THE POOKIE
This was one of the most successful anti-landmine vehicles ever invented and during the Rhodesian bush war it detected over 500 landmines without ever detonating one.
No member of the Rhodesian security forces was ever killed in a Pookie.
About Me
- Beaver Shaw
- Nairobi, Kenya
- I an ex member of both 7 and 8 Squadron's of the Rhodesian war spending most of my operational time on Seven Squadron as a K Car gunner. I was credited for shooting down a fixed wing aircraft from a K Car on the 9 August 1979. This blog is from articles for research on a book which I HAVE HANDED THIS MANUSCRIPT OVER TO MIMI CAWOOD WHO WILL BE HANDLING THE PUBLICATION OF THE BOOK OF WHICH THERE WILL BE VERY LIMITED COPIES AVAILABLE Contact her on yebomimi@gmail.com The latest news is that the Editing is now done and we can expect to start sales and deliveries by the end of April 2011
Saturday, June 28, 2008
ERIC (HARRY) HARRISON
JAMBANJA ERIC HARRISONS BOOK ON FARM INVASIONS IN ZIMBABWE - A MUST READ
He didn’t say a word as Whitehat stepped forward. “We are the new owners of Maioio Farm.” He said menacingly, as he pointed to the other three. “You have got 24 hours to get off ... now move it!”Harry, a white Zimbabwean farmer, has fought to create a life out from under the shadow of war. From meagre beginnings he carves a successful citrus farm from the “Dirt” of a newly-built settlement, only to have it ripped away in a series of vicious and shocking attacks. His family, friends and faith are sorely tested as he struggles to fight back “by the book” - a book that has become a very sick joke in Zimbabwe.Eric Harrison has farmed in Zimbabwe for over 30 years. He recently relocated to Harare to continue his fight towards restitution of the rights, dignity and self respect of himself and the many affected families and staff, after losing his farm, “Maioio”.He was inspired to write Jambanja after realising how uninformed those outside Zimbabwe are about the thuggery and intimidation policies implemented by the government of Zimbabwe in the name of Land Redistribution.
Author
Eric Harrison
Cover Type
Paperback
ISBN-10
ISBN-13
978-1-920169-82-4
No of Pages
237
Size
A5
Publication Date
10 April 2008
Lulu ID 2344202
Available fro Just Done Productions -Publishing -
He didn’t say a word as Whitehat stepped forward. “We are the new owners of Maioio Farm.” He said menacingly, as he pointed to the other three. “You have got 24 hours to get off ... now move it!”Harry, a white Zimbabwean farmer, has fought to create a life out from under the shadow of war. From meagre beginnings he carves a successful citrus farm from the “Dirt” of a newly-built settlement, only to have it ripped away in a series of vicious and shocking attacks. His family, friends and faith are sorely tested as he struggles to fight back “by the book” - a book that has become a very sick joke in Zimbabwe.Eric Harrison has farmed in Zimbabwe for over 30 years. He recently relocated to Harare to continue his fight towards restitution of the rights, dignity and self respect of himself and the many affected families and staff, after losing his farm, “Maioio”.He was inspired to write Jambanja after realising how uninformed those outside Zimbabwe are about the thuggery and intimidation policies implemented by the government of Zimbabwe in the name of Land Redistribution.
Author
Eric Harrison
Cover Type
Paperback
ISBN-10
ISBN-13
978-1-920169-82-4
No of Pages
237
Size
A5
Publication Date
10 April 2008
Lulu ID 2344202
Available fro Just Done Productions -Publishing -
Monday, June 23, 2008
ZAMBIAN RAID MARK DAWSON INCIDENT
OP GATLING ZAMBIAN EXTERNAL–19 OCTOBER 1978
BEAVER SHAW LOGBOOK
K CAR 5701 18/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW SALISBURY –BINDURA
K CAR 5701 18/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW BINDURA – MANGULA
K CAR 5701 19/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MANGULA TO ASSEMBLY AREA MANA POOLS
K CAR 5701 19/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW K CAR TOP COVER EXTERNAL OPERATION ZAMBIA APPROX 200 CT KIA 3 SORTIES FLOWN
K CAR 5701 19/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW WITH REPORTER MANA POOLS TO RECOVERY BASE MAKUTI
K CAR 5701 20/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MAKUTI TO MANA POOLS ASSEMBLY AREA
K CAR 5701 20/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW TOP COVER WAS LEAD BUT DUE TO LACK OF SPEED MARK DAWSON TOOK LEAD AND ON PASSING WE TOOK AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF FLAK FROM CT AAA GUN POSITIONS ON THE GROUND THE SKY WAS GREEN AND RED WITH TRACER 23 MM CANNON SHOTS AT HELICOPTERS NO STRIKES. MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOEFSE SHOT IN TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX CRASHING IN FRONT OF FORMATION.
THE K CAR IN WHICH THEY WERE FLYING BROKE ITS BACK AND THREW ROELF OUT CAUSING BACK INJURY.
MARK SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES AND WAS FOUND UNCONCIOUS BY BEAVER SHAW AND MIKE SMITH WHEN THIER K CARS LANDED TO ASSIST.
BEAVER SHAW AND MIKE SMITH REMAINED IN THE CRASH AREA AFTER LOADING THE WOUNDED CREW ONTO THEIR RESPECTIVE K CARS. DUE TO WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS THE K CARS COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE LZ WITH ALL THE CREWS ON BOARD.
THE K CARS ARRIVED LATER TO UPLIFT THEM.
THE WRECK WAS LATER BLOWN UP BY THE SAS.
K CAR 5701 20/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MANA POOLS TO MAKUTI
K CAR 5701 21/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MAKUTI TO MANA POOLS ASSEMBLY AREA
K CAR 5701 21/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW COLLECT PARACHUTES FROM OPERATIONS AREA 20 MM CANNON REMOVED 4 SORTIES 6HRS 30 MIN
K CAR 5701 21/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MANA POOLS TO MAKUTI
K CAR 5701 22/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MAKUTI TO SALISBURY
FROM AIRSTRIKE BY PROP GELDENHUYS
AIR TASK 887 OP GATLING EXTERNAL ZAMBIA 19/10/1978
ZIPRA CHIKUMBI CAMP AT WESTLANDS FARM –GREEN LEADER FAME A/T 1521
CHRIS DIXON AND MIKE RONNE
TED BRENT AND JIM RUSSELL
GREG TODD AND DOUG PASEA
GLENN PRETORIOUS AND PADDY MORGAN
TONY OAKLEY
JR BLYTHE WOOD
DAVE BOURHILL
ALF WILD
JIM STAGMAN
GRAHAM CRONSHAW
MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOFSE
CHAZ GOATLEY AND MIKE SMITH
IAN PEACOCK AND BEAVER SHAW
COCKY BENECKE
TOL JANECKE
VARKY VARKEVISSER
VAMPIRES EX FYLDE
COMMAND DAKOTA NORMAN WALSH
SEE WINDS OF DESTRUCTION PAGE 499 PRIDE OF EAGLES P 626
BEAVER SHAW RECALLS AT LEAST 200 CT KILLED IN HIS LOGBOOK 226 KILLED AND 629 WOUNDED
SEE PB PAGE 501
JR AND VARKY TWO SORTIES
AIR TASK 888 OP GATLING EXTERNAL ZAMBIA 19/10/1978
AIRSTRIKE ON MKUSHI A/T 1521
120 SAS PARATROOPERS
CANBERRA X 2
HUNTER X 3
VAMPIRE X2
G CARS X11
K CARS
DAKOTA X6
47 ENEMY KILLED AND ZIPRA LOGISTICS OFFICER MOUNTAIN GUTU CAPTURED
SEE WINDS OF DESTRUCTION PAGE 502
AIR TASK 889 OP GATLING 20/10/1978 CGT-2 CAMP 100 KM SE OF LUSAKA
VARKY VARKEVISSER
COCKY BENECKE
MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOFSE SHOT DOWN BOTH WIA
NIGEL LAMB AND FINCH BELLRINGER
CHAZ GOATLEY AND MIKE SMITH
IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW
JR BLYTHE WOOD
VAMPIRE X 3
K CAR X 3
HUNTER
DAKOTA
MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOFSE SHOT DOWN K CAR CAT 5 BOTH CREW WIA
HEAD BACK AND LEG INJURIES CREW RESCUED BY MIKE SMITH AND BEAVER SHAW –SEE RECOMMENDATION BY G. CRONSHAW TO BEAVER REF CRASH.
WRECKAGE OF K CAR DESTROYED BY SAS.
TOTAL CASUALTIES FOR THE THREE OPERATIONS WERE 396 KILLED 719 WOUNDED AND 192 CT MISSING.
OPERATION GATLING K CAR GUNNERS ACCOUNT
Canberra’s carrying out aerial reconnaissance in Zambia pinpointed Westlands Farm and Chikumbi Freedom Camp to house in the region of 4000-6000 terrorists who were undergoing training at that time.
I had just arrived back at the Squadron from a spot of R and R at home in Fort Victoria and was told in the Sergeants mess that night that all Squadron members were to assemble in the Squadron briefing room for a briefing. I knew that something was up because the mess was full of Seven squadron people who had just flown in from the various forward airfields in the country.
The next morning we filed into the briefing room and were briefed that we were to fly by various routes to Mana Pools to an assembly area there where we would be carrying out external operations and raids into Zambia against ZIPRA terrorist camps.
I was tasked to fly with Ian Peacocke in a K Car 20 mm gunship, and set about getting it sorted for the forthcoming operation.
My heart was in my mouth and I was worried about the forthcoming raids but there was nothing to do but make sure that we were prepared for the next few days of fighting.
I hated externals into Zambia as the ZIPRA terrorists were more aggressive and well trained than their ZANLA counterparts.
We made our way to the Mana Pools assembly area night stopping in Mangula via Bindura where tents had been erected for us outside the Mangula Sports club.
The Assembly area at Mana pools was like an international airport with so many helicopters and the whole of Four Squadrons Lynx area were there.
The operation began with diversionary attacks on ZANLA camps along the Pungwe River in Mocambique and then an attack on Westlands Farm about 3 miles north of the Capital Lusaka at 0830 on the morning of the 19 Th October 1978.
The attack was timed precisely for this time because the ZIPRA terrorists would parade precisely at this time every day.
The Rhodesian Air Force fixed wing attack aircraft tasked to carry out the initial attacks consisted of four Canberra bombers from 5 Squadron based at New Sarum which would be Green Section, eight Hunters from 1 Squadron which were divided into two of Red Section and four of Blue Section and two of White Section.
Four Alouette K Cars armed with 20 mm cannons and a Command Dakota call sign Dolphin 3 would take part in the initial attack on Westlands farm. Ian Peacocke and I were not on the first wave of the raid. The Command Dak known as a Warthog was equipped with HF, VHF, UHF and teleprinters which were capable of decrypting messages to and from Milton Buildings in Salisbury, (Air HQ), The Rhodesian Air Force and Defence Headquarters.
The Warthog had the Air Force Director of Operations, Group Captain Norman Walsh, the Comops Commander, General Peter Walls and the Commander of the Special Air Service, Major Brian Robinson on board.
While we were being briefed on Seven Squadron other briefings took place at the Parachute Training School at New Sarum.
SAS and RLI troops who were to take part in the operation had been briefed two nights before the operation and had been given their targets and battle orders. They were also shown a huge model in a sandpit showing enemy positions in detail.
We were briefed that the first phase of the attacks would begin with the Air Force strike on Westlands Farm which was a ZIPRA base 3 miles out of Lusaka.
The second phase would be an attack by the SAS on a ZIPRA Base at Mkushi which was located 125 km north east of Lusaka. This attack would be simultaneous with the Westlands Farm attack.
The third phase would consist of an attack by the RLI on CGT-2 Camp (Communist Guerrilla 2 Camp) which was a ZIPRA Camp located near the Great North Road 15 km out of Lusaka.
The first wave of K Cars took off from the FAF in Kariba where they headed for a refuelling point where Jack Mallock had dropped fuel with his DC 6 Aircraft. Rhodesian troops had been parachuted in to secure this refuelling station which was located about half way to Lusaka.
The K Cars would be the third wave of the initial attack, running in after the Hunters and Canberra’s. Timing was very important in this attack.
Green Section (Canberra’s) took off from New Sarum carrying their deadly load of Alpha bombs (300 Bomb lets to an aircraft).
The Hunters took off from Fylde Air base near Hartley armed with Golf bombs,68 mm Matra rockets and 100 gallon Fran together with their 30 mm four barrelled Aden unpacks and set course for Makuti which was on the Rhodesian side of the Zambezi Escarpment. The Hunters then flew on to the border at 20,000 feet before descending over Mana Pools where they joined up with the Canberra’s.
