The Rhodesian Bush War & Its Forgotten Foreign Fighters
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- The Rhodesian Bush War was an interesting conflict to say the least. Taking place in the backdrop of the Cold War, this complex war would have international support for both, the minority white government and for the majority black resistance movements. The complex nature of this war would increase following the arrival of foreign fighters for the Rhodesian government in the mid 1970s.
I remember the recruitment ads in Soldier of Fortune magazine. "JOIN THE RHODESIAN ARMY,FIGHT INSURGENT REBELS AND GET PAID!"
Did you know someone who joined?
Yes my neighbor did from Ohio
@@jb7483 Stories?
dang I wasn't even a project in my dad's nuts back in the day and I've seen some of those! and we are spanish! he had this old magazines he bought when he was serving in the paras and long after that and I read it as a teen. I remember reading soldier of fortune because I liked all the military stuff and that's how sparked my interest on military history.
good days
Ian Smith was a true leader. A Rhodesian through and through. A man among men. R.I.P. Your memories will last forever. From a proud Rhodesian.
😢❤❤❤
This whites trying to own a land in Africa but they failed😂
Thanks to the former USSR
how the traded him for that piece of shit mugabe is beyond comprehension
Dumbass colonizer
A former friend, Paddy Curtis, a member of the Selous Scouts, was murdered in his home in Buluwayo last year.
He was a Warrior and a true gentleman.
RIP.
May he rest in peace ✝️
Respect from me my friend.
@@desmondhull5778
Thank you both.
@@JohnMoore-xf5wy The ones who comitted this murder are scumbags.
@@dewoitine He was a hero not like the cowardly scumbags who murdered him.
I was in a boarding school in Northern Transvaal in the late 1970s up to 1980.
I had some Rhodesian friends who were sent to South Africa for their safety.
I wanted to go and fight for Rhodesia when I was old enough, but by the time I finished high school, Rhodesia no longer existed.
I believe that the largest contingent of foreigners in the Rhodesian security forces were South Africans followed by Americans and British, and then probably Australians and NZs. Many of the Americans did not integrate very well. Quite a few Portuguese also joined after the communists took over in Angola and Mocambique. I also remember seeing some Irish, Canadians(one of them was a full-blooded Cree Indian), Germans, Scandinavians, Italians and Israelis. I'd say that the standard of living in Rhodesia was relatively good for Africans, certainly better than it ever has been since it became Zimbabwe. At least they didn't starve as they did under Mugabe. The only people who really profited from what happened were Mugabe and his thugs and the international corporations. I hear that the scum in charge of Zimbabwe are now targeting Asians as there are no Whites left to destroy. Who can say that South Africa is better off at present than it was before 1994? A few days ago the savages there chanted for the death of all Whites at a huge rally. No doubt, when the country has finally completely collapsed and they are starving they will have their hands out to the hated Whites to feed them.
yes - South Africa is now today,a failed state,with blatant state corruption ever present in all shapes & forms !
The African National Congress (ANC),really conned the naive & ignorant whites,throughout Europe & the rest of the western world & even the communist bloc (as it then existed in eastern Europe),when they went into exile,outside of South Africa.
While in exile,throughout the rest of the world,they lived,wined & dined in luxury (at least in most cases),while they railed against minority white rule.
Meanwhile,behind the scenes,they never ever really had any intention of doing anything for their own "oppressed" people,as they lived it up outside of SA during their exile.
post liberation in 1994,saw the ANC take power in SA & form a new post-apartheid black government,from which time,everything started to go downhill,at calamotous speed,leading up to what we see today,as virtual complete disaster !
They've done very little to house/feed/educate their own people,while both national & local government becomes ever more blatantly corrupt,with each passing day - they don't even attempt to hide it !
Essential government run services are now either under funded,or have become practically non-existent - there is even raw sewage floating down some of the rivers,and heading out to sea + rolling power blackouts,which destroy industry (what's left of it) & also personal life too !
tax money is syphoned off & placed into the pockets of officials & their cronies,without any thought for those (within their own population),that do not have anything !
They day when the ANC won the 1994 elections,which put them into power,was the first day of South Africa's conversion,into a form of Titanic - South Africa today is kaput - sorry to say that,but it's now fact !
Ironically enough,those nations at the forefront of ending white rule viz. USA/Britain,seem to have been visited by kharma,in the form of their own (self-induced)apocalypse,of never ending illegal mass migration,aided & abetted by their own (nowadays),globalist governments !
the claim of the introduction of democracy,was (perhaps)the biggest lie ever told !
Democracy never really existed right throughout European history & still does not today in the 21st century - first world white populations lived under feudalism & later on,in non-democratic 2-party political systems,where political systems,via voting,is a mere illusion of choice - nothing ever really changes either !
Even the (former)USSR was never a democracy,where the real power was wielded by a minority,in the politburo/Supreme Soviet & the soviet people were treated as little more than chattels !
Even in ancient Greece (where deocracy)originated,the (then) newly created system,(inclusive of voting),only ever benfitted the minority of the elites,just as it does today in Europe & the US.
one can therefore,now see that the African majorities,throughout Africa,were sold a complete lie,by Europeans/Americans,who were (in fact),not ever interested in placing real democracy into Africa & (in particuar)Rhodesia & South Africa - what they were really interested in,is the mineral wealth that exists throughout Africa !
Hunting Asians and whites was “normal” during the 50-70 because blacks was told that the Asian and white man are the only problem.
