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Africa's Commandos, Mark Adams, Chris Cocks, The RhodesianLight Infantry (OUT OF PRINT NEW)
Few, if any, regiments have left their mark on the historyof modern warfare as did the Rhodesian Light Infantry. Raised on 1 February1961 the RLI first evolved into a commando unit then became involved in mundaneborder-control duties in the Zambezi Valley. Later as the bush war intensifiedthe RLI was to evolve into a ruthlessly efficient killing machine.
This book chronicles the military evolution of the RLI fromthe peacetime soldiering days through to the constant high-intensity combat ofthe final years. Initially comprising volunteers from South Africa and Britainthe RLI was always under strength until 1976 when the percentage of nationalservicemen serving in the RLI was dramatically increased to meetever-increasing operational demands.
The historical record will show how these young men, led andcommanded by an outstanding combination of tough and battle-hardenednon-commissioned officers and a skilled and aggressive officer corps, inflictedmassive damage on the ZANLA and ZIPRA insurgent forces. The ruthless efficiencyof the joint Air Force and RLI Fireforce operations where the RLI was deployedby helicopter and later also by parachute was to account for the deaths of inexcess of 12,000 insurgents during the course of the war at a rate of 160 enemykilled for every one of their own lost: a truly remarkable record.
Throughout the war the RLI never ceased to learn, adapt andevolve militarily and as such provides many important lessons for students ofmodern warfare in how a small military structure making the maximum andcreative use of the limited resources available can achieve so much with solittle. Disbanded after the political settlement on 31 October 1980 the RLImarched into history.
Gone but never to be forgotten, this is the story of theincredible RLI.