I am, lying
face-down in my shellscrape with John, who is kindly telling
me every time a bomb is launched from the gooks’ tubes: “Sir,
time of flight … xx seconds.” I reply: “Thanks for that, now
shut up!” After what seemed like hours of shelling, and we are
all literally shell-shocked, John suddenly sees the sky light
up.
“Sir, get your head down. I think an RPG is on its way.”
I reply f#@k off; that’s no RPG: we could hear something
‘very big’ approaching. “Get your head down!” The next thing
was a loud explosion, then more and more. At that point Braveheart
was curled up so tight that his helmet could have fitted over
his entire body. In the morning, where once was a large tree
there was open ground. John and I had escaped a 122mm rocket
attack. You could have heard a pin drop that morning: we were
all stunned but happy to be in one piece.
To be continued
… and is … below …
Braveheart 2
It was in the
1970s’ Op Cauldron. I was a trooper in 1 Troop, 1 Commando;
heavy-barrel gunner, in the Centenary area. The late Sgt
Graham Burns was the patrol leader of call sign 1/1A, a
four-man patrol. We were on follow-up operations and tracks
were getting fresh. We had Saki Makay and his dogs up
front; one was a bloodhound and the other was a black Bouvier
des Flanders; we also had a fixed-wing above us. We joined another
call sign led by Lt Ron Reid-Daly. The prize was the
paymaster gook who supposedly had Rh$120,000 on his person.
Now the stage is set: we are on tracks, adrenalin pumping everywhere,
extended line, silent signals, and communications to the fixed-wing.
The next thing, up comes the halt sign, hand on head and ‘into
me’ by the trackers. We had just followed our own tracks in
360 degrees; the gooks had been anti-tracking. Well ‘Uncle Ron’
gets on the radio and asks the pilot whether he can see anything?
The reply, whatever it is, makes ‘Uncle Ron’ seriously angry
and he replies: “If you don’t wake up, I will stick feathers
up my arse, fly up there and dive-bomb you.” “Copied,” is the
pilot’s response.
Well, the trackers pick up the spoor again
and we continue to follow up until late afternoon. Orders are
given for the evening ops to the follow-up group: our brief
is to move to a location by sundown and night-ambush a path.
Well, we arrive at some path two hours or so later, and to this
day I think it was the wrong path. We set up our night ambush
with our four-man stick; half of us awake as is the general
rule. After our evening brew we get into position; arcs of fire
and responsibility identified, weapons ready, and like most
night ambushes it is a long and stressful affair, trying to
identify shadows and sounds etc.
It’s an uneventful night.
At first light, stand-to for 15 minutes before and after. After
stand-down, I turn to Sgt Graham Burns to inform him and the
rest of the group that I need to take a crap and indicate the
direction I will be leaving and entering. Off I go with heavy
barrel (HB), paper and panga, into the bush about 50 metres
away but I still have the ambush area visual. The rest of the
group is busy packing up. I place my HB next to me, dig my little
hole, pull my shorts down to my ankles, adopt the squatting
position, and begin my morning constitution with birds singing,
dawn breaking and me scanning the area around like a three-star
troopie. After a minute or so, scanning to the right, I notice
movement about 40 to 50 metres away from my position. It is
four gooks with AKs heading straight toward me. I feel my sphincter
latch onto the grass, instant adrenalin dump. What now Braveheart?
Do I engage? Do I try to alert the rest? So I decide that, still
in the squatting position, to retrieve my HB and proceed back
to the ambush position. The rest of the group is oblivious to
what’s taking place; the gooks are still on track, heads down,
heading for kak. There was no need to clean myself as the grass
did that for me during my frantic bunny-hop withdrawal.
On arrival back at the ambush position and in a frantic whisper
inform Sgt Graham Burns that the gooks are about to stumble
into our position: “Sarg! Check … gooks! Don’t shoot yet. Let
me get into position first.” This was so I could get my HB bipods
out to ensure we had maximum chance of success … $120,000.00
worth of success, ek sê! But sadly it wasn’t to be: the lure
of money overruled all fire discipline as the rest ‘opened up’
in a frenzy and all hell broke loose before I even had a chance
to take aim. FNs on automatic from the hip is just not the way
to go. Result: we manage to slot two but no money. Later when
we took stock of what had happened, I saw wild bullet lines
climbing the trees and refrained from morning constitutions
from then on.
To be continued …
Digger Essex-Clark
recalls: I met Paddy Driver (of the buck teeth) in Vietnam
in 1965 when he came and visited me at my battalion, 1RAR (Royal
Australian Regiment), attached to the US 173rd Airborne Brigade;
when he was serving with the US 101st Airborne Brigade (‘Screaming
Eagles’). He was in top form and stayed overnight with me discussing
our time together in 1RLI. Sadly, he was later killed in action
in Vietnam. You probably know that John Salt was killed
tangling with a hippo on the Zambezi. Rittey’s description
of him is an absolute classic. Harry Harvey is well ensconced
in Perth. He transferred to the Rhodesian SAS after I left the
RLI.