This formation then flew to an IP at 1500 feet AGL, the IP was situated 320 km north west in Zambia, they reached the IP and turned due West towards Lusaka. Their course was planned to avoid overflying the Zambian Air Force Base at Mumbwa. The Blue Section Hunters broke formation at a pre determined point and climbed to 14,000 feet – they went into an attack pattern and struck the ZIPRA terrorists who were standing on parade, their attack went in from the north with the Hunters rolling in on steep dives.
The four Hunters in Blue Section had been tasked to attack the parade assembly and mark the target for the Canberra’s which were rapidly approaching.
Red Section was tasked to orbit the main Zambian Air Force Base at Mumbwa and shoot down any Zambian Air Force Aircraft which attempted to take off.
The two Hunters from White section were to attack the Westlands camp with Frantan prior to the K Cars running in on the third wave of the attack.
The ZIPRA terrorists were taken completely by surprise by the Air Force attack; they experienced the wrath of 1000 pound bombs and Golf bombs and as they attempted to recover from the initial attack were hit by the Canberra strike with the Canberra’s flying four abreast and dropping their deadly load of Alpha bombs on target.
Any survivors found themselves being attacked by Hunters dropping Frantans and carrying out strikes with their deadly Aden 30 mm cannons.
The K Cars from Seven Squadron led by Squadron Leader Graham Cronshaw arrived like vultures taking on the remnants of the ZIPRA terrorists. Due to the age of the 20mm cannons the Seven Squadron technicians experienced stoppages which they managed to clear in record time.
While the K Cars were cleaning up Green Leader made his famous transmission to Lusaka Tower.
In brief Chris Dixon who was flying Green Lead called Lusaka Tower, the banter goes as follows:
“Lusaka Tower, this is Green Leader”
“Green Leader, Lusaka Tower”
“Lusaka Tower, this is Green Leader. This is a message for the Station Commander at Mumbwa, from the Rhodesian Air Force. We are attacking the terrorist base at Westlands Farm at this time. This attack is against Rhodesian dissidents and not against Zambia – Rhodesia has no quarrel, repeat no quarrel with Zambia or her Security forces. We therefore ask you not to interfere or oppose our attack. However we are orbiting your airfield at this time, and are under orders to shoot down any Zambian Air Force Aircraft, which does not comply with this request and attempts to take off.
“Did you copy all of that?”
“Copied”
“Roger. Thanks. Cheers”.
The Zambian Air Traffic controller asked Green leader permission for an International aircraft arriving from the north to land, Green Leader told the controller that permission to land was refused, and the aircraft to make an orbit of Lusaka airfield, thus delaying touchdown.
The International flight was a Kenyan Airways aircraft and the Kenyan pilot asked tower “Who is in control –You or the Rhodesians?”
“Well I think the Rhodesian’s do at this time” retorted the Air Traffic controller.
Soon after this radio banter, Dolphin 3, the command Dakota with Norman Walsh on board returned command to the Zambian Air Traffic controller.
It was not long after the initial Strikes on FC CAMP that wounded ZIPRA cadres were arriving in large numbers at Lusaka’s hospitals for assistance.
The first wave of K Cars returned to Mana Pools to refuel and re-arm for the next round of action.
At 1140 am the camp at Mkushi was attacked with Hunter and Canberra strikes going in first. A wave of six Dakota’s came in dropping 120 members of the SAS in the west and northern boundaries of the Mkushi base camp.
K Cars including Ian Peacocke and myself flew around the Mkushi River to the east of the target area.
Sticks consisting of 44 SAS troopers were put down in the contact area by 11 G Cars to the south east of the camp.
Once the SAS troops moved into position and began to sweep and making contact with the terrorists, they found themselves taking on female cadres. These women were dressed in camouflage and khaki uniforms and fought back at the Rhodesians with aggression. By this time there were many grass fires in the area and I sat behind the 2omm Cannon looking for targets, the camp area was dotted with foxholes and Russian style zig zag trenches.
At first there were very few targets to engage, however things quickly changed.
I was sitting eating some bully beef from a rat pack surveying the ground below me and watching raptors flying in front of the grass fires emanating from the strike area, suddenly as if by magic my eyes adjusted to the scene below, I saw movement and it was in front of the bushfires which were burning slowly.
The area in front of the fire was riddled with terrorists who were slowly crawling away from the camp in front of the fire.
I went cold, the adrenalin began to pump and I had to get a grip of myself before telling Ian what I had spotted. “Boss – get ready-I’ve spotted a shit load of gooks. From the river –go three hundred meters-in front of that grass fire, they’re armed and crawling in front of the fire.”
The K Car jinked as Ian spotted the terrorists. I brought the heavy cannon to bear as Ian adjusted his orbit to suit and I yelled “K Car’s firing!” as I began to double tap the heavy cannon at the numerous targets on the ground. It was like a duck shoot at first as the terrorists were reluctant to run as the surrounding bush was open savannah and any break out would have been put down immediately from the deadly blast of my 20 mm HEI rounds.
We flew along the fire line taking out many targets both trying to hide on their own or bunched up in groups. I also saw tracer coming out of some of the foxholes and put a round of 20 mm HEI into them as well. The game was on and we were culling gooks like a well oiled machine. There was a fair amount of small arms fire coming back at us but a lot lighter than we expected.
After some time in the orbit we were relieved by another K Car and flew to an “Admin area about eight clicks to the southeast. Fuel had been paradropped at this assembly point for our helicopters which was in a grassy plain known to Zambian’s as a dambo, as I was refuelling we had to “take cover!” as a fuel drop took place, there were drums dropping all over the place with some of them having broken their harness come screaming down and hitting the ground with a bang, the impact sending the drum lids spinning wildly into the surrounding bush!
While we were refuelling a few G Cars arrived carrying captured female terrorists who were wearing khaki uniforms, they were quickly taken to a secure area.
While we were refuelling a radio message came over the net to warn us of an enemy aircraft which was seen stooging around the area but nothing came of it.
On the third day of the attack the SAS were preparing to return to Rhodesia when they were alerted of an armed patrol Mkushi camp. They ambushed this patrol which consisted of the Zambian police and army with ZIPRA terrorists in their midst’s. This contact resulted in 47 Zambians and terrorists being killed and the ZIPRA Logistics officer, a Zambian soldier was also captured in this action.
These two, together with five female captured ZANLA terrorists were flown back to Rhodesia.
The ZIPRA Logistics officer turned out to be a terrorist known as Mountain Gutu and would be good for the Rhodesian intelligence soon afterwards as he gave the Rhodesians intelligence on other ZIPRA Logistics bases which were attacked by fixed wing aircraft on 2-4 November.
I can also recall that we recovered to Mana Pools after each day and after debriefing were sent to various places to spend the night. We spent one night at Makuti with some game rangers who took it on themselves to take care of us. We had a magnificent night with them braaing (roasting) meat over a wood fire and beers flowing, we were exhausted but the adrenalin was still flowing. I can recall singing the Engineer’s song ,”A Prick of steel” with Dick Paxton with our dicks wrapped in tin foil!
During the trips from Mana Pools to the night stop points we were asked to carry camera men (not sure where they came from) who wanted to film everything, we sat in the K Cars with our visors set firmly down as not to be recognised!
On the 20 October as things seemed to be winding down all the K Cars based at Mana Pools were tasked to attack CGT-2 (Communist Guerrilla Training Camp).
Which was 100 km south –east of Lusaka and was thought to house in the region of 4000 terrorists in training?
Four Rhodesian Air Force Vampires together with four Lynx aircraft has attacked this target. During the attack a Lynx flown by Cocky Benecke came under tremendous AAA fire and was hit, in the fuel tank and elsewhere forcing him to return to Rhodesia.
The K Cars ran into the attack on the target which seemed to be on the sides of two large kopjes, running along a long ridgeline, Ian and I were in the lead K Car but were making a hard time of getting enough speed as our K Car was underpowered, Mark Dawson called on the net to say that he was taking lead and accelerated past us.
When his G Car overtook us we began to take on an unbelievable amount of AAA and small arms fire from the camp, our flight was at about 2500 feet AGL, and on returning fire from that altitude it seemed like there was no effect. Suddenly I heard Chas Goatley and Ian Peacocke yell over the net to Mark “You’re tail rotor has stopped!”
“Fuck this!” I looked forward to see the K Car in front of me begin to spin uncontrollably towards the ground, everything seemed to be happening at once, the AAA fire was intense with red and green tracer whipping past us, and some of the tracer seemed to be coming right at us. Ian pushed the collective lever down as we followed the stricken K Car down.
The K Car hit the trees showering the area round with branches, leaves and debris, striking the ground on its side. The main rotor blades severed part of the tail boom off. The K Car then came to a rest with the cannon’s barrel pointing in to the ground.
Two K Cars put down simultaneously Ian and I and Nigel Lamb with Mike Smith, Chas Goatley provided top cover.
(Authors note: Winds of Destruction and A Pride of Eagles say that Nigel was flying with Finch Bellringer, this is not true, and Nigel was with Cpl. Mike Smith. In a Pride of Eagles it states that Nigel’s was the only helicopter to carry out this rescue, this is also not true as two K Car’s were involved. See Memo written to me after the Raids by Sqn. Ldr Cronshaw)
Both Mike Smith and I unbuckled from our monkey belts and tore off to the wreckage of Mark Dawson’s K Car to rescue the downed crew.
Roelf had been thrown out of the back sliding door (pilot’s side) on impact and was lying dazed in the bush about six meters away from the K Car, Mark was still strapped in his armoured seat and was unconscious, and making snoring type noises and having difficulty to breathe. There was foam coming out of his mouth and blood coming out of both his ears and nose.
Mark seemed to be worse off so Mike assisted me in unstrapping him and placing him into one of the K Cars and when this was done we raced over to Roelf who was concussed and acting strangely, he refused to be helped until we could find his revolver (which he obviously cherished as much as Clint Eastwood!) Once we had both crew on board our helicopters we attempted to get airborne but due to the heat of the day and our fuel status our pilot’s indicated that Mike and myself must remain on the ground until the K Car’s returned from dropping off their casualties.
We grabbed our weapons and an army radio from my K Car and took cover as our helicopters pulled out of the LZ.
I am not sure how long the aircraft took to return but it seemed like a lifetime. We could hear the AAA guns going off nearby and the noise from all the gunfire was tremendous with the odd round zipping through the trees, over the position in which we had taken cover.
Mike and I said nothing to each other as I think we were past being terrified; I remember seeing both of our hands shaking virtually uncontrollably.
Chas stayed overhead faithfully until the two K Cars arrived back from Rhodesia to uplift us.
That was fucking close; my heart was in my mouth as we both emplaned into our respective aircraft.
Ian pulled everything we had and got airborne from a really tight LZ, I saw wisps of leaves being nicked by our blade tips as we blasted our way out of that LZ and set course at full power out of the target area.
I recall that after he was hit Cocky kept warning us not to take on that target and asked the Panzer from Red section if he could assist; possibly he was out of fuel or ammunition at the time. To me I still wonder if it was not an air ambush.
Time plays a lot of tricks on one’s mind and as I mentioned earlier looking back to those days is like looking through shattered glass. When we returned to New Sarum sometime after this incident Mike Smith and I received the following memo which is posted in the photograph pages of this book. The Memo was from Sqn. Ldr Cronshaw and handwritten saying the following:
From OC 7 Squadron To: Sgt. Shaw
Beav,
I want to express my personal thanks and commendation for the part you played during the recent accident involving Air Lt. Dawson and Sgt. Oeloefse.
The assistance you gave is creditworthy and noted –Well done.
Yours G. Cronshaw
From reading the accounts in other publications I can only guess that Graham must have thrown the creditworthy note away or misplaced it?
The SAS were tasked to blow up the wreckage of Mark Dawson’s K Car. Roelf and Mark were flown to Andrew Fleming hospital with Roelf suffering from back injuries which he recovered from. Mark Dawson has never fully recovered from his injuries and battles to make a living to this day.
Bill Sykes, in A Pride of Eagles states the following with regard to Mark:
One outcome was a change in the design to the armoured seat. When the original seat had been designed, the back of the seat was only up to the pilot’s shoulders, and the guide for the shoulder straps was positioned at the level of the pilot’s shoulder blades. In Mark’s case, he had slumped forward because the shoulder straps were ineffective in holding his body in the upright position. As a result, his neck was hard against the top of his flak jacket, cutting off the air supply. When the seat was re-designed with additional protection for the pilot’s head, the strap guide had remained in the same position. A simple modification was carried out so that the shoulder strap guide was cut at the height of the pilot’s neck. This ensured that the pilot’s shoulders were now held firmly back, with no chance of injury from the flak jacket even in the case of a high velocity vertical impact.
