Rhodesia Regiment - The History

	Rhodesia Regiment - The History Alex Binda, author of The Saints - history of the Rhodesian Light Infantry and Masodja - history of the Rhodesian African Rifles is now working on the history of the Rhodesia Regiment. Please support the compilation the history of Rhodesia's largest and longest serving military unit. We need all material pertaining to the Rhodesia Regiment and Royal Rhodesia Regiment - photos, copies of documents, anecdotes, records etc. Use this board to record your memories. All entries will be passed to Alex and material that he chooses to use will all be properly recorded and acknowledged. Get it down folks because none of us are getting any younger. Do you want our friend on the left here who we have called 'Comrade Honest Ncube', (drawn specifically for this project by noted cartoonist Vic MacKenzie) to give the world his version of events? Contacts:- Alex Binda abinda@tiscali.co.uk Hugh Bomford hbomford@clear.net.nz or PO Box 13003, Tauranga 3141, New Zealand This is going to be like eating an elephant - a daunting task when faced alone but together we can do it by taking one bite at a time.
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Grant Lewthwaite

Sep 24, 08 - 6:22 PM

4 Indep Co RAR - Vic Falls

Hi Alex, I served at 4 Indep Vic Falls. I was in Intake 163 and served at Vic Falls and Wankie during 1979. Operational range from Lukosi Mission through Wankie through Sibankwazi (Zambezi down stream of the Gwaai River) back upstream to Kazungula and back through Pandamatenga and Matetse. Spent time in Wankie with Steve Edwards of Matetse Safaris. Sunray call sign 4, platoon (3) call signs, 41, 42 and 43 with stick call signs alpha through charlie respectively. Based initially at the old "location" (as in township) behind what is now the Vic Falls Safari Lodge. Subsequently moved to more salubrious accommodation at Sprayview (got bigger tents!) and had RAF and Greys there with us. Operated both the river from the mine field up to Kaz, with our tracker unit (T44) running the cross grain ops on the main Kaz road. Dave Barker was the CO, the RSM an Afrikaans name I cannot remember. One pips were Andy Robinson, Andy Bowman and Kevin Mackenzie(?). Stick leaders and 2 i/c's in no particular order - Ant Hardwick, Grant Lewthwaite, Daryl Sahli, Paul Hendry, Manassa Holtzhausen, Dave Henderson, Jimmy Mitchell, Fred Derrett, John Blake. Trackers included AJ Bradnick, Ivan Sly, Boet Holing. Outgoing 158/159 and 160 personnel include "Scotty", Paul Jelonek, Mike Dando (subsequently killed on pre Gwebi deployment), Bruce Greetham, Rob Teasdale to name a few.
The unit saw a good deal of active service with incidents occuring from July through Nov 1979 - fortunately other than for gun shot injuries no loss of life (Ant Hardwick shot in the leg / Pvt Ndlovu of 43A - my stick - shot through the upper body - fortunately both were casevaced with Pvt Ndlovu lucky to survive). Oct 79 saw SAS back in the area once the Kaz ferry started running again - it shortly thereafter met with an unknown "mishap". Many follow ups after spoor found on the cross grain ops on the main Kaz road. Worked hand in hand with Greys on these follow ups with RAF providing air support when possible. Increasing activity saw RAF base two Alouettes in Wankie together with one Cessna 337 (push me pull you)which gave amazing support to our ground activities. Spent time in and around Wankie TTL, Jambezi (Intaf Keep), Kamativi, Dett and West of the Gwaai minefields. An interesting time to say the least.Walked more k's than I care to remember.
No known emblem or logo - purely RAR badging and stable belts.
Mama Luigi kept us in burgers and cold milk before deployments, fishing gear from Shaw Trading, and many cold beers courtesy The Casino Hotel.
Would be interested in talking to you when you get the chance. Tel Sydney 8814 7777 or 0416 204492.

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