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Topic: Rhodesia 1977 ?? (Read 166 times)
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Dave Brydon
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Does anyone recall, sometime during 1977, that we were on standby to deploy to Africa – I believe it was to Rhodesia(?), but I simply can’t remember; elections, stick in my mind.
I’m a little fuzzy on this, but seem to recall, being bugged-out, early in the morning, and being told that we may be deploying to Rhodesia (again ?). Additionally, I seem to recall being told, about a 48, or 72-hour notice to move, and that planes will be, or have landed at the London airport to take us.
Does this ring a bell to anyone else – if so, can anyone with a better memory, clarify the events. Being a lonely private at the time, I was somehow left out of the loop (smile), of the bigger picture.
On another note: if anyone has not had the opportunity to read Christie Blatchfords book, “Fifteen Days”, as mentioned in another post, I highly recommend it. I thought I was aware of events in Afghanistan, regarding our troops, but this book presents a much clearer vision than what I had. As for LCol Ian Hope – this is the type of leadship we need more of…this man is the real life John Wayne!!
Cheers,
Dave
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"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."
-George Patton
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"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."
-George Patton
Pro Patria
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aldi
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Dave,
I can't verify the deployment but the dates and events sound about right. Some background . . . in 1965 (I was in Cyrpus at the time and it was big news on BFBS) the prime minister of Rhodesia, Ian Smith, issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence, moving the country out of the British Commonwealth, establishing a republic and launching a set of internal measures similar to the Apartheid laws in neighboring South Africa. A civil war ensued, led by a strong guerilla band headed by Robert Mugabe, and dragged on for years. Eventually, Smith capitulated, Mugabe took over, re-named the country Zimbabwe and the capital, Salisbury, was renamed Harrare. Part of the cease-fire agreement called for democratic elections, to be overseen by the UN, in which Canada played a major part through the provision of an election-oversight body. My sister-in-law set up the computer system for the election and some of my colleagues were deployed from NDHQ to provide the press center. I'm not aware that Canada's commitment included an armed body such as would require the deployment you mention, but it makes sense that it would since there was a need for security at the polling places. I'm just not sure. Ironically, Mugabe still heads the country as dictator-for-life, nationalized all the white farmers' holdings and given them to his guerilla fighters, jailed opposition politicians for treason, shut down the press and ordered the BBC out of the country and generally turned what was once a prosperous nation into such a mess that inflation runs at something a million percent. I hope that helps.
Cheers. Al Ditter
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