Bill Sykes in A Pride of Eagles
(Authors Note: When Ray Bolton was involved in the Air to Air collision in Selukwe his flak vest caused a broken jaw and other injuries even though his seat had been modified, however his head was saved from being crushed by the seats head protection extension.)
To make things worse, once the Commanders had decided to wrap up the operation it was decided that the K Cars would have to assist the G Cars in bringing back parachutes used in the raids. I was at Mana Pools at the time and could not believe my ears when we were told to unbolt the floors of our K Cars and remove the gun mounts to give space for parachutes.
We would have to use our FN s as protection and sit on the floor.
“Fuck!” after all I had been through I thought that they were insane, but we did the job with no problems from ZIPRA.
I reluctantly removed the gun platform and within a few minutes was flying into Zambia feeling very vunerable with my trusty FN for protection. We did not run into any problems with bringing back the parachutes.
Another night was spent at the assembly area and the next day our K Car returned to Salisbury after refuelling in Mangula.
It was a proud moment when we made contact with Salisbury tower and the praise being relayed to us from anyone who could read us on the radio. When we flew over Salisbury heading for New Sarum we could see many people waving at the helicopter formation as it overflew them.
Once back at base the duty crews took over our helicopters and we all headed straight to the Monomatapa hotel where we spent the rest of the day drinking and recounting our experiences. It was an incredible day to experience. I felt ill from drinking bracken water in Zambia but ignored it as I did not want to miss being with my mates that day.
Everyone was praising us and we could not buy a round as beers were on the civilians that day.
THE SUNDAY MAIL SALISBURY OCTOBER 22, 1978 CLIPPING
HUNDREDS DIE IN 12 RAIDS ON ZAMBIA
The following is the full text of a communiqué released last night by Combined Operations Headquarters:
Combined Operations headquarters announce that in addition to the attack on FC Camp, near Lusaka, operations have been carried out against two other major ZIPRA terrorist complexes and nine satellite camps. The deepest penetration was to a camp situated 150 km north-east of Lusaka.
In addition to the casualties inflicted in the attack on FC Camp a minimum of 500 ZIPRA terrorists were killed in these attacks. This includes numbers of trained, uniformed and armed female terrorists. Because of the widespread nature of these operations, an accurate casualty count was not possible but it is assessed that there were hundreds more killed. This is substantiated by Zambian estimates that terrorist casualties, excluding FC Camp are in excess of 1500 dead.
Large quantities of arms explosives and equipment were seized and destroyed.
Whilst returning to Rhodesia yesterday October 20, one helicopter crashed in difficult terrain and was destroyed by our own forces. The crew, Air Lieut. Dawson and Sergeant Roelf Oelofse, who were injured in the accident were picked up by another helicopter and brought back to Rhodesia.
During the entire operations into Zambia, every effort was made to avoid clashing with Zambian forces but on one occasion, a Zambian Patrol led by terrorists, engaged a small detachment. In the ensuing contact 37 of the attackers were killed. There were no Rhodesian casualties in this clash.
Concurrent with these operations in Zambia, security forces continued their self defence operations against ZANLA terrorist bases in the Chimoio area of Mozambique. Successful attacks were made against Pungwe 3 base, where the survuivorssurvivors of our previous operations had grouped.
This was a continuing operationtooperation to disrupt ZANLA forces command and control. Casualties were inflicted, but we are unable to give any details.
All forces have been withdrawn to Rhodesia from both Mozambique and Zambia.
In the course of all these operations security forces sustained two casualties. Lance-Corporal Jeffery Donald Collett aged 19 years and single, from Goromonzi, was killed in actionandaction and Warrant Officer Laing was wounded.
Next of kin have been informed.
EYEWITNESS SURVEYS MKUSHI DEVASTATION
–JACK DEWES VERSION
Corpses, large quantities of communist small arms and literature, camping equipment and boots by the hundred lay strewn among bomb craters and smouldering mud and thatch barracks of the Mkushi terrorist training centre headquarters north-east of Lusaka, which was attacked by Rhodesian security forces on Thursday.
Shots rang out nearby while newsmen were being introduced to a senior security forces spokesman who said his men were patrolling the camp dealing with terrorists in the vicinity.
“We are 129 km into Zambia” the spokesman said “On Wednesday security forces mounted an attack on Pungwe 3 Camp (in Mozambique)
At this moment these operations are still continuing. On Thursday we launched an air attack on FC Camp, 20 km north of Lusaka, at Westlands farm. The attack was successful.
Airmen saw terrorists running in all directions, carrying weapons. There have been news reports that the University hospital in Lusaka is full of women and children.Theychildren. They are in fact terrorists. It is difficult to assess, but we think that several hundred terrorists were killed at FC Camp.
“At 1100 hours yesterday (Thursday) air and ground forces attacked Mkushi.
Here too it is difficult to say exactly what the terrorist casualties are but we know that that they died in their hundreds and many more have been wounded.
The spokesman then said that it has been learned from documents found at Mkushi that trainees constantly listened to Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporation reports on how many terrorists were dying at the hands of security forces.
“We were then shown a large quantity of communist rifles, both Russian and Chinese landmines, grenades and rocket launchers”.
Asked whether any SAM missiles were found at the camp, the spokesman said that there were none.
RUSSIAN STAR
He showed us several barracks lying in ashes, and one which seemed to have been a special building, perhaps where section leaders consulted with Comrade Moses Pinda, the commander of the camp.
The walls still standing were made of ochre and brown mud decorated with the hammer and sickle emblem and the Russian star.
At a newly erected barracks seven corpses were seen lying on the verandah. They – and other bodies found all over the camp – were invariably of young men and women, scarcely out of their teens.
Next we were shown a blackboard on which was written a breakdown of various classes of personnel in the camp. It was dated 18 October at 0800 hours.
The details were: administration 6; instructors, 9; trainees, 51; training personnel 645; security, 204; trainees 1082; old age 39 Totals 2036
These figures were for the main camp and ten other camps in the vicinity, an area covering about 20 km.
Among the blackened and smoking walls of the barracks were 13 large canvas marquees full of clothing and modern camp beds. The spokesman remarked that Mkushi was better supplied with amenities such as these than any camp he had seen.
At this point a prisoner a young woman wearing slacks and a khaki jacket was brought before the officer.
On Friday at 11 Am., exactly 24 hours after the Rhodesians attacked, I as a Herald reporter was among a small party of invited news media men aboard Rhodesian Air Force helicopters that landed on the dusty parade ground at Mkushi and set out to inspect this camp in the Zambian bush. CLIPPING ENDS
THE SUNDAY NEWS BULAWAYO OCTOBER 22, 1978
THE MORNING OF DEATH FOR TRAINEE TERRS
BOMB SCARE
Zambian military bomb disposal experts on Friday blew up 11 unexploded bombs they said were left behind at Chikumbi by Rhodesian “invading forces “on Thursday.
The series of explosions heard throughout the city nearly plunged Lusaka into panic again as residents thought the Rhodesians had returned.
A Government spokesman quickly dispelled their fears with the explanation that the explosions were harmless.
He said that the unexploded bombs were found at “Chikumbi “refugee” camp, razed by the Rhodesians.
Meanwhile, emergency relief aid had begun to arrive in Lusaka, including medicines, blankets and other help for victims of the raid.
The Red Cross has contributed, so has the Yugloslav community of Lusaka. .
SN – Own Corr.
BEAVER SHAW LOGBOOK
K CAR 5701 18/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW SALISBURY –BINDURA
K CAR 5701 18/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW BINDURA – MANGULA
K CAR 5701 19/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MANGULA TO ASSEMBLY AREA MANA POOLS
K CAR 5701 19/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW K CAR TOP COVER EXTERNAL OPERATION ZAMBIA APPROX 200 CT KIA 3 SORTIES FLOWN
K CAR 5701 19/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW WITH REPORTER MANA POOLS TO RECOVERY BASE MAKUTI
K CAR 5701 20/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MAKUTI TO MANA POOLS ASSEMBLY AREA
K CAR 5701 20/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW TOP COVER WAS LEAD BUT DUE TO LACK OF SPEED MARK DAWSON TOOK LEAD AND ON PASSING WE TOOK AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF FLAK FROM CT AAA GUN POSITIONS ON THE GROUND THE SKY WAS GREEN AND RED WITH TRACER 23 MM CANNON SHOTS AT HELICOPTERS NO STRIKES. MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOEFSE SHOT IN TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX CRASHING IN FRONT OF FORMATION.
THE K CAR IN WHICH THEY WERE FLYING BROKE ITS BACK AND THREW ROELF OUT CAUSING BACK INJURY.
MARK SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES AND WAS FOUND UNCONCIOUS BY BEAVER SHAW AND MIKE SMITH WHEN THIER K CARS LANDED TO ASSIST.
BEAVER SHAW AND MIKE SMITH REMAINED IN THE CRASH AREA AFTER LOADING THE WOUNDED CREW ONTO THEIR RESPECTIVE K CARS. DUE TO WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS THE K CARS COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE LZ WITH ALL THE CREWS ON BOARD.
THE K CARS ARRIVED LATER TO UPLIFT THEM.
THE WRECK WAS LATER BLOWN UP BY THE SAS.
K CAR 5701 20/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MANA POOLS TO MAKUTI
K CAR 5701 21/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MAKUTI TO MANA POOLS ASSEMBLY AREA
K CAR 5701 21/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW COLLECT PARACHUTES FROM OPERATIONS AREA 20 MM CANNON REMOVED 4 SORTIES 6HRS 30 MIN
K CAR 5701 21/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MANA POOLS TO MAKUTI
K CAR 5701 22/10/1978 IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW MAKUTI TO SALISBURY
FROM AIRSTRIKE BY PROP GELDENHUYS
AIR TASK 887 OP GATLING EXTERNAL ZAMBIA 19/10/1978
ZIPRA CHIKUMBI CAMP AT WESTLANDS FARM –GREEN LEADER FAME A/T 1521
CHRIS DIXON AND MIKE RONNE
TED BRENT AND JIM RUSSELL
GREG TODD AND DOUG PASEA
GLENN PRETORIOUS AND PADDY MORGAN
TONY OAKLEY
JR BLYTHE WOOD
DAVE BOURHILL
ALF WILD
JIM STAGMAN
GRAHAM CRONSHAW
MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOFSE
CHAZ GOATLEY AND MIKE SMITH
IAN PEACOCK AND BEAVER SHAW
COCKY BENECKE
TOL JANECKE
VARKY VARKEVISSER
VAMPIRES EX FYLDE
COMMAND DAKOTA NORMAN WALSH
SEE WINDS OF DESTRUCTION PAGE 499 PRIDE OF EAGLES P 626
BEAVER SHAW RECALLS AT LEAST 200 CT KILLED IN HIS LOGBOOK 226 KILLED AND 629 WOUNDED
SEE PB PAGE 501
JR AND VARKY TWO SORTIES
AIR TASK 888 OP GATLING EXTERNAL ZAMBIA 19/10/1978
AIRSTRIKE ON MKUSHI A/T 1521
120 SAS PARATROOPERS
CANBERRA X 2
HUNTER X 3
VAMPIRE X2
G CARS X11
K CARS
DAKOTA X6
47 ENEMY KILLED AND ZIPRA LOGISTICS OFFICER MOUNTAIN GUTU CAPTURED
SEE WINDS OF DESTRUCTION PAGE 502
AIR TASK 889 OP GATLING 20/10/1978 CGT-2 CAMP 100 KM SE OF LUSAKA
VARKY VARKEVISSER
COCKY BENECKE
MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOFSE SHOT DOWN BOTH WIA
NIGEL LAMB AND FINCH BELLRINGER
CHAZ GOATLEY AND MIKE SMITH
IAN PEACOCKE AND BEAVER SHAW
JR BLYTHE WOOD
VAMPIRE X 3
K CAR X 3
HUNTER
DAKOTA
MARK DAWSON AND ROELF OELOFSE SHOT DOWN K CAR CAT 5 BOTH CREW WIA
HEAD BACK AND LEG INJURIES CREW RESCUED BY MIKE SMITH AND BEAVER SHAW –SEE RECOMMENDATION BY G. CRONSHAW TO BEAVER REF CRASH.
WRECKAGE OF K CAR DESTROYED BY SAS.
TOTAL CASUALTIES FOR THE THREE OPERATIONS WERE 396 KILLED 719 WOUNDED AND 192 CT MISSING.
OPERATION GATLING K CAR GUNNERS ACCOUNT
Canberra’s carrying out aerial reconnaissance in Zambia pinpointed Westlands Farm and Chikumbi Freedom Camp to house in the region of 4000-6000 terrorists who were undergoing training at that time.
