Zimbabwe police force day

 Zimbabwe Police Force last day commemorative cover - name changed from BSA police to Zimbabwe Republic Police on 31 July 1980 - as per photo        

My memoirs of the British South African Police 1966 - 1981 ... and a Colonial Upbringing in Northern Rhodesia Throughout the authors life in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) his father was a member of the Northern Rhodesia Police and the author sets about recording various incidents in the life of a youngster growing up on the numerous towns and police stations at which his father served.  The family moved to Southern Rhodesia in 1964. Finalizing his secondary schooling at Chaplin School, Gwelo, Rhodesia, in 1965, the author joined the British South Africa Police (BSAP) in March 1966 and elected to go into the district branch of the Force. The author traces his career from a young patrol officer, through the various ranks and district police stations on which he served, to his retirement in August 1981 as a superintendent, in what was then Zimbabwe.  He highlights the typical lifestyle associated with a district copper, including anecdotes from the Bush War that was raging. Apart from the lighter side of the book hitting an elephant at Makuti at 1 a.m. in a Mini Moke; realizing five minutes before presenting his men on parade to the Officer Commanding, at an annual inspection, that he had left his trousers at home; attending an internal disciplinary hearing as the accused for being drunk off duty where the presiding officer commented that the authors main defence witness appeared more drunk than the author and dismissed the casethere are some more serious chapters involving terrorist incidents, some of which are captured on an original station Incident Log which the author has included in the book.   Paperback / 256 pages 80 b/w photos, 2 maps  

By John Shaw 2015. Soft cover; 263 pages. Very good condition; like new. Under 1kg.   Throughout the author's life in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) his father was a member of the Northern Rhodesia Police and the author sets about recording various incidents in the life of a youngster growing up on the numerous towns and police stations at which his father served. The family moved to Southern Rhodesia in 1964. Finalizing his secondary schooling at Chaplin school, Gwelo, Rhodesia, in 1965, the author joined the British South Africa Police (BSAP) in March 1966 and elected to go into the district branch of the force. The author traces his career from a young patrol officer, through the various ranks and district police stations on which he served, to his retirement in August 1981 as a superintendent, in what was then Zimbabwe. He highlights the typical lifestyle associated with a district 'copper', including anecdotes from the Bush War that was raging. Apart from the lighter side of the book- hitting an elephant at Makuti at 1 a.m. in a Mini Moke; realizing five minutes before presenting his men on parade to the officer commanding, at an annual inspection, that he had left his trousers at home; attending an internal disciplinary hearing as the accused for being drunk off duty where the presiding officer commented that the author's main defence witness appeared more drunk than the author and dismissed the case-there are some more serious chapters involving terrorist incidents, some of which are captured on an original station incident log which the author has included in the book.

SNAKE EATER III Synopsis: The "Snakeeater" trilogy just keeps getting better! Soldier Kelly (Lamas) is back on the police force in this one after spending "Snakeeater II" in an insane asylum. He puts an end to the stealing and kidnapping by confusing the first robber with a ploy that is unrivalled in recent memory. His suspension gets a lot of press attention, and a couple, the Mollisons, call Soldier and ask him to freelance for them while he's on the enforced sabbatical from his day job. Vivian found a gang that was willing to let her tag along for a weekend: ten months later she reemerged as an emotionally-scarred hulk a hundred miles away. The Mollisons want Soldier to find the people who did it and exterminate them, as the police are ineffective. Soldier takes the job...   Starring: Lorenzo Lamas Minor Mustain   Category: Action   Age Restriction: 16 VLS

Peter Gibbs was born in London in 1903, educated at Aldenham, and lived in Bulawayo since 1936. A number of his books have been published in London and New York. He served in the BSA Police Reserve for 21 years, retiring with the rank of reserve superintendent. He was awarded the MBE in 1964. He is deceased. Hugh Phillips was born in the UK and immigrated to Southern Rhodesia in 1951 to join the BSAP. He attained the rank of assistant commissioner prior to his retirement after nearly 30 years' service. Prior to returning to the UK in 2002, he was involved, without success, in liaison activities between the Commercial Farmers Union and Zimbabwean government in efforts to bring a more pragmatic outlook and policy towards the white farm invasions. Hugh wrote Part 3 of this history, covering the period from 1939 to 1980. Nick Russell joined the BSAP as a cadet in 1975 and served at Sinoia and Kariba before attending Morris Depot where he formed part of the mounted squad for the opening of parliament. After graduation he was posted to uniform-branch duties at Mount Darwin and substations in the district. He transferred to Special Branch and spent two years, mostly in the Mt Darwin area, until the cessation of hostilities. He now lives in Australia. The BSAP held the honour of occupying the Right of the Line-one of the greatest police forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth In 1889 Cecil John Rhodes was granted a royal charter by Queen Victoria to settle Mashonaland, in what was to become Southern Rhodesia. So was formed the British South Africa Company; its regiment of troopers raised to protect the occupying Pioneer Column dubbed the British South Africa Police, the BSAP. From the 1893 Matabele War, the 1896 Mashona Rebellion and the Jameson Raid, the Anglo-Boer War, through both world wars and finally to the bitter Rhodesian bush war of the 1960s and '70s, troopers and officers of this fine regiment of policemen, both black and white, were proudly to the fore, in civilian and military roles... until the disbandment of the Force in 1980 when the country became the independent Zimbabwe. HARDBACK: 620 PAGES & 750 COLOR & B/W PHOTOS, PLATES, SKETCHES & MAPS AUTHORS: PETER GIBBS, HUGH PHILLIPS & NICK RUSSELL

