Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Deceased

2008-05-13: I just received an email form Bobby Knott who told me that Vaughn was killed in a motorbike accident in the mid 90's.

Vaughn didn't know this at the time but, when we were doing our military service, his mom worked for my uncle in Bulawayo and Vaughn was known for telling tall war stories.

Nickname: Howie

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Johannesburg (in +/- 1979)

Howard became a really good friend and we went on many patrols together. he had a BSc in Botany and Zoology. He was a really tough, decent guy and I enjoyed being on patrol with him. Howard usually just took sudza and biltong with him for food on patrol. He would cook the sudza in his metal mug and eat it with his biltong, then make tea in the mug, scraping the remaining sudza, clinging to the sides, off into the tea, producing a rather chunky cup of tea!! He believed that the shortest distance between two points was a straight line, boring through the densest bush or steepest terrain to get to the destination.

I was right behind him once when he walked into a vag 'n bietjie thorn bush that hooked all over the place ino his arm. Well, Howard didn't fiddle around trying to unhook each thorn - he just yanked his arm out of the bush & carried right on. I still remember seeing the tanned skin on his upper arm all hooked on the thorns and being pulled away from his harm held by all of these little hooks as he tore his arm from the bush.

In the NE border area we were bothered by thousands of Mopani flies while we sweated when patrolling. Often, when we took a break, Howard would prop himself up on his elbow exposing his sweaty armpit, a nice, smelly, moist treat, to the flies. Well, they would fly in and around there by the hundreds and,just when they thought they were having a great time, Howard would attack his armpit with his other hand, trapping hundreds of flies and squashing them all in there!!

He was badly injured in a landmine explosion in the Mana Pools area after my release. He was on a truck that hit a boosted landmine. He told me he remembered being on the truck, heard a bang and, next thing, woke up under a tree on his back. He wondered what had happened and his had automatically went doen to his leg where it disappeared into a huge bleeding hole. The truck had been fblown into the air and flipped onto its side, ending up facing in the opposite direction to which they were driving. Howard had been thrown into the air and came down through a tree. As he came down through the tree, a large branch penetrated his thigh, hit the bone, which deflected it sideways, tearing a large chunk out of his leg in the process. The last time I saw him was in Johannesburg in the late 70's or early 80's when he visted me there. He showed me the massive scars on his legs and was still undergoing therapy to strengthen his leg and get better use of it back.

Someone saw him in the Johannesburg area in about 2001-05-18.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 PLatoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive, Botswana

Last known to have a company in Botswana (2001-05-18). On 2008-07-07 I received an email from one of the 7 Platoon guys, Neil Freestone, and he told me Charlie and his family are still in Gabarone and that he sees Charlie every now and then. (Neil lives in Pietermaritzburg).

Nickname: Jobie

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 PLatoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location:

Last known to be running a tourist lodge in the Matopos (2001-05-18)

Nickname: Clarkie

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Deceased

John was a decent, friendly guy. On our first operational stint south of Bumi Hills a couple of the guys and John were cutting down a small tree with their pangas. Somehow, during the cutting, as one of them swung his panga, he accidently hit John's hand and cut his fingers pretty badly. John was taken out for medical attention and we never saw him again. I don't know where he ended up.

Barry Doyle contacted me and told me that John, sadly, died of a brain tumor in 1981. Barry served as a pallbearer at John's funeral. I don't know where this occured or if John had any family. I still hear his voice in my head and can still see him standing talking to me with a blood-soaked rag wrapped around his injured hand while we waited for him to be casavacked.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: Selous Scouts?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

The two Dodds were brothers and, if I remember correctly, twins as well. It is funny but I remember thinking that they looked like two little boys as they looked so young. I couldn't really speak myself as I only shaved about once a week and weighed all of about 130 lbs.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: Pookie Driver

Status/Location: Alive as of 2004-07-27. Location uncertain.