I had just arrived back at the Squadron from a spot of R and R at home in Fort Victoria and was told in the Sergeants mess that night that all Squadron members were to assemble in the Squadron briefing room for a briefing. I knew that something was up because the mess was full of Seven squadron people who had just flown in from the various forward airfields in the country.
The next morning we filed into the briefing room and were briefed that we were to fly by various routes to Mana Pools to an assembly area there where we would be carrying out external operations and raids into Zambia against ZIPRA terrorist camps.
I was tasked to fly with Ian Peacocke in a K Car 20 mm gunship, and set about getting it sorted for the forthcoming operation.
My heart was in my mouth and I was worried about the forthcoming raids but there was nothing to do but make sure that we were prepared for the next few days of fighting.
I hated externals into Zambia as the ZIPRA terrorists were more aggressive and well trained than their ZANLA counterparts.
We made our way to the Mana Pools assembly area night stopping in Mangula via Bindura where tents had been erected for us outside the Mangula Sports club.
The Assembly area at Mana pools was like an international airport with so many helicopters and the whole of Four Squadrons Lynx area were there.
The operation began with diversionary attacks on ZANLA camps along the Pungwe River in Mocambique and then an attack on Westlands Farm about 3 miles north of the Capital Lusaka at 0830 on the morning of the 19 Th October 1978.
The attack was timed precisely for this time because the ZIPRA terrorists would parade precisely at this time every day.
The Rhodesian Air Force fixed wing attack aircraft tasked to carry out the initial attacks consisted of four Canberra bombers from 5 Squadron based at New Sarum which would be Green Section, eight Hunters from 1 Squadron which were divided into two of Red Section and four of Blue Section and two of White Section.
Four Alouette K Cars armed with 20 mm cannons and a Command Dakota call sign Dolphin 3 would take part in the initial attack on Westlands farm. Ian Peacocke and I were not on the first wave of the raid. The Command Dak known as a Warthog was equipped with HF, VHF, UHF and teleprinters which were capable of decrypting messages to and from Milton Buildings in Salisbury, (Air HQ), The Rhodesian Air Force and Defence Headquarters.
The Warthog had the Air Force Director of Operations, Group Captain Norman Walsh, the Comops Commander, General Peter Walls and the Commander of the Special Air Service, Major Brian Robinson on board.
While we were being briefed on Seven Squadron other briefings took place at the Parachute Training School at New Sarum.
SAS and RLI troops who were to take part in the operation had been briefed two nights before the operation and had been given their targets and battle orders. They were also shown a huge model in a sandpit showing enemy positions in detail.
We were briefed that the first phase of the attacks would begin with the Air Force strike on Westlands Farm which was a ZIPRA base 3 miles out of Lusaka.
The second phase would be an attack by the SAS on a ZIPRA Base at Mkushi which was located 125 km north east of Lusaka. This attack would be simultaneous with the Westlands Farm attack.
The third phase would consist of an attack by the RLI on CGT-2 Camp (Communist Guerrilla 2 Camp) which was a ZIPRA Camp located near the Great North Road 15 km out of Lusaka.
The first wave of K Cars took off from the FAF in Kariba where they headed for a refuelling point where Jack Mallock had dropped fuel with his DC 6 Aircraft. Rhodesian troops had been parachuted in to secure this refuelling station which was located about half way to Lusaka.
The K Cars would be the third wave of the initial attack, running in after the Hunters and Canberra’s. Timing was very important in this attack.
Green Section (Canberra’s) took off from New Sarum carrying their deadly load of Alpha bombs (300 Bomb lets to an aircraft).
The Hunters took off from Fylde Air base near Hartley armed with Golf bombs,68 mm Matra rockets and 100 gallon Fran together with their 30 mm four barrelled Aden unpacks and set course for Makuti which was on the Rhodesian side of the Zambezi Escarpment. The Hunters then flew on to the border at 20,000 feet before descending over Mana Pools where they joined up with the Canberra’s.
This formation then flew to an IP at 1500 feet AGL, the IP was situated 320 km north west in Zambia, they reached the IP and turned due West towards Lusaka. Their course was planned to avoid overflying the Zambian Air Force Base at Mumbwa. The Blue Section Hunters broke formation at a pre determined point and climbed to 14,000 feet – they went into an attack pattern and struck the ZIPRA terrorists who were standing on parade, their attack went in from the north with the Hunters rolling in on steep dives.
The four Hunters in Blue Section had been tasked to attack the parade assembly and mark the target for the Canberra’s which were rapidly approaching.
Red Section was tasked to orbit the main Zambian Air Force Base at Mumbwa and shoot down any Zambian Air Force Aircraft which attempted to take off.
The two Hunters from White section were to attack the Westlands camp with Frantan prior to the K Cars running in on the third wave of the attack.
The ZIPRA terrorists were taken completely by surprise by the Air Force attack; they experienced the wrath of 1000 pound bombs and Golf bombs and as they attempted to recover from the initial attack were hit by the Canberra strike with the Canberra’s flying four abreast and dropping their deadly load of Alpha bombs on target.
Any survivors found themselves being attacked by Hunters dropping Frantans and carrying out strikes with their deadly Aden 30 mm cannons.
The K Cars from Seven Squadron led by Squadron Leader Graham Cronshaw arrived like vultures taking on the remnants of the ZIPRA terrorists. Due to the age of the 20mm cannons the Seven Squadron technicians experienced stoppages which they managed to clear in record time.
While the K Cars were cleaning up Green Leader made his famous transmission to Lusaka Tower.
In brief Chris Dixon who was flying Green Lead called Lusaka Tower, the banter goes as follows:
“Lusaka Tower, this is Green Leader”
“Green Leader, Lusaka Tower”
“Lusaka Tower, this is Green Leader. This is a message for the Station Commander at Mumbwa, from the Rhodesian Air Force. We are attacking the terrorist base at Westlands Farm at this time. This attack is against Rhodesian dissidents and not against Zambia – Rhodesia has no quarrel, repeat no quarrel with Zambia or her Security forces. We therefore ask you not to interfere or oppose our attack. However we are orbiting your airfield at this time, and are under orders to shoot down any Zambian Air Force Aircraft, which does not comply with this request and attempts to take off.
“Did you copy all of that?”
“Copied”
“Roger. Thanks. Cheers”.
The Zambian Air Traffic controller asked Green leader permission for an International aircraft arriving from the north to land, Green Leader told the controller that permission to land was refused, and the aircraft to make an orbit of Lusaka airfield, thus delaying touchdown.
The International flight was a Kenyan Airways aircraft and the Kenyan pilot asked tower “Who is in control –You or the Rhodesians?”
“Well I think the Rhodesian’s do at this time” retorted the Air Traffic controller.
Soon after this radio banter, Dolphin 3, the command Dakota with Norman Walsh on board returned command to the Zambian Air Traffic controller.
It was not long after the initial Strikes on FC CAMP that wounded ZIPRA cadres were arriving in large numbers at Lusaka’s hospitals for assistance.
The first wave of K Cars returned to Mana Pools to refuel and re-arm for the next round of action.
At 1140 am the camp at Mkushi was attacked with Hunter and Canberra strikes going in first. A wave of six Dakota’s came in dropping 120 members of the SAS in the west and northern boundaries of the Mkushi base camp.
K Cars including Ian Peacocke and myself flew around the Mkushi River to the east of the target area.
Sticks consisting of 44 SAS troopers were put down in the contact area by 11 G Cars to the south east of the camp.
Once the SAS troops moved into position and began to sweep and making contact with the terrorists, they found themselves taking on female cadres. These women were dressed in camouflage and khaki uniforms and fought back at the Rhodesians with aggression. By this time there were many grass fires in the area and I sat behind the 2omm Cannon looking for targets, the camp area was dotted with foxholes and Russian style zig zag trenches.
At first there were very few targets to engage, however things quickly changed.
I was sitting eating some bully beef from a rat pack surveying the ground below me and watching raptors flying in front of the grass fires emanating from the strike area, suddenly as if by magic my eyes adjusted to the scene below, I saw movement and it was in front of the bushfires which were burning slowly.
The area in front of the fire was riddled with terrorists who were slowly crawling away from the camp in front of the fire.
I went cold, the adrenalin began to pump and I had to get a grip of myself before telling Ian what I had spotted. “Boss – get ready-I’ve spotted a shit load of gooks. From the river –go three hundred meters-in front of that grass fire, they’re armed and crawling in front of the fire.”
The K Car jinked as Ian spotted the terrorists. I brought the heavy cannon to bear as Ian adjusted his orbit to suit and I yelled “K Car’s firing!” as I began to double tap the heavy cannon at the numerous targets on the ground. It was like a duck shoot at first as the terrorists were reluctant to run as the surrounding bush was open savannah and any break out would have been put down immediately from the deadly blast of my 20 mm HEI rounds.
We flew along the fire line taking out many targets both trying to hide on their own or bunched up in groups. I also saw tracer coming out of some of the foxholes and put a round of 20 mm HEI into them as well. The game was on and we were culling gooks like a well oiled machine. There was a fair amount of small arms fire coming back at us but a lot lighter than we expected.
After some time in the orbit we were relieved by another K Car and flew to an “Admin area about eight clicks to the southeast. Fuel had been paradropped at this assembly point for our helicopters which was in a grassy plain known to Zambian’s as a dambo, as I was refuelling we had to “take cover!” as a fuel drop took place, there were drums dropping all over the place with some of them having broken their harness come screaming down and hitting the ground with a bang, the impact sending the drum lids spinning wildly into the surrounding bush!
While we were refuelling a few G Cars arrived carrying captured female terrorists who were wearing khaki uniforms, they were quickly taken to a secure area.
While we were refuelling a radio message came over the net to warn us of an enemy aircraft which was seen stooging around the area but nothing came of it.
On the third day of the attack the SAS were preparing to return to Rhodesia when they were alerted of an armed patrol Mkushi camp. They ambushed this patrol which consisted of the Zambian police and army with ZIPRA terrorists in their midst’s. This contact resulted in 47 Zambians and terrorists being killed and the ZIPRA Logistics officer, a Zambian soldier was also captured in this action.
These two, together with five female captured ZANLA terrorists were flown back to Rhodesia.
The ZIPRA Logistics officer turned out to be a terrorist known as Mountain Gutu and would be good for the Rhodesian intelligence soon afterwards as he gave the Rhodesians intelligence on other ZIPRA Logistics bases which were attacked by fixed wing aircraft on 2-4 November.
I can also recall that we recovered to Mana Pools after each day and after debriefing were sent to various places to spend the night. We spent one night at Makuti with some game rangers who took it on themselves to take care of us. We had a magnificent night with them braaing (roasting) meat over a wood fire and beers flowing, we were exhausted but the adrenalin was still flowing. I can recall singing the Engineer’s song ,”A Prick of steel” with Dick Paxton with our dicks wrapped in tin foil!
During the trips from Mana Pools to the night stop points we were asked to carry camera men (not sure where they came from) who wanted to film everything, we sat in the K Cars with our visors set firmly down as not to be recognised!
On the 20 October as things seemed to be winding down all the K Cars based at Mana Pools were tasked to attack CGT-2 (Communist Guerrilla Training Camp).
Which was 100 km south –east of Lusaka and was thought to house in the region of 4000 terrorists in training?
Four Rhodesian Air Force Vampires together with four Lynx aircraft has attacked this target. During the attack a Lynx flown by Cocky Benecke came under tremendous AAA fire and was hit, in the fuel tank and elsewhere forcing him to return to Rhodesia.
The K Cars ran into the attack on the target which seemed to be on the sides of two large kopjes, running along a long ridgeline, Ian and I were in the lead K Car but were making a hard time of getting enough speed as our K Car was underpowered, Mark Dawson called on the net to say that he was taking lead and accelerated past us.
When his G Car overtook us we began to take on an unbelievable amount of AAA and small arms fire from the camp, our flight was at about 2500 feet AGL, and on returning fire from that altitude it seemed like there was no effect. Suddenly I heard Chas Goatley and Ian Peacocke yell over the net to Mark “You’re tail rotor has stopped!”
“Fuck this!” I looked forward to see the K Car in front of me begin to spin uncontrollably towards the ground, everything seemed to be happening at once, the AAA fire was intense with red and green tracer whipping past us, and some of the tracer seemed to be coming right at us. Ian pushed the collective lever down as we followed the stricken K Car down.
The K Car hit the trees showering the area round with branches, leaves and debris, striking the ground on its side. The main rotor blades severed part of the tail boom off. The K Car then came to a rest with the cannon’s barrel pointing in to the ground.
Two K Cars put down simultaneously Ian and I and Nigel Lamb with Mike Smith, Chas Goatley provided top cover.
