WINDS OF DESTRUCTION

The autobiography of a Rhodesian combat pilot

P.J.H. Petter-Bowyer Contents

Maps 16 PTC ...... 79 Central Africa and Southern Africa ...... 9 RAF Trappers ...... 80 Air Force Bases and Forward Airfields ...... 10 No 4 Squadron ...... 81 Rhodesian, ZIPRA and ZANLA Federal break-up ...... 84 Operational Boundaries ...... 11 Return to Thornhill ...... 84 Weapons demonstration ...... 86 Foreword ...... 12 Early weapons testing ...... 88 Deaths of Bruce McKerron and Henry Elliot ...... 88 Author’s Note ...... 13 First terrorist action ...... 90 Flying Wing Adjutant ...... 90 Chapter 1 Deaths of Barry Matthews and Sandy Trenoweth ...... 91 A short history of the ...... 15 Rupert Fothergill ...... 91 Younger days ...... 17 Posting to 3 Squadron ...... 91

Chapter 2 Chapter 5 Ground Training School ...... 25 Unilateral Declaration of Independence ...... 93 Basic Flying School ...... 29 Rolls Royce engines ...... 95 Advanced Flying School ...... 36 No 7 Squadron ...... 96 Operational Conversion Unit ...... 41 Sinoia operation ...... 97 Helicopter projects ...... 102 Chapter 3 Nevada murder ...... 103 No 1 Squadron ...... 48 Aiden Diggeden ...... 105 Interview with Commander ...... 48 Helicopter projects continued ...... 106 Nyasaland emergency ...... 50 Accidental entry into Zambia ...... 107 Canberra bombers ...... 52 Elephants and the minister ...... 110 The Colin Graves tragedy ...... 53 First helicopter engine failure ...... 111 Air shows ...... 55 British military versus Labour Government ...... 111 Flypasts ...... 57 A different way of thinking ...... 112 Aden detachment ...... 58 FAC courses and smoke trails ...... 113 Missing rhino ...... 114 Chapter 4 The fun of helicopters ...... 114 No 2 Squadron ...... 65 Police Reserve Air Wing ...... 115 Death of Jack Roberts ...... 66 Sabotage ...... 66 Chapter 6 Flying Instructors School ...... 68 Operation Nickel ...... 116 Paul Mark ...... 68 Disastrous twenty-four hours ...... 122 Death of Eric Cary ...... 69 Radio tracker dog project disallowed ...... 126 First students ...... 69 Find Sheriff ...... 127 Fire officer ...... 70 Mountain flying ...... 127 Canberra belly-landing ...... 71 Family in helicopter ...... 128 Practical jokers ...... 71 Training Norman Walsh ...... 129 15 PTC ...... 73 Tracker dog project ...... 129 Fire-fighting cock-up ...... 74 Operation Cauldron ...... 131 Congo crisis ...... 75 P.K. van der Byl ...... 135 Gwelo Gliding Club ...... 78 Roland Coffegnot ...... 136 Operation Griffin ...... 137 SAS ops in Tete ...... 203 Tracker dogs proven ...... 139 First internal recce success ...... 207 Operation Mansion ...... 140 Training PRAW ...... 208 Operation Excess ...... 140 Strela missiles ...... 208 Concern for Tete Province ...... 143 Crop-spraying in Tete ...... 209 Casevac of gored ranger ...... 144 Chris Weinmann joins 4 Squadron ...... 209 Tripper operations ...... 145 Night casevacs ...... 210 Animal incidents ...... 150 Improving tactics ...... 211 Death of Don Annandale ...... 152 Selous Scouts ...... 212 Recce training and Willie de Beer ...... 153 Cordon Sanitaire ...... 214 Trojans ...... 154 Odds and sods ...... 214 Roll cloud incident ...... 155 FAC errors and successes ...... 215 Engine failure ...... 156 Fear of landing in enemy territory ...... 217 Joint Planning Staff ...... 157 Chifombo Base ...... 218 Paris Air Show ...... 159 New offensive trials ...... 219 Board of Inquiry ...... 160 Beginning of Black Month ...... 220 Alcora ...... 161 Operation Marble ...... 222 Visit to Cabo del Gado ...... 162 Search for Chris ...... 227 Medical hitch ...... 166 Hunter commanders ...... 230 Aircraft accidents 1970–1971 ...... 167 Army claims air kills ...... 231 Exercise Blackjack ...... 168 Gungwa mountain ...... 232 Staff College ...... 169 Countering Strela missiles ...... 233 Deaths of Munton-Jackson and Garden ...... 170 Army Sub-JOC commanders ...... 