Just like today in the US, a lot of Asians are beaten and robbed by blacks because white girls in their 20s tell blacks that they have nothing because of Asians that “stole” success from blacks.
There is a reason why most of Africa looks like it does today, they are being lied to today so they can stay poor. Lying to someone that didn’t go to school is easy and family tribes make sure that no one can escape dumbness or the country
Agreed. But these young woke clowns don't wanna hear that - even though it's the truth.
Starve? No the UK, US, ETC put sanctions on Zimbabwe, That's why they had problems.
Tell the truth, instead of lying.
Try that for once.
When you talk about the Rhodesian bush war. You have to talk about the Selous Scouts.
When it came to military tracking, the Selous Scouts (1 SAS
Regiment) was one of the most successful units ever. They
were engaged in a wide range of operations, from
what was known as ‘fire-force’ actions on open battlefields to
clandestine missions, deep within enemy territory. The
ragged-looking force actually consisted of highly professional
soldiers who showed exceptional courage against a bitter and
unforgiving enemy.
At the height of the War in 1976, the Selous Scouts numbered
some 700 men. They worked in small units of four to six men
who would parachute or heli-hop into the bush in hot pursuit
of ZIPRA and ZANLA guerrillas. The Selous Scouts were
lightly equipped, carrying mostly ammunition and water this enabled them to quickly track and close in on the fleeing
guerrillas. Once spotted, the Scouts would call for soldiers of
C Squadron SAS (Rhodesian) to parachute forward towards
the guerrillas, in order to cut them off. The Selous Scouts
methods were so effective that they accounted for killing
more guerrillas than the rest of the Rhodesian Army put
together. Along with the Rhodesian SAS, the Selous Scouts
were disbanded in 1980 when Prime Minister Ian Smith
handed over to Robert Mugabe’s government and Rhodesia
became Zimbabwe. Most of the Selous Scouts made their way
into the South African Army.
I am a CANADIAN and I was proud to fight for the RHODESIAN army from 1971 to the end
Thank you for standing against communism, sir.
You are proud to have helped to preserve colonialism and apartheid? And you're a Canadian, a former British colony smdh😢
@@countvan7406 get lost, bot.
@@john-rambo-1982 No sir, I'm no bot. Just a defendant of one of the poor bastards you murdered just for trying to rid themselves of the yoke of colonialism and apartheid. The fact that you have no shame or remorse for the atrocities you committed is proof positive of your corrupted white supremacist mindset, even when you are close to answer to your maker. Hell awaits all murders.
will not like your comment...come to to Africa today I dare u hero
Rhodesia lives in our hearts.
It's a worse place now just like South Africa.
@@JohnnyPeacock1959absolutely!!! So so true.
@@JohnnyPeacock1959says the colonizer
@@E-stylz-1967 Says the man who has never felt loyalty. Rhodesia was similar to every other part of the British Commonwealth, a huge advantage waiting for the locals to adopt the more advanced culture (a wearying slow process anywhere). Zimbabweans will now have to wait many more generations, centuries perhaps, to realise their potential. One species with cosmetic differences bud.
@@E-stylz-1967the vast majority of the world would even today be pooping in bushes in a ditch and wiling with their hand while shooing flies from their eyes, living in abject ignorance and poverty (if they even had the luxury of surviving past childhood) if not for the colonizers you hate so much....and you know it, but go ahead and type your grievances into the magic electric machine the colonizers invented for you, in the language they tought you on the internet they allow you to use. Maybe one day when you are mature enough to admit the truth you will thank the colonizers for imparting you a fraction of their civilization.
Won the battles, lost the war. The dark forces of evil were overwhelming.
I blame the UK and US media for a mass misinformation campaign.
Truely, and sadly betrayed by people whobshoukd have been their brothers.
@@daveweiss5647well your lot should have never left Britain to go and seize black African territory. The brazen cheek and nerve that you have, you think Africa was yours to have. Did we give you our continent, what a bunch of fools that you all turned out to be. You really thought you could overwhelm a continent that is majority black. It was never ever going to work, NEVER. Zimbabwe is black and is ours, you have Britain and that is yours. If you want to resurrect rhodesia, go and do so in Salisbury in England. After all the criminal thug and racist Cecil Rhodes is English and his name is the one that is in rhodesia. So go and petition the local council in Salisbury to resurrect your beloved rhodesia there. Was you cannot ever do is resurrect it in black Africa.... It will never happen.
Other countries politicians bulshit and backstabbing ways coursed the wars end, Rhodesia forces did not lose the war
A very true statement. As a Confederate American I can well understand the plight of the Rhodesians. Deo Vindice
I was there as a volunteer from Texas.
So you are a war criminal. Got it
God bless you
It was NEVER a “struggle for black majority rule” it was a tribal brawl, 3 tribes brawling and arguing over who got to dominate and grab the resources, they are still doing it
Exactly. Us adding modern comforts, technology, and infrastructure just made it worse. Without finishing the civilizing of the peoples in Africa it was always going to end like this.
Now they blame us for trying to lift them out of endless mud hut tribal warfare just like they blame us for ending slavery.
But hey, now they just pretend to have actually been us and done all the things our fathers did, so no need to acknowledge their almost total lack of any accomplishments for all of recorded history.
Very true
There were 4 tribes counting the whites.
@@Clydesirota Hello Clydesirota, Sorry, mis-counted, left out the White Tribe, I lost 2 comrades there, Clive Mason and DJ Smith.