CSM ‘Crash’ Hannaway was a perpetual nuisance,
but an efficient CSM. I had to defend him on a nasty charge
but got him off on an absurd technicality. I also had to upbraid
Hannaway somewhat when after he told me that he had demolished
two 3.5" anti-tank rocket launcher blinds at Woolendale while
I was clearing our range exercise with Range Control. I found
that he had not destroyed the blinds, only noisily detonated
two primers instead, and that I had travelled back to camp with
the two 3.5" blinds that he had put under my seat in my Land
Rover to save him time. I then went out and destroyed the blinds
myself. I didn’t charge him because he would have been court
martialled and discharged from the army, and I needed him as
a competent disciplinary and drill CSM during those very early
days of the RLI. However, he was hard to trust completely after
that incident and later childishly let himself down badly and
left the service. I also became a somewhat permanent defending
officer in the RLI at that time and, for example had to defend
a few of the ouens who deserted to the Congo in search of filthy
lucre. The lucre wasn’t there, so they came back. Extraordinarily,
the powers that be charged them with desertion only, a charge
in which there is an absurd loophole, which I used. The loophole
was that intent to remain deserted is paramount, and as they
were there in the courtroom, I announced, as their defending
officer: that there was no case to answer and got the lads off.
If the powers that be had added a secondary charge of AWOL,
I would not have been able to help them. There is more humour
to that story in that I also gave the most extraordinary reasons
for their need of quick money, such as one of the accused had
been the cause of both his girlfriend’s and her mother’s pregnancies
and I had the mother and daughter there as witnesses, which
caused a bit of merriment in the court, but their evidence became
no longer essential for me to win the case.
I also remember
well the Harry Crampton incident with the croc, on the
river near Buhera. I had warned the ouens not to go too near
the water because the nearby village chief had warned me that
there was a rogue ngwenya in there. Harry Crampton and Alistair
Platt decided to ignore the warning. Harry Crampton actually
got away by gouging out the croc’s eyes but he was nastily hurt.
He had his inner thigh sliced open in about four deepish slashes
and his scrotum half opened with one testicle dangling out.
So with a saliva-wetted matchstick I wound up the tubes and
slipped them and the testicle back inside, pinned the lot together
with a safety pin and bathed the whole mess in Mercurochrome.
David Parker gave him a large shot of rum, and we sent
him off to hospital with a very shaken and bruised young Alistair
Platt. Harry Crampton returned to us at Cranborne, as bright
as a button but his thigh looked like the map of a busy a railway
junction: Clapham or De Aar? I’m sure that the rearranged testicle
never affected his future romantic endeavours.
Llew Lloyd-Evans
later played rugby for Rhodesia and came over from RSA with
his family for our RLIRA (Oz) Brisbane reunion in April last
year. George Mulder, when in our dug-in patrol base covering
the bridge on the road from Solwezi to Kipushi (in the Congo)
over the northern reaches of the Kafue River to prevent UN forces
using the road to transfer from east to west along the border,
was peering out of his overhead covered slit trench during a
visit by Major-General Bob Long, commander of the Rhodesian
Army. The general, using his usual conversational starting gambit
asked: “Where are you from lad?”, expecting to be answered with
the name of a town in Rhodesia, South Africa or the UK. Well,
George, taken aback and his eyes squinting tight in shock, replied
“Right here, sir!”, followed by the general’s confused reply:
“From Kipushi, corporal?” “No, sir!” said the bewildered George.
“Right here, sir.” A few seconds later the general moved on
with his entourage, muttering, “Strange …very strange.” We never
discovered whether it was George’s extraordinary appearance
of squinting tighter than normal over the sights of his Bren
gun, or his reply that the general found strange!
I remember
Nigel Rittey, the author of these very clever and witty
anecdotes. Nigel was a very smart (intellectually and in dress
and bearing), quiet and very likeable ouen. He, Bob Meecham,
George Moulder, Harry Crampton, Llew Lloyd-Evans, Jumbo Griepel
and Danie van Eeden were perhaps my first privates to
lance-corporals in A Company, 1RLI (later 1 Commando).
Mike McDonald comments: A couple notes regarding
The Saints book: with my foggy memory a small number of names
don’t seem to match the pictures. Page 423 bottom left: Spanner
looks an awful lot like Cpl Len Lewis who was the stick
commander in my Tembué 2 story.
Just some background info
on the house-clearing pictures on page 329: this is actually
the abandoned Elim Mission where the missionaries were murdered.
During the latter half of 1978 we were training for an attack
on a large ZIPRA base in Zambia that was actually an old British
Army barracks, by a lake. Because of the lake the attack only
had to cover two-thirds of the base perimeter. Aerial recon
photos showed the full camp but we didn’t know if the barracks
were one or two storeys’ high. There were a lot of buildings
with some trenches dug nearby. We did dry runs over and over
at Elim for days but went to an abandoned farm for live-firing
rehearsals. Quite loud it was running through rooms, shooting
and throwing grenades. We had available South African-made AK-47
rifles but I didn’t like them as the pistol grip under the forestock
interfered with changing magazines, so I stuck to my FN, but
most guys liked them and the fact they could use captured gook
ammo. The attack plan was for SAS and other RLI commandos to
para-drop and fight their way to the base perimeter. Support
Commando would come in fresh and do all the house-clearing fighting.