234 Fireforce and Scouts ...... 236 Chapter 7 Détente ...... 238 No 4 Squadron ...... 171 Authentication of pseudo groups ...... 239 Learning recce ...... 173 ZIPRA plans upset ...... 239 Aloe Festival ...... 175 7 Squadron gains at 4 Squadron’s expense ...... 240 ZANU and ZAPU activities ...... 176 External recce training ...... 178 Ceasefire ...... 241 Preparing for bush ops ...... 181 Firelighters ...... 242 Jungle Lane ...... 183 Quiet times ...... 243 ‘October Revolution’ ...... 184 Brown Jobs versus Blue Jobs ...... 245 Operation Sable ...... 184 Doctored radios and ammunition ...... 245 Nicholas and the old man ...... 186 Cocky Benecke ...... 245 Beit Bridge rail link ...... 187 Last air actions of 1975 ...... 248 Commencement of Operation Hurricane ...... 187 Loss of top Army officers ...... 248 Countering landmines ...... 188 Lull before the storm ...... 249 Centenary days ...... 189 Déntente and SB ...... 250 Deaths of Smart and Smithdorff ...... 190 CTs prepare to resume war ...... 252 Offensive recces ...... 191 Return of ZANLA ...... 253 Non-offensive casualties ...... 192 Lynx ferry ...... 253 The Peter Simmonds incident ...... 192 Fireforces back in action ...... 259 Flight Sergeant Benji ...... 193 Patchen explorer ...... 263 Another Aloe Festival ...... 193 War spreads and hots up ...... 264 Early FAC to jets ...... 195 SO Plans ...... 265 The face of terrorism ...... 197 Operation Sand ...... 266 ZANLA recruitment ...... 198 Diverse personalities and different situations ...... 267 Pseudo-terrorist beginnings ...... 200 Night-strike trials ...... 201 Chapter 8 Pre-selection of Air Force commanders ...... 201 Project Alpha ...... 272 Night ops difficulties ...... 202 Pyrotechnics and boosted rockets ...... 276 Trojan characteristics ...... 202 CS pellets ...... 277 Hispano cannons for Scouts ...... 278 Cheetahs ...... 350 Mixed events ...... 279 Uncomfortable times in COMOPS ...... 351 Vic Cook ...... 282 Black government ...... 352 SAS externals ...... 282 Civilian convoys and rail protection ...... 352 Canberras join Fireforce ...... 284 British Conservative government ...... 353 Yellow Submarine ...... 285 Flechette success ...... 353 Schulie ...... 285 ZIPRA’s NSO ...... 354 Madula Pan ...... 286 Xai Xai ...... 356 Madula Pan attack ...... 288 Attempts to assassinate ...... 357 New Frantans ...... 291 ZIPRA loses war holdings ...... 358 Golf Project ...... 292 Political turmoil ...... 358 Cavalry Fireforce ...... 295 Operation Uric ...... 359 Testing American equipment ...... 296 Enhancing MNR’s image ...... 362 COMOPS established ...... 296 Search for New Chimoio ...... 364 External operations March – June 1977 ...... 300 Operation Miracle ...... 365 Flechettes ...... 301 Chambeshi bridges—Zambia ...... 369 ‘Know your enemy’ ...... 302 Moatize bridges ...... 369 Salisbury recce ...... 303 Encounter with conventional ZIPRA forces ...... 370 First employment of Flechettes ...... 303 Operation Tepid ...... 371 Preparing to attack external bases ...... 304 Operation Dice ...... 373 Operation Dingo briefing ...... 306 Chimoio attack ...... 308 Chapter 10 Tembue attack ...... 312 Ceasefire ...... 375 Effectiveness of Op Dingo ...... 315 Dinner with ZIPRA ...... 377 Operation Virile ...... 315 Visits to ZANLA Assembly Points ...... 380 Black Friday ...... 316 Visits to ZIPRA APs ...... 382 Mini-golf bombs ...... 317 Elections ...... 383 ZANLA’s changing tactics ...... 318 Joint High Command HQ ...... 385 Norah Seear ...... 319 RAR Fireforces ...... 320 Epilogue ...... 389 Bold actions—007 ideas ...... 321 Katoog ...... 322 Glossary ...... 391 Philippa Berlyn ...... 325 Final tracker dogs’ trial ...... 325 More enemy reversals ...... 326 Deaths of du Toit and Nelson ...... 328 Second Tembue attack ...... 329 Viscount disaster ...... 330 Return to Chimoio ...... 331 Operation Gatling ...... 333 Mulungushi and Mboroma ...... 336 Moatize hangar ...... 337