And everything that they Rhodesians said would happen with majority rule has happened. A country in ruins.
It's happening to all Western civilization.
Race matters.
@@DerSchleier race ≠ color
This is our country no matter how bad we run it through western sabotage sanctions etc we will prevail look at urself causing wars throughout
Thanks for making this video. I only became aware of the Rhodesian Bush War when I studied about UDI for my undergraduate history degree back in 2011. Modern lecturers are very cynical about Rhodesia, and they focus on what they perceive to be the injustices and inequalities that existed within the country, but the more I read the more I couldn’t help sympathise with the Rhodesians. Rhodesia had its problems, but it was a decent country for the majority, and far better than Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.
Rhodesia was worth fighting for, and the Rhodesian Security Forces distinguished themselves as impressive fighters.
There was no conscription of black personnel for the Rhodesian forces as there were always plenty of volunteers. It seems that Rhodesia's black population feared Mugabe & Co more than they disliked the white Rhodesians running the country.
Rhodesians had every right to exist as they envisioned and frankly, the entire world lost when they lost. Africa went further into shambles, and not just "Zimbabwe" but the entirety of Africa . The South Africans thought that politically they couldn't back up Rhodesia to a certain point, thinking they would somehow survive where Rhodesia would not. I wonder with present hindsight if perhaps they might have any regret as they'd still have a bordering ally to this day had they found a way to keep Rhodesia alive.
Instead, they have been slowly getting tossed into the sea and now China will own most of Africa after its first incursions before and during the Bush War in Rhodesia. The Rhodesians were right and only a blind fool would be willing to see it otherwise. If people thought the original colonizers were bad for Africa, they need to research on the irreparable damage the Chinese have and continue to do to the entire continent. They aren't even sharing in rulership, they are simply taking it all away. This is where the West failed its kin entirely thinking they were all somehow to be untouched by the effect of losing Rhodesia. Oops.
Sadly Rhodesia was betrayed by South Africa and will forever be a blot on our name.
@@phyrr2 Sadly, that’s all true. The Chinese are asset striping Zim, and like you pointed out, they dug their claws in back in the 70s when they provided weapons and training to ZANLA.
I think the South Africans believed that if they threw Rhodesia to black Africa it would make their situation easier, but it didn’t. They should have just stuck to their guns and held the line with the Rhodesians. Although, to be fair to the South Africans, their support to Rhodesia, after the fall of Portuguese Mozambique, was essential. The SADF often fought shoulder to shoulder with the Rhodesians against the terrorists, and none of the large scale cross border operations would have been possible without South African support.
I think one of the biggest factors in the decline of Rhodesia was the British commitment to the Atlantic Charter and the UN, which undermined their role as a colonial power, and required them to move all of their colonies towards self-determination. The British governments insistence on majority rule before independence sounded ‘progressive’, but it lacked any understanding of the situation in Rhodesia. To hand over a prosperous modernised nation such as Rhodesia, to an African majority, who only 70 years before were still an Iron Age society with no written language, was bound to fail. The British government should have supported the Rhodesian government and provided funding so that over time more Africans could acquire the franchise, and a strong African middle class could have been established. As more Africans acquired education and property they would have been more invested in Rhodesia, and unlikely to be persuaded by the hollow promises of midwit African nationalists like Mugabe and Nkomo. Then war could have been avoided and Rhodesia would be a prosperous nation today.
Indeed they did.
Rhodesia will never be forgotten, I love my old country, my family was executed by rebels in 1977 my mom & aunt got lucky & escaped the night before, they hiked over 1500kms in 10 days with barely any food or water, my mom never talks about it, and after a few glasses of wine my aunt will talk about it, some stories are horrific though,
I hope that you and your family can tell the tales to anyone who is listening for all time to come. The world needs to learn what happened, how we failed Rhodesia, and how us failing Rhodesia ultimately is now failing the West with anything having to do with Africa.
1500 kilometers in ten days?
@@bracoop2 I'm thinking he means 150 km, we all make typos golly
This does not seem a plausible story. Why would anyone, anywhere in Rhodesia have to walk 1,500 kms for 10 days to reach safety? At best, this is a badly mangled memory. At worst it is false.
@@markaxworthy2508
Were you there?
Will never ever forget the struggle of the Rhodesians in their conflict. My friend served with the 'Scouts' during it.....many dead heroes.
A school mate gave up school returned to fight, unfortunately he also died for his country, still think and see his smile.
The funniest part of this is the idea that the US diwant to "interfere with foreign affairs "
Exactly
Yeah, anytime the US says something like that I always do a little chuckle followed by a "off course yous dont" 😂
I was in the RLi and had a bumper sticker,Youre behind me,Im behind Ian Smith so lets go forward together.
Great video. The side story about the Albanian King is wild. I did not know about him at all.
It's called self-defence.
it is indeed ! - unfortunately,that no longer exists !
@@terencefranks1688 The worlds dropped it guard and unfortunately will suffer the consequences in the end.
@@desmondhull5778 it would definitely seem so !
Only wearing flip-flops? No it's not.
@@Rugmunchersauce3 Cant work your comment out and what you mean about the flip flops,I'm lost.
Look at the state of Zimbabwe today and indeed South Africa going down the same hole, the West failed here and allowed the Chinese a huge bound to take resources and play the long game.
How about we keep RACE out of this discussion.