There was much debate whether to bomb the buildings or not because
building rubble is very much harder to fight through. A four-man
stick would clear a building on their own as any more soldiers
would simply get in the way. The camp would be cleared systematically,
row by row, column by column. We had specially made shaped charges
that we would plant at the ends of the buildings and blow open
an entry point, hoping the blast would take out most of the
inhabitants. The top middle photo shows a soldier running with
a mock-up of the charge; the soldier in the lower left picture
has it on his shoulder, walking back to the starting point past
OC Nigel Henson sitting on sandbags (must be him, judging
by his hair!). Note the top of a ladder in the top right photo
to be used if buildings were double-storey. I was in the only
emergency reserve stick ready to go assist if any sticks got
in the shit. D-Day comes (sorry, I cannot remember op name,
date or ZIPRA camp/lake names) and we were on the way to Kariba
to launch the attack but at the last minute, we detoured off
to the middle of some farm area to stand by, hoping troop movements
hadn’t alerted ZIPRA spies. We had an extremely close call from
a cigarette butt tossed from a passing 2.5 truck that started
a roaring grass fire that threatened to burn all our vehicles
and equipment. We ripped small trees out of the ground with
superhuman strength and miraculously beat it back. All smoking
was banned thereafter; the guilty smoker from another commando
was actually hunted down for court martial and firing squad
but was never found. The operation was called off because Prince
Charles was visiting Zambia at the time. The ZIPRA camp was
eventually bombed by the air force … so quite a tale behind
those five pictures.
The bottom right house-clearing pic
has Russell Philips SCR as the last man walking and
Meese sitting with cigarette. Top middle pic shows a
soldier running behind explosive carrier … possibly me as I
had medical stuff in South African kidney pouches before we
were issued fancy MA3 bags and I used a wide SKS sling on my
FN. Top left pic is maybe Lt Vernon Prinsloo who has
a folding-butt short-barrelled FN.
Operation Dingo
Zulu One
Chimoio November 23 1977
By Mike McDonald
I was an MAG machine gunner with 3 Commando when we got the
word at Grand Reef Fireforce base for all paratroop soldiers
to grab their kit and board trucks. We went to the RLI barracks
in Salisbury and were given the night off without explanation.
In town I met friends who asked why 3 Commando was in town along
with other RLI and SAS troops? I didn’t know but was told a
rumour was circulating that we were going to attack a ZANLA
terrorist camp of 300-strong in the Zambezi Valley. That was
good disinformation put out by someone. The trend became that
soldiers doing external operations were the last to know.
Next day we went to New Sarum Air Force base and were put in
quarantine. The 48 3 Commando soldiers along with 96 SAS soldiers
were given the mission briefing by some top brass in a hangar
with a big model of the ZANLA Chimoio base complex 80km inside
Mozambique. The complex contained sub-camps, one being for urban
guerrilla-warfare training etc. Each camp had a card with the
number of terrorists within. I added up all the cards and they
came to roughly 5,000! I looked around the room at all us tough
professional veteran soldiers and we seemed a very small force
for such a big camp, but we also had 40 heliborne 2 Commando
guys and the whole of the air force. We also had 48 Support
Commando paratroopers standing by inside the Rhodesian border
as emergency backup. This raid started the joke for all big
externals thereafter; taken from the book/movie A Bridge Too
Far … for us it became ‘A Gomo Too Far’. Hopefully we would
rescue some Rhodesian prisoners held in the base. We even fancied
catching Robert Mugabe there.
Special instructions were,
upon landing, to capewell off parachute, take off reserve parachute,
get behind cover and “watch and shoot”; and when safe to do
so, take off the parachute harness. It was to be a wild turkey
shoot with terrorists, fleeing from the air force bombing, crashing
straight into us. We would then link up with rest of the para
stops for a 24-man sweep line to assault the main base. We were
not to wear camo cream either … to avoid fratricide. We were
not drink any river water due to fouling from dead terrorist
bodies. They really harped on about no looting and that we would
be searched on return to Rhodesia. Lastly we would sew a four-inch
square of orange plastic Dayglo to the top of our combat caps
so the choppers could make out our positions. Yeah, right, hang
a sign: ‘Shoot me’. What we did was sew the Dayglo to the inside
roof of our hats and when we stopped we would take our hat off
and lay it upside down on the ground beside us. Some guys later
kept up this practice on Fireforce ops. Legend has it that a
Rhodesian soldier on a sweep wearing his Dayglo visible on top
was shot and killed by a woman terrorist with an RPD.
Next
morning we kitted up and put on our parachutes. I had 16 x 50-round
belts for my MAG, and some were carried by the rest of my stick.
It was an unforgettably awesome sight with six long lines of
paratroopers marching to the six waiting Dakota transport planes
for this historic raid. Lots of air force personnel were along
side, waving and cheering us off. Some took photos and looked
at us with awe, as we were heroes in their eyes. Some air force
women were teary-eyed; perhaps they thought some of us would
not be coming back. It was a two-hour flight to Chimoio. We
flew low under the Soviet radar, bizarre to see trees and rock
faces out the window only yards from the wingtips as we passed
the gomos. One Dakota pilot with a French-sounding name was
nicknamed ‘Stuka Pilot’ and I always seemed to get his plane
[it was Bob d’Hotman]. Finally we got the ten-minute warning.
I leaned back and there was a loud pop/crack noise. Ten guys
near me jumped a foot off their seats thinking we’d been hit
by ground fire but I’d cracked the little window behind me with
my MAG butt. Finally, “Stand up, hook up, check equipment!”