(Authors note: Winds of Destruction and A Pride of Eagles say that Nigel was flying with Finch Bellringer, this is not true, and Nigel was with Cpl. Mike Smith. In a Pride of Eagles it states that Nigel’s was the only helicopter to carry out this rescue, this is also not true as two K Car’s were involved. See Memo written to me after the Raids by Sqn. Ldr Cronshaw)
Both Mike Smith and I unbuckled from our monkey belts and tore off to the wreckage of Mark Dawson’s K Car to rescue the downed crew.
Roelf had been thrown out of the back sliding door (pilot’s side) on impact and was lying dazed in the bush about six meters away from the K Car, Mark was still strapped in his armoured seat and was unconscious, and making snoring type noises and having difficulty to breathe. There was foam coming out of his mouth and blood coming out of both his ears and nose.
Mark seemed to be worse off so Mike assisted me in unstrapping him and placing him into one of the K Cars and when this was done we raced over to Roelf who was concussed and acting strangely, he refused to be helped until we could find his revolver (which he obviously cherished as much as Clint Eastwood!) Once we had both crew on board our helicopters we attempted to get airborne but due to the heat of the day and our fuel status our pilot’s indicated that Mike and myself must remain on the ground until the K Car’s returned from dropping off their casualties.
We grabbed our weapons and an army radio from my K Car and took cover as our helicopters pulled out of the LZ.
I am not sure how long the aircraft took to return but it seemed like a lifetime. We could hear the AAA guns going off nearby and the noise from all the gunfire was tremendous with the odd round zipping through the trees, over the position in which we had taken cover.
Mike and I said nothing to each other as I think we were past being terrified; I remember seeing both of our hands shaking virtually uncontrollably.
Chas stayed overhead faithfully until the two K Cars arrived back from Rhodesia to uplift us.
That was fucking close; my heart was in my mouth as we both emplaned into our respective aircraft.
Ian pulled everything we had and got airborne from a really tight LZ, I saw wisps of leaves being nicked by our blade tips as we blasted our way out of that LZ and set course at full power out of the target area.
I recall that after he was hit Cocky kept warning us not to take on that target and asked the Panzer from Red section if he could assist; possibly he was out of fuel or ammunition at the time. To me I still wonder if it was not an air ambush.
Time plays a lot of tricks on one’s mind and as I mentioned earlier looking back to those days is like looking through shattered glass. When we returned to New Sarum sometime after this incident Mike Smith and I received the following memo which is posted in the photograph pages of this book. The Memo was from Sqn. Ldr Cronshaw and handwritten saying the following:
From OC 7 Squadron To: Sgt. Shaw
Beav,
I want to express my personal thanks and commendation for the part you played during the recent accident involving Air Lt. Dawson and Sgt. Oeloefse.
The assistance you gave is creditworthy and noted –Well done.
Yours G. Cronshaw
From reading the accounts in other publications I can only guess that Graham must have thrown the creditworthy note away or misplaced it?
The SAS were tasked to blow up the wreckage of Mark Dawson’s K Car. Roelf and Mark were flown to Andrew Fleming hospital with Roelf suffering from back injuries which he recovered from. Mark Dawson has never fully recovered from his injuries and battles to make a living to this day.
Bill Sykes, in A Pride of Eagles states the following with regard to Mark:
One outcome was a change in the design to the armoured seat. When the original seat had been designed, the back of the seat was only up to the pilot’s shoulders, and the guide for the shoulder straps was positioned at the level of the pilot’s shoulder blades. In Mark’s case, he had slumped forward because the shoulder straps were ineffective in holding his body in the upright position. As a result, his neck was hard against the top of his flak jacket, cutting off the air supply. When the seat was re-designed with additional protection for the pilot’s head, the strap guide had remained in the same position. A simple modification was carried out so that the shoulder strap guide was cut at the height of the pilot’s neck. This ensured that the pilot’s shoulders were now held firmly back, with no chance of injury from the flak jacket even in the case of a high velocity vertical impact.
Bill Sykes in A Pride of Eagles
(Authors Note: When Ray Bolton was involved in the Air to Air collision in Selukwe his flak vest caused a broken jaw and other injuries even though his seat had been modified, however his head was saved from being crushed by the seats head protection extension.)
To make things worse, once the Commanders had decided to wrap up the operation it was decided that the K Cars would have to assist the G Cars in bringing back parachutes used in the raids. I was at Mana Pools at the time and could not believe my ears when we were told to unbolt the floors of our K Cars and remove the gun mounts to give space for parachutes.
We would have to use our FN s as protection and sit on the floor.
“Fuck!” after all I had been through I thought that they were insane, but we did the job with no problems from ZIPRA.
I reluctantly removed the gun platform and within a few minutes was flying into Zambia feeling very vunerable with my trusty FN for protection. We did not run into any problems with bringing back the parachutes.
Another night was spent at the assembly area and the next day our K Car returned to Salisbury after refuelling in Mangula.
It was a proud moment when we made contact with Salisbury tower and the praise being relayed to us from anyone who could read us on the radio. When we flew over Salisbury heading for New Sarum we could see many people waving at the helicopter formation as it overflew them.
Once back at base the duty crews took over our helicopters and we all headed straight to the Monomatapa hotel where we spent the rest of the day drinking and recounting our experiences. It was an incredible day to experience. I felt ill from drinking bracken water in Zambia but ignored it as I did not want to miss being with my mates that day.
Everyone was praising us and we could not buy a round as beers were on the civilians that day.
THE SUNDAY MAIL SALISBURY OCTOBER 22, 1978 CLIPPING
HUNDREDS DIE IN 12 RAIDS ON ZAMBIA
The following is the full text of a communiqué released last night by Combined Operations Headquarters:
Combined Operations headquarters announce that in addition to the attack on FC Camp, near Lusaka, operations have been carried out against two other major ZIPRA terrorist complexes and nine satellite camps. The deepest penetration was to a camp situated 150 km north-east of Lusaka.
In addition to the casualties inflicted in the attack on FC Camp a minimum of 500 ZIPRA terrorists were killed in these attacks. This includes numbers of trained, uniformed and armed female terrorists. Because of the widespread nature of these operations, an accurate casualty count was not possible but it is assessed that there were hundreds more killed. This is substantiated by Zambian estimates that terrorist casualties, excluding FC Camp are in excess of 1500 dead.
Large quantities of arms explosives and equipment were seized and destroyed.
Whilst returning to Rhodesia yesterday October 20, one helicopter crashed in difficult terrain and was destroyed by our own forces. The crew, Air Lieut. Dawson and Sergeant Roelf Oelofse, who were injured in the accident were picked up by another helicopter and brought back to Rhodesia.
During the entire operations into Zambia, every effort was made to avoid clashing with Zambian forces but on one occasion, a Zambian Patrol led by terrorists, engaged a small detachment. In the ensuing contact 37 of the attackers were killed. There were no Rhodesian casualties in this clash.
Concurrent with these operations in Zambia, security forces continued their self defence operations against ZANLA terrorist bases in the Chimoio area of Mozambique. Successful attacks were made against Pungwe 3 base, where the survuivorssurvivors of our previous operations had grouped.
This was a continuing operationtooperation to disrupt ZANLA forces command and control. Casualties were inflicted, but we are unable to give any details.
All forces have been withdrawn to Rhodesia from both Mozambique and Zambia.
In the course of all these operations security forces sustained two casualties. Lance-Corporal Jeffery Donald Collett aged 19 years and single, from Goromonzi, was killed in actionandaction and Warrant Officer Laing was wounded.
Next of kin have been informed.
EYEWITNESS SURVEYS MKUSHI DEVASTATION
–JACK DEWES VERSION
Corpses, large quantities of communist small arms and literature, camping equipment and boots by the hundred lay strewn among bomb craters and smouldering mud and thatch barracks of the Mkushi terrorist training centre headquarters north-east of Lusaka, which was attacked by Rhodesian security forces on Thursday.
Shots rang out nearby while newsmen were being introduced to a senior security forces spokesman who said his men were patrolling the camp dealing with terrorists in the vicinity.
“We are 129 km into Zambia” the spokesman said “On Wednesday security forces mounted an attack on Pungwe 3 Camp (in Mozambique)
At this moment these operations are still continuing. On Thursday we launched an air attack on FC Camp, 20 km north of Lusaka, at Westlands farm. The attack was successful.
Airmen saw terrorists running in all directions, carrying weapons. There have been news reports that the University hospital in Lusaka is full of women and children.Theychildren. They are in fact terrorists. It is difficult to assess, but we think that several hundred terrorists were killed at FC Camp.
“At 1100 hours yesterday (Thursday) air and ground forces attacked Mkushi.
Here too it is difficult to say exactly what the terrorist casualties are but we know that that they died in their hundreds and many more have been wounded.
The spokesman then said that it has been learned from documents found at Mkushi that trainees constantly listened to Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporation reports on how many terrorists were dying at the hands of security forces.
“We were then shown a large quantity of communist rifles, both Russian and Chinese landmines, grenades and rocket launchers”.
Asked whether any SAM missiles were found at the camp, the spokesman said that there were none.
RUSSIAN STAR
He showed us several barracks lying in ashes, and one which seemed to have been a special building, perhaps where section leaders consulted with Comrade Moses Pinda, the commander of the camp.
The walls still standing were made of ochre and brown mud decorated with the hammer and sickle emblem and the Russian star.
At a newly erected barracks seven corpses were seen lying on the verandah. They – and other bodies found all over the camp – were invariably of young men and women, scarcely out of their teens.
Next we were shown a blackboard on which was written a breakdown of various classes of personnel in the camp. It was dated 18 October at 0800 hours.
The details were: administration 6; instructors, 9; trainees, 51; training personnel 645; security, 204; trainees 1082; old age 39 Totals 2036
These figures were for the main camp and ten other camps in the vicinity, an area covering about 20 km.
Among the blackened and smoking walls of the barracks were 13 large canvas marquees full of clothing and modern camp beds. The spokesman remarked that Mkushi was better supplied with amenities such as these than any camp he had seen.
At this point a prisoner a young woman wearing slacks and a khaki jacket was brought before the officer.
On Friday at 11 Am., exactly 24 hours after the Rhodesians attacked, I as a Herald reporter was among a small party of invited news media men aboard Rhodesian Air Force helicopters that landed on the dusty parade ground at Mkushi and set out to inspect this camp in the Zambian bush. CLIPPING ENDS
THE SUNDAY NEWS BULAWAYO OCTOBER 22, 1978
THE MORNING OF DEATH FOR TRAINEE TERRS
BOMB SCARE
Zambian military bomb disposal experts on Friday blew up 11 unexploded bombs they said were left behind at Chikumbi by Rhodesian “invading forces “on Thursday.
The series of explosions heard throughout the city nearly plunged Lusaka into panic again as residents thought the Rhodesians had returned.
A Government spokesman quickly dispelled their fears with the explanation that the explosions were harmless.
He said that the unexploded bombs were found at “Chikumbi “refugee” camp, razed by the Rhodesians.
Meanwhile, emergency relief aid had begun to arrive in Lusaka, including medicines, blankets and other help for victims of the raid.
The Red Cross has contributed, so has the Yugloslav community of Lusaka. .
SN – Own Corr.
Friday, June 20, 2008
ZANLA COMMANDER
WILFRED MAHANDA
WILFRED MAHANDA was introduced to Black African nationalism as a young boy attending school in Shabani Rhodesia in the 1960’s. The trigger for him was when his maths teacher was arrested by the Rhodesian government for subversive activities and another teacher banned. These events led him to want freedom form white majority rule in Rhodesia.
He attended a mission school in Shabani where a white liberal and ex Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Garfield Todd had taught. Todd was the founder of the mission school and was the chairman at the time of the arrests and banning of the teachers.
Mahanda was friendly with the Todd family and was influenced by Garfield and Judith Todd, Garfield’s daughter. Garfield Todd was hero worshipped by the students at the mission school and would be carried shoulder high by the students when he showed his objections to the Rhodesian Government and was held in especially high esteem when he was restricted to his farm after UDI by the Smith Government. Leo Barron a liberal lawyer and acquaintance of Garfield Todd would also visit the mission school from time to time and show his support for black African nationalism to the students.
When Wilfred Mahanda had reached the end of his schooling and was doing his A Level examinations he got into difficulties with the Rhodesian Government and Police for organising a demonstration against the Rhodesian Governments declaration of Independence from Britain. The students which included Mahanda also demonstrated against the Land Tenure Act. He was arrested by the Police and as part of his bail conditions had to report to the Police station at regular intervals. Wilfred would spend from 7 am to 5 pm at the local police station studying his schoolbooks for his forthcoming A Level exams in order to attend the University of Rhodesia which he achieved and joined in 1971. His intention at that time was to leave for the UK and study pharmacy at Manchester University.