@@Mike-fj2ln geopolitics are a separate issue.... that's what caused the problems along with Communism in Africa. Race was just a side issue drummed up by the useful idiots in the West on behalf of their communist paymasters. Same happens today with green policies
@@Mike-fj2ln lol he's is pretty obviously talking about China the country sticking its commie tendrils into africa, dont know why youre on about RACE
Chinese isn't a race.....
When I served in British army had a coupe of guys in my regiment who were Rhodesian and had fought there,and after joined British army.One of my platoon commanders had fought as an officer in Rhodesian army,by birth he was Rhodesian.He was one of my few platoon commanders I liked.After British army I joined legion ,in my basic instruction trained alongside a Geordie he'd been in RTR,British army went absent served in rhodesia went back to UK locked up for absence,escaped guardroom joined legion during training deserted,while feigning sickness from the hospital then from a reliable source joined Spanish legion then deserted,I think the only place he did his time was rhodesia.We had a platoon sergeant who went absent from my regiment fought in rhodesia when he came back he just got a massive fine,he was to good a soldier to be thrown out
ws not a black majority resistance movement. Many blacks hostile were not Rhodesians. Many, in fact the majority of Rhodesian troops were black. The way Britain and commonwealth turned their back on Rhodesia was a disgrace
Couple of additional points that aren’t explored in this film:
Many in the govts of the the western nations leading the diplomatic efforts were in fact communist sympathizers that downplayed USSR and CCP involvement and undermined settlement efforts that could have ended in something less than a mugabe takeover. Second, there was a lot of animosity within UK govt for Rhodesia after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. Any settlement short of Rhodesian humiliation was to be undermined and sabotaged. The combination of these two factors pretty much ensured this was going to end with the terrorist Mugabe in power.
Agree and I think it’s fair to point out had Carter grown a spine and helped them out things could have gone differently but he was concerned about Cuban troops in Mozambique
Actually, the CIA was always working behind the scenes against Mugabe and the commies. But even the CIA isn’t as powerful as sanctions.
spot on - the UK/US were the main perpetrators of Rhodesia's demise !
@@terencefranks1688 - I would stipulate it was the leftists in those countries - leftist politicians, the media, elitist academics, and young clueless "useful idiots" - I was pretty young and uninformed when the did it to Rhodesia, but it was obvious to me what they were doing when they enabled the communist takeover of South Africa.
History proved them right. They were fighting for civilization. Zim is on its knees, and SA is following. The West should be ashamed
What nonsense "illegal independence". The Rhodesian government had every right to declare independence. Just like the 13 colonies in America did.
U day dream
Largely OT but what the hell: my favourite (in an ironic, lamentable sense) post-Rhodesia anecdote is the many high ranking ZANU officials that perished in a spate of inexplicable vehicular accidents. Naturally many suspected Mugabe of ordering the assassinations of party opponents/rivals but the truth, when it was eventually established, was far more surreal and, sadly, _very_ African…
Turns out the drivers/chauffeurs of these expensive, typically European saloons (I.e. Mercedes) used to ferry officials around often clandestinely stole valuable parts from the cars’ engines to sell on the black market. Naturally lacking such vital components the vehicles became unsafe to drive resulting in numerous deaths, thieves often included!
As I say, very African. 😔
lol
They will cut off their own hands just to blame the white man.
Yes,it a cut your nose off, despite your face sort of thing.
What happened to Tongogara then…?
What happened to Tongogara then…?
The very first Merc pic shown contains Robert K. Brown and Craig Nunn!!
Not supporting white Rhodesia was one of the worst foreign policy mistakes ever, right after South Africa.
If Rhodesia would have given black people equal rights then none of this would have happened. Clearly black people were willing to fight for Rhodesia and against Communist forces despite being second-class citizens. No Communist regime ever took over a prosperous democracy where everyone was equal. The whites saw a black face and saw a communist and a traitor, and of course a savage. Their racism made them blind, and it cost them their country.
Yoooo broooo this is insane 🔥🔥🔥 A whole documentary fr 🙌 You went really in depth damn! 😌
zamn
My home, my love, Umtali and lived in the vumba right next to mountain lodge hotel and leopard rock. Beloved memories of my early life, left school Nov 1972 and into the height of the war, god love and bless all Rhodesians ❤❤
Anyone care to name one place that has improved after blacks have taken over?
Name one place that improves for black people once white people take over.
The United States🇺🇸, Obama gave you healthcare and saved your murdered economy🫡
Botswana?, Ghana?, South África?
@@muxijim6442 Every one of those countries is a dump.
@@muxijim6442Zaboravi si napisati i septicka jama.
Prevedi na engleski.
A former collegue of mine, fought with the french foreign legion in Vietnam and later in the Rhodesian army in that war.
That's amazing. Seriously he must have been some kind of fantastic soldier to survive all that! There are so many questions I'd like to ask that guy if I only could.
@@robertmaybeth3434 I am not even sure, he is still alive. He was almost 70, when I worked with him in 1995 and a heavy alcoholic. He told us horrible things about the war in Vietnam.
@@captainbackflash Oh my - guys like this are priceless treasures of information that nobody else has, a shame nobody ever thought to write down his thoughts!
So a war criminal
What makes you think thar?@@squiglemcsquigle8414
10:25
It's the "Rebel in Rhodesia"....
I read his articles when I was a kid. They were great!!
How does the British government like their black majority rule now
They GIVE A _uck! They are quite delighted actually!
Thanks for the archive!🇿🇼✊🏿🌍
"80% US Volunteers Deserted?" That is bulsht my friend. 12% is the correct number. 7% of these were lost in the bush only to be found and buried back home. Some got lost in the bush, to wonder back into base camp 3 weeks, or a month later. Good video otherwise.
Do you have a source? I doubt the 80% figure myself considering so many were acclimated to jungle guerrilla warfare
@@johnherbold8233 I can't find a reputable source for the claims made in the video or his comments, but a quick search did show that many Americans served with distinction in the Rhodesian SAS and RLI.
One of the guys on one of the other UA-cam channels, I can’t remember which one
had the same stats
he went through Rhodesian government documents, and he found that the overwhelming majority of Americans did serve with distinction
once they were in ducted
What this clown on this video is whining about is basically a lot of the people were lied to by the Rhodesian recruiters
They were brought to Rhodesian under false pretenses and then once they found out that they were lied to
they left
so they weren’t actually in the military of Rhodesia
so they could not possibly be considered deserters because they never signed up,
but they were smart enough to know that they’ve been lied to
and they weren’t going to stick around knowing that they were going to have to be dealing with liars in the government
One of the guys on one of the other UA-cam channels, I can’t remember which one
had the same stats
he went through Rhodesian government documents, and he found that the overwhelming majority of Americans did serve with distinction
once they were in ducted
What this clown on this video is whining about is basically a lot of the people were lied to by the Rhodesian recruiters
They were brought to Rhodesian under false pretenses and then once they found out that they were lied to
they left
so they weren’t actually in the military of Rhodesia
so they could not possibly be considered deserters because they never signed up,
but they were smart enough to know that they’ve been lied to
and they weren’t going to stick around knowing that they were going to have to be dealing with liars in the government
@@mikerilling6515 Every government consists of only liars. Rhodesia was sold out just like South Africa, by greedy politicians. If whites could learn how to stick together then we wouldn't have half the problems. But no, we'll rather try and kill each other. I know how it feels to be betrayed by your government. I fought in the SADF and in the 80's in South West and Angola just to be told afterwards that the politicians had f... ked us all over and given the country away. Great fight but for nothing.
I know the French RAR officer who was sent to recruit for the French Indep. Coy. of the RR. He told me that most were the like of "butcher's boys" without military experience. He told the Rhodesian Government of this, but he was told to send them anyway. They performed as poorly as he expected and were quickly disbanded. Some became free lance Brightlight militia in commercial farming areas. The three we had at Mtoko/Mrewa seemed agreeable enough. They painted a target on either side of their Cougar for reasons best known to themselves but achieved little. Shortly after the war ended, one of these three was the getaway driver for two other Frenchmen who murdered a European store owner in a dorp north of Salisbury.
Zimbawe! Another gem of African democracy at its best performance.
I like how " the Crippled Eagles " use a SLR in their badge. That rifle truly was the right arm of the free world.
Just going down this rabbit hole after listening to the unedited Green Leader recording. Good stuff.
You shouldnt go down ANY rabbit holes. You'll come a cropper and get stuck, plus think about the poor rabbits home you just destroyed with your fat arse. Best just stay at home, keep away from holes... unless it's just to stick yer knob in.
What's the unedited green leader recording? Link?
@@daveweiss5647 Hopefully, this channel doesn’t auto delete comments with links: ua-cam.com/video/xrLKpu3Yxy8/v-deo.html
Thank you so much for this. So much new information i hadn't heard before along with many pictures of true heroes. Not forgotten by many in England.
Just to point out a very obvious error, at 3:14, the producer clearly doesn't know where Rhodesia is as he/she has placed the Rhodesian Flag over both Rhodesia and Zambia.
Seems that the producer forgot that the Rhodesian Federation ended with the independence of Malawi and Zambia 🥴🥴
Yup, a little off i would say. But then as you all know Africa is a country!!!🤣
They are certainly not forgotten, and nor are all other combatants of the Rhodesian forces. We remember and thank them all with humility and eternal gratitude.
Very interesting
Many of those foreign fighter photos were former members of MACvSOG. The hardest operators this world has seen.
It will always be Rhodesia to me, same with Burma, they can change the name but they can't change the history and the people that built these nations.
No one cares what you call it.
Rhodesia existed for 5 years. Are you gonna deny the real people their history in favour for war criminals and racist dickheads. Telling
Who built these nations ?
Grow up, this isn't 1974 anymore.
The nation that was built is destroyed.
It was a tad hairy at times. Selous Scouts were tough as - but in the bush there was only so much roast baboon you could eat - very stringy.
My uncle has his emergency seperation papers. My grabdmother had foubd she had cancer so he came back to the states but once she recovered and was stable he tried to come back but it was not to be. Still has some of the, souvenirs, that im sure the atf would be hard pressed to get from him
Zimbabwe has suffered since their victory
So.
Self inflicted.
So the coloniser should have kept their stolen lands?
@@jackholman5008 they stole it fair and square
@@jackholman5008 The colonisers built the country up,ie roads ,buildings,infrastructure,economy.Bit better than mud huts.
im fortunate to have met a tracker from that war and am training with him.
Where and what army he must be in his late 60s early 70s
The End of the Portuguese Empire in 1974/5 i was 6 years old but i remind all this Post-War troubles. My 3 uncles were Colonial soldiers,one of them in Mozambique's borders with Rodhesia in 1970 to 1972.