The one dispatcher was partly out the doorway, continuously
photographing the camp getting bombed up to the last second
when we jumped. This same dispatcher told me later our Dakota
took four hits from ground fire.
As I jumped out I noticed
a huge fireball over the main camp and the sound of constant
gunfire. I quickly checked my canopy, then the paratroopers
on each side of me, and then studied the ground for running
terrorists. Of 12 combat jumps I have, this damned parachute
draped all over me on my hottest LZ ever. I fight this entanglement
and even use my knife to slash para cords, with bullets cracking
all around. My fellow stick mates help pull the ’chute off and
I take cover ten yards away behind the right side of a large
tree with another soldier on the left. Part of my ’chute is
hooked on the branches of a young tree which draws lots of fire
from several terrorists in a bushy river line about 70 yards
away. Luckily we landed in this scrub because the ground toward
the terrorists is flat and open; had we landed 50 feet farther
north we would have been easily killed in the open. A moment’s
respite to wiggle out of harness and we watch, hoping the terrorists
will come across the open towards us. On any combat jump we
want to get out of the parachute harness immediately so we can
fight evenhanded. We can’t see muzzle flashes or determine the
exact position of the terrorists, as the river line is one long
thick mass of bush across our front. Our stick commander gets
a K-car to fire at the river line; the K-car fires three rounds
and asks: “How’s that?” I was thinking of maybe 20 or 30 rounds
would have been a good start. The K-car fires another short
burst and that’s all. The enemy goes quiet and we slink off
to the right some way to join up with rest of para stops. As
soon as we link up word comes down the line that Keith White
has killed a gook carrying an FN rifle, which raises some eyebrows!
The overall assault is delayed because the main command chopper
is damaged by anti-aircraft fire and withdraws. Eventually the
main commander comes back in a new chopper. All Rhodesian aircraft
involved were hit by ground fire on this operation.
We start
sweeping toward the main terrorist headquarters. I spray a few
thick bushes with clearing fire en route. We see a G-car land
and go a few hundred yards to our northeast; I think it picks
up an SAS KIA. We come across an abandoned anti-aircraft position
with an intact Soviet 7.62-long machine gun on a tripod in a
pit next to a hut. This gun site has hundreds of empty casings
so it’d clearly run out of ammo, and was not destroyed by the
air force. We burn the hut as small-arms ammo explodes inside
… and we carry on. We take cover in the edge of some bush 150
yards short of camp: totally open area with a road running across
our front. We scan the base with binoculars but no sign of the
enemy. A four-man stick at each end of the sweep line will dash
across the open ground and take cover inside the edge of the
base while covered by the rest of the para stops. If it’s clear
the rest will come across. I’m in the left-hand stick and this
will be the longest run of my life. I run as fast as possible
with all my weaponry but not as fast as I would like. We run
past several slit trenches with dead gooks inside them. Finally
we get to cover in the main camp with no enemy fire evident.
The rest of our para stops arrive, again with no enemy fire.
We sweep toward the main building area. I see a pair of shoes
on the ground with the body of the owner wedged in the fork
of a tree 20 feet away; it’s missing half its head from an air
strike. A few bodies lie here and there. We reach the main buildings
which are somewhat burned out and one of our officers steps
gingerly inside to clear it.
Main headquarters area is then
cleared. There are two rows of round huts running north-south
on the eastern side of camp. East of us is a large field, then
some woods running north-south on the far side. Most of the
base inhabitants have fled to these woods where the SAS are
currently sweeping through with plenty of skirmishes going on.
Our stick gets to clear the row of huts on the eastern side.
My MAG is too unwieldy so I rest it on its bipod nearby and
use my pistol for hut-clearing. Most huts contain a bed, a table
and a wardrobe. With Soviet uniforms lying all around, these
are probably the Soviet advisors’ quarters. A G-car lands with
Special Branch and a prisoner to give us a guided tour. We make
a large pile of captured material nearby. I place a brand-new
folding-butt AK-47 in the pile which is quickly snatched up
by a chopper pilot for his personal defence. I’m glad he got
it. I place a briefcase full of documents on the pile and several
more trips with goodies, including a few empty holsters, stacks
up the pile. I clear more huts and score a fancy Oris watch
for myself off a side table, but I am still mindful of the anti-looting
order. Some huts I have to shoot the padlocks off to enter.
No gooks found lurking in any huts. Our huts are cleared so
we take up defensive position northeast of the HQ area. To our
north is a bayonet-practice range and some large fields. About
500 yards away to the north in some thick green scrub a lone
gook keeps taking potshots at every aircraft that passes nearby.
I wish I had a captured AK with several magazines so I could
blast away at him. The gook does this for a couple of hours
actually. I’m conserving my own ammo as we are still far from
home and might get an angry response from the nearby Frelimo
garrisons. Several times we come under fire from the woods,
plus take a few stray shots from the SAS skirmishes. We hug
the ground, looking around anxiously, then a few minutes later
are back to sitting around. Same routine every 15 to 20 minutes.
I’m starting to wonder who has shot at us more today: gooks
or SAS? A terrorist armed with a Soviet SKS rifle with bayonet
extended appears out of the dead ground to our east, running
flat out straight towards us, away from the SAS. I grab my MAG
and fire a single burst as two other soldiers fire double-taps
at him. Simultaneously he drops dead 15 yards from us. Two of
us run over to him and I give his SKS to a trooper to clear
and I check his body. I keep his fancy necklace, with a wooden
medallion carved on both sides, two inches in diameter, and
still have it today. Now obviously, not all our rounds hit the
target and a couple went into the woods beyond. The SAS guys
whined for months afterwards how the RLI fired on them at Chimoio.