Barry found this site and contacted me on 2004-07-27. He informed me of John Cramer's death. Barry was a pallbearer at John's funeral.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

I got on well with him during our training but can't remember his first name - may have been Pete, but not sure. He had rectangular glasses that darkened in the sun. After basic training he left the infantry and I never saw him again. I remember running together with him on our long PE runs and that he had quite a sense of humour.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive as of 2004 in San Francisco CA

Gary was injured when we hit a landmine in the northeast. He was sitting at the back left of the truck, two spaces to my left. After the blast he jumped off the truck and collapsed in pain in the road. I fired a few shots into the hill on the side of the road where the terrs who laid the mine may have been hiding then jumped down to help Gary who, by then, was semi crouched and groaning in pain. As I got to him he fell over backwards onto me and I grabbed him, supporting him as he came down. I was a bit worried for two reasons. 1) I thought his back may have been broken and did not want to move in case I injured him further. 2) I was now exposed on the road with him, an easy target, should the terrs attack. I sat with him half propped up lying against me in the road for over an hour waiting for the helicopter to arrive. I remember looking up at our truck and saw Beb Othitis' body hanging half off the back. (The following sounds gross but is true. Don't read if you are faint hearted). Beb's legs were twitching, much like a chicken jerks when its head is chopped off. I remember thinking that his neck must have been broken and that perhaps he was dead. Fortunately Beb was alive, had a broken neck, but survived.

Gary contacted me and is alive and well in CA. Photo added 2004/03/24

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Alive, Florida

Found this site & contacted me on 2003-10-27. He moved to PE in 1979 & is now in Florida

Nickname: Gali

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive, Montreal, Canada

Gali found this site and contacted me. He was also injured in the landmine incident I recounted above under Gary Fisher.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 1 Indep, (Wankie)

Category: Medic

Status/Location: Alive, Canberra, Australia

Kevin found this site and contacted me on 2003-01-02.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Alive - see notes below.

I really liked Pete Haddow. He was a decent guy and became a good friend during basic training. I think he went to signals when I stayed in the infantry and I never saw him again. I have often wondered what happened to him and if he is still alive today.

On 2008-06-05, out of the blue, I received an email from Peter! He has a sister in Australia and she found this site and sent it on to him. He studied at UCT then at the University of Georgia. He is now a tennis professional living in Sacramento, California.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry (Carried Bren Gun)

Status/Location: Alive, Vancouver Island, Canada

Malcolm became a good friend and we went on many patrols together with the following two guys; stick commander , Tom Whitney and Bin Jenkins. Malcolm carried the Bren Gun. It was the four of us who walked into elephant and were charged by a rhino along the Mwenda River at Lake Kariba. I think Malcolm's parents were farmers. Malcolm found this site and contacted me on 2003-12-15. He left Zimbabwe in +/- 2000.

Nickname: Gomo

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry (Carried heavy barrel FN)

Status/Location: Alive, Pretoria, South Africa

Malcolm Hatley told me in his email of 2003-12-15 that Norman has a family and were living in Pretoria.

I went on many patrols with Norman. (His parents were also farmers). In the photo here Norman is eating corn flakes out of his metal water bottle mug. He used to carry as little food as possible and once went we were out on patrol the weather suddenly got cold. It was one of the times that we were doing an OP from one of the large conical hills in the area we patrolled south of Pachanza. Well, Norman got very hungry because of the cold weather so the other three of us shared our food with him. I still remember a favourite saying of his - but I'm not going to write it here...

Norman found this site and contacted me on 2006-01-27. After our service he did numerous call-ups. Once, while on a university vacation and on the farm with his family, he, his father and 14 year-old brother were ambushed by +/- terrs. Tragically his father was killed but he and his brother fought off the terrorists and managed to escape. Ultimately they lost their family farm and were paid almost nothing for it. Norman studied engineering and settled in SA.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Mike had strong religious beliefs and wasn't shy in expressing them. As a result, our platoon commander and some of the guys gave him a hard time over them. I admired the way he stood up for what he believed. I also had strong religious beliefs and would not curse and swear, get drunk, etc. Somehow, and thankfully so, except for one occasion, I wasn't picked on over this.

Uncertain

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Deceased ?

I received an email on 2006-11-02 from someone in Australia who told me they thought his was a Jeremy Ireland-Jones who studied veterinary Science in Australia then went to England where he developed a brain tumour & died in about 1983.

On 2006-09-07 I received an email from Phil Evans and he thinks this may be Chris Ireland Jones he came across in England - so I'm not sure exactly who is correct as I can't remember his first name...

Nickname: Bop (?)

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Unknown Someone emailed me on 2001-05-18 and told me Bin was in Australia.

