Rhodesian McClellans and the Greys Scouts

[Pat Holscher]

Originally posted by Pat Holscher

Trooper putting up posters of Abel Muzorewa in Mozambique. It was one of our first missions to put these up in Mozambique. Poster of Abel Muzorewa. What it say's I've long forgotten. Sorry

This is an interesting photograph in that it shows a Trooper in a cross border mission in Mozambique. Abel Mozurwea is a Methodists Bishop in Zimbabwe who formed a political party in 1971 to oppose the 1971 accord between the UK and Rhodesia. He became Prime Minister in 1979 following a 1978 agreement to change the structure of the government, but which did not result in an end to the war. He lost the position to Robert Mugabe in 1980.

This photo must have been taken during the 1979 period in which he was Prime Minister.

The longarm in this photo is once again a heavy barrel FN FAL. I'm surprised by how often this weapon appears in these photographs.

Pat

Originally posted by Tom Muller
Pat,

isn't it rather an RPD with drum mag? I can't see it properly, but I guess I'm right.

Tom

Tom, you were indeed correct, as this photo demonstrates. Again, courtesy of Gary Snelling. Gary provides the following text:

The reason for the attached picture was to confirm what weapon Tom thought the Trooper was carrying next to the picture of Abel Muzorewa. It was the RPD. I cannot think why it was being used, as that Trooper normally carried the FL MAG.

One storey about the thirty round FL I used. I only ever put 27 rounds in the magazine, the last five being tracer rounds, so I knew when to change the magazine. In my wisdom I decided to fill one magazine completely with green and red tracers, and wondered why the old soldiers just smiled. Next contact I laid down covering fire. Not only did I start a massive bush fire, but I drew all the CT's fire, as I was compromising my position. Never again!!! I personally enjoyed the G3, as it was lighter, and easier to maintain.

Again, fascinating details. I knew Rhodesia issued some Soviet bloc weapons, captured stocks I believe, but I didn't know about the RPD.





Pat

[Gary S]

The first picture are the guy's generally getting ready for a patrol, checking kit, packing away personal belongings in metal cases. Note the full saddle bags.

The second picture was interesting to me. The guy's are putting on camo cream, but certainly in the South East we put on special "Muti" I'll let Roy explain that word to you!!! He may even know the secret ingredient? It was produced by the Grey's vet.

The CT's destroyed all cattle dipping facilities, so ticks were abundant. ( Over to you again Roy!) We use to put on this ointment that use to keep the ticks off us. One would put bands of the stuff around the base of your trousers, waist, and shirt sleeves, and most importantly the private parts!!

One occasion I remember waking up and having to pull off over 150 ticks from under the armpit of one Trooper. Where ever there was warmth, they attached themselves to you in that area. Ticks are not shy where they attach themselves to!!!!!

[Tom Muller]

Gary/Pat,

thanks for the confirmation on the RPD. I carried it myself for a while so I was quite sure when I saw the pistol grip and bipod.
Ticks were a pain in Southwest as well, especially in areas with lots of game or cattle (which means anywhere!).

Tom

[roy elderkin]

Pat

The word "Muti" is African for medicine, I know some of the ingrediants but not all, citronella, and zinc oxide ointment were two of them, the rest is a mystery.

During the war the CT destroyed a large number of dipping stations, in an anti Govt move in the belief that it would do a lot of harm not just to the Govt but their own people, it did, in that overnight there was a large infestation of ticks, not only on game animals but on native cattle. It is ironic that after the war, the new Govt saw a major sickness amongst cattle and had to rebuild the the dipping stations.

Ticks not only caused sickness in humans, but was the cause of equine billary and canine billary/distemper and something we were always concerned about.

Roy

[Pat Holscher]

Originally posted by roy elderkin
Pat

The word "Muti" is African for medicine, I know some of the ingrediants but not all, citronella, and zinc oxide ointment were two of them, the rest is a mystery.

During the war the CT destroyed a large number of dipping stations, in an anti Govt move in the belief that it would do a lot of harm not just to the Govt but their own people, it did, in that overnight there was a large infestation of ticks, not only on game animals but on native cattle. It is ironic that after the war, the new Govt saw a major sickness amongst cattle and had to rebuild the the dipping stations.