SAS ouens: you’re great soldiers and we love you like brothers
but get over it. P.S. I fired those some of those rounds.
Near the end of the day we burn all the remaining huts.
An SAS call sign links up with us. They are carrying typewriters
and all kinds of booty. An SAS mate taught me that in future
I should always bring a Bergen on camp raids, even with only
a couple of water bottles in it, to be used for carrying away
all the booty. We go off together to find a night position.
At dark by a copse we form all-round defence: SAS one half,
RLI the other, and each to guard their own half. It is a dark
night and during my shift I hear a moan and a cry from the SAS
side. It is a sleeping SAS soldier and one of three passing
gooks has just stepped on his head! The SAS sentry fires his
RPD immediately and kills two gooks, with the third escaping.
I was very alert for the rest of my shift.
The next day
we recover our parachutes. Mine is all burned and my para helmet
is charred from a grass fire started by gook tracer. I recover
some para cord for myself. We get a chopper ride back to Lake
Alexander. Nobody checks us for looted items (but other ouens
were by nasty MPs). We are very glad to get back on Rhodesian
soil. I felt sorry for one 3 Commando stick that ambushed a
road to prevent Frelimo regulars from arriving; they didn’t
see any action but it was an important job. The Support Commando
reserve paratroopers were not required either.
No rest for
the wicked; we get briefed immediately about another raid on
a ZANLA base at Tembué codenamed Zulu 2 and get resupplied.
For Zulu 2, 48 RLI Support Commando paratroopers will be in
on the assault with the SAS. 48 3 Commando paratroopers went
to Mt Darwin as the emergency backup force. At Mt Darwin we
donned parachutes at 8.00am and waited to be called. Two Dakotas
came straight there from dropping their first load of paratroopers,
refuelled and waited with us. At 10.00am we took off our parachutes
but waited nearby in case we were summoned but we were never
required.
Many years later back home (in Canada) I checked
the archives of the public library for the newspapers during
the time of the Chimoio raid. These historic raids had made
the front pages of newspapers around the world. Sadly though,
the ZANLA bullshit terrorist propaganda version of an agricultural-training-centre-for-refugees
got bigger headlines and bigger coverage than the official Rhodesian
communiqué printed beside it. It was one of the highlights of
my military career to have been part of this operation.
Rhodesian Light Infantry: snippets from memory # 2
By 2037 Sergeant Rittey J. N. (Nigel). Served 19/2/61 to
19/2/68
Congo border
As happens in Africa
the Congo blew up in late 1961 when the Belgians, in their infinite
wisdom, pulled out leaving the indigenous population to fight
over the prize. They have been fighting ever since. Katanga,
under Moise Tshombe, decided to break away from the rest of
the hooligans, which resulted in chaos. They were fighting God
knows who for God knows what reason. The remaining Belgians
packed their belongings into their cars and ran for the Northern
Rhodesian border to the south, bringing with them tales of dreadful
atrocities committed not only by the locals but by the oddball
and trigger-happy assortment of United Nations forces dumped
there to keep the peace.
The brand-new RLI was sent to Ndola
by land and air and then dispersed into positions at Kipushi,
Kasumbalesa, Solwezi, Mwinilunga and a whole lot of other ‘backside
of the universe’ places. The trip by air was made in two beat-up
old Rhodesian Air Force Canadairs; a sort of DC-4 Skymaster
with different engines, and a Dak or two. A few Vampires also
came up to provide air support against whatever someone might
have put in the air. (The Katangese at one stage actually had
an aeroplane or two including a Fouga-Magister flown by a mercenary
which evidently did wreak a bit havoc among its enemies on the
ground.) Some blokes made their way by road from Bulawayo, bringing
much-needed transport and supplies. Initial transport was rented
from construction firms on the Copperbelt but, until that was
secured, we found ourselves as inmates of a disused prisoner-of-war
camp alongside Ndola Airport, which had once housed Italians
captured during the Second World War. The plumbing was shot
and the toilets were little oval-shaped holes in the floor of
the shower rooms. Some had feet painted on either side to ensure
that one’s aim was mostly dead centre. The walls bore the forlorn
etchings of those lonely men who had been locked up there nearly
20 years before. Their names, if put on a piece of paper, would
have made a good menu selection in a pizzeria!
The road trips
to our destinations were hot, bumpy and very dusty. When we
arrived we looked like the contents of a vacuum cleaner bag;
sort of moving piles of dust with red-rimmed eyes. After that,
the only washing facilities were provided by plunging into nearby
rivers, bathing and washing clothes, without soap. There wasn’t
any. At this time a tragic accident involving a Bren took the
life of Private De Haas who became the RLI’s first operational
casualty. I ended up at the Kasumbalesa Customs post, where,
being a Bren gunner, I had to dig my trench on top of one of
the giant termite mounds found in the area because our subaltern,
Lieutenant Bob Davey, had read in the good book that
your platoon’s Bren had to have a superior field of fire. The
authors of this good book had not known that the termites of
Northern Rhodesia made their homes in concrete. I was still
digging at the crack of dawn while the other okes had been kipping
for hours.