While he was attending the University of Rhodesia Wilfred Mhanda joined an African Nationalist group ZANU, led by Ndabaningi Sithole. This political organisation was banned by the Rhodesian government, together with ZAPU led by Joshua Nkomo. The students consisted of a group of ten cadres who had made it their objective to recruit fellow students into taking up arms against the Rhodesian Government. Once recruited into the ZANU ranks the new recruits would pretend to go on holiday with the Student Christian Movement into Botswana where they would slip into Zambia to attend basic military training. Rhodesian Intelligence knew about the activities of this group and arrested Mhanda in 1971 after a tip off by one of their group who was a Rhodesian Government agent. Mhanda and four of his fellow ZANU student cadres skipped bail and escaped to Botswana. (Of that group only Mhanda survived at the end of the armed struggle. Celestine Dembure and Dzinoruwa Chirau were killed by the liberation movement another was killed in action by Rhodesian Security forces and the other by unknown causes).
Mhanda was sent to Tanzania where he became a military instructor and was later promoted to the position of political commissar eventually becoming a ZANLA Commander. He joined the ZANLA high command in 1975 and was made I/C Political and Military training. At that time they were being trained by Communist Chinese cadres and Mhanda was sent to China for further military training in China. While in China he studied under a Chinese lieutenant-general and learned about the Chinese revolution, guerrilla tactics and battles against Japan. Mhanda says that the Chinese did not teach them Marxism –Leninism as they did not trust the recruits as they were not all communists. The recruits also found the Chinese to be a cold and racist society.
The Chinese were impressed at Mhanda’s abilities and said that he was too valuable to be sent to the front line wand was to be kept back as an instructor however he managed to see action in the north –east of Rhodesia in 1974 and again for three months in 1976.
Herbet Chitepo led ZAPU at this time as Ndabaningi Sithole was in jail in Salisbury (detained for ten years for subversive activities) and was murdered in Lusaka in March 1975. The day after Chitepo was killed the Zambian government moved the ZAPU cadres to a remote area in the country. Kenneth Kaunda the President of Zambia had decided that ZANU and ZANLA were not an efficient force and would have better cohesion under the leadership of Joshua Nkomo as a united front against the Rhodesian’s.
Kaunda and Nkomo got on very well and it was no secret at the time that Kaunda wanted to see Nkomo win the liberation struggle against Rhodesia and her security forces. Kaunda also accused the ZAPU cadres of being anti-unity and of being involved in the assassination of Herbet Chitepo. The Zambians had arrested about 1200 ZANLA supporters which included 500 women children and the aged, about four hundred recruits and another four hundred trained ZIPRA terrorists. The group went on a hunger strike in protest of their removal and detention by the Zambian government and wanted to consult with Sithole on the issue.
While this was going on Robert Mugabe had staged a coup against Sithole while in prison. The Rhodesian government then released Mugabe who then led a delegation to meet up with members of the Front Line States namely Julius Nyrere, Augistino Neto, Kenneth Kaunda and Samora Machel. The Front Line State leaders were horrified when they were told that Mugabe had ousted Sithole in the coup and suspected Mugabe of being assisted by the Rhodesians. In fact Nyerere was so angry with the events that he refused to accept Mugabe demanding that Sithole return with the delegation. Sithole was returned and was also released from prison in 1974 assisting with a unity accord with ZAPU in 1975 before being re-arrested by the Rhodesian Government. There is strong suspicion here that Ian Smith was keen to promote Mugabe as the leader of ZANU.
Mugabe was keen to slip into Mocambique and to become a leader of the refugees in that country and once he had done so was placed under house arrest by Samora Machel for a while. Mhanda considered Sithole as the leader of ZANLA as these events unfolded but the Cadres were disillusioned with him when they discovered that he wanted to talk to Smith and the Rhodesians.
The Zambian security forces shot and killed ten ZANU cadres in an incident which aggravated their comrades even more when Sithole did not protest to Kaunda about the killings. He also did not take the time to visit the wounded in hospital which incensed ZAPU cadres even more. The ZAPU cadres suspected that Sithole was involved in an attempt to assist Zambian security forces in arresting them at a memorial service for tier dead and escaped into Tanzania, Mhanda being one of the group.
While in Tanzania ZAPU cadres decided to depose Sithole and back Mugabe as their leader instead. Front Line Leaders attempted to patch up the rift and the Zimbabwe People’s Army was formed ZIPA under the command of Rex Nhongo. Mhanda was Nhongo’s 2 I/C on the ZANLA side which made him number three in ZIPA command.
A strategy was worked out and military operations against Rhodesia resumed in 1976.
At that time there was still trouble in the Terrorist camps in Mocambiue which worried Samora Machel who wanted a balance between ZIPRA and ZANLA Commanders. Mugabe and Tongogara were brought up and Machel made it clear that he did not like Mugabe, however the ZANLA people did not trust Tongogara either. Eventually Mugabe was chosen as the leader.
Mhanda says Mugabe was arrogant, paranoid, secretive and only interested in power. Mugabe did not want unity and was scared of Nkomo who was the senior African Nationalist.
Machel started to back Mugabe and after returning from Geneva arrested Mhanda and other ZANLA commanders as he feared that they were plotting a coup against him. 600 ZANLA Cadres were arrested which included 50 ZANLA Commanders. Most of the Cadres were released but the majority of the commanders remained in jail for three years or so. (They were released after the UK Labour Party took up their case with Lord Carrington and they were released as part of the Independence deal).
When asked if Tongogara would have made a better leader for Zimbabwe Mhanda said: - “No. He would have been at least as bad as Mugabe, probably worse. The only man that we now think would have made a good President of Zimbabwe was Herbet Chitepo, who was really our Mandela, and just possibly Jason Moyo. Unhappily both of them are dead. Chitepo’s death remains a mystery to this day. There are those that think that Mugabe had him killed, but they have no proof of that. We are inclined to feel that the Smith forces did it, though with inside help. Many people whom we knew perfectly well were Smith agents were later recruited into the upper ranks of ZANU PF by Mugabe.
(DID WE RHODESIANS CREATE OUR OWN MONSTER?)
WILFRED MAHANDA was introduced to Black African nationalism as a young boy attending school in Shabani Rhodesia in the 1960’s. The trigger for him was when his maths teacher was arrested by the Rhodesian government for subversive activities and another teacher banned. These events led him to want freedom form white majority rule in Rhodesia.
He attended a mission school in Shabani where a white liberal and ex Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Garfield Todd had taught. Todd was the founder of the mission school and was the chairman at the time of the arrests and banning of the teachers.
Mahanda was friendly with the Todd family and was influenced by Garfield and Judith Todd, Garfield’s daughter. Garfield Todd was hero worshipped by the students at the mission school and would be carried shoulder high by the students when he showed his objections to the Rhodesian Government and was held in especially high esteem when he was restricted to his farm after UDI by the Smith Government. Leo Barron a liberal lawyer and acquaintance of Garfield Todd would also visit the mission school from time to time and show his support for black African nationalism to the students.
When Wilfred Mahanda had reached the end of his schooling and was doing his A Level examinations he got into difficulties with the Rhodesian Government and Police for organising a demonstration against the Rhodesian Governments declaration of Independence from Britain. The students which included Mahanda also demonstrated against the Land Tenure Act. He was arrested by the Police and as part of his bail conditions had to report to the Police station at regular intervals. Wilfred would spend from 7 am to 5 pm at the local police station studying his schoolbooks for his forthcoming A Level exams in order to attend the University of Rhodesia which he achieved and joined in 1971. His intention at that time was to leave for the UK and study pharmacy at Manchester University.
While he was attending the University of Rhodesia Wilfred Mhanda joined an African Nationalist group ZANU, led by Ndabaningi Sithole. This political organisation was banned by the Rhodesian government, together with ZAPU led by Joshua Nkomo. The students consisted of a group of ten cadres who had made it their objective to recruit fellow students into taking up arms against the Rhodesian Government. Once recruited into the ZANU ranks the new recruits would pretend to go on holiday with the Student Christian Movement into Botswana where they would slip into Zambia to attend basic military training. Rhodesian Intelligence knew about the activities of this group and arrested Mhanda in 1971 after a tip off by one of their group who was a Rhodesian Government agent. Mhanda and four of his fellow ZANU student cadres skipped bail and escaped to Botswana. (Of that group only Mhanda survived at the end of the armed struggle. Celestine Dembure and Dzinoruwa Chirau were killed by the liberation movement another was killed in action by Rhodesian Security forces and the other by unknown causes).
Mhanda was sent to Tanzania where he became a military instructor and was later promoted to the position of political commissar eventually becoming a ZANLA Commander. He joined the ZANLA high command in 1975 and was made I/C Political and Military training. At that time they were being trained by Communist Chinese cadres and Mhanda was sent to China for further military training in China. While in China he studied under a Chinese lieutenant-general and learned about the Chinese revolution, guerrilla tactics and battles against Japan. Mhanda says that the Chinese did not teach them Marxism –Leninism as they did not trust the recruits as they were not all communists. The recruits also found the Chinese to be a cold and racist society.
The Chinese were impressed at Mhanda’s abilities and said that he was too valuable to be sent to the front line wand was to be kept back as an instructor however he managed to see action in the north –east of Rhodesia in 1974 and again for three months in 1976.
Herbet Chitepo led ZAPU at this time as Ndabaningi Sithole was in jail in Salisbury (detained for ten years for subversive activities) and was murdered in Lusaka in March 1975. The day after Chitepo was killed the Zambian government moved the ZAPU cadres to a remote area in the country. Kenneth Kaunda the President of Zambia had decided that ZANU and ZANLA were not an efficient force and would have better cohesion under the leadership of Joshua Nkomo as a united front against the Rhodesian’s.
Kaunda and Nkomo got on very well and it was no secret at the time that Kaunda wanted to see Nkomo win the liberation struggle against Rhodesia and her security forces. Kaunda also accused the ZAPU cadres of being anti-unity and of being involved in the assassination of Herbet Chitepo. The Zambians had arrested about 1200 ZANLA supporters which included 500 women children and the aged, about four hundred recruits and another four hundred trained ZIPRA terrorists. The group went on a hunger strike in protest of their removal and detention by the Zambian government and wanted to consult with Sithole on the issue.
While this was going on Robert Mugabe had staged a coup against Sithole while in prison. The Rhodesian government then released Mugabe who then led a delegation to meet up with members of the Front Line States namely Julius Nyrere, Augistino Neto, Kenneth Kaunda and Samora Machel. The Front Line State leaders were horrified when they were told that Mugabe had ousted Sithole in the coup and suspected Mugabe of being assisted by the Rhodesians. In fact Nyerere was so angry with the events that he refused to accept Mugabe demanding that Sithole return with the delegation. Sithole was returned and was also released from prison in 1974 assisting with a unity accord with ZAPU in 1975 before being re-arrested by the Rhodesian Government. There is strong suspicion here that Ian Smith was keen to promote Mugabe as the leader of ZANU.
Mugabe was keen to slip into Mocambique and to become a leader of the refugees in that country and once he had done so was placed under house arrest by Samora Machel for a while. Mhanda considered Sithole as the leader of ZANLA as these events unfolded but the Cadres were disillusioned with him when they discovered that he wanted to talk to Smith and the Rhodesians.
The Zambian security forces shot and killed ten ZANU cadres in an incident which aggravated their comrades even more when Sithole did not protest to Kaunda about the killings. He also did not take the time to visit the wounded in hospital which incensed ZAPU cadres even more. The ZAPU cadres suspected that Sithole was involved in an attempt to assist Zambian security forces in arresting them at a memorial service for tier dead and escaped into Tanzania, Mhanda being one of the group.
While in Tanzania ZAPU cadres decided to depose Sithole and back Mugabe as their leader instead. Front Line Leaders attempted to patch up the rift and the Zimbabwe People’s Army was formed ZIPA under the command of Rex Nhongo. Mhanda was Nhongo’s 2 I/C on the ZANLA side which made him number three in ZIPA command.
A strategy was worked out and military operations against Rhodesia resumed in 1976.
At that time there was still trouble in the Terrorist camps in Mocambiue which worried Samora Machel who wanted a balance between ZIPRA and ZANLA Commanders. Mugabe and Tongogara were brought up and Machel made it clear that he did not like Mugabe, however the ZANLA people did not trust Tongogara either. Eventually Mugabe was chosen as the leader.
Mhanda says Mugabe was arrogant, paranoid, secretive and only interested in power. Mugabe did not want unity and was scared of Nkomo who was the senior African Nationalist.
