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The Saints – The Rhodesian Light
Infantry |
| – Alexandre Binda, compiled
and edited by Chris Cocks |
| 30° South Publishing, Johannesburg,
2007, £50, 544pp, 500+ illustrations,
ISBN:1 920143 07 7 |
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The Saints, The Rhodesian
Light Infantry by Alexandre
Binda and Chris Cocks is
a book that will give the
reader an insight into the
last vestiges of colonialism
in Southern Africa. It will
also give the reader an
insight into one of the
finest regiments to bear
arms on the African Continent.
On 11 November 1965 the
Prime Minister of Southern
Rhodesia, Ian Smith, declared
a Unilateral Declaration
of Independence from Britain,
principally to avoid a London-imposed
majority black government
in Rhodesia. The Federation
of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
had collapsed in 1963 and
Smith was keen to avoid
the perceived anarchy and
chaos of other former colonies
and take a white-ruled,
western-orientated, Rhodesia
forward in to the post colonial
era. |
The World did not like Smith’s
concept for a modern Rhodesia.
Economic sanctions are implemented,
diplomatic relations cut.
The now-former colony, founded
by pioneers funded by Cecil
Rhodes’ British South Africa
Company in the 1890s, was
now alone in the World.
Only apartheid South Africa
to the south, across the
Limpopo River, remained
on cordial terms. These
political setbacks did not
deter the tenacious and
resourceful Rhodesians.
The economy was a good shape,
the country had some resources
and the [former Southern]
Rhodesian Army was small
but highly trained and well
led. Rhodesians also maintained
the twin pioneer attributes
(least in the early days)
of an unshakable self belief
and a spirit of adventure
which allowed the former
colonists not to fear an
uncertain future.
Books pertaining to
the former units of the
Rhodesian Army are few;
many now command high prices
on the second hand book
market – if you can find
them. This present volume
is a coffeetable history
of one of the most successful
of those Rhodesian Army
units, The Rhodesian Light
Infantry1 (RLI). The RLI
had it’s origins in a European
‘white’ infantry battalion
raised in the former Federation
in 1961; by it’s demise
in 1980 it had forged a
reputation in battle, second
to none. This reputation,
most of all to those Rhodesians
now dotted about the World,
remains legendary. The early
operational experience for
the Battalion came from
deployment on the Northern
Rhodesian/Congolese border
during the Katanga crisis,
but it was the defending
of Rhodesia against the
onslaught of communist armed
insurgents2 during the 1970s
that the soldiers of the
RLI were really to earn
their reputation. Aggressive
and well motivated, these
soldiers were never numerous.
Indeed, the ranks were necessarily
swelled by volunteers from
over 30 countries who joined
for the adventure and thrill
of battle as well as to
fight for a cause. The conventional
nature of the RLI changed
in 1964 when the Regiment
was converted into a commando
regiment, the companies
becoming ‘commandos’, the
soldiers became troopers
or ‘Troopies’; the green
beret was adopted by all
ranks at this time. Parachute
training of the Battalion
began in 1975. The RLI is
probably best known for
the forging of the ‘Fire
Force’ counter-insurgency
strategy. This pre-emptive
and highly aggressive method
to counter-insurgency was
fed by a well informed intelligence-gathering
network3 and required the
RLI be to highly mobile
(insertion was generally
by helicopter) and to be
operationally flexible enough
to move quickly to a location
when the ever-elusive terrorists
(termed ‘terrs’ in Rhodesian
parlance) were discovered
operating.
The Fire-Force
tactic was simple and highly
effective. Operating on
information, four four-man
fire-teams deployed as ‘stop
groups’ to block the terrs,
generally inserting by Rhodesian
Air Force (RhAF) Alouette
helicopters. These stop
groups carried formidable
firepower; Troopies were
armed with FN FALs and FN
MAGs (termed GPMG in British
use) and carried plenty
of ammunition. If required,
these stop groups were backed
up by helicopter and or
parachute-deployed reinforcements.
The ensuing fire fights
in the African bush were
fierce and generally ended
with a high number of enemy
dead. The book follows a
logical format for unit
histories by taking the
chronological journey along
the road of the regiment’s
annals from 1961 to 1980.
Through a blend of historical
narrative and personal recollections
by former members of the
Regiment, each chapter is
a window of time; the reader
easily gets to grips with
the personalities and events
that shaped the character
and development of the RLI.
Those unfamiliar with the
topography of Rhodesia will
appreciate the numerous
high quality maps that the
book contains. The feel
for the escalation in the
Rhodesian Bush War is established
as these windows of time
get smaller as the conflict
intensified. For example,
the chapter dealing with
the period 1961/2 occupies
13 pages, 1978 takes 69
pages.
Each chapter
is enhanced by an assortment
of pictures, reproductions
of newspaper cuttings and
other illustrations; many
of the paintings are by
the Zimbabwean artist, Craig
Bone. The full Roll of Honour
is included as are listings
of senior personal, biographical
notes on former Commanding
Officers and Regimental
Sergeants Major and listings
and citations for the Honours
and Awards received by members
of the Regiment. The inclusion
of this material makes this
book an extremely valuable
research source for historians
of Rhodesia and the Rhodesian
security forces.
Because of the lack of published
works about the Rhodesian
Army, this is a significant
book. A clear labour of
love by the author and compiler
to chronicle the history
of a remarkable regiment,
the book is skilfully written
and very well illustrated.
It also represents the most
detailed account yet of
the RLI’s significant contribution
to Rhodesia’s ill-fated
fight for survival. The
publication of The Saints
now allows the RLI’s story
to be far more accessible
to the wider reading public.
The book is a welcome addition
to one’s bookshelf. As is
rather the norm for such
books recently emanating
from South Africa, this
book comes with a 90 minute
DVD about the Rhodesian
Light Infantry. Marketed
as containing ‘previously
unseen combat footage’,
this medium gives an overview
history of the RLI and allows
one to actually see and
hear the men of the RLI.
If you are interested in
adding this book to your
library, the DVD will serve
to enhance your knowledge
of this now long-gone regiment.
To Purchase the book
click
here>>
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