I went on many patrols with Bin. He was also a good, reliable guy. He was with us when we were charged by a rhino on a mountain above the Mwenda River. At the time he had a fragmentation, time-delayed rifle grenade on his rifle and he removed it the quickest I ever saw someone do that. Fortunately we did not have to shoot the rhino but it was a very frightening experience.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Alive, Abu Dhabi

William found this site and contacted me on 2001-05-18. We were at high school together - I think in Que Que.

Nickname: Porky [Good name for a nice Jewish boy :-)]

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Unverified Someone emailed me and told me Tony was in the USA.

As far as I remember Tony's father owned a hotel in Bulawayo, the Selbourne (?) and also had something to do with Supersonic. After basic training we were finally allowed to have a radio/record player in our barrack room, Tony was able to get a good deal for us through his dad on a Supersonic "music center" as they were called. We all clubbed together and bought it. I remember two of the few records we bought, Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts & Cold Fact by Rodriguez. Some of the Summer Breeze tracks were OK but I did not like Cold Fact at all. We played these LP's to death when we were off duty and I got really sick of them.

When we first went operational in Kariba we had a first aid refresher course. The medic called for a volunteer to have a drip stuck in him for the demo. I remember Tony calling out to the medic and pointing at me saying "...Use him, use him..." because I was very thin and the veins in my arms were easily found. But, poetic justice struck and the medic said "No, you come up here..." And,Porky got stuck!!! Served him right I thought... :-)

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Leon was a fanatical snake catcher and he had the bed on my left in our barrack room. One night I went to sleep with a cardboard box full of young puffadders on his locker next to my head. On our classical warfare exercise he caught an 8 ft banded cobra that fell into the trench next to mine.

Killed in Action

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: ?

Status/Location: Killed in action

I never patrolled with Hayden and remember him as a fairly quiet guy. Those of us going to university were given an early release at the end of January 1977. We were the first double intake and consisted of many guys going to varsity after national service. When this happened the size of our company was greatly reduced. The company was redeployed to the Kariba area and it was on a patrol up near Mana Pools where Hayden and three other guys were killed. I remember reading the report in the Citizen newspaper in Johannesburg while I was in my first year of architecture at Wits and was very saddened by it. Even today, it still causes me pain to think about this...

Andrew (Budda) White of 8 PLatoon knew Hayden and some of the other guys killed here. He wrote to me about it on 2008-03-26 and also gave me news on Dave Scott.

Killed in Action

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon, joined SAS

Operational: SAS

Category: ?

Status/Location: Killed in action

Shaun Dearlove wrote to me on 2007-08-12 and gave me the following sad update regarding Colin : "He volunteered for SAS before the end of basic training at Llewellyn and with a number of other members of 150 intake went to Salisbury to do the course. He passed selection and was tragically killed in action in Mozambique, during a varsity vac when he had volunteered to do call up. A great guy and very good friend!!"

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Shaun Dearlove wrote to me on 2007-08-12 and gave me the following update regarding him: "Ed Mordt also came to SAS and was farming in Zim whereabouts at this time unknown."

Nickname: Bedpack

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive, UK

John found this site and emailed me on 2003-10-20. He is a science teacher in the UK.

John was a really intelligent guy and became a great friend. I went on many patrols with him. He took it seriously and did a good job. I still remember an incident he told me about where he had a map reading disagreement with his stick commander - who clearly could not read a map... John was correct, the stick commander was absolutely and utterly wrong - but John came off second best because he had a lower rank. When we hit the landmine, recounted above under Gary Fisher, John also risked his life and stayed on the exposed truck to help Beb Othitis who had been seriously injured.

John visited me once at my parent's' house in Johannesburg and I remember him telling me, when my mom was out of the room, that he was really struggling to call me "Alan" and kept wanting to call me "Skraal" which was what I was known by in our platoon. I can still clearly hear John's voice from all those years ago in my head.

Hey John, great memories of you.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: ?

Status/Location: Alive, Camps Bay

Barry found this site and emailed me on 2004-04-03. He went to varsity then into business. He retired as CEO of a company then, a few years later, started up his own consulting firm. He lives in Camps Bay and has two daughters.

2005-08-14 Had an email from Barry. He had just found my updated site.

Nickname: Budgie

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname: Beb or Bev (not sure)

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive, Colorado Springs USA

I patrolled a few times with Beb. He was injured when we hit the landmine recounted above under "Fisher" and "Galanakis." Beb was sitting with his back to mine when it happened. He used to snor terribly at night and we were always concerned that he made so much noise he would give our ambush position away - so we would prod him all night to try and stop his snorring!

