A chronicle of the military revolution of The Rhodesian Light
Infantry; from commando unit to killing machine extraordinaire. Few, if any, regiments have left their mark on the history of modern
warfare as did the Rhodesian Light Infantry. Raised on 1st February 1961 the RLI
first evolved into a commando unit before becoming involved in mundane
border-control duties in the Zambezi Valley. Later, as the bush war
intensified, the RLI was to evolve into a ruthlessly efficient ‘killing
machine’.
This book chronicles the military evolution of the RLI from the
peacetime soldiering days through to the constant high-intensity combat of the
final years. Initially comprising volunteers from South Africa and Britain, the RLI
was always under strength until 1976 when the percentage of national servicemen
serving in the RLI dramatically soared to meet ever-increasing operational
demands. The historical record will show how these young men, led and commanded
by an outstanding combination of tough and battle-hardened non-commissioned
officers and a skilled and aggressive officer corps, inflicted massive damage on
the ZANLA and ZIPRA insurgent forces. The ruthless efficiency of the joint Air
Force and RLI Fireforce operations where the RLI was deployed by helicopter and
later also by parachute was to account for the deaths of in excess of 12,000
insurgents during the course of the war, at a rate of 160 enemy killed for every
one of their own lost: a truly remarkable record.
Available late 2012