Chapter 9 Posting to COMOPS ...... 338 Mozambican National Resistance ...... 340 Luso Boma ...... 342 Vanduzi Circle ...... 344 Cost comparisons ...... 345 ZIPRA plans revealed ...... 345 Beira fuel refinery ...... 346 Assassination attempts on Joshua Nkomo ...... 346 Kazungula ferry ...... 349

Foreword

I WILL NOT PRETEND THAT I have known Group Captain anything he would not do, and he would be the one doing it Peter John Hornby Petter-Bowyer, affectionately known as longer. Beginning with his helicopter days in the latter half of ‘PB’, as long as some have. After both having left our beloved 1960s, PB was a leading counter-insurgency tactician. It was , we lived in the same town, Durban, for years without PB who realised that one could track from the air. Better than encountering each other. Given my work on the history of that, alone among the pilots, he realised that there were telltale Rhodesia, and my service in the Rhodesian Regiment and signs, not just tracks, which betrayed the presence of his enemy. the Rhodesian Intelligence Corps, I knew his reputation, of His self-imposed social anthropological research led him to course, indeed the awe in which this modest-to-a-fault airman become Rhodesia’s leading air-recce pilot when commanding was held within the ranks of the Rhodesian Security Forces. If No 4 Squadron. When PB appeared overhead in his stuttering our paths did not cross in daily life, I made it my business to Trojan, everyone in the ground forces knew something was interview him about what I knew of his achievements. about to happen, that the whereabouts of the quarry was about What PB presents us with in this book is a unique account to be known. His training led to others acquiring this skill, of Rhodesia from the prosperous post-Second World War and one at least bettered him, but it was PB who had the vision. years to her death-throes in 1980. Unique because it is seen not He would carry that vision into every task that he performed. just through the eyes of a pilot, because PB was seldom desk- I commend to you not just this inspiring pilot’s tale, but the bound, rarely flying a ‘Mahogany Bomber’ at headquarters, but man himself. through those of a Renaissance man, the proverbial man of great knowledge. PB’s restless, inquiring mind never allowed Professor J.R.T Wood him just to perform the task required of him. He was not Durban, South Africa what the Army thought of the typical pilot, homeward bound to clean clothes, a warm bed, fine food and the girls and the beer. If PB was flying, he was thinking. Thinking about his aircraft. He was not an engineer but he would be responsible for many modifications of his aircraft, much to the irritation of a few of the technical staff. If he was bombing, he was thinking about the bomb, its purpose and whether it was achieving it. So it would be PB who would mastermind the invention and production of Rhodesia’s remarkable range of bombs. He did not do this alone, but his inquiring, inventive mind was the inspiration. The Rhodesian Air Force was condemned by circumstance to fly aircraft which elsewhere were obsolete, but the best had to be made of them, and not just by a high level of flying competence. The aging Canberra bomber (designed by PB’s cousin, William ‘Teddy’ Petter) was Rhodesia’s bomber equipped with a range of standard NATO bombs. PB soon saw ways to make it more effective even if metal fatigue would reduce the number of available Canberras. PB enhanced the humble air-to-ground rocket and gave the Hunter a formidable blast bomb, among other weapons. When a helicopter pilot, PB would enhance the Alouette III’s refuelling ability, and assist in improving its weaponry. It was not just a fascination with technology that marks the man. PB is not just an inventor; he was an inspiring and resourceful leader of the school that did not ask his pilots to do

