PAST EVENTS
For the second month running our meetings have been dominated by the artillery, but anyone who attended the June meeting to hear gunner Lt Col Eric Evans speak on the HISTORY OF THE RHODESIAN ARTILLERY, including Operation MIRACLE, the raid into Mozambique, will be happy not to have missed this occasion. In 1890 the Pioneer Corps, which moved into Matabeleland, had an artillery troop equipped with two 7-pdr guns, taken from the Bechuanaland Border Police, which originally came from the Cape Mounted Rifles. In 1898 gunners of the BSAP left Bulawayo for Fort Tuli, armed with two 2.5 inch rifled muzzle-loading guns. These were the original 'screw guns' of Kipling's time and had originated in the 10th Mountain Battery of the British Army in India. (Incidentally, the 10th Mountain Battery was involved in the night attack on Nicholson's Nek, during the siege of Ladysmith.) In 1913 Southern Rhodesia Volunteers organised two artillery sections equipped with 12-pdr breech-loading guns. During WWI many Rhodesians served the guns but as individuals, not as a Rhodesian unit. Very little was heard of Rhodesian gunners between the world wars until 1939, when a Royal Artillery training team arrived from England to establish a 3.7 inch howitzer battery, which became known as the Light Battery. From 1940 onwards Rhodesian gunners went North to be drafted into a variety of artillery units to see service in East and North Africa and the Middle East.
After the war the artillery was placed in suspension until 1959 when a volunteer unit, the Governor-General's Troop, was formed; but in 1961 the artillery became formally established as 1 Fd Rgt, SRA, of the territorial force. In the early stages of Rhodesia's war of independence (the bush war), gunners were initially deployed in an infantry rôle (Op Hurricane); but as the war escalated they reverted to their artillery rôle.
- In the concluding stage of this talk, which was fully illustrated with transparencies, our speaker dealt in detail with the dramatic story of Operation MIRACLE, the Rhodesian invasion of Mozambique in September/October 1979 to force the terrorists (ZANLA) out of their highly developed stronghold north of Chimoio. This consisted of five large camps situated in a circular area of some 64 km2 and contained between 4 000 and 10 000 men. The uncertainty of changing factors made even the initial planning a gamble. The actual invasion became even more hazardous due to unexpected problems suddenly arising, the loss of surprise at an early stae:e, miscalculations in respect of timings and of the anticipated reaction of the terrorists, and a staggering disparity in numbers. Yet, in a three day battle the Rhodesians achieved their objectives, captured or destroyed vast quantities of weapons and equipment and regained the safety of their own territory.
Fellow-member Ken Gillings expressed a warm word of thanks and appreciation for a most interesting and well presented talk.
VISIT TO TALANA. An enthusiastic group of some twenty members visited the Talana Museum and Battlefield over the weekend 11/12th June. Our Society is greatly indebted to indefatigable Miss Pam McFadden, the curatrix, for having organised the detailed programme and for having conducted all visits and provided the essential commentary. The places visited during the weekend were the fabulous Glass Museum, Coal Mine Museum, Corobrick Museum, Zulu War and Anglo-Boer War Museums, the settler cottage of Peter Smith, the founder of Dundee, the military cemetery, the unique Indumeni Shellhole military museum, the Talana battlefield and two British stone forts and finally the former Boer hospital and HQ on 'Thornley' farm. This outing, including the 'bring 'n braai' on Saturday night, was a most enjoyable occasion.
FUTURE EVENTS
Programme of Monthly Meetings:
JULY 21ST Fellow-member MAJOR DARRELL HALL will present a series of 4 slide shows dealing with visits to Duxford RAF Station, HMS Belfast and the 25th Anniversary of the Commando Gunners. The4th item comprises the story of WWI in songs and pictures. PLEASE NOTE this meeting will be held on the THIRD Thursday in July.
August 11th Fellow-member Dr. Gerry.Brereton-Stiles will give an illustrated talk on Battles of the Middle Ages.
September 8th Fellow-member Ken Gillings - Illustrated talk on "The Battle of Mome Gorge" (Bambata Rebellion 1906)
October 13th nbsp; Fellow-member Ian Sutherland' - "The Escape of HMS Amethyst" (Yangtse River, China).
November 10th Major Keith Archibald will show a video film of the first border duty of the Natal Carbineers.
December In recess.
The venue for all meetings is the Lecture Room, lower ground floor, 'SB' Bourquin Building (NPA Community Services Building), on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, commencing at 19h30. Ice and water jugs will be supplied, but please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments, and your own GLASS. FRIENDS AND INTERESTED PERSONS ARE MOST WELCOME TO COME ALONG.
MINI MILITARY MUSEUM AT KIMBERLEY COMMANDO HEADQUARTERS
One of the highlights of fellow-member Ian Sutherland's recent visit to Kimberley was the viewing of a private collection of militaria belonging to Clyde Terry of 6 Mariana Street, Hillcrest, Kimberley, 8301 Tel. (H) 61.... (w) 22...-183. He says this collection is being added to and improved all the time and if any or our members are in the vicinity it is well worth a visit.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv