Rhodesian forces in combat

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Gunz

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Selous Scouts, RLI, Rhody SAS etc. An old film but some good clips.


There was active but covert recruitment for the RLI going on outside Lejeune and Bragg in the 70s. In J'ville a former FBI SA was recruiting out of the back room of a gun store on hiway 17 in 73-74. Requirements were former NCOs with proven combat histories, infantry, recon or scoutsniper MOSs for Marines; or Inf/SF/Ranger/AB combat vets from the Army. IIRC the pay was commenserate with RLI ranks but airfare was free. Around that time foreign volunteers did not need to be jump qualified. Eventually the RLI went all airborne, around 76-77.

Helo/airborne/ground ops including (around 1:50) RLI or SS charging on horseback.

 
No, no. This is interesting. Actually @pardus knows quite a bit about this.

ETA: I still have some great pieces of memorabilia from the Selous Scouts. One is a lighter I've been saving for previously mentioned Kiwi if he's ever back in town.
 
Ocoka One said:
Selous Scouts, RLI, Rhody SAS etc. An old film but some good clips.


There was active but covert recruitment for the RLI going on outside Lejeune and Bragg in the 70s. In J'ville a former FBI SA was recruiting out of the back room of a gun store on hiway 17 in 73-74. Requirements were former NCOs with proven combat histories, infantry, recon or scoutsniper MOSs for Marines; or Inf/SF/Ranger/AB combat vets from the Army. IIRC the pay was commenserate with RLI ranks but airfare was free. Around that time foreign volunteers did not need to be jump qualified. Eventually the RLI went all airborne, around 76-77.

Helo/airborne/ground ops including (around 1:50) RLI or SS charging on horseback.
Click to expand...

That would be Grey's Scouts ;-)

Great post. This is the war I wish I was old enough to been able to participate in. I have a few friends that did. This conflict was/is a boon for today's militaries, with tactics and lessons learned, there are US Military programs (Combat Hunter in the USMC)/equipment (MRAPs for one) that are a direct result of the Bush War. Painting weapons is a commonly done thing now, something a good Rhodesian friend of mine was threatened with a Courts Martial for day in the day lol.

Dame said:
No, no. This is interesting. Actually @pardus knows quite a bit about this.

ETA: I still have some great pieces of memorabilia from the Selous Scouts. One is a lighter I've been saving for previously mentioned Kiwi if he's ever back in town.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up @Dame :thumbsup:

I can see a trip to Vegas in my future! lol
 
Thanks for the very cool link to Grey's Scouts. :thumbsup:

pardus said:
This is the war I wish I was old enough to been able to participate in. I have a few friends that did.
Click to expand...

I came pretty close to "buying the ticket and taking the ride." I used to hang at that gunstore, knew the (former) FBI guy pretty well. I think he was getting commissions from INTAF. And there were a lot of guys back then in J'ville and Fayettenam who were jonesing to revive that adrenal rush. One day I got invited into the "back room" of the gunstore and was shown this storeroom full of auto weapons, light MGs, a Ma Deuce, M60s, a recoiless rifle, etc. These were not export weapons, it was just a display to wet your appetite and get you in the mood. Then they laid out the deal. The incentive was more action than money, which was okay, I wasn't big into money. I spent a week or so mulling it over and decided against it. It just had the look of a lost cause to me and I was reluctant to get involved in another one. Funny thing, a few years later when I was watching the Paras and Royal Marines in the Falklands fight, I found myself regretting that decision.

I had comm with an SF guy some years ago who'd gone and spent a few years over there. You're very right about the bush war setting some precedent for later TTP, especially in tracking and also pseudo-ops, which I find very interesting. Pamwe Chete.
 
Last edited:
Ocoka One said:
I had comm with an SF guy some years ago who'd gone and spent a few years over there. You're very right about the bush war setting some precedent for later TTP, especially in tracking and also pseudo-ops, which I find very interesting. Pamwe Chete.
Click to expand...