More aunts and cousins in Lourenço Marques,many more family in Angola,too,only my father service was at Metropole not in Overseas Provinces.What have been lost,my loyal Salisbury !🇵🇹
thanks for using the term "Colonial soldiers"
Great stuff 😎
OK once again we have to correct the record
the Americans did not “desert”
The recruiters lied to the Americans about the pay
about the food and about other conditions
It was the same thing with other volunteers from other nations
whoever was handling recruitment at the time was actively lying to these recruits getting them to Rhodesia by telling them whatever they wanted to hear
once they got there of course the story changed dramatically
now just think to yourself how happy you would be in a job
Once you got to the job, you realize the recruiter lied to you. You weren’t gonna get the pay you were told
the conditions were going to be nothing like what you were promised you would not be getting the food that you promised
everything essentially turned out to be a lie so naturally anybody with a brain would leave that situation.
I read those SOF magazine articles in the late 70s; however, I enlisted in the US Army in 1978. By then the end was in sight for Rhodesia.
So, how is Zimbabwe better now? Is it better than Rhodesia was? I would definitely like to know.
And any other country in the African continent.
Never have so few, fought to maintain the misery of so many.
Well this is refreshing, foreign volunteers defined as _foreign volunteers_ !
That’s a rare thing as such men were/are typically misdefined as ‘mercenaries’ - an inaccuracy with intentionally negative connotations propagated by biased contemporary reportage and modern appraisal. Foreign recruits drawing exactly the same pay and conditions as their Rhodesian counterparts and where previous military experience was _not_ conditional to enlistment affirms _volunteer_ status. Anyone saying differently is talking bs!
They try exactly the same disingenuous nonsense on with South Africa’s ‘mercenary’ 32 Battalion too.
True, the west is rife with traitors, especially in the media. It will be our downfall.
yeah great documentary....lots of footage i have never seen before
Ian Smith was a hero
3:18 what happened to Botswana? And to Zambia? True their where incursions especially by Rhodesian military forces into their neighbours, but they did not occupy them
My Great Grandfather was part of the first Pioneer Column that went up into Africa and established Fort Salisbury (today Harare the aids ridden capital of the world). They fought against extreme odds and this dna has passed down through the Rhodesians, for us, the Rhodesians never die.
Rhodesia will never die
Rhodesia is gone
Very informative video, thank you! Where did you find all that video of the war?
Generally loved this video, it was a good time in those days. Only a couple of points 1) Why was UDI "illegal"? The Ukraine, Israel, Croatia, Slovenia, Kosovo etc, etc, all did the same. 2) the map at 3:13 shows the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland covered with the Rhodesian Republic flag. The Federation ceased to exist in 1964, the Republic flag only came into use about 1970 or so. 3) Mocambique was not a "colony", it was a province of Portugal proper. Re-writing history can be a very dangerous thing.
Hey that is South Africa today!!!
1:00 First Gun (MG) from the Left...AR MY EYES PLAYING TRICK ON ME OR is that MY OLD FRIEND:
Stoner 63 !? GOOD GOD THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE FINE "LEGO-GUN" !
What could have been if the Western powers had not thrown the Rhodesia under the bus.
When you talk about the Rhodesian bush war. You have to talk about the Selous Scouts.
When it came to military tracking, the Selous Scouts (1 SAS
Regiment) was one of the most successful units ever. They
were engaged in a wide range of operations, from
what was known as ‘fire-force’ actions on open battlefields to
clandestine missions, deep within enemy territory. The
ragged-looking force actually consisted of highly professional
soldiers who showed exceptional courage against a bitter and
unforgiving enemy.
At the height of the War in 1976, the Selous Scouts numbered
some 700 men. They worked in small units of four to six men
who would parachute or heli-hop into the bush in hot pursuit
of ZIPRA and ZANLA guerrillas. The Selous Scouts were
lightly equipped, carrying mostly ammunition and water this enabled them to quickly track and close in on the fleeing
guerrillas. Once spotted, the Scouts would call for soldiers of
C Squadron SAS (Rhodesian) to parachute forward towards
the guerrillas, in order to cut them off. The Selous Scouts
methods were so effective that they accounted for killing
more guerrillas than the rest of the Rhodesian Army put
together. Along with the Rhodesian SAS, the Selous Scouts
were disbanded in 1980 when Prime Minister Ian Smith
handed over to Robert Mugabe’s government and Rhodesia
became Zimbabwe. Most of the Selous Scouts made their way
into the South African Army.
Yep
The west is rifw with traitors and will sadly fafe the same fate they cursed the Rhodesian and South Africans to, unless we purge them soon.
Would’ve still gotten their asses kicked.
@@desertdetroiter428 think not .
....and look what Mugabe did to the country
It was not about black nationalism
It was about the struggle between Chinese communism and Russian communism
Had I been a bit older at the time I might have considered volunteering, but not if it meant I had to wear those tight short pants. That look doesn't work for me.
Actually I never wore shorts, only long pants, it was a personnel choice.
Yes . Style and fashion are more important than principals and motivation. Freedom has no value if you can't be stylish !!
BLESS THE MEMORIES OF THE UNIT KNEW AS THE SAINTS!
Just out of curiosity, how great of a place is it now?
Shithole
Thriving cesspit
Not for Europeans, it's ours now...
Yep, Mugabe lived by the dictum of one man, one vote........ONE TIME! Great video by the way. I didn't know about the Albanians or French.
