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Subject: The Troopie
Yimmy    1/19/2007 7:12:01 PM
I watched that film about Amin the other day, "The Last King of Scottland". Not a very good film really, directed by a Scott, and fairly anti-English (even the main character in ral life was English I believe). In any case, I got side tracked into reading the last edition of the Cheetah, the Rhodesian Light Infantries magazine, and was wondering where The Troopie sands today, since being removed? Or indeed if it stands anywhere?
 
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longrifle       1/19/2007 7:23:03 PM
This is an exerpt from a wikipedia article on the Rhodesian Light Infantry:

"Following majority rule, the regiment was disbanded on 1 November 1980. A nucleus of former R.L.I. personnel remained to train and form the First Zimbabwe Commando Battalion of the Zimbabwe National Army. The regimental statue, "The Troopie", was spirited out of Zimbabwe to South Africa, and is now held at the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum in Bristol, United Kingdom."

Call and confirm it and let us know, huh?



 
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Yimmy       1/19/2007 7:42:35 PM

This is an exerpt from a wikipedia article on the Rhodesian Light Infantry:

"Following majority rule, the regiment was disbanded on 1 November 1980.
A nucleus of former R.L.I. personnel remained to train and form the
First Zimbabwe
Commando Battalion of the Zimbabwe National Army. The regimental statue, "The Troopie", was spirited out of Zimbabwe to South Africa, and is now held at the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum in Bristol, United Kingdom."

Call and confirm it and let us know, huh?





I drive past Bristol when I drive to London now and then, so I'll pop in and take a pic if it is.
 
 
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Yimmy       1/30/2007 7:02:09 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/17.jpg" width=599 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/19.jpg" width=800 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/11.jpg" width=599 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/20.jpg" width=599 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/22.jpg" width=599 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/13.jpg" width=599 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/9.jpg" width=800 border=0>Just on the off chance anyone is interested.  This is the Troopie in its current state at Bristol museum.
 
I didn't take these photos.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/1.jpg" width=599 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/6.jpg" width=599 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/7.jpg" width=800 border=0>http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/5.jpg" width=800 border=0>
 
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Yimmy       1/30/2007 8:06:09 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Yimmy/Rhodesian%20Light%20Infantry%20Troopie/14.jpg" width=599 border=0>
 
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longrifle       1/31/2007 12:06:55 PM
I'm glad they got it out of Rhodesia.  I knew the Rhodesians sometimes wore shorts and sneakers in the field, especially the Selous Scouts on tracking operations.  I wonder if any of the RLI actually jumped on a fire force op  dressed like that?

I just recently ordered Fire Force by Chris Cocks from Amazon.  I'm really looking forward to it's arrival!

 
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Yimmy       2/1/2007 1:58:58 PM
Yeah I had Fireforce on my amazon wish list, I should get round to buying it some time.
 
I should like to do my final year dissertation on Rhodesia if I can.
 
 
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longrifle       2/10/2007 10:51:17 PM
I just finished Fireforce.  It's a good book and well worth the read.

I was a little surprised by a few things. I guess I had an image of the RLI as being something akin to quiet professionals, like more advanced special operations forces. Professionals yes, quiet no; they were mostly in their late teens or early twenties and seem to have been quite the bunch of rowdies. Not the same culture as you might find in something like U.S. Special Forces, where almost everyone is around thirty or so.

I was also surprised by the widespread use of marijuana among the RLI troopers. I served in the Regan era when the urinalysis was a common thing and the troops who liked weed were being thrown out. The author makes it sound like the first thing the RLI troopers did after an operation was light a joint.  In hindsight I shouldn't have been surprised, since it was the '70s and entry level military organizations tend to be a reflection of the society they're drawn from.
 
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Yimmy       2/21/2007 7:23:13 AM
I'll have to pick up the book sometime, thanks for the review.
 
I am a little surprised they used marijuana to that extent, as it isn't exactly a sign of professionals, but like you said, it was the 70's.
 
I am not surprised about the young age and their being rowdy.  The RLI was formed as light infantry after all, while the Commando tag was added later, as was the parchute training, almost as an after thought.
 
The RLI being a one battalion regiment, with smallish companies, does give an image of being elite through small numbers.  However, as best I remember they were actually the only white infantry regiment of Rhodesia, and so although good infantry by any standard, were not elite per se.  I believe the other elements of the Rhoesian army were armoured based, or the black infantry (Rhodesian Rifles?), and of course the Sealous Scouts, and Rhodesian SAS.
 
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Yimmy       2/26/2007 4:03:25 PM
If your interested Longrifle, the author of Fireforce, Chris Cocks, has another book due to be published 31st May 2007, according to amazon.co.uk, called "The Saints: The Rhodesian Light Infantry".
 
"Synopsis
The 15-year Rhodesian 'bush war', fought in southern Africa, reached its bloody climax in late 1979 and soon after Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. The men of the Rhodesian Light Infantry had won all their battles, but the war was lost so too their country and the battle-weary veterans drifted away. Along with the RLI diaspora, many of the regimental records and artefacts disappeared. With limited resources to hand, author's daunting challenge has been to compile a comprehensive regimental history, and in this he has been admirably assisted by RLI veterans, military historians, collectors and enthusiasts the world over. A worldwide appeal saw a wealth of previously unpublished material - significant anecdotal and historical contributions, personal writings and over 5,000 photos - being generously contributed to this remarkable endeavour."
 
 h*tp://www.amazon.co.uk/Saints-Rhodesian-infantry-Chris-Cocks/dp/1920143076/sr=1-3/qid=1172522688/ref=sr_1_3/203-8437050-7416706?ie=UTF8&s=books
 
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Yimmy       3/6/2007 2:51:20 PM
I am reading Fireforce now, and think it a good read, but....
 
 
Jesus F****** Christ!  George Galloway was in the RLI?!
 
Please tell me I am mistaken?  There is a photo in the book of a "George Galloway", which looks like a young George Galloway MP, and a quick google search found a reference of such on Arrse.
 
I didn't see that coming....
 
 
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