Selous Scouts The Men Speak
Author: Jonathan Pittaway
Publisher: Dandy Agencies
Edition: Third Edition 2017
ISBN: 9780620665858
Language: English
Condition: Excellent - still in shrink wrap.
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 624. Print with images
Additional Information
Breaking with conventional military thinking, the Selous Scouts refined the concept of the pseudo-group pioneered in Malaya and Kenya to provide up-to-date intelligence about an elusive enemy. Now at last the men themselves tell their own stories of the exploits of that controversial famous unit.
This book is published on a non-profit basis on behalf of the Regimental Association, for the benefit and use of its members. It is intended as a hobbyist publication and is distributed privately. The contributors to this book have been too numerous to acknowledge by name. However, special assistance, contributions and guidance were received from Pat Armstrong, Craig Balaam, Shane Beary, Barbara Bresler, John Duncan, Ron Reid-Daly, Rich Franz, Keith Samler, Pete Stanton, Tom Thomas and Willie van der Riet, with most of the photographs coming from Tony Pretorius, Dennis Croukamp, Jimmy Ley, James Morgan and Kevin Thomas. On the collecting side much help was received from Shaun Auma, Tinus de Klerk, Phil Durieux, Paul Els, Peter Garratt, Marco Gollino, Peter Maunder, Dudley Wall, Marius Whittle, Johan Wiegman and Richard Wood. Contemporary terminology has been used throughout the book and in no way reflects the views of the compiler. It is over thirty years since the end of the Rhodesian conflict and former members are spread far and wide around the world. It has therefore been impossible to locate and communicate with them all. Any new photographs/scans relating to the content of this book will be welcomed. Photographs will be returned by registered post or courier within a week of receipt.
The Malaya and Kenya sections of the book have been introduced because they give the reader an overview of pseudo-warfare and earlier pseudo-operations in Africa. These are fascinating campaigns, especially regarding the use of the unique, extremely dangerous and deadly effective pseudo-operations techniques. Therefore they have been covered in considerable detail in this book. It was these specific pseudo-operations concepts, born in Africa, more so than those in other theatres of war on which the Selous Scouts based many of its pseudo-operating procedures, which it honed and adapted to suit the circumstances of the Rhodesian COIN war. The principle of infiltrating the guerrilla forces operating in the country with Selous Scouts pseudo operators and captured guerrillas (TTs) was extremely effective, accounting for the majority of the guerrillas killed or captured in the war. Even more spectacular was the further development of this concept into the use of pseudo-operations to deceive the enemy in neighbouring Mozambique. This was done by deploying heavily armed, motorised columns, disguised as guerrilla forces and/or FRELIMO soldiers to stage pre-emptive attacks on external guerrilla bases. These surprise attacks, often without air support, achieved spectacular results totally disproportionate to the numbers of troops deployed. Such pseudo deception-and-disguise tactics were also used with astonishing success to eliminate or snatch guerrilla leaders in neighbouring countries which harboured guerrillas. The Federation section of the book covering the Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment has been included because it explains the origins of the name Selous Scouts within the Rhodesian Army. Although not connected with pseudo-operations, this unit originally used the name. The unit was disbanded in 1963 and the name was reactivated in 1973 by the Selous Scouts as we know it.
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