Machel started to back Mugabe and after returning from Geneva arrested Mhanda and other ZANLA commanders as he feared that they were plotting a coup against him. 600 ZANLA Cadres were arrested which included 50 ZANLA Commanders. Most of the Cadres were released but the majority of the commanders remained in jail for three years or so. (They were released after the UK Labour Party took up their case with Lord Carrington and they were released as part of the Independence deal).
When asked if Tongogara would have made a better leader for Zimbabwe Mhanda said: - “No. He would have been at least as bad as Mugabe, probably worse. The only man that we now think would have made a good President of Zimbabwe was Herbet Chitepo, who was really our Mandela, and just possibly Jason Moyo. Unhappily both of them are dead. Chitepo’s death remains a mystery to this day. There are those that think that Mugabe had him killed, but they have no proof of that. We are inclined to feel that the Smith forces did it, though with inside help. Many people whom we knew perfectly well were Smith agents were later recruited into the upper ranks of ZANU PF by Mugabe.
(DID WE RHODESIANS CREATE OUR OWN MONSTER?)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
EARLY TERR INCURSION INTO RHODESIA FROM ZAMBEZI RIVER
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE
The document above describes a terrorist incursion into Rhodesia crossing the Zambezi River prior to Operation Nickel.
The article was written by R.T. NGQUNGWANA who participated in the Zambezi crossing.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
MUGABE ATROCITIES
These images are of an MDC supporter who was firebombed by Zimbabwean security forces when he took shelter from them in Zaka Zimbabwe.
Mugabe will never change and gives me faith that I did not fight for a lost cause. Ian Smith foresaw this. The absolute brutality will continue while the free world will continue to let atrocities like this continue like a lame duck. Nothing has really changed.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
FIREFORCE PROCEDURE
RLI trooper (MAG Gunner) photographer unknown, possibly Grand Reef circa 1978TYPICAL RHODESIAN FIRE FORCE PROCEDURES
One hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skilful.
Subduing the other’s military without battle is the most skilful.
The Art of War…
Denma Translation
Fire force was an operational response to a terrorist sighting or incident in an operational area and was composed of a first wave of 32 troopers carried to a scene by three Alouette 3 helicopters and a Paradak (DC3) with a command gunship (K Car) armed with a 20 mm cannon and a crew of 3 which consisted of the Army commander (Sunray) pilot and Technician/gunner. The three troop carrying helicopters were known as G Cars and carried four troopers along with the pilot and technician/gunner.
The stick of four troopers was known as a stop or stop group. Stop 1 being in the lead G Car and the others following.
Each Stop consisted of four troopers one commander , with an A63 VHF Radio, a FN rifle with 100 rounds of .762 NATO ammunition, smoke and fragmentation grenades and basic medical aid kit, the troops would also carry a sleeping bag and basic ration pack food in case of having to remain at the contact scene overnight.
One member of the stop was a machine gunner armed with an FN MAG machine gun and carried 400 rounds. The remaining two were riflemen and carried an FN with 100 rounds, grenades, etc. (By 1972 one of these riflemen was also issued with a radio)
The Paradak carried five stops.
Once on the scene these eight stops would be known as the first wave and had a huge area to cover. There were normally three fire forces operating within Rhodesia at one time.
One hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skilful.
Subduing the other’s military without battle is the most skilful.
The Art of War…
Denma Translation
Fire force was an operational response to a terrorist sighting or incident in an operational area and was composed of a first wave of 32 troopers carried to a scene by three Alouette 3 helicopters and a Paradak (DC3) with a command gunship (K Car) armed with a 20 mm cannon and a crew of 3 which consisted of the Army commander (Sunray) pilot and Technician/gunner. The three troop carrying helicopters were known as G Cars and carried four troopers along with the pilot and technician/gunner.
The stick of four troopers was known as a stop or stop group. Stop 1 being in the lead G Car and the others following.
Each Stop consisted of four troopers one commander , with an A63 VHF Radio, a FN rifle with 100 rounds of .762 NATO ammunition, smoke and fragmentation grenades and basic medical aid kit, the troops would also carry a sleeping bag and basic ration pack food in case of having to remain at the contact scene overnight.
One member of the stop was a machine gunner armed with an FN MAG machine gun and carried 400 rounds. The remaining two were riflemen and carried an FN with 100 rounds, grenades, etc. (By 1972 one of these riflemen was also issued with a radio)
The Paradak carried five stops.
Once on the scene these eight stops would be known as the first wave and had a huge area to cover. There were normally three fire forces operating within Rhodesia at one time.
RHODESIAN INFANTRY
Picture from Soldier of Fortune magazine during the war.ROLES OF INFANTRY BATTALIONS
The various Infantry Battalions of the Regular and Territorial Army are to train for and be prepared to take part in the following types of operations:-
Military assistance to civil power.
Internal Security operations, Urban and Rural.
Counter Insurgency operations (COINOPS)
Classical Warfare operations.
1 RLI
The unit’s tasks in classical warfare are:-
To operate in small, self contained patrols in any terrain by road or on foot for sustained periods by day and by night
The execution of rapid strikes against enemy targets in any type of country.
To undertake deep penetration patrols in enemy dominated areas.
To undertake long range reconnaissance tasks.
To operate from all types of land or water vehicles, helicopters and other troop carrying aircraft
The collection of specialized military intelligence.
The execution of demolition tasks
To operate in the normal infantry role if circumstances dictate.
1 Special Air Service Unit
1 SAS is to train for, and be prepared for, to take part in any of the operations and tasks mentioned in 1 RLI
Military assistance of civil power
Internal security operations
Counter Insurgency Operations
Classical warfare Operations
This unit must have the following capabilities:
Ability to cut off terrorists operating in the country from bases outside the country.
Small patrols capable of operating for long periods in any type of country.
Ability to cross any type of country or water.
Water patrols of rivers/Lakes.
Selous Scouts
The Selous Scouts are to be trained for and be prepared to take part in any of the above. In addition they are to provide Tracker Combat teams for units of the Security Forces in order to:
Follow up tracks
Undertake reconnaissance tasks.
Grey’s Scouts
The role of the Grey’s are:-
Long range patrolling and reconnaissance of rural areas.
Tracking and follow up on horseback
Deep penetration in support of Armoured cars.
To be prepared to act as dismounted Infantry.
Independent Companies
The role of the Independent companies are the same as for Infantry battalions
The various Infantry Battalions of the Regular and Territorial Army are to train for and be prepared to take part in the following types of operations:-
Military assistance to civil power.
Internal Security operations, Urban and Rural.
Counter Insurgency operations (COINOPS)
Classical Warfare operations.
1 RLI
The unit’s tasks in classical warfare are:-
To operate in small, self contained patrols in any terrain by road or on foot for sustained periods by day and by night
The execution of rapid strikes against enemy targets in any type of country.
To undertake deep penetration patrols in enemy dominated areas.
To undertake long range reconnaissance tasks.
To operate from all types of land or water vehicles, helicopters and other troop carrying aircraft
The collection of specialized military intelligence.
The execution of demolition tasks
To operate in the normal infantry role if circumstances dictate.
1 Special Air Service Unit
1 SAS is to train for, and be prepared for, to take part in any of the operations and tasks mentioned in 1 RLI
Military assistance of civil power
Internal security operations
Counter Insurgency Operations
Classical warfare Operations
This unit must have the following capabilities:
Ability to cut off terrorists operating in the country from bases outside the country.
Small patrols capable of operating for long periods in any type of country.
Ability to cross any type of country or water.
Water patrols of rivers/Lakes.
Selous Scouts
The Selous Scouts are to be trained for and be prepared to take part in any of the above. In addition they are to provide Tracker Combat teams for units of the Security Forces in order to:
Follow up tracks
Undertake reconnaissance tasks.
Grey’s Scouts
The role of the Grey’s are:-
Long range patrolling and reconnaissance of rural areas.
Tracking and follow up on horseback
Deep penetration in support of Armoured cars.
To be prepared to act as dismounted Infantry.
Independent Companies
The role of the Independent companies are the same as for Infantry battalions
RHODESIAN HELICOPTER LOSSES DURING BUSH WAR
ALOUETTE LOSSES FROM 1970-1980
1/7/70 R5117 Cat 5 New Sarum Sqn Ldr Nettleton and Flt Lt Hill (both killed)
12/10/70 R7506 Cat 2 Rushinga ops Air Lt Cook and Sgt Smithdorff
4/11/70 R5074 Cat 2 Charara Camp Air Lt Roberts, Flt Lt Wrigley, W/O Tapping
17/1/72 R5077 Cat 5 Gwelo Air Lt Munton Jackson Flt Sgt Garden (both killed)
15/2/73 R7500 Cat 5 Rushinga Air Lt Smart and Sgt Smithdorff (both killed)
19/11/73 R5087 Cat 5 Mt Darwin Sqn Ldr Wilkinson and Flt Sgt Woods and Pax
18/7/76 R5076 Tech hit ground fire Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt P Graham (Pat Graham killed)
25/7/76 R7506 Cat 5 Rutenga Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt Graydon
1/9/76 R7524 Tech hit by ground fire Boli Flt Lt Harvey and Sgt Belstead (Beef Belstead killed)
19/10/76 R5723 Cat 4 Tail rotor failure Fort Victoria Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt Davel
22/12/76 R7524 Cat 5 Malapati Flt Lt Cook and Sgt Bellringer (Bellringer WIA)
17/3/77 R5172 Cat 5 Mrewa wire strike Flt Lt Mulligan and Cpl B Fletcher (both seriously injured)
18/05/77 R5725 Cat 5 Shot down while trooping Flt Lt Watt and SAC RAG Nelson (Rob killed)
Rob Nelson killed by jumping out of burning helicopter.
23/8/77 R5713 Cat 4 Ground fire damage E of Grand Reef Flt Lt Oborne and Sgt Robinson
10/10/77 R5176 Cat 5 Engine failure Air Lt Peacocke and SAC Watt
12/1/78 R5747 Ground fire Mtoko Flt Lt Maasdorp and Flt Sgt Jarvie (Henry Jarvie killed)
12/1/78 R5701 Ground fire Mtoko Air Lt Goatley and Flt Sgt Fleming (Flame Fleming killed)
28/7/78 R5177 Cat 5 Hit by RPG7 Chioco Flt Lt Du Toidt and Sgt K Nelson (both killed)
22/8/78 R5773 (SAAF 106) Cat 4 Bindura area Flt Lt Oborne and Cpl Brian Booth
20/10/78 R5731 Cat 5 Hit by AAA Zambia Air Sub Lt Dawson and Sgt R Oelofse
4/1/79 R5170 (The sting) Cat 5 Mid air in contact area Flt Lt K Fynn and Cpl B Cutmore (both killed)
4/1/79 R5701 Cat 5 as above Flt Lt R Bolton and Cpl Tony Turner Turner (killed)
26/9/79 R5705 Cat 5 Hit power lines Lake Alexander Flt Lt P Bate Sgt GR Carter with Major B Snelgar (all killed)
19/10/79 R5723 Cat 2 hit by ground fire Air SUB Lt Middleton and Sgt J Dent
25/12/79 R5876 (SAAF 36) Cat 5 Mount Darwin Drunk while flying Flt Lt A Senekal (killed)
BELL 205 LOSSES
10/2/79 R6807 Cat 5 Melsetter area Air Lt B Cocroft and SAC Kieron Meakin (Tail rotor failure while trooping)
3/9/79 R6098 Cat5 Mocambique Flt Lt D Paxton and SAC A Wesson (Alex Wesson killed)killed) Shot down by RPG 7 Rocket. (External operation).
11/12/79 R6805 Cat 4 Flt Lt Skinner Tail rotor failure
17/1/80 R6084 Cat 4 Flt Lt Vernon (Heavy landing while trooping)
ACCIDENT CATEGORIES
Category 1 Damage sustained is repairable on site by first line servicing crew
Category 2 Damage sustained is repairable on site by second line servicing crew
Category 3 Damage sustained is repairable but is beyond unit technical resources. Assistance from a repair and salvage unit or civilian contractors is required.