Deceased

Nickname: ?

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Driver

Status/Location: Deceased 2003

I think he was on the Rhodesian water polo team or something like that. On 2003-10-17 I had an e-mail from Willem Swanepoel telling me that Martin had died. Gavin Van Vuuren writes "...Marty used to get into Salisbury on R&R, jump into a swimming pool after sometimes months of no training, and win a race..."

Nickname: General (?)

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

I don't remember if he came operational with us or not nor do I remember his first name. He had a wide ragged looking moustache and I sketched him here with it. On our classical war exercise Fred & I ended up assigned to the same trench location. I remember that we worked the whole night taking turns digging the massive trench we had to have ready by sunrise. As far as I remember we called him 'general" since he had the last name of "Paton."

2003-12-15: Malcolm Hatley heard that he was somewhere in Australia.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

I remember that he spoke with quite a strong German accent.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry, stick commander

Status/Location: Unknown

Aiden was a great guy and I went on many patrols with him, Justin Whitcroft and Chris Robertson. We got on really well and he also took the job seriously. He liked cars and I did a few drawings of cars for him.

Nickname: Skraal

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry - Claymore mine setter-upper!!

Status/Location: Alive, Tyler Texas USA

I am the author of this site and have been doing this to record some history and document what we did. I think about these guys often and wonder where they all are. The war we were in seems like such an absolute waste now. Young guys and friends of mine killed for what? A country that was attacked by the world and handed over to the terrorists who then proceeded to destroy it - just like every other black-ruled state in Africa. Every single one of these countries is an absolute disaster and there is not one success story. 25 years later the black Zimbabwe government sits there in the Rhodesian Ruins still blaming the whites for its woes. Insane to the nth degree....

Nickname: ?

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry - Bren Gunner

Status/Location: Unknown

I went on many patrols with Chris. His father was a surgeon and he operated on my grandmother when she broke her hip. Chris used to take a big non-standard backpack on patrol stuffed with a lot of fancy non-military issue food.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: Engineers, Pookie Driver

Status/Location: Alive : South Africa

Gary's brother ,Bruce, found my site and emailed me on 2007-01-13 and told me Gary was well and living in South Aftrica

Deceased

Nickname: Scotty

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Driver

Status/Location: Deceased:

Apparently killed in a car accident over 25 years ago.

Nickname: ?

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Unknown:

Was injured in a landmine blast early on during our time in the northeast border area. He was the first guy in our platoon to be injured and we heard his back had been broken in the blast. I don't know however if this was true...He was a really decent guy and I don't remember what finally happened to him. His brother was also in our platoon. See below.

Nickname: Jem (?)

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Unknown

I'm not sure why but we did not get on well at all during basic training but became good friends once we went operational together. Once, whilst operational south of Lake Kariba, our platoon commander, Mark Jackson, who did little more than using us as his servants, yelled at Jem and ordered him to make him some tea. (I was with Jem when this happened). Jem heated his metal mug till it was red hot, poured sugar into it and let it burn - then added water, boiled it and made the tea. He thought that if the tea he made was really bad Jackson might not ask him to make it again and pick on someone else. He took it to Jackson, held a serious face, and gave it to him.

I sat off to the side watching what would happen. Jem turned to go and Jackson took a sip. He immediately spat it out, threw the rest on the ground, cursed and swore many times at Jem and ordered him to make him some more...Plot failed. It's wierd but in my mind I still remember the layout of the camp we had here in the bush in the middle of nowhere and where Jem and I slept relative to Jackson's position.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown:

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname: Swannie

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive as of 2001, farming in Natal SA

Was a real lively performer with a wild imagination. He loved the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Queen and kept playing and singing their music. He contacted me on 2001-05-18 and gave a lot of helpful info on some of the guys. He has a daughter who is a model in SA and she is stunningly good-looking. One of the guys sent me a link to a site featuring her. She certainly must have gotten her looks from her mother!! :-)

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Driver

Status/Location: Unknown

Phil was about two beds away from me in basic training. I remember one evening in the barrack room he and Gavin got into an altercation.I stepped in to try to calm things down and got a bit worried that I may also get worked over too. Fortunately reason prevailed and everything calmed down. As far as I remember - Phil was blown up at least two times by landmines whilst driving.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Driver (I think)

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive, Brisbane, Australia

Gavin and I were at high school together in Bulawayo. He was a powerful, tough guy and really liked the group Queen, (me too and still do). I remember that he got angry one day with someone in our platoon (I can't remember whom) who said Freddie was a queer. I guess time has proven the someone was right. Oh well... Their music was great and still is and I suppose Gavin still likes it as do I.

