Rhodesian Security Forces


The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force, the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police, and various personnel affiliated to the Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Despite the impact of economic and diplomatic sanctions, Rhodesia was able to develop and maintain a potent and professional military capability.
The Rhodesian Security Forces of 1964–80 traced their history back to the British South Africa Company armed forces, originally created during company rule in the 1890s. These became the armed forces of the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia on its formation in 1923, then part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland military in 1953. After the break-up of the Federation at the end of 1963, the security forces assumed the form they would keep until 1980.
As the armed forces of Rhodesia, the Rhodesian Security Forces remained loyal to the Salisbury government after it unilaterally declared independence from Britain on 11 November 1965. Britain and the United Nations refused to recognise this, and regarded the breakaway state as a rebellious British colony throughout its existence.
The security forces fought on behalf of the unrecognised government against the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army —the military wings of the Marxist–Leninist black nationalist Zimbabwe African National Union and Zimbabwe African People's Union respectively—during the Rhodesian Bush War of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Lancaster House Agreement and the return of Rhodesia to de facto British control on 12 December 1979 changed the security forces' role altogether; during the five-month interim period, they helped the British governor and Commonwealth Monitoring Force to keep order in Rhodesia while the 1980 general election was organised and held. After the internationally recognised independence of Zimbabwe in April 1980, the Rhodesian security forces, ZANLA and ZIPRA were integrated to form the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Rhodesian Army

The majority of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers were disbanded in 1920 for reasons of cost, the last companies being disbanded in 1926. The Defence Act of 1927 created a Permanent Force and a Territorial Force as well as national compulsory military training. With the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers disbanded in 1927, the Rhodesia Regiment was reformed in the same year as part of the nation's Territorial Force. The 1st Battalion was formed in Salisbury with a detached "B" company in Umtali and the 2nd Battalion in Bulawayo with a detached "B" Company in Gwelo. Between the World Wars, the Permanent Staff Corps of the Rhodesian Army consisted of only 47 men. The British South Africa Police were trained as both policemen and soldiers until 1954.
About 10,000 white Southern Rhodesians mustered into the British forces during the Second World War, serving in units such as the Long Range Desert Group, No. 237 Squadron RAF and the Special Air Service. Pro rata to population, this was the largest contribution of manpower by any territory in the British Empire, even outstripping that of Britain itself.
Southern Rhodesia's own units, most prominently the Rhodesian African Rifles, fought in the war's East African Campaign and in Burma. During the war, Southern Rhodesian pilots proportionally earned the highest number of decorations and ace appellations in the Empire. This resulted in the Royal Family paying an unusual state visit to the colony at the end of the war in thanks to the efforts of the Rhodesian people.
The Southern Rhodesia Air Force was re-established in 1947 and, two years later, Prime Minister Sir Godfrey Huggins appointed a 32-year-old South African-born Rhodesian Spitfire pilot, Ted Jacklin, as air officer commanding tasked to build an air force in the expectation that British African territories would begin moving towards independence, and air power would be vital for land-locked Southern Rhodesia. The threadbare SRAF bought, borrowed or salvaged a collection of vintage aircraft, including six Tiger Moths, six North American Harvard trainers, an Avro Anson freighter and a handful of De Havilland Rapide transport aircraft, before purchasing a squadron of 22 Mk. 22 war surplus Supermarine Spitfire from the Royal Air Force which were then flown to Southern Rhodesia.
In April 1951, the defence forces of Southern Rhodesia were completely reorganised. The Permanent Force included the BSAP as well as the Southern Rhodesia Staff Corps, charged with training and administering the Territorial Force. The SRAF consisted of a communication squadron and trained members of the Territorial Force as pilots, particularly for artillery observation. During the Malayan Emergency of the 1950s, Southern Rhodesia contributed two units to the Commonwealth's counter-insurgency campaign: the newly formed Rhodesian SAS served a two-year tour of duty in Malaya starting in March 1951, then the Rhodesian African Rifles operated for two years from April 1956.
The colony also maintained women's auxiliary services, and maintained a battalion of the RAR, officered by members of the Staff Corps. The Territorial Force remained entirely white and largely reproduced the Second World War pattern. It consisted of two battalions of the Royal Rhodesia Regiment, an Armoured Car Regiment, Artillery, Engineers, Signal Corps, Medical Corps, Auxiliary Air Force and Transport Corps. In wartime the country could also draw on the Territorial Force Reserve and General Reserve. Southern Rhodesia, in other words, reverted more or less to the organisation of the Second World War.
Matters evolved greatly over twenty years. The regular army was always a relatively small force, but by 1978–79 it consisted of 10,800 regulars nominally supported by about 40,000 reservists. While the regular army consisted of a professional core drawn from the white population, by 1978–79 the majority of its complement was actually composed of black soldiers. The army reserves, in contrast, were largely white.
The Rhodesian Army HQ was in Salisbury and commanded over four infantry brigades and later an HQ Special Forces, with various training schools and supporting units. Numbers 1,2, and 3 Brigade were established in 1964 and 4 Brigade in 1978.
During the Bush War, the army included:

Rhodesian Air Force

The Royal Rhodesian Air Force, as it was named in 1954, was never a large air force. In 1965, it consisted of only 1,200 regular personnel. It was renamed as the Rhodesian Air Force in 1970. At the peak of its strength during the Bush War, it had a maximum of 2,300 personnel of all races, but of these, only 150 were pilots actively involved in combat operations. These pilots, however, were rotated through the various squadrons partly to maintain their skills on all aircraft and partly to relieve fellow pilots flying more dangerous sorties.

British South Africa Police (BSAP)

The British South Africa Police were the first line of defence in both Southern Rhodesia and, later, Rhodesia, with the specific responsibility of maintaining law and order in the country.

INTAF

While not a part of the Security Forces, Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs officers were heavily involved in implementing such civic measures as the protected villages programme during the Bush War.

Prison Services

The Rhodesia Prison Service was the branch of the Rhodesian Security Forces responsible for the administration of Rhodesian prisons.

Guard Force

This was the fourth arm of the Rhodesian Security Forces. It consisted of both black and white troops whose initial role was to provide protection for villagers in the Protected Village system. During the latter stages of the Bush War they provided a role in the protection of white-owned farmland, tribal purchase lands and other strategic locations. They also raised two infantry Battalions and provided troops in every facet of the war in each of the Operational Areas. It was a large component of the Security Forces, with a strength of over 7,200 personnel. Its headquarters were in North Avenue, Salisbury. Its training establishment was based at Chikurubi in Salisbury.
The guard force cap badge was a castle on top of a dagger, below the castle was a scroll reading 'Guard Force'

Combined Operations

The Rhodesian Bush War required that each of the security forces work in a combined effort to combat the enemy. Therefore it became essential to establish an organisation known as Combined Operations in Salisbury to co-ordinate the efforts of each service. The Rhodesian army took the senior role in Combined Operations and was responsible for the conduct of all operations both inside and outside Rhodesia. COMOPS had direct command over the Joint Operational Centres deployed throughout the country in each of the Operational Areas. There was a JOC per Operational Area.
The operational areas were known as:
Source: original regiments.org via webarchive.