Ticks not only caused sickness in humans, but was the cause of equine billary and canine billary/distemper and something we were always concerned about.

Roy

On the destruction of dipping stations, it's an often missed aspect of terrorist campaigns that they're far more destructive on the local population than on the stated enemy.

I've been reading Horne's A Savage War Of Peace on the French war in Algeria, and that's noted in several places in regards to major FLN terrorist actions. The added irony of it, however, is that usually the local populace blames the government in power for failing to protect them, and ends up sympathizing with the force that hurt them.

Here, I wouldn't have thought of a rural terror campaign against property, but obviously it can be done, as this example shows.

Pat

[Pat Holscher]

Originally posted by roy elderkin
Pat

It is not an ingnorant question, the fact is that helmets were not issued, they were held by various regiments for classical warfare, and not issued for COIN. The only other time they were worn was when Rhodesian forces, were engaged in two major operations in Mozambique. And for training purposes, when training for classical warfare, and they were British Army style, there were other helmets but these were Eastern Block style and were used for training and identification, these were taken after various contacts.

The armoured car Regt used them more than any one else, after the purchase of a number of tanks.

Roy

Thanks Roy. The absence of helmets always seems strange to me. American forces tend to require helmet use at all times, so seeing troops without them seems odd. In this context, however, the helmet would have been a pain, most likely.

Was the helmet the second pattern of British helmet, which sort of resembles the bowl like US M1 steel helmet? I'd guess that's the one, as it came in late in WWII, and was used by the British up until the adoption of a Kevlar helmet.

I guess that might raise the question of how much British equipment was left for adoption by Rhodesian forces. Was it quite a lot or a little? Obviously in terms of weapons the British type weapons were preferred by due to arms bans Soviet stocks came in through captured weapons, as the example of the RPD demonstrates.

Pat

[Pat Holscher]

I have to extend my thanks to the major participants in this thread. Roy in particular deserves thanks, and now Gary as well.

This thread is one of the most viewed on this website for obvious reasons. Its content is excellent. I'm going to have to go back and re read it in its entirety, so I can reabsorb all that is here.

Pat

[roy elderkin]

Pat

Thank you for your comments, and it is great to see Gary registered on the forum. He can bring another view to the Grey's thread that of an operational trooper, viewed from the sharp end.

As for the helmet you are correct in the design, and were also issued to the police when carrying out riot control something which I had forgotten, having on a number of occassion used it whilst in the police.

There was a large amount of equipment left over from the old Federal Army days, which was all British, some Panhard armoured cars, and a number of 25 pounder field guns, RLS and bren gun carriers, all of which were absorbed into the Rhodesian Army, and later replaced by the Eland 90mm armoured car and the Merc's, the RAR, RLI SAS were the first to be issued with FN rifles.

Roy

[Gary S]

Tom
I can't give you much information about the dogs. Our Troop used them on one occasion in the Falls area. Normally when we picked up tracks, the CT's had a six to eight start on us. This time we thought the spoor was an hour old, so we called the "Hounds." I think four were deployed on long red leads, controlled by Troopers on horseback. I couldn't see how it would work, as they had no CT scent/kit to work from, and I beleive they just picked up scent from various wildlife! The CT's split, and our stick handed over the dogs to another Troop, who continued their follow up using them. We used the normal Shangan(Spelling?) Africian trackers. By mid afternoon we caught up with the group of Ct's. I think the other Troop were unsucessful in their follow up. Best I can do.

Gary

[Pat Holscher]

Courtesy of Gary Snelling:

Originally posted by Gary S

The first picture was taken at a deserted village inside Mozambique. I found this witch doctors hut, containing the headdress I'm wearing, spear, bones, and rattle. In the straw roofing were boxes of ammunition.

The second picture is of a Trooper and horse searching suitcases around the hut. I think the number on the horse is 956? Roy any chance of a name?

Pat

[Pat Holscher]

The last several photos bring up two questions.