At one point the Katangese kindly sent us a truckload
of their Simba beer as a goodwill gesture. Rumour also has it
that an approach was made at the time to our top brass who were
asked: “If perhaps they would consider hiring the regiment out
to go and sort out a few of their enemies?” We patrolled the
border by Land Rover and often met with the Katangese in their
Austin Gypsies. We traded smokes, beers and bits of uniform
with them. All this was done in sign language as they spoke
no English and we spoke no French. Screening refugees was a
heart-rending affair. We were told of drunken soldiers tearing
around Elizabethville spraying machine-gun fire at will, looting
and raping at random. Some cars carried bullet holes as witness
to the horror these unfortunates were leaving behind.
After
a few weeks we were pulled back to Kitwe for a couple of weeks’
R&R. The mining townsfolk entertained us royally while we fascinated
their daughters. Some clot caught a dose of the crabs which
resulted in all of us having to endure a ‘short-arm inspection’
…why ‘short arm’, I will never know! There were a lot of guys
standing on that parade in the middle of the Kitwe showgrounds
with their ‘shreddies’ around their ankles, who were well enough
hung to put horses to shame. Fortunately only a few found their
courting tackle shaved and painted blue by the ‘turd stranglers’.
The regiment returned to Bulawayo at 30 miles per hour in the
trucks and Land Rovers that had been sent up to support us.
We had all grown from the experience … as had our piles.
The move to Cranborne Barracks
The brass had long
before committed to the idea that we should move to ‘Bambazonke’
(Salisbury) to a new barracks that had been thrown up by the
contractors, Messrs Holland Africa Ltd, at Cranborne on the
main road to New Sarum Airport. Fond farewells were said to
the birds of Bulawayo and off we went to pastures new. All of
us who owned civvy vehicles were to drive or ride them (or in
some cases push them or tow them) the 300 miles to Salisbury.
A mileage allowance would be paid to us after arrival. This
turned out to be about twice what it actually cost me to ride
my ancient BSA from Bulawayo to Salisbury. The profit was quickly
converted to Castle lager. All those without cars or bikes went
by road or rail. The new home was a big improvement on Brady
and they soon had us planting trees and strips of Kikuyu grass
all over the place. The rules were simple: if it moved you saluted
it; if it didn’t move you picked it up; if it didn’t move and
you couldn’t pick it up you painted it white. Passing the tatty
remnants of Cranborne today, on the way to or from the airport,
produces a twinge of sadness, when I reflect on all the blood,
sweat and tears we put into it.
Sergeants’ Mess rituals
A newly promoted sergeant would be formally welcomed to the
Mess by the RSM at the Friday night ‘prayer meeting’ and with
due ceremony would find himself given a large chamber-pot filled
with Guinness laced with other noxious substances. The pièce
de resistance was the sausage, which was found floating around
in it. As a token of the generosity of his hosts, the novice
was presented with a huge Havana cigar and was invited to finish
the lot off in a given 20 minutes. Very few walked out of the
mess …
Warrant officers, sergeants and even the occasional
invited guest, if accused of any form of s**t-stirring, could
find themselves invited to wear a spoon around their necks for
the evening and buying drinks all round. This famous spoon was
about 4 to 5 feet in length and had been carved from a fine
indigenous wood.
Dining-in nights involved getting dressed
up in green pants, ‘bum freezers’, dress shirts and bow ties.
There was a lot of bull that came with this tradition and it
was only toward the end of these evenings that we could go bananas.
On one occasion Sergeant Pete Eldridge had had the temerity
to whip his table napkin out with a flourish and wave it about
before putting it on his lap. RSM Robin Tarr made us
do another ‘dining-in practice night’ as a punishment for this
dreadful act, which he considered to have been to the prejudice
of good order and military discipline. He was a little short
on humour at times.
Smoke breaks
A ritual at
the time was the smoke break, which was usually declared when
the nicotine cravings of our superiors became too much for them
to stand. This involved troopies hauling out a wide variety
of fags, pipes and cheroots and puffing away happily until “Fall
in!” was barked at them. There were a few favourite brands at
the time. Filter cigarettes in vogue were Life and Peter Stuyvesant,
which were smoked by the guys who could afford them at about
five bob for fifty. The peasants among us coughed our way through
countless Texan, Camel, Flag, Springbok, C to C and, if payday
was far away, Star, which could be bought at 3d for 8. I enjoyed
the cork-tipped variety but found that after a bit of running
around the bush carrying those things, I was often left with
a pocket full of cheap tobacco and a box of paper tubes. Many
joined the army as non-smokers but quickly found they needed
something to do while seated in the common hurry-up-and-wait
position in the shade of a tree, building or truck, while tolerating
clouds of smoke from all sides. Perhaps they were influenced
by a particular NCO, who commanded, “Smoke Break! … Those without
cigarettes, go through the motions!”
Barracks bathrooms
While these were kept clean most of the time, they were always
very noisy and filled with steam coming from countless sweaty
men running piping-hot showers, basins and baths. At times it
was difficult to see anything in this murk and, as using the
dripping wall mirrors to shave was out of the question, you
quickly learned to use razors by Braille. I began shaving while
seated in the bath, a habit that I have not broken after 43
years. These bathrooms, ‘designer-built’ by people who knew
they would never have to use them, contained baths, showers,
basins, urinals and rows of ‘crappers’, all of which contributed
to an endless variety of noises and not-so-delightful aromas
at peak hours.