Gavin got me to try my first scotch on an Air Rhodesia treetop-level flight from Salisbury to Bulawayo when we were sitting together going home on a pass. Air Rhodesia flew at very low level to avoid being shot down by SAM missiles. I remember that I read the time off the Que Que City Hall clock as we flew over. I loved flying that low in an airliner - it was great.

2008-04-16 Gavin found this site via us finding each other on the Hamilton High School Group on Facebook a few weeks ago. He wrote and gave me more information about some of the guys here I could not remember. He writes:

"I transferred from the army (after a year of my national service) into the air force for four years of my apprenticeship as an aircraft electrician, then moved to South Africa in 1981. I got into computers by accident, and have been there ever since, for better or for worse! I married a Salisbury girl in RSA, inheriting two kids in the process. They are 37 and 35 years old this year; the older one has given us two grandchildren – yes, the time has come for some of us to get old…ha ha!

We moved to Australia in 1998, where we’ve been ever since.

I would love to hear from you if you have the urge, or even remember me! Take care."

Killed in Action

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Killed in action

I don't know why but in basics our platoon commander picked on Trevor a lot which I thought was pretty unfair. I felt sorry for Trevor because of this.

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Somehow related to Sir Roy Welensky. He got mad with me one day at Number 3 guard during our training and knocked me to the ground by hitting me with the butt of his Bren Gun. I don't remember how I upset him but, if you know me, you would know that I don't usually pick fights with people. I remember that some of the other guys grabbed him and stopped him from using his Bren on me a few more times.

Nickname:Woody (?)

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Alive, Romania

Justin was one of the closest friends I had in our platoon. I often think of him and wonder if he is alive and where he is today. We went on many patrols together. He came from Cashel. He was wiry and strong and a good athlete and runner.

He was seen at Sun City some years ago by Willem Swanepoel (2001-05-18)

In May 2003 Justin found this site by accident and e-mailed me. He has made a career in the casino business and is now married and living in Romania

Nickname:

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Alive, Australia

On 2008-07-07 I received an email from one of the 7 Platoon guys, Neil Freestone, and he told me Mike is now living in Brisbane, Australia.

Basic Training: DRR 9 Platoon

Operational: ?

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown

Nickname:

Basic Training: ?

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Unknown I never patrolled with Lance but I remember that he seemed to be a decent guy and that he had a mistouche.

Nickname:

Basic Training: ?

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry - Platoon Commander

Status/Location: Unknown Joined us once we completed out training as our platoon commander. I did this caricature of him. He only went on patrols when he thought there may be some action. I remember him often lying in his sleeping bag late in the mornings yelling at one of us to make him coffee or tea. We didn't realise that being an officer's servants was part of our operational military duties.

Nickname:

Basic Training: ?

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Infantry

Status/Location: Unknown Tony joined us at some stage during our operational tours of duty. He, Tom Whitney, Normal Hill and I patrolled together a number of times. He is eating cornflakes for breakfast here.

Nickname:

Basic Training: ?

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: ?

Status/Location: Unknown Dave was with us when we went operatonal in the Northeast but I can't remember if he was infantry or what.

Nickname:

Basic Training: ?

Operational: 2 Indep, 7 Platoon

Category: Intantry - Stick Commander

Status/Location: Alive and living in Malta: Tom joined us as a corporal and was my first stick commander and I have many good memories of him. I went on my first operational patrol with Tom and many patrols thereafter. We were charged by a rhino, walked into elephant, buffalo, and lion, and so on. I enjoyed patrolling with Tom as he took the job seriously and did not fool around. He did a good job. He also spoke excellent Shona. We were patrolling south of Lake Kariba once when we came across a blind black man and Tom spoke to him in Shona. The man spoke to us for some time then some more black people arrived. They told this man that we were "white boys" and the man was stunned because Tom spoke Shona so well he thought we were black.

I don't know why, but I think our platoon commander - Jackson - did not like Tom as, with almost every deployment to a new base camp, just after arriving and not even having had time to unpack our stuff, Jackson would order our stick out in the first group to go on patrol.