Small arms

NameTypeCountry of originNotes
Browning Hi-PowerSemi-Automatic Pistol
Enfield revolverRevolverEnfield No. 2 Mk I Revolver.
MambaSemi-Automatic Pistol
StarSemi-Automatic PistolModel 1920, 1921, 1922.
Walther PPSemi-Automatic PistolCaptured.
AustenSubmachine gunAusten "Machine Carbine" Mk I.
Sanna 77Submachine gunIssued primarily to INTAF.
Northwood R-76Submachine gun
Owen GunSubmachine gun
Sa 25 Submachine gunSome of local manufacture.
StenSubmachine gunMk II.
SterlingSubmachine gun
UziSubmachine gunSome of local manufacture.
AK-47Assault RifleCaptured.
AKMAssault RifleCaptured and used by RhACR.
FN FALBattle RifleBelgian FNs, South African R1s.
Heckler & Koch G3Battle RifleG3A3, received from Portugal.
L1A1Battle RifleIssued primarily to reservists.
Lee–EnfieldBolt-action rifleSome converted into sniper rifles.
M16A1Assault rifleUsed very late in the war.
Mini-14Semi-Automatic rifleSmuggled from U.S.
SKSSemi-automatic rifleCaptured.
BrenLight machine gunMk 3.
Browning M2Heavy machine gun
Browning M1919Medium machine gunHelicopter-mounted weapon.
Degtyaryov 1938/46Light machine gunCaptured.
FN MAGGeneral purpose machine gunMAG-58.
KPVHeavy machine gunCaptured.
PKMGeneral purpose machine gunCaptured.
RPDLight machine gunCaptured.
RPKLight machine gunCaptured.
Browning Auto-5Shotgun
Ithaca 37Shotgun
DragunovSniper rifleCaptured.
Armscor M963Fragmentation grenadeSourced via South Africa,
Derived from INDEP's licence-made M26 grenade
STRIM 32ZAnti-tank rifle grenadeSourced via South Africa?
STRIM 28RRifle grenadeSourced via South Africa?
PRB 424Rifle grenade
Armscor 42 ZuluRifle grenadeSourced via South Africa,
Derived from PRB 424
Mecar ENERGAAnti-tank Rifle grenadeLatterly sourced via South Africa
M18 ClaymoreAnti-personnel mine
Mine G.S. Mk VAnti-tank mine
BazookaAnti-tank weaponM20 Super Bazooka.
M72 LAWAnti-tank weapon
RPG-2Anti-tank weaponCaptured.
RPG-7Anti-tank weaponCaptured.

Missiles and Recoilless Rifles

NameTypeCountry of OriginNotes
MILANAnti-tank missile/9 launchers, 75 missiles.
M40Anti-tank weapon
B-11Anti-tank weaponCaptured late in the war.

Vehicles

Artillery

NameTypeCountry of OriginIn ServiceNotes
BL 5.5140mm Howitzer4
BM-21 Grad122mm Multiple Rocket LauncherCaptured.
L1681mm Mortar30
M101105mm Howitzer6
Ordnance QF 25 pounder87mm Howitzer18
OTO Melara Mod 56105mm Howitzer18

Air Defence

NameTypeCountry of OriginIn ServiceNotes
37mm Gun M1Anti-aircraft gun
Oerlikon 20 mm cannonAnti-aircraft gun1Captured.
Zastava M55 20mm autocannonAnti-aircraft gunCaptured.
Strela 2Surface-To-Air Missile System15Captured.
ZPUAnti-aircraft gun10Captured.
ZU-23-2Anti-aircraft gunCaptured.

Air force equipment

NameTypeCountry of OriginIn ServiceNotes
Aermacchi AL-60Utility Aircraft9AL-60F-5 "Trojan".
Aermacchi SF.260Trainer Aircraft/Light Attack Aircraft17SF.260C and SF.260W "Genet".
SNIAS Alouette-IILight Transport Helicopter10
Aérospatiale Alouette IIIHelicopter27Several supplied by the SAAF.
Beechcraft BaronTransport Aircraft1Baron 95 C-55.
Bell UH-1 IroquoisHelicopter10Agusta-Bell 205A.
Used very late in the war.
Britten-Norman IslanderTransport Aircraft6
Canadair North StarTransport Aircraft4C-4 Argonaut.
Cessna 185Utility Aircraft17
Cessna 421Transport Aircraft1
Cessna SkymasterLight Attack Aircraft10Reims-Cessna FTB 337G 'Lynx'.
de Havilland VampireFighter12
Douglas C-47 DakotaTransport Aircraft12
Douglas DC-7Transport Aircraft2
English Electric CanberraBomber7
Hawker HunterFighter13Hunter FGA 9.
North American T-6 TexanTrainer Aircraft21AT-6 Harvard, sold to South Africa.
Percival PembrokeTransport Aircraft2Percival Pembroke C.1
Percival ProvostTrainer Aircraft8Provost Mk 52.
Supermarine SpitfireFighter22Mk 22.
GolfGeneral-purpose bomb
AlphaCluster bombsThe Canberra carried 300 Alpha bombs in groups of 50 inside six hoppers fitted to the bomb bay
SNEB 68mmAircraft rockets