The Rhodesian declaration of independence in 1965 heralded a rebellion by people of mainly British stock against their mother country. One of the main instruments which sustained this rebellion for 14 years was the Royal Rhodesian Air Force. Many of those who served in this force had strong affiliations with the RAF and were trained in its methods and aircraft. This account of the war has been compiled using the first-hand personal experiences of many pilots and crew. Appendices include matters such as Chiefs of Air Staff, air bases, rank structure, honours and awards, and lists of aircrafts and losses, as well as details of how Royal Navy warships and Royal Air Force units carried out patrols in attempts to enforce sanctions. Maps and photographs are included which illustrate specialized aircraft involved, such as twin-fuselage Lynx.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A thoroughly researched an informative title,
This review is from: Britain's Rebel Air Force: The War from the Air in Rhodesia, 1965-1980 (Hardcover)
As the son of a former member of the Rhodesian Airforce (my father David Dodds having served up until 1974) I have read this book with great interest. The narrative itself is totally unbiased and factual to the point where at some times it seems too detached from the reality of what it must have been like serving in this highly motivated, yet under-equipped force. For those who did serve, this book is a must-read and takes the reader right from the beginning of the forces inception, through the battles of World War Two, the rapid growth of the 1960's and then the action of the 70's. It continues into the birth of the Airforce of Zimbabwe and how this force had to integrate the former Rhodesian Airforce into a force that was racially diverse enough to suit the new country.The text may seem too brief to some, and at times the reader is left wishing for more personal accounts of the action - the what was it like to be there? sort of feeling. On the other hand, by its very nature the war from the air was far more detached than the war on the ground. Readers who have read the excellent 'Selous Scouts - Top Secret War' by Lt Col. Ron Reid Daly, will know that it is the personal side of warfare that is so compelling in a book of this nature. The book does not have enough of this type of information. Sadly, in and effort to appraise the reader of the wider context of the Rhodesian situation, the writers have found it necessary to digress from the narrative to explain events taking place in the region as a whole. At times, for those who lived in Rhodesia or have read books on the general subject this may be irritating, as it takes up space in what is already a brief text. If the book were 20 or 30,000 words longer, then the digressions would not have been such a concern. On the other hand there are plenty of rare and interesting archive photo's pulled from a whole range of sources. Noteworthy too is the amount of work that has gone into the writing and compiling of the Appendix. Every single plane that served in the force is noted and what its fate was, the serial numbers, the previous serial numbers, what bulkhead cracked and where etc., all these details have been noted. It was personally interesting for me to see the serial number and information of the Canberra B2 bomber that broke up in flight on 16/11/71 killing it's two crew. My interest in this stems from the fact that it crashed on my uncle's farm southeast of New-Sarum. My father had even been talking to one of the ill-fated crew on the morning of the crash. I now have a small part of the canopy, recovered by myself from the site whilst I was on holiday in Zimbabwe in 1987. The book does give the reader a good understanding of what it must have been like trying to procure equipment and spares for an airforce unwanted by the rest of the World. It is a testament to the skills of the men who maintained the machines with brilliance and sheer ingenuity, so that so many of them were still flying whilst aircraft of a similar age had become museum pieces. On the whole though I still heartily recommend this book. It is a worthwhile addition to anyone's military bookshelf. This is especially so as many writers have seemed reluctant to touch the subject of Rhodesia because the subject does not fit in with the Political Correctness of the day. Readers who are interested in more of the history of Rhodesia and Southern Africa may wish to have a look at my brother's book 'The Zulus and Matabele - Warrior Nations by Glen Lyndon Dodds' tracing the history of the Matabele nation and how they broke away from the mighty Zulus. Published in 1998 by Arms & Armour Press, the 100,000 word text is naturally primarily concerned with the Zulus but does trace the entire history of the Matabele nation. Of particular note to students of Zimbabwe's history is the section of the book tracing how the Matabele came into being, how they fought tooth and nail against the Rhodesians at the end of the 19th century, and how they fought again in the Rhodesian Bush War, only to end up fighting for their survival again - this time against the forces of the new Zimbabwe government - a regime intent on crushing any dissent.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent history and tactical overview of the RRAF,
By A Customer
This review is from: Britain's Rebel Air Force: The War from the Air in Rhodesia, 1965-1980 (Hardcover)
A fantastic book I cannot praise enough. Impartial, fair and thoroughly documented. Not to mention a very good read. This book reviews the operational history of the RRAF (Royal Rhodesian Air Force) during its bitter struggle against marxist guerillas. It describes how a small nation with antiquated aircraft put off the inevitable for 15 years against overwhelming odds. The book documents every major operation of the RRAF as well as the tactics it used. It is not a gung-ho white regime book though it documents their failures and their atrocities as well as those of the guerrillas. It also gives an honest and frank opinion of why an air force and military that was so innovative and unquestionably motivative ultimately failed to meet its objective. I recommend this book to those interested in Rhodesia and the history of its military. It would also be a very good book for those interested in Counter-Insurgency Warfare and Close Air Support operations.
1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Britains Rebel Airforce,
By Steve Bailey (Cape Town) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Britain's Rebel Air Force: The War from the Air in Rhodesia, 1965-1980 (Hardcover)
This book was a great disapointment. So much of contents seems to have been "culled" from the very good Selous Scouts "Pamwe Chete" and Barbara Coles book on the Rhodesian SAS. Its totally empty of daily information about the Rhodesian Airforce. Fire fights and raids are thin on material. Sorry I paid a lot of money for this book and it was just not worth it. ( Rhodesian Airforce 1967 - 1972 )
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