CAPE TOWN BRANCH
NEWSLETTER NO 475 – MAY 2019

COMMITTEE NEWS

As previously reported both the secretary, Mr Ian van Oordt and the treasurer, Mr Bob Buser have resigned from the committee. Both gentlemen have served for many years and having been the backbone of the committee will leave a large hole to fill. Unfortunately no members have yet come forward to serve on the committee and an appeal is once again made to members to assist in the administration of our branch of the Society.

The committee also would like to thank Mr Ian van Oordt and Mr Bob Buser for their hard work and dedication in fulfilling their respective time consuming duties and roles as secretary and treasurer with distinction and serving the Society for many years with excellence.

The current committee as elected at the April 2019 AGM of the Cape Town branch of the Society consists of:

Chairman:	Mr Carl Burger
Vice Chairman:	Mr Alan Mountain
Secretary:	vacant
Treasurer:	vacant
Scribe and Acting Secretary :	Cmdr Mac Bisset
Member:	Mr Jack Liebenberg

The new committee met on 24 April 2019 to discuss the way forward and to distribute the workload amongst the committee members. Mr Bob Buser did indicate his willingness to assist as Treasurer until a replacement in respect of this position on the committee is found and the committee would like to express its gratitude for his assistance.

The new committee has decided to implement some changes with regards to the newsletter. In future and until new committee members are found to assist with this function of the committee newsletters will unfortunately not contain a summary of the previous talk. The newsletters will therefore for the time being, be reduced to only contain the notice of the next meeting relating to the announcement of the speaker and the subject of the lecture. The committee is hoping to fill the vacant positions on the committee soon and to return to the publication of the comprehensive newsletters as in the past. The committee also appeals to all members to be patient with it and to assist it in correcting any problems that you may have. We look forward to serving you.

IN MEMORY – LT COL L E MCKENZIE

The committee is sad to announce the death of Lt Col L E McKenzie, a long-standing member of the Cape Town branch. Lt Col McKenzie gave our branch of the Society much exposure and publicity whilst at Fine Music Radio as a broadcaster for which the Society is very grateful. The Society sends its sincere condolences to his family.

IN MEMORY – COL W BANNATYNE

The committee is sad to announce the death of Col W Bannatyne, a long-standing member of the Cape Town branch. Col Bannatyne had a long and distinguished career in the SADF and SANDF and will be greatly missed by the Society. The Society sends its sincere condolences to his family.

THURSDAY, 9th May 2019: WAR ON A SHOE STRING – DR RICHARD WOOD

Cut off by sanctions in late 1965, the Rhodesians were forced to improvise in most fields, and met the challenge in some extra-ordinary ways, taming the landmine, for example.

Richard Wood was born in Bulawayo. He is a graduate of Rhodes and Edinburgh universities. He was a Commonwealth Scholar and the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Research Fellow at the University of Rhodesia and thereafter held a personal chair at the University of Durban-Westville, South Africa. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Alexandrian Defence Group.

Richard is a well-known author on military history, books he has published include: The War Diaries of André Dennison; Counter-Strike from the Sky: The Rhodesian All-Arms Fireforce in the War in the Bush: 1974–1980; Africa@War Volume 1: Operation Dingo: Rhodesian Raid on Chimoio and Tembué, 1977 and Volume 5: Zambezi Valley Insurgency: Early Rhodesian Bush War Operations.

Fortunate to have sole access to the then closed papers of Sir Roy Welensky, he wrote The Welensky Papers: A History of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland: 1953–1963.