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Subject: Rhodesian Commando
Yimmy    11/14/2005 10:23:42 AM
Taken from another thread, my not wanting to side-track it: "The thing that worked for Mike Hoare and his boys (and the Rhodesian Light Infantry, Rhodesian SAS, Selous Scouts et al)" Who exactly were these Rhodesians mentioned? I have been meaning to ask about them for ages, but never got round to it. Whenever you brouse a British army surplus outlet, you always see various webbing accessries and the likes labelled as being ex-Rhodesian, or Rhodesian type etc. Although I am sure this is in the same context as labeling a $2 watch "SAS issue", what was the unit, and what made them so famous? Reading at face value, I assume they were a recce regiment recruited from Rodesia, serving in the South African military, against Angola?
 
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fang       10/24/2007 9:37:34 AM
The Rhodesian Units that were disbanded in 1980, with the advent of independence of Zimbabwe, were the Selous Scouts, the Rhodesian SAS and the RLI (Rhodesian Light Infantry).
 
The sub units of the RLI were indeed called Commandos and were aproximatelly company size. The paltoons were called Troops.
 
I will happy to answer your questions about Rhodesia and its army. And dispel some non truths that are in some of the comments already given.
 
Ex- Rhodesian Army
 
Fang
 
 
 
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Yimmy       10/24/2007 10:53:09 PM
Since I posted this thread, Rhodesia has become a real interest for me, on which I have done a healthy amount of reading.  I am sure I could think of dozens of questions for you given the time!  May I ask what unit you were in?
 
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fang       10/27/2007 8:25:14 AM
During my almost 12 years service, I served in several units of the Army and the BSAP. The last unit was RIC / RID.
 
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hiker    Yimmy   1/14/2008 10:36:02 PM
They were disbanded when their government fell, but many were picked up by South Africa. 
 
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hiker    eu4ea   1/14/2008 10:46:08 PM
LOL! Thanks for the post.  The view form the old hunters is a little different from most of what we read from other sources.  It is indeed a little difficult imagining what the story of some of these operations would look like on NBC News.  Sounds like they were not overly meticulous about who was targeted.  Could be a misimpression though, I suppose.
 
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Sabre       1/25/2008 3:36:34 AM
Some sites:

http:// members.tripod.com/selousscouts/drake_shoot.htm

(On this next site, you may have to dig a bit, but there is an extensive article on Fire Force tactics...)
http://www. sinodefenceforum.com/blogs/norfolk/

IIRC, the RLI had 4 Commandos (Companies) with 80-ish men each (from what I gather, they were supposed to have more, but never had enough manpower).  The basic building block was a "stick", or four-man team (the limit to what a Allouette could carry) armed with 1 MAG58 GPMG, and 3 FN-FAL's.
 
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jinx44    new guy to the forum   5/4/2008 10:16:54 PM
I just found your site and wanted to give my 2cents. 
 
I joined the RLI in late 79 and was posted to Support Cdo, 1RLI.  I was in Anti-tank Troop until I had to flee the Mugabe govt in mid 80.  Like many ouens, I was recruited for the SADF and did a contract with a special ops unit out of SADF 44 Para Brigade--Pathfinder Coy, "The Phillistines".  We were mostly ex-Rhodies and trained on the Mozambique border to conduct cross border ops.  We were deployed in Angola for 2 years and worked with Recces and 32 Bat.  We were disbanded in late 82.  We had CWO's from Selous Scouts and SAS and spent most of our time running recce and ambush ops to support the SADF air and grounds units deployed in SWA and Angola--Sector 10 operational area.  I spent 4 years in Central America as an advisor teaching small unit tactics and company level helicopter assault. 
 
I would say that one of the hallmarks of Rhodie training was to utilize scarce resources to overcome any opposition.  SAS, Scouts, BSAP and the RAF were integral to the overall mission.  RLI was typically used as a "Fireforce" to be inserted after Scouts/SAS and the RAF had ID'd terr activity.  Our Fireforce mission was generally to act as stop/killer groups to interdict the terrs as they fled the area chased by the helicopter gunships.  We would followup and sweep the whole area after the contact.
 
In the SADF we were employed as scout recce units--on foot and with "Sabre" vehicles (like the British SAS in the Western Desert in WW2).  We did ambushes against SWAPO gooks migrating down into the SWA Op Area, before they could get situated and comfortable. We also attacked FAPLA army units when they were too close to the SWAPO groups.  In OP Protea, we captured several towns and backed up 32 Bat. in the capture of several Russian advisors.  I have some pictures I could post if that would be helpful. 
 
I may not respond very quickly to your posts, but will try to answer your questions when I can. 
 
There are a lot of good books and websites that can give you a lot more than I can.
 
The battle for Africa is a forgotten time that is written off as a sidebar to history, but it epitomizes the the clash of worldviews that still influence our world.  Islam is the inheritor of the Marxist hegemony that is in view in this century.  It can be defeated by a dedicated group of soldiers trained to correctly and selectively destroy the head of the monster.  If we don't solve this problem quickly and without mercy of any kind, we will be its' next victims.  Mugabe ran on the platform of one man, one vote.  They got one vote and that was it. 
 
The West is fat and stupid.  This will be our downfall.  We must retain the worldview that there is righteousness and justice that must be understood and fought for with total commitment.
 
My best to all of you that strive to understand what is at stake by studying history and applying it to today.
 
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Claymore       5/5/2008 4:31:32 AM
Thanks for your post. As someone who was born in the 1980s the Rhodesian and SA conflicts are recent topics of interest for me. You don't hear about them at all in the media (Maybe you did at the time in the 70s and 80s I would not know).

I find it remarkable that we are learning it all over again in Iraq and A-stan. You guys build vehicles that survived road side bombs using V-shaped hulls etc. It took us a few years to do that in Iraq.

You guys also (amazing under a harsh embargo) were able to conduct raids on terrorist sanctuaries through the work of tough and dedicated scouts combined with mobile and ready light infantry.

I think if we ever are going to prevail in Afghanistan we will need to raid interdict just over the paki boarder.

I intend to add Reid-Daly's book to my reading list.

 
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Johno       3/22/2010 8:01:33 PM
 There  were 4 commado's in the RLI. Each one was company strength. The Unit was formed in the 60's. Disbanded in 1980. The "trooper " statue is now in England. We celebrate our lost mates with the Kiwi's and Auzzies on Anzac'z day .
 
There was ... 1 , 2  and 3 Commado.. plus Support Commando. Trackers, Mortars etc.
 
All prar trained and a lot of External ops
 
 
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