Category 4 Damage is not repairable on site and the aircraft must be removed to an established repair depot or civilian repair organization
Category 5 Damage is beyond repair or the aircraft is missing
1/7/70 R5117 Cat 5 New Sarum Sqn Ldr Nettleton and Flt Lt Hill (both killed)
12/10/70 R7506 Cat 2 Rushinga ops Air Lt Cook and Sgt Smithdorff
4/11/70 R5074 Cat 2 Charara Camp Air Lt Roberts, Flt Lt Wrigley, W/O Tapping
17/1/72 R5077 Cat 5 Gwelo Air Lt Munton Jackson Flt Sgt Garden (both killed)
15/2/73 R7500 Cat 5 Rushinga Air Lt Smart and Sgt Smithdorff (both killed)
19/11/73 R5087 Cat 5 Mt Darwin Sqn Ldr Wilkinson and Flt Sgt Woods and Pax
18/7/76 R5076 Tech hit ground fire Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt P Graham (Pat Graham killed)
25/7/76 R7506 Cat 5 Rutenga Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt Graydon
1/9/76 R7524 Tech hit by ground fire Boli Flt Lt Harvey and Sgt Belstead (Beef Belstead killed)
19/10/76 R5723 Cat 4 Tail rotor failure Fort Victoria Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt Davel
22/12/76 R7524 Cat 5 Malapati Flt Lt Cook and Sgt Bellringer (Bellringer WIA)
17/3/77 R5172 Cat 5 Mrewa wire strike Flt Lt Mulligan and Cpl B Fletcher (both seriously injured)
18/05/77 R5725 Cat 5 Shot down while trooping Flt Lt Watt and SAC RAG Nelson (Rob killed)
Rob Nelson killed by jumping out of burning helicopter.
23/8/77 R5713 Cat 4 Ground fire damage E of Grand Reef Flt Lt Oborne and Sgt Robinson
10/10/77 R5176 Cat 5 Engine failure Air Lt Peacocke and SAC Watt
12/1/78 R5747 Ground fire Mtoko Flt Lt Maasdorp and Flt Sgt Jarvie (Henry Jarvie killed)
12/1/78 R5701 Ground fire Mtoko Air Lt Goatley and Flt Sgt Fleming (Flame Fleming killed)
28/7/78 R5177 Cat 5 Hit by RPG7 Chioco Flt Lt Du Toidt and Sgt K Nelson (both killed)
22/8/78 R5773 (SAAF 106) Cat 4 Bindura area Flt Lt Oborne and Cpl Brian Booth
20/10/78 R5731 Cat 5 Hit by AAA Zambia Air Sub Lt Dawson and Sgt R Oelofse
4/1/79 R5170 (The sting) Cat 5 Mid air in contact area Flt Lt K Fynn and Cpl B Cutmore (both killed)
4/1/79 R5701 Cat 5 as above Flt Lt R Bolton and Cpl Tony Turner Turner (killed)
26/9/79 R5705 Cat 5 Hit power lines Lake Alexander Flt Lt P Bate Sgt GR Carter with Major B Snelgar (all killed)
19/10/79 R5723 Cat 2 hit by ground fire Air SUB Lt Middleton and Sgt J Dent
25/12/79 R5876 (SAAF 36) Cat 5 Mount Darwin Drunk while flying Flt Lt A Senekal (killed)
BELL 205 LOSSES
10/2/79 R6807 Cat 5 Melsetter area Air Lt B Cocroft and SAC Kieron Meakin (Tail rotor failure while trooping)
3/9/79 R6098 Cat5 Mocambique Flt Lt D Paxton and SAC A Wesson (Alex Wesson killed)killed) Shot down by RPG 7 Rocket. (External operation).
11/12/79 R6805 Cat 4 Flt Lt Skinner Tail rotor failure
17/1/80 R6084 Cat 4 Flt Lt Vernon (Heavy landing while trooping)
ACCIDENT CATEGORIES
Category 1 Damage sustained is repairable on site by first line servicing crew
Category 2 Damage sustained is repairable on site by second line servicing crew
Category 3 Damage sustained is repairable but is beyond unit technical resources. Assistance from a repair and salvage unit or civilian contractors is required.
Category 4 Damage is not repairable on site and the aircraft must be removed to an established repair depot or civilian repair organization
Category 5 Damage is beyond repair or the aircraft is missing
SURVIVAL JERKINS INFO
STANDARD SCALE OF EQUIPMENT TO BE CARRIED BY ALL HELICOPTER CREWS IN SURVIVAL JERKINS
Copy of a circular sent to Seven Squadron members circa 1978.
It is proposed that the existing survival jerkins be scrapped and replaced by a stronger canvas version more in the form of webbing. The replacement version will do away with buttons and Velcro and instead pouches will be secured with metal studs. The front will be secured with metal rings thus ensuring that the jerkin will not open of its own accord so would be the case of Velcro.
Provision for two water bottle pouches will be made. A pistol holster will not be incorporated in the replacement jerkin and instead it is to be mandatory for helicopter crews to be issued with pistol holsters and belts. It will then be mandatory for pistols to be worn at all times in the bush. This situation will assist in improving base security.
Regrettably it is impossible to issue all pilots and techs with the full standard requirement of kit to be carried in the jerkins. The aim is for all helicopter pilots to be fully equipped and for techs to get together as much of the kit as possible. Obviously a downed crew will stick together if possible so that for rescue purposes, it will be known what the standard survival equipment that crew has in its possession.
As regards 7 Sqn aircraft, the standard aircraft packs to be removed and the crews of these aircraft are only to carry the standardized survival jerkin. 8 Sqn. Aircraft are more likely to be involved in long range external operations and as a result these aircraft will continue to be equipped with aircraft survival packs.
Listed below is the standardized scale of kit to be carried in survival jerkins. Until such time as the replacement jerkins are in hand it will be necessary to continue in the best possible way with the existing item.
ITEM QTY
RT60B 1
Mini Flares 1pack up
Nite Flying torch 1
Day Nite distress flare* 1
Heliograph* 1
Marching compass* 1
Knife clasp* 1
Label code emergency* 1
Dayglo Panel 32cmx32cm* 1
Personal first Aid Kit 1
Boxes matches* 2
Tablets water purifying 1 bottle
Water bottles 2
FN Magazines 2
NOTE: - The items asterisked are issued together in a sealed plastic pack up on a personal loan basis and it will be an offence to make use of these items unless for obvious emergency
Copy of a circular sent to Seven Squadron members circa 1978.
It is proposed that the existing survival jerkins be scrapped and replaced by a stronger canvas version more in the form of webbing. The replacement version will do away with buttons and Velcro and instead pouches will be secured with metal studs. The front will be secured with metal rings thus ensuring that the jerkin will not open of its own accord so would be the case of Velcro.
Provision for two water bottle pouches will be made. A pistol holster will not be incorporated in the replacement jerkin and instead it is to be mandatory for helicopter crews to be issued with pistol holsters and belts. It will then be mandatory for pistols to be worn at all times in the bush. This situation will assist in improving base security.
Regrettably it is impossible to issue all pilots and techs with the full standard requirement of kit to be carried in the jerkins. The aim is for all helicopter pilots to be fully equipped and for techs to get together as much of the kit as possible. Obviously a downed crew will stick together if possible so that for rescue purposes, it will be known what the standard survival equipment that crew has in its possession.
As regards 7 Sqn aircraft, the standard aircraft packs to be removed and the crews of these aircraft are only to carry the standardized survival jerkin. 8 Sqn. Aircraft are more likely to be involved in long range external operations and as a result these aircraft will continue to be equipped with aircraft survival packs.
Listed below is the standardized scale of kit to be carried in survival jerkins. Until such time as the replacement jerkins are in hand it will be necessary to continue in the best possible way with the existing item.
ITEM QTY
RT60B 1
Mini Flares 1pack up
Nite Flying torch 1
Day Nite distress flare* 1
Heliograph* 1
Marching compass* 1
Knife clasp* 1
Label code emergency* 1
Dayglo Panel 32cmx32cm* 1
Personal first Aid Kit 1
Boxes matches* 2
Tablets water purifying 1 bottle
Water bottles 2
FN Magazines 2
NOTE: - The items asterisked are issued together in a sealed plastic pack up on a personal loan basis and it will be an offence to make use of these items unless for obvious emergency
RHODAF BASES AND STRENGTH 1980
RHODESIAN AIR FORCE BASES
Main Operating Bases
New Sarum –Salisbury
Thornhill –Gwelo
Forward Air Fields (FAF)
FAF 1 Wankie
FAF 2 Kariba
FAF 3 Centenary
FAF 4 Mount Darwin
FAF 5 Mtoko
FAF 6 Chipinga
FAF 7 Buffalo Range
FAF 8 Grand Reef
FAF 9 Rutenga
Two strategic airfields were built in 1970 at Fylde and Wankie. These were completed with a control tower, aircraft shelters and blast revetment. These bases also had sophisticated underground fuel storage farms. FAF 1 was at Wankie town and not at the strategic airfield. The Air force used other airfields in the country as required.
Strength of Rhodesian Air force in 1980
Hunter FGA 9 9
Vampire FB 52 4
Vampire T11/55 3
C47 Dakota 12
BN-2A Islander 5
DC 7C 1
Cessna 421 1
AL-60B Trojan 6
F337G Lynx 17
Canberra B2 2
SF 260C Genet 16
SF 260W Genet 13
Alouette 3 26 (Excluding 16 SAAF)
Alouette 2 6
AB 205A Cheetah 8
Main Operating Bases
New Sarum –Salisbury
Thornhill –Gwelo
Forward Air Fields (FAF)
FAF 1 Wankie
FAF 2 Kariba
FAF 3 Centenary
FAF 4 Mount Darwin
FAF 5 Mtoko
FAF 6 Chipinga
FAF 7 Buffalo Range
FAF 8 Grand Reef
FAF 9 Rutenga
Two strategic airfields were built in 1970 at Fylde and Wankie. These were completed with a control tower, aircraft shelters and blast revetment. These bases also had sophisticated underground fuel storage farms. FAF 1 was at Wankie town and not at the strategic airfield. The Air force used other airfields in the country as required.
Strength of Rhodesian Air force in 1980
Hunter FGA 9 9
Vampire FB 52 4
Vampire T11/55 3
C47 Dakota 12
BN-2A Islander 5
DC 7C 1
Cessna 421 1
AL-60B Trojan 6
F337G Lynx 17
Canberra B2 2
SF 260C Genet 16
SF 260W Genet 13
Alouette 3 26 (Excluding 16 SAAF)
Alouette 2 6
AB 205A Cheetah 8
SEVEN SQUADRON SONG
THE SEVEN SQUADRON SONG
Don’t give me a posting to “ONE”
Their Bulldust is boring and dumb
Whilst up in the air,
Every bullet they fear,
It’s” Bale Out” and home on the run
CHORUS
No! Give me good old Seven
The Squadron that’s earning its pay
Fighting the war
And settling the score,
We wear out two arseholes a day
Don’t give me a posting to
“TWO”
I’d rather do time in the loo
Their broken down ships,
Give their pilots the shits,
But they’ll never get anything new
CHORUS
Imagine a posting to “THREE”
‘Mongst old men who fly the “Gooney”
Theyr’e never on ops
As pilots they’re flops
But they sure can collect S and T
CHORUS
Don’t give me a posting to “FOUR”
‘Cos they drive a noisy old whore,
When they make a pass,
They get shot up the ass
Keep flying clubs out of the war
CHORUS
“Lookout” here’s faithful old “FIVE”
‘Neath bushes and rocks troopies dive,
Have courage there men,
AAH Shit, they’ve done it again,
They sure make it hard to survive
CHORUS
I forgot there’s a squadron called “SIX”
In op’s they don’t know the tricks,
As everyone knows,
They’re a squadron of “SCHMOES”
A cadet is all they can fix.
CHORUS
They say they’re the brains of HQ
But mister, I’ve got news for you,
They don’t give a fuck
They just pass on the buck
From you, down to me, back to you.
CHORUS
Note: The Seven Squadron motto was” Fight anywhere and everywhere”.
Don’t give me a posting to “ONE”
Their Bulldust is boring and dumb
Whilst up in the air,
Every bullet they fear,
It’s” Bale Out” and home on the run
CHORUS
No! Give me good old Seven
The Squadron that’s earning its pay
Fighting the war
And settling the score,
We wear out two arseholes a day
Don’t give me a posting to
“TWO”
I’d rather do time in the loo
Their broken down ships,
Give their pilots the shits,
But they’ll never get anything new
CHORUS
Imagine a posting to “THREE”
‘Mongst old men who fly the “Gooney”
Theyr’e never on ops
As pilots they’re flops
But they sure can collect S and T
CHORUS
Don’t give me a posting to “FOUR”
‘Cos they drive a noisy old whore,
When they make a pass,
They get shot up the ass
Keep flying clubs out of the war
CHORUS
“Lookout” here’s faithful old “FIVE”
‘Neath bushes and rocks troopies dive,
Have courage there men,
AAH Shit, they’ve done it again,
They sure make it hard to survive
CHORUS
I forgot there’s a squadron called “SIX”
In op’s they don’t know the tricks,
As everyone knows,
They’re a squadron of “SCHMOES”
A cadet is all they can fix.
CHORUS
They say they’re the brains of HQ
But mister, I’ve got news for you,
They don’t give a fuck
They just pass on the buck
From you, down to me, back to you.
CHORUS
Note: The Seven Squadron motto was” Fight anywhere and everywhere”.
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