To the Edge: In the Company of the Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts

Shadows of a Forgotten Past: To the Edge with the Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts

by Alison Weir

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	27950 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	224 pages

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In the annals of military history, few units have captured the imagination like the Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts. These elite special forces units operated in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) during the Rhodesian Bush War, a brutal conflict that pitted the white-minority government against black nationalist guerrillas.

The Rhodesian SAS was formed in 1962, modeled after the British Special Air Service (SAS). The Selous Scouts were established in 1973 as a counter-insurgency unit specializing in tracking and eliminating guerrilla bands. Both units quickly gained a reputation for their skill, courage, and ruthlessness.

Training and Tactics

Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts recruits underwent rigorous training programs that tested their physical and mental limits. They were trained in a wide range of skills, including weapons handling, close-quarters combat, survival techniques, and intelligence gathering.

The SAS and Selous Scouts employed a variety of tactics in the Rhodesian Bush War. They conducted reconnaissance and sabotage operations, raided guerrilla bases, and provided close protection for high-value targets. They also excelled in tracking and ambushing guerrilla units, using their superior knowledge of the terrain and their ability to blend in with the local population.

Controversial Legacy

The Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts have been praised for their effectiveness in combat, but their legacy is also tainted by allegations of human rights abuses. The units have been accused of torture, extrajudicial killings, and other war crimes.

The Rhodesian government denied these allegations, but evidence has emerged that suggests that they were at least partially true. In 1979, a group of former SAS soldiers published a book called "The Dirty War," which detailed the atrocities they had witnessed and committed during the Rhodesian Bush War.

Disbandment and Legacy

The Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts were disbanded in 1980 after Rhodesia gained independence from Britain and became Zimbabwe. Some members of the units continued to serve in the Zimbabwean military, while others went on to work in private security and other fields.

The Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts remain a topic of fascination and controversy today. They are remembered as elite fighting units that played a significant role in the Rhodesian Bush War, but their legacy is also marred by allegations of human rights abuses.

The Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts were among the most skilled and effective special forces units in history. Their training, tactics, and experience made them a formidable force on the battlefield. However, their legacy is also tainted by allegations of human rights abuses, which remain a source of debate today.

Sources

• Stiff, Peter (1984). The Rhodesian SAS. Poole, Dorset, UK: Blandford Press.
• Moorcraft, Paul (1982). The Rhodesian War: A Military History. London: Leo Cooper.
• Martin, David (1981). The Selous Scouts: A History of the Rhodesian Special Forces. London: Salamander Books.
• Reid-Daly, Ron (1979). The Dirty War: Inside the Rhodesian SAS. London: Queen Anne Press.

Shadows of a Forgotten Past: To the Edge with the Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts

by Alison Weir

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	27950 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	224 pages

FREE