Rhodesian Special Air Service
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Rhodesian Special Air Service | |
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Engagements | Malayan Emergency Northern Rhodesia Aden Rhodesian Bush War |
The Rhodesian Special Air Service or Rhodesian SAS was a
- C Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment (Malayan Emergency (1951–1953)
- "C" Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service (1961–1978)
- 1 (Rhodesian) Special Air Service Regiment (1978–1980)
C Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment was formed during the Malayan Emergency by volunteers from Rhodesia. It was disbanded in 1953 and became the nucleus of "C" Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service, operational from 1961. In June 1978 "C" Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service became 1 (Rhodesian) Special Air Service Regiment until Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980.
Formation
During the
Re-formation in Rhodesia
The formation of the Rhodesian SAS goes back to November 1959 when it was decided in the Federal Assembly to form a Parachute Evaluation Detachment to examine the practicalities of military parachuting and parachute training in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, with a view to the possible formation of an airborne unit. This was announced by the then Federal Minister of Defence John Moore Caldicott, but it was Sir Roy Welensky who was the reported driving force behind the reforming of what was to become the SAS.
In 1960 a detachment of RAF arrived under Squadron Leader E. Minter to conduct the training of the Parachute Evaluation Detachment (PED). By March 1960, the PED was complete and those on the course were presented their wings by the said Minister of Defence. The "experiment" was a complete success and in July decided to form a regular European Special Air Services Squadron. In late 1960, No 1 Training Unit was formed, and once assembled and trained they would form the nucleus of what was to become: 1 Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) and "C" Squadron SAS.
In early 1961 six volunteers from the Air Force were sent to RAF Abingdon in England for parachute instructor training and a further group of volunteer officers and NCOs to complete a selection course with the SAS in Britain. On their return, they called for volunteers from No. 1 Training Unit and in August 1961 the first of many selection courses was run in the Matopos just outside Bulawayo. No 1 basic training course completed their training in November and were presented their wings by Sir Malcolm Barrow, and then Deputy Prime Minister.
In late 1961 the SAS were moved to Ndola Barracks, Ndola in Northern Rhodesia along with the Selous Scouts Armoured Car Regiment. By July the following year, No 9 basic course received their wings from the Federal Prime Minister himself, Sir Roy Welensky. In August 1962, the Unit had sufficient men to become operational and became known as "C" Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service.
With the breakup of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland at the end of December 1963, the Squadron was virtually destroyed when members were offered either a "
Nevertheless, both the SAS and the RLI played crucial roles in the domestic counter-insurgency effort during the Rhodesian Bush War. The SAS and the Selous Scouts, were the principal special forces units used in external operations. In terms of some of the most important of the external operations, the SAS and RLI both participated in Operation Dingo, in November 1977, which was one of the most successful operations conducted during the war, where more than 3,000 ZANLA fighters were killed and 5,000 wounded.
The numbers of men in the SAS went up to approximately 250 when in June 1978 "C" Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service became 1 (Rhodesian) Special Air Service Regiment.[3] The unit moved to their new barracks called Kabrit in 1979 and continued to serve with outstanding success and distinction[citation needed] until it was disbanded with the transition to black majority rule on 31 December 1980 as Rhodesia became Zimbabwe.
"D" Squadron was the "cover" name given to the South African Special Forces,[4] Alpha Group from 1 Reconnaissance Commando (1 RC) & Bravo Group from 5 Reconnaissance Commando who worked alongside "C" Squadron SAS in the South-East corner of Rhodesia and Gaza Province, of Mozambique both separately and jointly from late 1977 – June 1978. SA personnel were also deployed with Rhodesian SAS on Op Splinter on Lake Kariba, in 1978.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-09-190182-0, Page 57, "(Bob Bennet)....designed by Bob Tait....he called it a Flaming Sword, but it became a winged dagger over the years", "(Johnny Cooper)....Bob Tait MM & Bar....designed it......and it's not a winged dagger. They're flames. The sword of Excalibur. When "The Winged Dagger" came out we laughed our heads off."
- ^ ISBN 978-0-620-29347-1.
- ^ Abbott, Peter (2001). Modern African Wars (I): Rhodesia 1965–80. London: Osprey Publishing. p. 18.
- ISBN 9781908916020.
External links
- Rhodesian and South African Military History: An extensive collection of histories and analysis of Rhodesian and South African military operations, to the early 1980s