I still have a copy (or two) of that book. :-x
 
Ocoka One said:
Thanks for the very cool link to Grey's Scouts. :thumbsup:



I came pretty close to "buying the ticket and taking the ride." I used to hang at that gunstore, knew the (former) FBI guy pretty well. I think he was getting commissions from INTAF. And there were a lot of guys back then in J'ville and Fayettenam who were jonesing to revive that adrenal rush. One day I got invited into the "back room" of the gunstore and was shown this storeroom full of auto weapons, light MGs, a Ma Deuce, M60s, a recoiless rifle, etc. These were not export weapons, it was just a display to wet your appetite and get you in the mood. Then they laid out the deal. The incentive was more action than money, which was okay, I wasn't big into money. I spent a week or so mulling it over and decided against it. It just had the look of a lost cause to me and I was reluctant to get involved in another one. Funny thing, a few years later when I was watching the Paras and Royal Marines in the Falklands fight, I found myself regretting that decision.

I had comm with an SF guy some years ago who'd gone and spent a few years over there. You're very right about the bush war setting some precedent for later TTP, especially in tracking and also pseudo-ops, which I find very interesting. Pamwe Chete.
Click to expand...

Anytime, I'm very interested in that particular conflict. It was absolutely a lost cause, all because the liberal fucking British politicians were determined to force their white guilt on the rest of the world. All they succeeded in doing was ruining the most productive country on the continent. Fucking wankers. The Falklands was another awesome campaign, it was influential on our training in NZ.

I am a tracking instructor actually (albeit a very rusty one at the moment), certified by the training officer of the Selous Scouts, who was previously C sqn SAS and later South African Recce! Not too many people in the world can say they were in 3 different tier one units.
 
pardus said:
Anytime, I'm very interested in that particular conflict. It was absolutely a lost cause, all because the liberal fucking British politicians were determined to force their white guilt on the rest of the world. All they succeeded in doing was ruining the most productive country on the continent. Fucking wankers. The Falklands was another awesome campaign, it was influential on our training in NZ.

I am a tracking instructor actually (albeit a very rusty one at the moment), certified by the training officer of the Selous Scouts, who was previously C sqn SAS and later South African Recce! Not too many people in the world can say they were in 3 different tier one units.
Click to expand...

Fucking wankers is right. And not just the British. The Rhodesians had a plan for gradual black rule but it wasn't fast enough for all the Leftists in the Western democracies. Because of skin color, ZIPRA and ZANLA could tap into white guilt, but they had the added benefit of communist sympathizers in Western governments and the overt support of the PRC and USSR. (ZANLA was getting trained in China). There were plenty of black people in Rhodesia who didn't want to live under Communism. The ARVNs I served with in RVN didn't want Communism. Neither did the Rhodesians. So it was crammed down their throats under the guise of a war of liberation, in both cases. The commie terrorists of ZIPRA/ZANLA were called Freedom fighters...

And in another great irony even South Africa turned its back on the Rhodesians. Fucking wankers x 2.
 
Ocoka One said:
Fucking wankers is right. And not just the British. The Rhodesians had a plan for gradual black rule but it wasn't fast enough for all the Leftists in the Western democracies. Because of skin color, ZIPRA and ZANLA could tap into white guilt, but they had the added benefit of communist sympathizers in Western governments and the overt support of the PRC and USSR. (ZANLA was getting trained in China). There were plenty of black people in Rhodesia who didn't want to live under Communism. The ARVNs I served with in RVN didn't want Communism. Neither did the Rhodesians. So it was crammed down their throats under the guise of a war of liberation, in both cases. The commie terrorists of ZIPRA/ZANLA were called Freedom fighters...

And in another great irony even South Africa turned its back on the Rhodesians. Fucking wankers x 2.
Click to expand...

Jimmy Carter was instrumental in the collapse of Rhodesia, Ron Reagan was a little too late and gun-shy to really help. The South Africans sold Rhodesia out to save their own skin, little did they know they just delayed their own end a few years.
Ironically Rhodesia almost became part of South Africa after WWII, if it had done so those two countries would no doubt be vastly better today than they currently are. South Africa narrowly voted in Apartheid, if the Rhodesian population had been part of that vote, it is unlikely that it would have passed. Imagine a very strong Southern African country with vast resources and the progress it could have made! Dreams are free right?
 
Ian Smith - A Bit of a Rebel




Rhodesian Light Infantry - 'The Saints'

73 combat jumps for one guy, pretty impressive. Imagine earning 3 mustard stains in one day! The Rhodies were phenomenal.
"Tackies" are sneakers BTW.

 
I'd forgotten about the Green Leader audio. Great stuff. "Hey, our quarrel's not with you, but if you take off you'll be blasticated."
 

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