When you talk about the Rhodesian bush war. You have to talk about the Selous Scouts.
When it came to military tracking, the Selous Scouts (1 SAS
Regiment) was one of the most successful units ever. They
were engaged in a wide range of operations, from
what was known as ‘fire-force’ actions on open battlefields to
clandestine missions, deep within enemy territory. The
ragged-looking force actually consisted of highly professional
soldiers who showed exceptional courage against a bitter and
unforgiving enemy.
At the height of the War in 1976, the Selous Scouts numbered
some 700 men. They worked in small units of four to six men
who would parachute or heli-hop into the bush in hot pursuit
of ZIPRA and ZANLA guerrillas. The Selous Scouts were
lightly equipped, carrying mostly ammunition and water this enabled them to quickly track and close in on the fleeing
guerrillas. Once spotted, the Scouts would call for soldiers of
C Squadron SAS (Rhodesian) to parachute forward towards
the guerrillas, in order to cut them off. The Selous Scouts
methods were so effective that they accounted for killing
more guerrillas than the rest of the Rhodesian Army put
together. Along with the Rhodesian SAS, the Selous Scouts
were disbanded in 1980 when Prime Minister Ian Smith
handed over to Robert Mugabe’s government and Rhodesia
became Zimbabwe. Most of the Selous Scouts made their way
into the South African Army.
operation eland...
@@vicbittertoo I'll see your operation eland and raise you operation miracle....🤔
The Selous Scouts were never 1 SAS.
However, the name Selous Scouts had previously been attached to the Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment.
The height of the war was not in 1976, it was in 1978 to 1979.
Most of the operations of the Selous Scouts was pseudo-ops and observations and reconnaissance in frozen areas and across the borders.
Most of the fireforce operations were carried out by the Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI).
RMY
There has never been a 1 SAS. There are and were 21, 22 and 23 SAS. Those are derived from the WW1 Artist's Rifle regiments. In Rhodesia prior to the UDI, the Rhodesian SAS was 2 Sqn 22 SAS, so a Sqn of the British Regular SAS Regt. This continued 1964-1980 and to this day 22 SAS in the UK does not have a C Sqn, it goes B to D Sqn.
My father was there as BSAP.
goes to the comments - sighs. :( -
J.V.P rest in peace my friend An ex Rhodesian Selous scout ex Legionnaire who never said the word " Zimbabwe" You were too good for this world.
Outnumbered, outgunned, surrounded.... and they have a Ludacris kill rate. Rodi 4ever
Zimbabwe will never be a colony or vassal.Rhodesia was only living on borrowed time.A drowning man will catch at a straw!🇿🇼✊🏿🌍
Zanu was led by ndabaningi sithole mugabe took over the leadership towards the end of the war
Mugabi was not fighting for black majority rule
he was getting poor blacks to fight for his black communist rule
Plenty of Americans volunteered fresh from Vietnam, and quickly found out that the people in Rhodesia were lying them
and proved to be just as deceptive as the politicians in America, which is why many of the Americans got up and left.
If you were promised a job and a certain amount of pay every week , and have these conditions and this amount of pay every week and then it turned out to be an entire lie. Would you stay at that job?
It was the RLI Soldier's passion and love of their Nation and their camaraderie that kept me there. Went in as an ASA Comms Liaison and returned when enlistment was up as a Crippled Eagle.
A great country destroyed , rip .
Yep
If it had been a great country, it wouldn’t have fallen.
I served in the RLI from 1977 until 1980. I never saw a M16 rifle in the field by security forces. Think about it, a M16 is 5.56 calibre and the FAL FN and the MAG-58 are 7.62 calibre, imagine the troubles in supplying ammunition or parts in the field of the different calibres. Private citizen may have had them but I never saw one used in the field by security forces.
Glory and honor to free Zimbabwe!!!
I was too young when the fighting stopped, but would have considered it if i had been more than 14 when the country fell. I even considered studying Portuguese, and French as an assistant to getting hired.
I take my hat off to the men that fought this fight. And mogabe was just another hitler. He lived there in his castle and his people with no food.
Don't insult Hitler like that
The comments below have a lot of gung-ho Americans contributing enthusiastically two generations too late. I would like to qualify their enthusiasm by presenting another side to the small American manpower contribution from my own experience. Some American manpower was of very questionable quality.
Ray G. was a plump, pistol enthusiast (inevitably known as "Ray Gun") who joined the police reserve but who went home when he got sprayed with somebody else's blood during his first vehicle ambush.
I had to stop the amiable Arnold G. from wearing a bright yellow Boston Marathon t-shirt in the bush while Brightlighting on a farm. (Top human being. I liked him a lot).
Bob C. thought we should project giant chameleons onto smoke screens because he had heard that Africans, and therefore Terrs, were superstitious about them. His previous claim to fame was reporting a Florida pizza chain to the John Birch Society for using Yugoslav tinned peppers!
Another guy, whose name I can't remember, thought Terr green tracer was fireflies!
My favourite was Kevin B., who decided not to join up after all, but instead promised to send me an unrequested bullet proof vest when he got home. Instead he had the courtesy to send me a postcard from California apologising that he couldn't afford one. He finished with, "Better to stay lucky, I guess". I followed his advice.