Drill and ‘Toy Soldiers’ display: 1963
Rand Easter Show in Johannesburg
Choreographed under
the pace stick of RSM Ron Reid-Daly, this display was
lauded by press and spectators alike. It took weeks of practice
and damned hard work both behind the scenes and on the parade
ground. There were two elements to it. The first was a precision
display of drill without a word of command from start to finish.
The troops in full greens came in to the stadium straight after
the show-jumping events, which was a bit dodgy because of the
horse droppings and piles of sawdust. We marched in a single
block and moved to a set series of manoeuvres timed to a double
tap on the base drum. The block split in four different directions
followed by further splitting-off and the performing of intricate
wheels and counter-marches. Finally the whole thing got back
together as the original ‘column of klompies’ and then exited
the stadium to loud cheering.
The Toy Soldiers thing was
equally intricate, but here we were all dressed in ridiculous
costumes, carrying wooden muskets. Some guys were cavalry, which
meant wearing a sort of ‘horse’ made of plywood and hessian
as well as a uniform. (They performed in fear of an attack from
the rear by the randy stallions quartered around the arena but,
fortunately, none were propositioned!)
The highlight came
with the firing of a cannon that meant we had to fall down onto
the grass, flat on our faces one after the other like rows of
skittles. A few were unlucky enough to plop straight into the
mess left by the show jumpers so, by the time the last display
night came round, the red, white and blue uniforms had camouflaged
themselves and stank horribly.
Accommodation was provided
at the Milner Park show grounds and we were allowed out between
shows to wander around the exhibits and fascinate the dollies.
Very early on, Reid-Daly declared the fleshpots of nearby Hillbrow
off-limits. There were enough fights with Joburg’s ‘Duckies’
in the show ground let alone out of it.
Bushcraft
and survival training with Alan Savory
There must have
been about 20 of us who gathered together one early morning
at Cranborne, boarded Land Rovers and headed slowly for the
Zambezi Valley. It was slow simply because our mentor, Alan
Savory, drove his own diesel-powered vehicle and set the
pace for the rest. A camp was scratched out of the riverine
bush on the banks of the Sapi stream about 30 miles inland from
the Zambezi. Within a few minutes of chucking down our kit,
somebody yelled “Snake!” The unfortunate reptile (a fat Puff
adder) was quickly beaten to death. Savory, a really jungly
type, said “Ah! Dinner!” …and then showed us the Cordon Bleu
recipe for Flambé Puff adder a la Savory. It tasted like chicken
and wasn’t too bad.
There followed a programme of intensive
training on unforgettable subjects: how to build fall traps,
pit traps, fish traps and snares; how to make weapons such as
bows and arrows, knobkerries, spears and knives; where to find
water; how to poison pools of fish; ground tracking and aerial
tracking; which plants, leaves or berries were edible; the behaviour
of wildlife found around Rhodesia and many more. By the time
the course was over, we began to trust in our ability to survive
just about anything, without ‘jamstealers’ or air drops by Dakotas.
The only people who I can remember were on this course were
Teddy Wilde, Mike Dippenaar, Len Monson, the late
Dave Parker and a fellow called Williams. Sadly the
others are forgotten. At one point our mentor allowed us to
try to hit a can in the riverbed with both his double-barrelled
.470 and his .375. The butt-shaped bruises on my right shoulder
are long gone, but my printer’s tray on the wall still holds
the two cartridge cases I fired on that day. I hit the can with
one of them.
The training culminated in a 60-mile foot slog
without food or water. This began when the two groups we had
been split into, set off from our base on the Sapi stream to
reach the Zambezi where we had to turn around and make it back
to the camp. Our group was fortunate enough to follow the vultures
to a zebra freshly killed by lions. We ran to the scene making
fierce noises that put the unfortunate lions, hyenas and vultures
right off their breakfast. This gave us a haunch of meat that,
while welcome in our hungry bellies, became a cumbersome and
heavy piece of deadweight that had to be carried for many miles
in the heat of the Rhodesian bush. The other group did not have
it so easy. All they could come up with for the protein part
of their diet was a water tortoise.
It was surprising to
me to find that the well-built ‘rugger-bugger’ types did not
fare as well as the skinnier guys when the chips were down and
all we wanted to do was lie down and die under any tree giving
a patch of shade. This initial bushcraft and survival course
became the forerunner of the many used later by the SAS and
Selous Scouts to sort the men from the boys. From what I can
understand these later ones made ours look like a walk in the
park and I have nothing but admiration for those who survived
them. Ours was quite rugged enough, thank you …!
To be
continued …
|
®
Uncle Ron’s ‘Tea Party’ 
Of course there was Simon Willar and Major Dad. Yes, and also
General Coster was there. Good to have seen David Reid-Daly
in attendance, keeping an eye on the ‘Old Man’, Good on Mark
Adams and the Dempsters flying down, along with Col. Pat Armstrong,
to represent the greater northern regions. 
