Equus Men Grey's Scouts.

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roy elderkin
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I have read through the book, and found it very factual it consist mainly of the contacts of Grey's. There are plenty of photos and actual accounts including maps etc. A little heavy on the price.
Steve
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Amazon won't give a price. Just lists it as unavailable.
roy elderkin
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Steve strange having just received my copy from Amazon.The ISBN no is978-1-910294-04-8. The publisher is Helion and Company Ltd and GG BooksUKAuthor is Alexandre Binda it cost me £55.
Pat Holscher
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Often publications by British authors are offered in Europe well in advance of the US.

Joe and I have been enjoying a two part biography of Stalin, for example. The second volume is not yet available on the US, but in the UK not only is the second volume available, but another book he subsequently wrote on the Romanov's is.
Pat Holscher
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Anulf
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I bought my copy through Amazon UK...I just didn't look at the price. :D

http://www.amazon.com/Equus-Men-Rhodesi ... +equus+men

I am only about halfway through and I find it very fascinating. Lots of new photos too that I haven't seen before. It is amazing the work that went into building a modern Mounted Infantry unit and the support they received from not only the people but the military and the government too.
Pat Holscher
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I just picked up a copy of this book on Amazon that was on the secondary market. It was reasonably priced even when the shipping, which was from the UK, was taken into account.

Thought I'd note that as it would appear that for US readers cheaper options might now be available, as long as you don't mind getting a "used" book. Mine arrived yesterday and when I opened the package up you couldn't tell it had even been read, so I came out okay on that.
Pat Holscher
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Pat Holscher wrote: Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:39 am I just picked up a copy of this book on Amazon that was on the secondary market. It was reasonably priced even when the shipping, which was from the UK, was taken into account.

Thought I'd note that as it would appear that for US readers cheaper options might now be available, as long as you don't mind getting a "used" book. Mine arrived yesterday and when I opened the package up you couldn't tell it had even been read, so I came out okay on that.
I read this book while traveling, ie., airplanes, airports, and hotels, like I get in a lot of my reading. I was very impressed. Lots of interesting details about the unit, its history, and to an American reader, about British type small units in general. Highly recommended.
Anulf
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I've read it twice now. With my military historian hat on, I can't help but wonder how much information did the Greys have available to them in those pre internet days.
I've researched in local and national libraries to find manuals used by cavalry/mounted infantry in the day they were still an intrical part of the armed forces of any country. Many or most of you on this site have as well. I find it curious that the Greys left out/ignored/or chose not to use say, horse handlers when in contact with the enemy. If the reason was that contact happened too fast to have a designated Trooper take the horses to the rear, then why was no time allotted to train the horses to endure gunfire? So many times in this book you read of horses bolting, Troopers left to walk home on foot. Somewhere I believe, the author mentions time constraints and the poor quality of the horses for not doing at least the gunfire thing.
I remain curious to some of the decisions made and the reasons. Otherwise I still am enamoured by Grey's Scouts and find this book the best so far.
roy elderkin
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Jack when Grey's were formed there were a number constraints placed upon us. Firstly that off manpower, we did not have sufficient men, secondly Army HQ did not give us enough time to train horses. In their wisdom we had enough horses but not men horses were expendable men were not. They wanted us operational and that was that, no horse holders or anything like that. As for gun fire we had problems to begin with, but horses got use to it, even in later stages mortors and RPG's did not deter them. As far as the methods used ie mounted infantry we ignored them, but took a method that was best suited us and the men that of the Boer Commandoes and their tactics. Africa was made for them, and I expect that of the USA, in the end Grey's was recognised as the finest Mounted Infantry of the 20th century, so I guess we got it right in the end.l
Anulf
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I say "Bravo to the Greys" I think they are the prime example of what modern, innovative Armies can do. High tech mixed with low tech.

Thanks very much for the info. I suspected from other things that I have read on the Grey's Scouts that Army constraints plus time constraints played a factor in the development of the unit.

For a flight animal it has always amazed me how the "cavalry" horse can adapt to the noise and violence of war.
roy elderkin
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What may be of interest to you Jack, that the barracks of Grey's was next to an ammunition depot. Someone decided to blow it up, would you think that there would be chaos, no even though there were un exploded munitions falling out of the sky. They did not lift their heads but carried on grazing.
Anulf
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Just another day! :D
Pat Holscher
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One thing that took me hugely off guard was the extent to which corporals played a large role in small unit actions. Indeed, I guess the Rhodesian Bush War was nicknamed "The Corporals' War".

In following up on this, apparently corporals play the role that a more senior NCO would in the US Army. They seem to be at the Sergeant or Staff Sergeant level if compared to our armed forces. Quite the surprise for somebody use to the American system.
roy elderkin
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Pat Yes corporals formed a larger part of the Army, and were the backbone. One corporal in Grey's when a Troop came under fire from the Mozambique border, grabbed an infantry mortor without base plate, propped it against a tree and took out a firing position. The area was called Villa Salazar, and became the first time that Grey's and Armoured Cars were used together. The corporals name was "Sharky" Dwinger, ex RLI [Rhodesian Light Infantry] tragically killed later on in a swimming accident.
Anulf
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Oh, another occurrence mentioned in the book came to mind. On one or several occasions a mission was scrubbed or members of the team sent back to base because of a horse losing a shoe. I think they solved the problem by sending a farrier with the troop on each stunt.

A couple of horse shoes and a handful of shoeing nails in a pouch used to be part of the Mounted Infantry standard kit. I would assume that having a farrier along with the necessary tools and backup shoes would be ideal but my question would be; why the Grey's chose this route instead of every trooper packing extra shoes and nails?
roy elderkin
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Anulf
I would like to reply to your questions, for which I have the answer. However it would involve me with the Regt and change of leadership, which I will not do. Things occurred for which I had no control over, my reason for leaving the Regt in 78 was a result of problems that were. occurring.

Sorry that I cannot resolve this matter loyalty and prudence are my burden.
roy elderkin
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The only comment I will make is, if a horse casts shoe there is no need to stop. Just remove the shoe on the opposite foot, and continue until they can be replaced. That is good field management, every soldier should carry a jack knife. This should be used to pull back shoeing nails, so that the shoe can be removed from the heal to the toe. The British Army used to carry a shoe case, we did not have that piece of equipment, if only we could have. But that does not excuse what occurred.
I am reminded of the saying no foot no horse. The other one not sure goes "The loss of a shoe a crown was lost" or was it a horse.
Anulf
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Roger that...understood!
Pat Holscher
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roy elderkin wrote: Sun May 07, 2017 2:36 pm The only comment I will make is, if a horse casts shoe there is no need to stop. Just remove the shoe on the opposite foot, and continue until they can be replaced. That is good field management, every soldier should carry a jack knife. This should be used to pull back shoeing nails, so that the shoe can be removed from the heal to the toe. The British Army used to carry a shoe case, we did not have that piece of equipment, if only we could have. But that does not excuse what occurred.
I am reminded of the saying no foot no horse. The other one not sure goes "The loss of a shoe a crown was lost" or was it a horse.
On a minor note, I used to have an Australian army pocket knife that a small evolution of the British knife that was issued to British cavalrymen during the WWI time frame. It was a really neat knife, with a sharp broad blade and a hoof pick. It had steel sides.

I lost it rabbit hunting. I'm pretty sure I know exactly where, but a trip back out there to find it, and a couple of subsequent visits failed to turn it up. A real bummer as it was a really neat knife.

As a complete aside, horses shod on just two feet here are called "Sheepherder Shod". Apparently sheepherders, for some reason, routeinly shod only two feet.
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