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The Training of Rhodesian Officers at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst

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The Training of Rhodesian Officers at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 9, Nr 3, 1979. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za THE TRAINING OF RHODESIAN OFFICERS AT THE ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY, SANDHURST. * Lt Gen K. R. Coster lCD, OBE The editorial in Militaria 9/1 of 1979 notes that which was to .become known as Southern Professor Dale's research with regard to the Rhodesia was provided by the British South South African Armed Forces and their link with Africa Company which derived its charter from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Queen Victoria. Nations, 1910-1961, has revealed that few South Africans ever studied at Sandhurst. On the other During the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 to 1902 hand he observes that Rhodesia has far more Rhodesians 'served the Queen'1 as described Sandhurst-qual ified officers. by Colonel A. S. Hickman in his book of that name. They were again in action from 1914 tot As an officer who started his military career in the 1918 .on the side of the British in the Great War. Special Service Battalion to which Professor When the Second World War broke out in 1939 Dale refers, and who did his officer training Southern Rhodesia was, I believe, the first of the originally in South Africa before eventually British colonies to respond to the call to arms by serving with the Federal Army (of Rhodesia and the mother-country and provided proportionately Nyasaland) and subsequently with the Rhode- to its population, more soldiers, sailors and sian Army, it might be appropriate if I were to airmen than any of the others. commend on this observation. The bonds which are forged in war have, through Unfortunately I have no records available for the course of history, been those which have reference and so must rely upon memory. endured most strongly, based as they are upon the most fundamental of relationships - those Bonds of friendship between men sharing common dangers and Starting with the fact of Rhodesia having far more giving their lives for the same cause. Sand hurst trained officers, the reason is, I believe, twofold. In the first place the military, Military affiliations and other bonds between Rhodesia and Great The forces of Southern Rhodesia in the years Britain were, until UDI in 1965, much stronger between the conclusion of the Second World War than those between South Africa and Great and the establ ishment of the Federation of the Britain. What bonds did exist in the latter case Rhodesias (Northern and Southern) and Nyasa- were somewhat artificial and did not spring from land felt a strong affinity for the forces of the the same kith and kin relationship which existed Crown. These bonds were reinforced by between Britain and the colony of Southern ?ffiliations between regiments of the British Army Rhodesia prior to and including the period of the and the Southern Rhodesia forces. For example, Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation. These the Royal Rhodesia Regiment was affiliated to bonds were to become very strained as it the Kings Royal Rifle Corps while the Rhodesian became evident that Britain was prepared to African Rifles was affiliated to the South Wales allow the secession of Northern Rhodesia and Borderers. Nyasaland from the Federation and was getting ready to grant independence to those territories Officers of the Southern Rhodesian forces looked whilst witholding that rich prize from Southern to the United Kingdom for training courses Rhodesia. ranging from Drill Instructors to Staff Courses at The friendship between Southern Rhodesia and * Lt Gen K. R. Coster ICD. OBE joined the Special Service Battalion in Britain dated from 1890 when the Pioneer 1937. received his commission in 1939 and served in the SA Air Force during the war. Column set out from Macloutsie and made its way to the territory which lay north of the Limpopo In 1955 he joined the army of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. He retired in 1972 as General Officer Commanding/the River. The first administration of the territory Rhodesian Army. 53 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 9, Nr 3, 1979. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za Camberley and Bracknell. Until Southern Rhode- battalions was found by the British Army which SiA became part of the Federation, however, seconded regular army officers to Central Africa there was no call for the training of subaltern Command for a tour of duty normally of three officers for the then Southern Rhodesia Staff years. Corps. The reason was a simple one. When the Second World War ended, commissioned Federal army officers streamed back to Southern Rhodesia It was, however, always the intention that the and many made their way into the armed forces of Federal Army should eventually relieve the the colony. Most were expected to relinquish British Army of this task and provide its own their commissions and revert to the ranks before officers for all the regular units of Central Africa being re-commissioned, once it was established Command. This, as a matter of interest, was that they met the high standards demanded by accompl ished by 1959, six years after the the Permanent Staff Corps. Federation came into being. The last British Army officer went back to Britain and the whole of the This permanent corps was essentially a cadre of Federal Army was officered by ..men whose headquarter and instructional personnel whose loyalty was no longer directly to the Crown but via function it was to train the territorial or part-time a Governor-General appointed by the Queen. soldiers of the colony. Except for the Rhodesian Many of the Federal Army officers were ex British African Rifles, there were no regular infantry Army who had resigned and rejoined the Federal battal ions or equivalent units of other arms which forces. The balance was found from ex-officers of required the services of very young subaltern the Southern Rhodesia Staff Corps and a number officers for employment as platoon commanders of ex-officers from the Union Defence Force, for example. All new commissioned officers were virtually all of whom had seen service in the therefore found from among the other ranks Second World War. already serving in the Southern Rhodesia Staff Corps, most of them having previously been Training commissioned officers in the British Armed It had become evident at the outset that the Forces or the forces of the Commonwealth during Federation would have to provide not only the the war. more senior officers to replace returning British Army officers, but subalterns as well, and it was It was not unti I the two Rhodesias and Nyasaland at that point in time thai the idea of training were joined in Federation that regular infantry Federal subalterns at the Royal Military Acade- battalions became part of the order of battle and my, Sandhurst, was conceived. With the the need for young subaltern officers was felt. exception of the Rhodesian African Rifles, the The Federation brought together four infantry other infantry battalions had been built on the battalions which formed the fighting core of the traditions of the British Army and had (since Federal Armed Forces. These were The Northern before the turn of the century in the case of the Rhodesia Regiment, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of King's African Rifles) been officered by British the King's African Rifles and the 1st Battal ion, Army officers, most of whom had received their The Rhodesian African Rifles. The latter unit was officer training at Sandhurst. It was only since the indigenous to Southern Rhodesia whilst the 1st Second World War that Eaton Hall had begun to and 2nd Battal ions of the King's African Rifles contribute subaltern officers as well. were both found from Nyasaland. The first small batch of Federal Army cadets Prior to the establishment of the Federation in selected in Rhodesia left for England in 1954and 1953, The Northern Rhodesia Regiment and the returned some two years later having achieved two battalions of the King's African Rifles were the most extraordinary distinction of having won part of East Africa Command with headquarters the Sword of Honour and the top Academic Prize. in Nairobi. East Africa Command (controlled by These great distinctions went to Cadet Crutchley the British Army) was charged with providing a and Cadet McKenzie respectively. On their battal ion for counter-insurgency operations return the newly commissioned officers were against the communist terrorists in Malaya and posted to regular infantry battalions as platoon this responsibility was carried over to the newly commanders. formed Central Africa Command which came into being on the establishment of the Regularly each year thereafter a small number of Federation. In the early days of the Federation the Federal Army cadets left for Sandhurst in orderto officer complement for the four regular infantry keep up the flow of subalterns into the infantry 54 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 9, Nr 3, 1979. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za battalions of Central Africa Command. In point of Republic of South Africa fact their numbers were inadequate to maintain So much then for the reasons for Rhodes ia having the requisite total of young officers in these and more Sandhurst-qual ified officers than the other units of the Federal Army, and it became Republic, as correctly stated by Professor Dale. I necessary, before the dissolution of the bel ieve I would not be wrong if I averred that Federation, to commence officer training at the Rhodesia's Sandhurst-qualified officers exceed- School of Infantry located in Southern Rhodesia. ed those of the Republ ic of South Africa by 100%.
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