The Bush War involved counter-insurgency operations by the Rhodesian Security Forces against two rival guerrilla armies, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) attached to the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), and the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA). Following its reorganisation as a specialised commando unit starting in late 1964, the RLI played a major role in the war during its early phase, effectively countering ZANLA and ZIPRA incursions.
| Attributes | Values |
|---|
| rdfs:label
| - History of the Rhodesian Light Infantry (1972–77)
|
| rdfs:comment
| - The Bush War involved counter-insurgency operations by the Rhodesian Security Forces against two rival guerrilla armies, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) attached to the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), and the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA). Following its reorganisation as a specialised commando unit starting in late 1964, the RLI played a major role in the war during its early phase, effectively countering ZANLA and ZIPRA incursions.
|
| sameAs
| |
| dcterms:subject
| |
| dbkwik:military/pr...iPageUsesTemplate
| |
| colwidth
| |
| Align
| |
| Width
| |
| quoted
| |
| Group
| |
| Source
| - --03-27
- --12-21
- --07-19
- (Lance-Corporal Chris Cocks recalls the RLI's less than creditable off-duty reputation)
- (After the war, ZANLA commander Edgar Tekere tells David Dimbleby about Nyadzonya)
- (Lieutenant-Colonel Ron Reid-Daly, writing in 1982, explains the effect of ZANLA's subversion on rural Rhodesia)
- (RLI Trooper Bruce McGregor remembers meeting the Selous Scouts for the first time in late 1973, in the Madziwa Tribal Trust Lands)
- (Lance-Corporal Chris Cocks, RLI, on the recruitment of foreign soldiers)
|
| Quote
| - They knocked us flat.
- In many respects the RLI was a mirror of the French Foreign Legion, in that recruiters paid little heed as to a man's past and asked no questions ... And like the Foreign Legion, once in the ranks, a man's past was irrelevant.
- I looked at de Beer and could not believe he could look so lifeless. I have never forgotten that image.
- I was one of the first RLI troopers to be exposed to a Selous Scouts operative group. ... [Lieutenant Alan] Lindner told us that at no time were we to have our weapons cocked. ... Lindner fired a pencil flare which was answered by another from the bush to our front. With another caution from Lindner to hold our fire, these 'terrs' came out of the darkness. You must know at that point the temptation to cock and fire was almost overpowering. They were, of course, Selous Scouts coming in from an op.
- The revolutionary drive to eliminate settler oppression, imperialism and capitalism, the achievement of independence and freedom in Zimbabwe is gaining ground. The balance of power is shifting in favour of revolutionary forces. Each day the forces of liberation and progress are gaining strength and experience while the forces of fascism meet setback after setback and resort to naked mass murder, terror, destruction of villages, crops, property and animals of innocent people.
- For the first time the Rhodesian Security Forces were faced with a seemingly insoluble problem ... after carrying out their attacks the terrorists had not gone to ground in bush-camps in uninhabited areas where they could eventually be tracked down ... neither had they gone to ground in inhabited areas where information from the local population to the Police or Special Branch had indicated their whereabouts. This time there was nothing. No tracks ... no information.
- From rowdy, boisterous behaviour to downright criminal activities, RLI troopers were a never-ending social menace. At any one time, over half the inmates in Detention Barracks were RLI personnel ...
- While on R&R from our last bush-trip, the message was sent over the movie screens and other media that all RLI personnel were required to report to camp immediately. There were a few of us watching a boring movie with our girlfriends, and we were relieved when the order to return to camp came ... What was in store for us, we knew not.
|
| abstract
| - The Bush War involved counter-insurgency operations by the Rhodesian Security Forces against two rival guerrilla armies, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) attached to the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), and the military wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA). Following its reorganisation as a specialised commando unit starting in late 1964, the RLI played a major role in the war during its early phase, effectively countering ZANLA and ZIPRA incursions. After ZANLA spent 1971 and 1972 covertly subverting the local black population of north-eastern Rhodesia to their side in the Maoist fashion, it attacked two white farms near the north-eastern village of Centenary in December 1972. The RLI was one of the first units despatched to counter the infiltration, and Operation Hurricane, a major counter-insurgency action, was started in the country's north-east soon after. Hurricane would last for the rest of the war, eventually just one of seven operational areas defined across Rhodesia by the security forces – Operations Thrasher, Repulse and Tangent followed in 1976, Grapple began a year later and Splinter, covering Lake Kariba, started in 1978. SALOPS ("Salisbury Operations") covered the Rhodesian capital. Fireforce, a vertical envelopment tactic based around the use of helicopter-borne troops, was first executed by the RLI in early 1974 and soon became the main action of the Regiment. The quick reaction time made possible by Fireforce, combined with the observational capacity of the new Selous Scouts deep cover reconnaissance unit, helped the security forces to counter ZANLA's new Maoist tactics. After the Rhodesians won back considerable ground, a South African-brokered ceasefire in December 1974 allowed the nationalists to regroup; the independence of Mozambique under a communist government in 1975 also assisted the guerrillas. Two abortive rounds of talks took place across Victoria Falls in August 1975 and in Geneva, Switzerland between October and December 1976. While the latter conference was going on, the RLI played a key role in one of the security forces' biggest victories in the war thus far, at "Hill 31" in the Honde Valley on 15 November 1976. During this period the RLI reinforced the reputation it had carved for itself during the 1960s; on 25 July 1975 it received the Freedom of the City of Salisbury. Its successful execution of the new Fireforce procedure from 1974 leads Chris Cocks to describe the RLI of 1976 as a "crack unit". The official Fireforce doctrine published by the security forces names the "well-trained" RLI and Rhodesian African Rifles as the only two suitable regiments. The Rhodesia Herald's defence reporter, Chris Reynolds, described the Battalion's performance in the Battle of "Hill 31" as "spectacular". Many individual RLI soldiers won official recognition for their combat actions between 1972 and 1977, with 14 gaining operational commendations and 10 winning the Bronze Cross of Rhodesia. One, Sergeant Peter NcNeilage, won the Silver Cross of Rhodesia on 13 September 1974, having displayed "personal courage, example and outstanding leadership, without concern for his own safety" during Operation Hurricane.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)