I am pleased to say that the monthly Prayer Meeting held every
first Friday of the month at Ollie’s Pub & Grill, Pomona Road,
Kempton Park has taken off well and the attendance of members
/ non-members and their spouses has increased considerably compared
to the first official meeting held. Please note that anyone
who attends the monthly Prayer Meeting is welcome to bring other
unit members along and friends. At the last meeting (beginning
of May), Papi Bolton (1 Cdo) took it on his own initiative to
pass a glass around ‘in memory of our fallen for donations which
would go to the RLIRA—and am please to say over R1,000 was donated.
In addition to this, Papi again on his own initiative, the very
next day at the All Forces Bash at the MOTHS shell hole in Edenvale,
initiated a raffle of a unique ‘one of a kind walking stick’
with RLI emblem embedded in the handle, of which the proceeds
would again go to the RLIRA. Again he managed to raise over
R1,000. Papi continues to raise funds for the association on
his own, including arranging a pooitjie competition. Papi is
a fine example of a true RLI guy who comes to the aid of his
RLI mates, their families and the association when needed and
puts his heart into all the fund-raising ventures that he is
involved with. We need more members like him to help get the
RLIRA moving forward. 
As most of you know we often hold and attend functions at the
Dickie Fritz MOTHS Shell Hole in Edenvale, who are always very
accommodating regardless of what function is being held. After
the last function at Dickie Fritz, Wally from the MOTHS approached
me asking if our RLIRA members would be interested in joining
the MOTHS as their numbers are dwindling and they are desperate
for new members who qualify to be a MOTH. I personally believe
it is a great organization that one should consider becoming
a member, taking into consideration what the MOTHS stand for:
“That he who fought by my side is my comrade still, wherever
he may be”. Anyone who is interested in joining the MOTHs can
contact me for further details and I will forward the relevant
application forms. Possibly we can get a few interested members
together and join at the same time (an RLI contingent)? 
Cassinga Day Memorial 
KZN has settled back into its laid-back lifestyle and we continue
to plug away at getting as many oeuns as possible to our monthly
gatherings on the first Friday of every month, but attendance
is still somewhat limited to the regulars in the form of Bill
Holmes, Ian Scott, Dick Warton, Mike Higgins, Jacqui Kirraine
and Sandy Ware. Now that the decision has been made to move
on from the Shamwari Club to our new venue at Natal Mounted
Rifles we have to coax a few of the ouens out of their comfort
zones and back to what was originally the venue for RLIRA many
years ago at NMR. The May jol was a bring-and-braai evening
which was shared with the SASRA and a sprinkling of Scouts and
despite the Natal weather dumping a short but fierce rainstorm
on us the evening was enjoyed by all. We were joined by Mark
Blagus from the Cape who was in town for a trade show and an
unplanned visitor was Kevin Woods (ex Chikurubi resident). As
Murphy’s Law would have it no sooner have we settled ourselves
into the NMR than FIFA arrive in town and commandeer our loc
as a temporary medical base for the World Cup football (for
those that don’t know Durbs, NMR is across the road from the
new stadium) … thanks Sepp. So the next two month’s gatherings
will be held at the DHS Old Boys Club. 
Next day, Saturday, we went to the airport venue for the Birthday
Bash, After the newly commissioned Colours were handed over
to the Colour Party we proceeded to the marquee which was all
beautifully organized and laid out for the service, complete
with the airborne entrance of the VIPs—General Peter Walls,
Charlie Aust and Uncle Ron—greeted by the masses. The service
was very poignant led by Rev. Bill Dodgem and it was an emotional
moment as the Roll of Honour was read out by Robin Tarr; the
piper played ‘The Flowers of the Forest’ and the ‘Last Post’
was sounded—a very special moment. 
Sergeant-Major Chris Pretorius passed away
Saturday 10 April at 10h00 after a very long illness, compounded
by a fall and injuring his head; subsequently he did not recover
consciousness. The service took place at the Methodist Church
in Phalaborwa the following Wednesday, followed by a wake at
the Moths.
Prior to going on operations Troop Commanders were required
to draw morphine and radio codes from the Commando 2IC. The
morphine vial was normally placed inside a syringe tube and
protected by cotton wool. The tube was then attached to a length
of nylon string long enough to hang around one’s neck and the
whole thing wrapped in medical tape from a roll. It seemed that
all the Troop Commanders were signing for their morphine all
wrapped up. Now having seen a roll of medical tape in a medical
box in the store I decided to repack the morphine and replace
the filthy medical tape. Inside each of the five syringe tubes
I found only fragments of broken glass. I inspected the syringe
tubes for damage and for the life of me I could not figure out
how the morphine vials had got broken. There was no cotton wool
found so could they have rattled around in the tubes until they
broke? 
A special occasion in Bulawayo, just before the battalion flew
up to Ndola, was when rock star Mickey Most toured Rhodesia.
The session at Bulawayo City Hall ended in disaster. Before
going to the show the boys got nicely tanked up and full of
Dutch courage. At around 2345 hours, Private ‘Blackie’ Blackburn
decided it was time to take out the ‘animal’ on the stage that
was making too much noise. Like a bull in a china shop Blackie
pushed and shoved his way through a sea of vibrating corpses
on his way to the stage. Attempts to restrain him were futile.
From his vantage point on the stage Mickey Most could see this
enraged buffalo coming straight for him. Quickly he removed
the microphone from its stand with the hope he could continue
singing while defending himself with the stand. As the contact
began Mickey’s drummer dived off the stage intent on wiping
out Blackie. 