Book of Remembrance: Rhodesia Native Regiment & Rhodesian African Rifles, 19161981 (Gerry van Tonder) Over the years since 1980 when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, much has been written and recorded about the various regiments that served the country of Rhodesia from the early pioneers in the 1890's, right through to the day that these fine units marched off their respective parade grounds for the last time and into the august annals of history.  Much of this service for the older regiments, such as the Rhodesia Regiment, the British South Africa Police, the Rhodesia Native Regiment and the Rhodesian African Rifles, was as a contribution to the British Empires war efforts during the South African War, both World Wars, and other regional conflicts of the 1950's and 1960's.  This Book of Remembrance has been specifically compiled as a lasting tribute to the men of the Rhodesia Native Regiment (RNR) and its successor the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) who, during the proud and honourable life of these units, made the ultimate sacrifice. It is not a definitive history of these regiments, as this has been admirably done in books such as Masodja and Ragtime Soldiers.  Accordingly, the book briefly looks at the history of each of the regiments and their battalions, with pictorial depictions of uniforms, badges, theatres of operation and colours. Chapters are also dedicated to those who received honours and awards for bravery and dedication to duty, with citations where it has been possible to source.  Nominal rolls, some incomplete, of commanding officers, officers and senior non-commissioned officers add to the overall remembrance theme of the book. The main content is the various Rolls of Honour, covering all the major conflicts and areas of operation in which the two units saw active service. Hardback / (A4 - Landscape size) 204 pages 32pp colour illustrations

2006. Fourth edition. Soft cover; 306 pages.  Very good condition. Under 1kg. Fireforce is the compelling, brutal but true account of Chris Cocks’ service in 3 Commando, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, during Zimbabwe’s bitter civil war of the ’70s—a war that came to be known almost innocuously as ‘the bush war’. ‘Fireforce’, a tactic of total airborne envelopment, was developed and perfected by the RLI, together with the Selous Scouts and the Rhodesian Air Force. Fireforce became the principal strike weapon of the beleaguered Rhodesian forces in their struggle against the overwhelming tide of the Communist-trained and -equipped ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas. The combat strain on a fighting soldier was almost unbelievable, for the Rhodesians, who were always desperately short of ground troops, were sometimes obliged to parachute the same men into action into as many as three enemy contacts a day. While estimates of enemy casualties vary, there seems little doubt that the RLI accounted for at least 12,000 ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas—but not without cost. Fireforce is not for the squeamish. Although it has been written with unforgettable pathos and humor, it tells of face-to-face combat in the bush and death at point-blank range. It is a book which does nothing to glorify or glamorize war, for as Chris Cocks found at such a young age, war is merely a catalogue of suffering, destruction and death. Fireforce has been described by critics as being to the Rhodesian War what All Quiet On The Western Front was to World War I and Dispatches was to Vietnam. Read it … it will an experience you never forget.

Fireforce - Chris Cocks - 2001 - Paperback, second edition.   One man's war in the Rhodesian Light Infantry Fireforce is the compelling, brutal but true account of Chris Cocks' service in 3 Commando, The Rhodesian Light Infantry, during Zimbabwe's bitter civil war of the '70s—a war that came to be known almost innocuously as 'the bush war'. 'Fireforce', a tactic of total airborne envelopment, was developed and perfected by the RLI, together with the Selous Scouts and the Rhodesian Air Force. Fireforce became the principal strike weapon of the beleaguered Rhodesian forces in their struggle against the overwhelming tide of the Communist-trained and -equipped ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas.The combat strain on a fighting soldier was almost unbelievable, for the Rhodesians, who were always desperately short of ground troops, were sometimes obliged to parachute the same men into action into as many as three enemy contacts a day. While estimates of enemy casualties vary, there seems little doubt that the RLI accounted for at least 12,000 ZANLA and ZIPRA guerrillas—but not without cost.Fireforce is not for the squeamish. Although it has been written with unforgettable pathos and humour, it tells of face-to-face combat in the bush and death at point-blank range. It is a book which does nothing to glorify or glamorize war, for as Chris Cocks found at such a young age, war is merely a catalogue of suffering, destruction and death. Fireforce has been described by critics as being to the Rhodesian War what All Quiet On The Western Front was to World War I and Dispatches was to Vietnam. Read it … it will be an experience you never forget.