Great anecdotes! In 1977 I had a guy from Michigan - Mike D - in my unit. Down in the Mateke Hills, we rounded a bend on a footpath and he came face to face with his very first real live jumbo, dropped his rifle and took the gap. It took us 30 minutes to rope him in out of the gungen. A few months later, down in the Nyajena, one of our landrovers, halfway in the convoy, hit a cake tin. Mike D had been near front of convoy, behind me, and was shaken by the fact he had ridden over it and not detonated it. A week later we went on R & R and we never saw him again.
Another time, two of us - being the only suckers available while in BYO for a couple of day - were tasked with driving from Brady Barracks to Beitbridge to bring back an American AWOL who got busted trying to slip through to South Africa. At Beitbridge BSAP, we signed for the offender and the cop said " hang on, don't forget his car". Being close to 1700hrs, my sidekick departed for BYO with the prisoner in the Landy, a risky choice but it was getting late and we didn't want to stay overnight. It took a while to get the car released but never mind - it was a mustang! My eyes nearly fell out my head. I drove that machine to BYO on my own in the twilight, foot flat, china. One of the best drives of my life!
@@HenryParkes-kp1yc Thanks for that. I was glad the Yanks, whatever their quality, were there. At least they turned up, albeit in tiny numbers. What worries me is the Walter Mitty, right wing, Americans of today over romanticising the US contribution. The RSF seems to have replaced the Waffen-SS as their favourite wet dream!
I remember on exercise once we were using upturned mess tins as substitutes for mines during detection training for AS with prodders. Our Brigadier came up in a Landie and stopped to ask me what we were doing. I replied we were practicing mine detection. "Mines? I didn't see any mines". I was able to point out that his rear driver's side tyre was parked right on top of Mike Franco's mess tin. The Brigadier left satisfied. Mike was less satisfied as half his mess tin was a mangled wreck.
Interesting and balanced vid.
Can you imagine Africans siding with Europeans to continue colonisation
I have a question did the the Rhodesian forces unit the mounted grey scouts incorporate any skilled foreign horseman like example the Mongolians, I know the war was a terrible time , but the field craft, fire-force tactics, tracking, shooting skills. Is something I heard was used devastatingly.
It’s quite interesting that the recruitment went across the oceans looking for warriors who came with without experience. It’s crazy how a nation under sanctions survived. The present day government complains about sanctions which aren’t even a real threat.
It's just speculation on my part but it wasn't just Mongolians who had a tradition of being skilled horseman and soldiers to the extent of being able to fire accurately whilst riding (bows & arrows in the case of the Mongolians), but the SA Boers had long had such a tradition too, firing rifles whilst galloping, much to the chagrin of the British in both Anglo-Boer Wars. So perhaps this tradition extended into Rhodesia from SA, and maybe long before the Rhodesian wars as there had been Boer migration to Rhodesia since it's foundation.
It remains “Occupied Rhodesia” to me
You need to do some research. The Rhodesian government had been in talks with Joshua Nkomo from as early as 1976. In 1978 Nkomo accepted the leader position of the internal coalition. This left Mugabe out in the cold. The downing of the Air Rhodesia Viscount (first) alienated Nkomo and brought Mugabe back in to play. To this day there is no evidence of who shot the Viscount down, but the only beneficiary to the act, was Mugabe! The prime minister, Muzorewa, led the nation into Lancaster house talks.
I totally miss that Magazine.
I would "raid" the recycling center set up at the local high school about a quarter mile from my home when I was 15. Liberated many SOF, Gun World, Guns and Ammo type magazines. Still have many of them. Good times!
When did the magazine stop? What year?
Where was Chuck Norris?
Im Rhodesian and proud im to be
You're European dude
Zimbabwe belongs to Black Zimbabweans, not to White Anglosaxons!!!
Rhodisian military was among the best in the world.
Yeah look at Zimbabwe,should still be Rhodesia,Now...
Nah.
No
Americans finding the conditions too tough?! Why, I never! - an American The mixture of soldiers and nationalities is not surprising. There were Arab Nazi SS divisions and Lebanese-based Polish soldiers in WWII. So, there is nothing surprising here.
This video has a lot of falsehoods, as it seems you do.
@@daveweiss5647 in your mind things you haven't heard before = false. Unsurprising.
@@daveweiss5647The German Armed Forces of WWII (specifically the Waffen SS) were the most diverse volunteer force in history.
Ask the average black Zimbabwean old enough to remember, whether White rule or black rule works better for them. Alas, this is once again why we can't have nice things.
And why the Left is so adamant about rewriting history and dumbing down schools in general.
Ask them about the sanctions imposed on them by the US, UK and the EU.
Then let's talk.
@@complexblackness sanctions imposed on White ruled Rhodesia by practically the whole world, mostly aid given under black rule.
@@complexblacknessthe cuba cope 2.0
@@complexblacknessthose "sanctions" were an eyeblind.
They never happened.
Besides the chinese jumped in to supply everything the West would not.
Do stop making Mugabe's apologies.
Unfortunately it will all be Zimbabwe in the future
"Dont we say Zimbabwe now?"
DO WE? (Loads SLR)
"We say Kyiv now?"
DO WE?
@@anon2034 me at a russian kids birthday party "and for my next magic trick imma make your dad disappear"
@@drunkukrainian6998 Why?
@@anon2034my magician name shall be the great zelensky
@@anon2034именно так мы и говрим. А если кто то хочет изменить это "за три дня"(с) ..Звук заряжаемой FN FAL
The cowards ran away and setteled in South Africa