12 Author’s Note

WHILE RESEARCHING MY FAMILIES’ backgrounds I ran into that the ageing mind may have created, because the essence of difficulties that forced me to rely entirely on faded memories this book is correct. Nor do I make any apology for naiveté on of aged relatives because no written legacies exist. So in 1984 I political issues, as military personnel in my time were strictly started recording my own life’s story with the simple objective apolitical and this may show in my personal opinions. of leaving a permanent record, in hopes that my family would During the great wars men left their families for months or record their own historical narratives for successive generations years at a time. In Rhodesia this was not the case. Typically, to build upon. But then in January 2000 I was persuaded by many soldiers, airmen and policemen were in the field for periods Rhodesian friends to expand on what I had recorded, to meet of six weeks or more and returned home to rest and retraining a need for at least one Rhodesian Air Force story told at an for no more that ten days before returning to the bush. This individual level. Consequently this book is not an historical cycle imposed incredible strains on men and their families. account of the most efficient air force of its day; nor does it A two-year stretch in action and six months at home might cover important subjects that did not involve me either directly have been easier to bear because short-duration homecomings or indirectly. Nevertheless, my experiences are unique and tended to cause higher stress levels. From an environment of sufficiently wide-ranging to give readers a fair understanding ‘blood and guts’ a serviceman was expected to instantly revert of the force I served, and reveal something of the essence of to the tranquillity and comforts of home life without being Rhodesia and her thirteen-year bush war. able to share his experiences and fears with his loved ones. The In 1980, the long struggle to prevent an immensely successful family on the other hand, though forced to living a life without country from falling into the hands of political despots, ‘dad’, expected him to be the relaxed and fatherly character particularly Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his goons, was lost of a stable family from the very moment he came home. They at political level. This was because of relentless international had no idea of his harboured secrets and built-up tensions. In pressure against the white government of Ian Smith in favour of reality ‘dad’ could not reconcile himself to the normality he ‘immediate’ black-majority rule. Britain’s ruling parties had not encountered away from ‘the sharp end’ and probably drank only failed to uphold promises of independence for Rhodesia, too much with his friends after a day of retraining. He then they totally disregarded every warning of the calamity that became subdued, even difficult, in the last couple of days before would befall the country and its people if ‘one man—one returning to the bush. Misunderstandings caused too many vote’ was prematurely forced into effect. Now, after more than marriages to fail or left deep-seated problems in those that twenty-five years in power, Robert Mugabe’s ZANU (PF) has survived. Mine survived thanks to my beloved wife Beryl who exposed Britain’s disastrous folly and proven that Rhodesian guided our children through the tough times. fears were well founded. Too late to prevent the appalling mess It is for these reasons that I dedicate this book to my wife that exists in modern-day , our efforts to preserve Beryl, my daughter Debbie, my son Paul, and to all those responsible government have now been fully justified. wonderful wives and widows of Rhodesian servicemen who However, upon gaining power, Robert Mugabe and his kept the home fires burning and sustained our will to fight on ZANU (PF) cohorts became paranoid about the security for our country. of their personal positions. This led to the implementation My thanks go to my friend, Air Marshal Sir John Baird, of laws that ensured white Zimbabweans were denuded of retired Surgeon General to Britain’s armed services and personal weapons, military paraphernalia and any Rhodesian Queen’s Physician, for very kindly reading my draft work, documentation that might be used against ZANU Having which helped eliminate many obvious typographical errors. handed in my own weapons in 1980, I took the precaution of Thank you Sir John. Special thanks also go to Professor Richard destroying all my diaries. This book reveals some of the reasons and Carole Wood for reading my first draft and giving me the why such hasty action was taken but I have lived to regret encouragement and direction I needed to complete this book. dumping twenty diaries into the septic tank of our Salisbury home. In hindsight I realise that I should have buried them Peter Petter-Bowyer (‘PB’) deep for later recovery. Nevertheless, the consequence of my Norfolk, England error is that Winds of Destruction is, for the most part, written from memory. I offer no excuse for inevitable errors in detail

