The Northern Rhodesia Regiment was founded in 1933 when the military arm of the Northern Rhodesia Police were split off as an independent body. Unlike most black majority regiments for an unknown reason, it was kept independent from the King's African Rifles similar to Southern Rhodesia's Rhodesian African Rifles. Though it was still run in a similar fashion to the King's African Rifles with officers being seconded from the British Army until 1938 when two reserve units for African and European soldiers were set up in preparation for local officers to eventually take over. Compared with many other colonial regiments in the British Empire, the black soldiers received more technical training. In 1935, the Northern Rhodesia Regiment were called up to support the Northern Rhodesia Police during the Copperbelt strike of 1935 along with members of the British South Africa Police from Southern Rhodesia. During the strike, the Northern Rhodesia Police lost control in the face of stones being thrown by black strikers and fired at them killing six which led to the strikers surrendering. However a report into the incident found no wrongdoing on the part of the NRR. During the Second World War, though blacks were exempt from conscription as they were "British protected persons" in Northern Rhodesia, thousands of black Northern Rhodesians willingly signed up as volunteers. The Regiment were then incorporated as a part of the 27th Infantry Brigade but never fought as one unit during the war due to the risk of high casualties in the small regiment. In 1953, when Northern Rhodesia joined Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the Northern Rhodesia Regiment were amalgamated with the other constituent forces into the King's African Rifles. In 1963 following the breakup of the Federation, the Rhodesian Special Air Service which was based in Northern Rhodesia, split and the regiment was given over to Southern Rhodesia. The soldiers were offered the chance to take a golden handshake, move to Southern Rhodesia or remain and join the Northern Rhodesia Regiment. In 1964, Northern Rhodesia gained independence as Zambia and the regiment was renamed the Zambia Regiment as a result.
Uniform
The NRR's cap badge was based upon the badge of the Northern Rhodesian Police. The regiment retained the colours of red and white they inherited from the Northern Rhodesia Police but also added a green stripe to commemorate the predecessor North-Eastern Rhodesia Constabulary. Officers wore Wolseley helmets whilst the ranks wore field service caps, both of which had the regimental colours on as a tactical recognition flash. The regiment adopted a hackle of green and red ostrich feathers in 1941 though it is not recorded how they were worn.
Batallions
The NRR were eventually separated into nine battalions. The 1st Batallion was raised in 1939 and were sent to guard the Northern Rhodesian border with the Belgian Congo following a false report there was an invasion force preparing to pass through Portuguese Angola. They then moved to fight against the Italian conquest of British Somaliland and then onto Ceylon and Burma via Aden. The 2nd Batallion was established in 1940 and was set to deal with riots in the Copperbelt Province and shot 40 rioters. As a result they were split and served out the rest of the war carrying out internal security and garrison duties. The 3rd, 4th and 5th Batallions were also raised for garrison duties. The 6th were sent to fight in Italian Somaliland in the East Africa campaign, the 7th served in French Madagascar and the 8th served in Somaliland and the Ethiopian Empire. There was also an Independent Company set up to protect the headquarters of the East Africa Command.
Notable personnel
William Alfred Dimoline, later a British Army general, served as Commandant of the NRR pre-Second World War