1. On the number on the horse, was that some sort of brand, and was some sort of marking routinely done?

2. Did Rhodesian McClellan saddles feature any sort of hardware for attaching coats or blankets, like the US McClellans. US McClellans always featured a series of small mortises on the pommel and cantle so that coat straps could run through them, and items such as coats strapped to the pommel and cantle. Did the Rhodesian McClellan have something like that?

Pat

[roy elderkin]

Pat Gary

I do not know the name of the horse, but its number indicates that it was registered with the Regt as 956, you must bear in mind that the original register of animals was started 1896 so that when the Regt was reformed it continued from where original stopped.
In the early stages horses were branded of the foot, but as they tended to grow out freeze branding was introduced, as this horse shows. When I arrived at the Regt, there were no records, myself and the Chief Vet Officer developed a system of recording the animals comlete history, it was a file with the horses markings, height age sex, whirl impressions and colour, date and place of purchse vet and durin certificate if the horse was purchased in SA. This then became his Regt history, the horses name and number was placed in the Regt horse register, when this had been given, the file was kept by the vet dept. So before any one asks me I do not know what became of the book or files, after I left, they were supposed to have gone to the National Archieves.

As far as I can remember there were rings on the front and rear arches, but not mortised, they were d shaped and built into the fibre glass, during manufacture.

Roy

[Tom Muller]

Gary,

welcome to the forum. Thanks for your info on the dogs. I couldn't see how a follow up would work while having them on the leash, being mounted. We used Himba and Herero trackers but some of us, like myself were trained trackers as well.

Tom

[Tom Muller]

Pat,

strange things could happen in the bush. One of ma NCO's an excellent guy and Herero started being weird and funny. One day before a contact I looked over at him and realized that he had taken out the breech of his R5 rifle! In the end I was told that he was "toered" which means he was bewitched. The enemy apperantly had put a spell on him. Well I got him cured by paying another "toerdoktor" to take the spell off him. After that the did his job as before. Some form of muti was used. Things like that were ever present working with black troops.

Tom

[Gary S]

The first picture is our stick about to go on patrol.



Single file formation.



Some unit's basecamp. Our overnight accommodation?

[Pat Holscher]

The first picture is our stick about to go on patrol.



Single file formation.



Some unit's basecamp. Our overnight accommodation?

I can't help but note how those light colored horses stand out. Did this cause any sort of a problem?

Pat

[roy elderkin]

Gary
Is that my old horse Frazer, in the first picture, the grey on the right.
It does my heart good to see you carrying your rifles the right way., and correct single file formation.

We must have taught you well.

Roy

[Tom Muller]

Roy has mentioned a very important thing. How to aim is vital. We double tabed shooting instinctively like aiming a shotgun. On the ground you could hit a normal mansize target without using your rear sight. As Roy says the same applies to shooting from horseback. I was fairly good at it, but the SOP was to dismount and engage. But it was fun to shoot that way and my horse Dempsey enjoyed it, although I hated it when someone fired his rifle next to my head. He even turned his head to the off side when I lifted the rifle to aim. As Roy says it only works if the horse can be controlled by leg aids and balance only.

Tom

[Pat Holscher]

Originally posted by Tom Muller
Roy has mentioned a very important thing. How to aim is vital. We double tabed shooting instinctively like aiming a shotgun. On the ground you could hit a normal mansize target without using your rear sight. As Roy says the same applies to shooting from horseback. I was fairly good at it, but the SOP was to dismount and engage. But it was fun to shoot that way and my horse Dempsey enjoyed it, although I hated it when someone fired his rifle next to my head. He even turned his head to the off side when I lifted the rifle to aim. As Roy says it only works if the horse can be controlled by leg aids and balance only.

Tom

Tom, I think you meant for this to be in the firing while mounted thread, so I'm moving it over there.

Pat

[Pat Holscher]

This was posted, in part, on the firing while mounted thread, but it raises a question here:

Originally posted by roy elderkin


There were one or two members of the Regt, who were real experts at it, but they were TA with there own horses.

Does that mean "Territorial Army" (ie., reservists)? That is, they had their own horses at home?

Did reservist see some service time with the Greys?

Pat