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Chapter 1

A short history of the Rhodesian Air Force

AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE Anglo–Boer War all seven moved to the Northern Frontier District on the Abyssinian Southern Rhodesian military units, which had participated border. On 19 September 1939, the Air Unit officially became with the British forces, were disbanded. However, in 1914 the Southern Rhodesian Air Force, and the flights on service at the outbreak of the Great War in Europe, the Rhodesia in Kenya were designated No 1 Squadron of that force. Regiment was re-established. It served with distinction and In April 1940, all Southern Rhodesian Air Force personnel remained in force until it was again disbanded in 1920. were absorbed into the Royal Air Force and No 1 Squadron A Territorial Force was formed in 1927 with 1st and 2nd was redesignated No 237 (Rhodesian) Squadron. As a tribute Battalions of the Rhodesia Regiment based at Salisbury and to its preparedness, it was allowed to adopt the motto ‘Premium Bulawayo. At the outbreak of World War II in 1939 the regular Agmen in Caelo’ (The First Force in the Sky). members of these battalions, together with a disproportionately By November 1941, No 237 Squadron was equipped with large component of volunteers, were absorbed into British units Hurricanes and was embroiled in the seesaw battles with the in many theatres. Afrika Korps and the Luftwaffe. In February 1942, it was A Territorial Force Air Unit had been formed in 1935 and ordered back to Ismalia in the Canal Zone before travelling operated out of the commercial airport at Belvedere on the yet farther east. south-western edge of Salisbury City. Six Hawker Hart twin- The next year was spent covering the Iraq/Persia sector with seater fighter aircraft were received from the RAF in 1937 the squadron operating from such bases as Mosul, Kermanshah to add to an existing small communications flight. Combat and Kirkuk. In March 1943, it returned to the Canal Zone pilot training commenced immediately, resulting in the first where its role changed from army co-operation to fighter Rhodesian wings presentation to six pilots on 13 May 1938. reconnaissance, flying Spitfires. A long spell of operations Later in the year they were to prove themselves by flying across North Africa followed, during which the squadron the next batch of Hawker Harts from Britain to Southern moved progressively westward. Rhodesia. But with the war obviously coming to an end, the squadron With war clouds looming over Europe, the Territorial was gradually losing its all-Rhodesian nature. It became Force members of the Air Unit were called up for full-time increasingly difficult to replace personnel who had completed service in August 1939 and by the end of the month the their operational tour, and after two more moves to Italy and aircraft were on the move. Ten pilots (among them Lieutenant France the squadron was eventually disbanded in 1945. E.W.S. Jacklin, later to become the first post-war Chief of But 237 was not the only unit to operate as a ‘Rhodesian’ Air Staff) and eight aircraft left Salisbury on 27 August to squadron with the Royal Air Force. In 1940, No 266 Squadron fly to Nairobi—constituting the only aerial force available to was officially designated a ‘Rhodesian’ unit and the decision Imperial Authorities in East Africa. was made that aircrew from Rhodesia should be posted to it. Nairobi proved to be merely a staging post on the route north, The following year, No 44 Squadron of bomber command for within two or three days all the Rhodesian aircraft had been followed suit. In addition to the Rhodesians who fought in

15 Winds of Destruction these squadrons, there were obviously many more who played from the Rhodesian Air Training Group, and later twelve more their part in other Air Force units and in other theatres of Harvards were obtained from South Africa at nominal prices. operations. The work paid off in progressive expansion—more ex-Air During the six years of war, the total number of Rhodesians Force personnel joined the unit, and gradually a varied selection in Air Force uniform stood at 977 officers and 1,432 other of aircraft was acquired. By 1951, a Leopard Moth, a Dakota, ranks. Of these, 498 were killed—a proportion of one man Rapides, Ansons and Austers had been collected from a variety in every five who went to war. But one further casualty of of sources, and the unit operated a small regular element with the war was the Rhodesian Air Force itself—certainly as far one active auxiliary squadron—No 1 Squadron. as Rhodesia was concerned. No 1 Squadron of the Southern By this time the Berlin Blockade, the clamping of the Iron Rhodesian Air Force had been turned into 237 Squadron that Curtain across Europe and the onset of the Korean War had had then been disbanded. Further, the training element of the made it obvious to all that the preservation of peace was to be old SRAF had been absorbed into the Royal Air Force and more a matter of armed preparedness than of wishful thinking. had become the nucleus of the huge Rhodesian Air Training So once again the Southern Rhodesian Government made a Group. But in doing so, it had lost its identity. contribution to the defence of the Commonwealth—this time It was not, however, a situation that was to last long, and it was in the form of two fighter squadrons. the vacuum was soon to be filled. In the immediate post-war From Britain twenty-two Spitfire Mk22 aircraft were period, men trickled back to Rhodesia after being demobilised successfully ferried out in spite of dire predictions and a certain from the British services. Some of them joined the Southern amount of betting from a number of aviation experts. Full- Rhodesia Staff Corps, generally at very low ranks, and it was time training was then re-introduced in the form of the ‘Short from this nucleus that the Air Force was to arise again. Service’ training scheme. Many of the ex-Air Force members of the Staff Corps itched to re-establish military aviation, but prospects were far from promising. There was no money, there were no aircraft, and even the original SRAF buildings had been appropriated for use by new immigrants and for various government departments. However, the enthusiasts cajoled and persuaded, and eventually attracted to their cause Sir Ernest Guest, then Minister of Defence, and Colonel S. Garlake, Commander of Military Forces in Southern Rhodesia. The result was the provision of £20,000 sterling and the instruction to form an air unit. The financial grant was woefully inadequate, Spitfire Mk22. but there were almost limitless reserves of enthusiasm and resourcefulness to call upon. Under the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel E.W.S. In 1952 the Air Force moved from Cranborne to Kentucky Jacklin, the dozen or so officers and men of the unit set about Airport, which subsequently became the huge airfield acquiring some aircraft. The Royal Air Force contributed a jointly used by New Sarum Air Force Station and Salisbury war-surplus Anson light transport aircraft, and then a major International Airport. This was the first permanent home of salvage exercise started. The men went on forays through the the Air Force, and it was the first time that it had occupied old RAF maintenance depots and even scrap dumps. Tools, buildings and facilities specifically designed for its purposes. raw materials, spares, supplies and even trained personnel Increased obligations to the RAF and the need to modernise filtered through to the little unit at Cranborne from all over became issues in making the decision to withdraw the Spitfires the country. Eventually, using basic tools and equipment, the from service. Painful though it was for all concerned, single- unit had rebuilt six scrapped and abandoned Tiger Moths. seater De Havilland Vampire FB9 jets replaced the much-loved On 28 November 1947, the Government Gazette No 945 Spitfires. Later T11 two-seater jet trainers were added. carried the notice establishing the Air Force as a Permanent In addition to the Vampire fighter/bombers, expansion Unit of the Rhodesian Staff Corps, and this was the beginning continued with the acquisition of Provost piston-engined of the Southern Rhodesian Air Force to come. The six rebuilt trainers. Seven more Dakotas and two Pembrokes were Tiger Moths were joined by six Harvard trainers purchased acquired to replace the Ansons and Rapides, and further

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